Discover Top Posts Tagged with #causebox05

Bridgewater Candles: an interview with Bridgewater President Bob Caldwell Jr.

When we discovered Bridgewater Candles, we immediately fell in love with their Sweet Grace scent. When we sampled it, we knew that we had to share not only the amazingly scented candle with our CAUSEBOX community, but we had to share with you the story of Bridgewater Candles. For every candle that they sell through their Light a Candle • Feed a Child program, they are able to donate a day’s worth of meals to a child in an international orphanage. Read out interview with Bridgewater President Bob Caldwell Jr. below. :)

1. Tell us about the background of Bridgewater Candles. Today, it’s a huge success in the world of beautiful, socially conscious products. How did the company begin, and how did it get to where it is today?

We are a family-owned business whose roots go back to 1974. My dad eventually stumbled into the home fragrance industry during the early 1980’s and several years later, my parents exited the greenhouse business to focus on the rapidly expanding home fragrance business.

In 1998, we launched Bridgewater Candle Company. Around 2006, we began discussing the need to repackage and rebrand Bridgewater. Ever since I can remember, my parents viewed the business as more than just a means for profit, but also as a vehicle for giving back and doing good. As a family, we began discussing what it might look like to more directly connect the dots for our employees between the work they do each day and the impact it makes. We all agreed that it needed to be authentic and something we were passionate and committed to investing in for the long-term. We wanted it to be more than a short-term feel good initiative. As we began exploring what this might looklike, we realized the perfect partnership was right under our nose.

Since the founding of Rice Bowls in 1980, our business has donated much of the back office support to Rice Bowls, reducing their overhead and allowing more of the money raised to go towards the mission of Rice Bowls. Overtime, Rice Bowls shifted its focus from famine relief to providing for the food budgets of children’s homes around the world. We realized Rice Bowls was a perfect partnership through which we could clearly connect the giving dots for our employees. It was an organization and cause our employees were already familiar with and an organization and cause to which we had been deeply committed to for over 25 years.

In 2010, we rebranded Bridgewater with a give back component and the Light a Candle • Feed a Child™ program was born. For every container filled candle we sell, we donate $.75 to Rice Bowls. On average, $.75 will provide 3 meals. So, for every container candle purchased, an orphaned child is fed for a day. It’s humbling to look down our candle production lines and know that each candle on the line represents the life of a child who is being transformed through something as simple as a candle.

2. Not only do Bridgewater Candles smell incredible, but they’re also held in colorful,intricately-designed tins. What’s the design process for each candle? How important is the role of design in the process of creating a new candle or new scent?

As it relates to design, we are first and foremost fragrance driven. Great packaging will catch the consumer’s eye and may create an initial sale, but it won’t bring the customer back for more. It takes great fragrances to accomplish that goal, and that’s what we are after. We are very unique in that we have our own team of in-house perfumers who work with the brand team to develop each fragrance from concept to finished product. The development of a fragrance typically begins with the creation of a fragrance brief,which includes pictures and color swatches to set a mood and inspire specific fragrance notes and accords for inclusion in the fragrance. This brief is then used to inspire both the perfumery team and the graphic design team in creating the fragrance, packaging, and a fragrance name so that each component builds off the other all integrating into one great product.

(pictured: Sweet Grace Mingle tin candle in the Winter CAUSEBOX)

3. Is there a lesson or takeaway that Bridgewater has learned on the path to success? There are so many new, smaller socially focused businesses out there and I know they would love to hear advice from a company as successful as Bridgewater.

Focus on designing great products first and foremost. As a socially-focused entrepreneur, it is easy to fall into the trap of making social impact the primary focus of the business. Never forget that it is a business first, and your ability to have social impact as an entrepreneur will be directly tied to the marketplace success of your products. Work to create products that consumers will enthusiastically seek out. While the mission absolutely rests at the core of the socially-focused brand’s DNA, within the marketplace the social mission should be the cherry on top that closes the sale, not the sole basis for the sale in the first place.

4. We fell in love with the Light A Candle, Feed A Child program. Can you tell us about that, and why it’s so important for Bridgewater?

One of our core values is to “Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.” Another is to “Do things that matter.” Caring for vulnerable children who lack a family to support, nurture, and protect them is something we care deeply about and is one of the ways we live out these core values. In addition, the Light a Candle • Feed a Child™ program directly connects the work that our employees do each day to the difference their work makes.

(pictured: Bridgewater Candle president at a orphanage in Haiti)

5. What’s the number one thing you’d want a new customer to know about Bridgewater?

We are in this for the long haul. We are serious about creating great fragrances and great products that customers will return to loyally purchase. We are equally serious about having a long-term impact on the international orphan crisis. The more we grow, the greater the impact we can have together.

6. How can readers best contribute to the Bridgewater mission?

Buy Bridgewater Candles! If you’re struggling to select a fragrance, I’d recommend starting with one of our best sellers: Sweet Grace, Afternoon Retreat, or Kiss in the Rain. Consumers can visit www.bridgewatercandles.com to locate their nearest retail dealer or to make an online purchase. To date, we are privileged to have partnered with our dealers and customers to provide over 5,000,000+ meals to orphaned children throughout the world. We would love to have your community join us in working to bring about transformation in the lives of these amazing kids who have each experienced trauma in their lives, and yet have unique potential and value as human beings.

