Lou and Seth Cysewski with Coolperx are passionate about social purpose and environmental sustainability, but to Lou and Seth, these aren’t buzzwords to capitalize on, rather, they are core values that are intrinsic to who they are and how they live.
Lou and Seth joined us for our May community meetup and we explored what it really means to build a socially conscientious business that adds meaning to the world. We talked about the ways we can make authentic, daily decisions that help us live out our core values and explored how they’ve built an authentic brand by simply living it. You can view the conversation above or check out this summation of three easy keys to creating values-driven solutions for your clients:
Understand what’s most important to your client. Sustainability is a big topic. Its sub-categories seem infinite (climate positivity, net-zero, circularity, carbon offset, etc.) and the word “sustainability” seems to have lost its impact due to meaning so many things at once. One way we can uncomplicate the immensity of the subject is to just start with what your clients care about. Often, your clients will have values or a mission they support and are passionate about, whether it’s sustainability, fair trade, organics, ethical sourcing, and more. Starting with your client’s values is the fastest way to unify your product solutions with their mission and simplify their objectives.
Covetability: Sustainability begins with “covetability,” a word that Lou and Seth coined, stressing the advice from Patagonia’s founder that “the greenest product is the one that lasts the longest.” What Lou and Seth added was that we should also strive to provide products that are first, well-loved and that also function at a high level. Covetability and functionality are the two hinges that will open any door to brilliant ideas. Sustainability starts where good promo thrives: creating product that people want to love, keep, and wear forever.
Don’t perpetuate mediocrity: That’s a phrase that Lou and Seth live by, to the point that they have to turn away business if it doesn’t meet their values or standards. In our industry, not perpetuating mediocrity means creating a supplier and product selection process that begins with your core values, and it means guiding clients towards solutions that are not simply on-budget but that encompass a wider range of ethics. Building a more sustainable world is an issue we should all care about and it’s one that Lou and Seth have built an amazing business around: guiding clients toward ethical solutions, partnering with suppliers and manufacturers who share similar passions, and creating a business built around core values that are authentic to who they are as individuals.
Thank you, Lou and Seth, for sharing your journey with us and helping us all become more conscientious about our world. If you enjoyed this chat, join us for our new event, Product Summit: Sustainability, where we’ll combine real-world learning with on-trend product ideas that are solely focused on sustainable solutions. Let’s change our world - one product, one buyer at a time!
