March gave us International Women’s Day on March 8th and the first day of spring and World Sustainable Procurement Day on March 21st. It was a month for celebrating women, ushering in spring and looking for ways to live more sustainably.
Here’s what Softly did in March.
Softly Celebrated Women Entrepreneurs
– Softly’s March Sustainable Superhero –
Heather Roberts of Mom Bomb Reflects on Women in Business
Heather Roberts, founder and chief volunteer of Mom Bomb isn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty when there’s work to be done, but she also knows how to get them clean. Mom Bomb sells all natural, vegan, Made in the USA bath and shower products and donates 100% of the profits to families in need. She sustains and supports family by looking for ways to help families relax on a daily basis with her products or sistering with another non-profit to provide services for families in crisis. She has a vision that is in sync with Softly’s—making sure what you buy is in line with your values.
We talked to Roberts about women entrepreneurs (Why Women Entrepreneurs Do More with Less). Here is the full interview.
Softly: There are many studies that show how women-owned businesses outperform, why do you think this is the case?
HR: There’s an old joke about men and their “nothing box.” I’m told this “nothing box” is a place where men think about “nothing.” Women don’t have a “nothing box” we are ALWAYS thinking about something, and then subsequently, acting. And as most women will tell you – there is ALWAYS something to do! Our brains looks like the middle of a CSI episode with multi-colored stings attached to boxes that overlap a map on a large wall, all to keep everything straight. This is a long way of saying that my belief is that women-owned business outperform others because we are masters at multitasking and logistics planning.
Softly: What are the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs?
HR: I would dare say that the same thing that makes women exceptional, multi-tasking, can also be the Achilles heel of the organization. It wasn’t until I learned to slow down and not do as much that I learned how to both scale and take on a more wholistic growth mindset which ultimately benefits the business long term. But look out because if hands need to be dirty, I’ll be the first in the pit.
Softly: What needs to happen to improve the opportunities available to women business owners?
HR: Funding opportunities. We have come so far in many ways, but when it comes to women leading businesses, our access to capital is the exact inverse of what it should be based on the fact that our companies DO outperform.
We asked Roberts one more question: If you could have any superpower to help you make the world a more sustainable place, what would it be?
HR: My superpower to make the world a more sustainable place would be to find a way to ensure that the places we spend our money truly embody our values.
Softly Supports Sustainable Women-Owned Businesses
Softly’s Favorite Places to Donate
10 Ways to Ethically Donate Your Spring Cleaning Finds: Pros, Cons and Tips
Spring is a time for a refresh and Softly! found places to donate the things that are cluttering your home. Here are some of our favorites.
Buy Nothing connects you to someone looking for specific items. Using social media, post what you have and get responses from people in your area who could use your unwanted stuff. It’s grassroots and local.
Sole2Soul promotes sustainability through the reuse of athletic shoes.
One Warm Coat provides coats to people in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability. Take advantage of their resources to run a coat drive and collect coats in your community.
Big Sky Recycling recycles phones for charity and gives the option of sending in four or fewer phones with self-paid shipping.
You can also donate directly to improve women’s lives around the world.
Days for Girls provides women and girls access to period products by delivering reusable pads and health education for people around the world.
Free the Girls is a micro-entrepreneurship program for women who have been exploited. Selling bras in the second hand marketplace prevents bras from ending up in the landfill and empowers women.
Discover World Sustainable Procurement Day:
Stock up for the Home Office and Small Businesses
Why We All Should Celebrate World Sustainable Procurement Day on March 21st
March 21st was World Sustainable Procurement Day. If you’re a small business, or feel like you’re running a small business out of your home, here are some certified sustainable products that can help keep things running smoothly.
Talk About Sustainable Period Products
Sustainable Periods. Let’s Talk About It.
When we don’t talk about menstruation, it makes it harder to solve the environmental issues, health aspects and accessibility of menstrual products for people around the world. Period products need to be sanitary and prevent leakage, but should not have ingredients or by-products that are bad for our bodies or the environment. Disposable products are sometimes a necessity, but reusable products are at the forefront of menstrual product innovation.