#causebox #causebox05 #bridgewater candle #sociallyconscious #subscriptionbox #subscription service #social good

SoloHope: An interview with founder Emilee Connell

SoloHope, Spanglish for “Only Hope”, is one of the 6 brands that we hand selected to feature in our Winter CAUSEBOX. When we discovered SoloHope, not only were we drawn to their beautifully handcrafted pieces, but we fell in love with their story – a story of hope, empowerment, and community. Read our interview with founder Emilee below!

(pictured: Founder Emilee Connell in Honduras)

1. Let’s hear the SoloHope story – When was the company founded? How was it conceived?

I’ve been traveling back and forth to Honduras since 2002 and during that time, have built some amazing friendships with women in the remote mountains of Intibuca. I listened to the women share their stories and express the challenges they were facing—the struggle to provide for themselves and their children. It was clear: there was a need for jobs for women! In 2012, I had a random idea for bracelets created out of pine needles + thread. I met with a woman named Dilcia who knew how to handcraft baskets from pine needles + thread but didn’t have a steady market for her goods. I showed her rough sketches of the bracelets I had in mind and asked her if she thought it was possible. She quietly said yes. And that’s when all the fun really got started! SoloHope officially launched in 2012 with two Honduran artisans and myself stateside, with just 80 bracelets in our classic bangle design. We’ve really taken off from then! We now have a product line that features women’s accessories and home goods (like the Estrella Bowl featured in the CAUSEBOX) and we partner with 13 women!

2. Was there a moment when you realized that SoloHope was really happening — and that you were going to be jumping all in?

Yes, absolutely! Faith is very central to SoloHope and within each of our lives. In 2013—less than a year after our launch—we really began to feel like God was leading us to take a risk, scale up, and go from a part-time venture to a full-time business.

As the only member of SoloHope stateside at the time, that meant I’d have to go “all in.” And I did! I quit my comfy full time job and moved to Honduras for four months to work with our founding 2 artisans to create a product line. It was a scary and exciting time for us but I know it was the right decision. The women I get to work with in Honduras have faced tremendous struggles yet they are the most resilient and generous people you will ever meet. They are my heroes! I’m so thrilled to be on this journey with them. The risk taken 2 years ago was definitely worth it!

3. What have been some hurdles for SoloHope as you’ve been building the company? How did you get through them?

Honestly, this journey called SoloHope has been a roller coaster at times. The truth is it started with an idea, a dream, but our artisan team and I didn’t always know exactly what we were doing. We’ve made mistakes (LOTS of mistakes!), but if you could see the tenacity in the faces of the women we partner with in Honduras, you’d know failure wasn’t an option. A journey doesn’t have to be perfect to make a difference.

4. Is there a particular Honduran woman or man who stands out in the SoloHope story — someone who really reveals what drew you to this country and its people in the first place?

Dilcia & Maribel. They have been best friends since they were children and they were our first 2 artisans. They have really taken on a leadership role with our group. Dilcia’s our lead designer.She takes sketches and makes them come to life and has even started designing some of our new products from start to finish. Maribel is very business-savvy and takes on a management role with the group while continuing to create product herself. These 2 women have hard stories of abuse and neglect yet they are determined to build a better life for themselves and their families. I can think of one story that really highlights how much of an inspiration they are. We were meeting in June, and I brought up the idea of building a SoloHope HQ in Honduras (our artisans had been working from home or meeting at Dilcia’s house). Dilcia and Maribel got huge smiles on their faces. I knew something was up. They told me they had been thinking the same thing—“Great!” I thought, “we’re on the same page”—but they took it a step further and said “We’ve bought the land for our building.” THIS is what SoloHope is all about! These women have been empowered to write their own story! I’m so proud to know Dilcia and Maribel. They are the definition of determination and grit.

5. What is your dream for this company? Any spoilers on some exciting plans that you guys have for the future?

In the spring, we’ll be launching a new way for people to join our journey and share whatSoloHope does by hosting a “Party in a Box” with their friends, family, and co-workers. It’s a fun and tangible way to get involved with SoloHope (and earn free product!). If you are interested in being one of the first to host a “Party in a Box,” email us at [email protected] for more information.

Additionally, we’re looking to expand our mission to new contexts in the coming years. In 2016, I’ll be going to India on an investigative trip. We were invited by a couple of pastors in Mumbai to visit, learn about the life of women in the slums, and see if it could be a fit for SoloHope’s model. We’re not sure where the visit will lead but we’re excited by the opportunity!

Overall, our dream is to continue offering hope and empowerment to those overcoming poverty. This is truly about hope. Something I’ve learned through this process is that poverty often makes you feel like you don’t have a choice but hope allows you to see the possibilities around you. Our ultimate goal is to create a legacy of hope in our artisans, their families and communities for generations to come.

6. We noticed some good Spotify playlists on your company blog — can you leave us with one fabulous song recommendation?

So many awesome choices to pick from! Our friend, Hayley Catt, puts together our playlists. She’s an excellent curator of music. Everyone has their favorite—I’m partial to “I’m Good,” by Mowgli’s. Check it out on our Summer playlist. I know it’s not a winter song but hey, it still kinda feels like summer outside! ;)