When we started Straightface, we not only wanted to make the best shaving subscription service in NZ, but we also wanted to grow a business to be able to employee people.
We knew that we will be successful when we employ our first employee. This still hasn't happened yet but it's still a something that I think will be a magical position to be in.
Small businesses are the life blood of our economy. They don't get the fame and the newspaper inches of the big companies but they more than punch above their weight in terms of impact.
The Top 1%
There are some shocking stats around wealth inequality. The top 1% own 88% of all of the shares in the market. That means when you buy from a big company you are just fattening the pockets of some rich person on the other side of the world.
On top of that, in NZ, when you buy from them, that money leaves NZ. I get it, some of their products and prices are too hard to turn down.
Money goes round
When you buy from local businesses, just like you do when you buy from Straightface, you legend, you magnify that money in the economy. We still haven't got any employees but we spend money locally.
We just did some videos for YouTube and Social's (yes I get the irony that these are big companies). We did these videos with the help of local business. Our marketing company is This is Society, Emma, Lex, and Danielle making magic happen for us. We had local video team with the awesome director Jay Hall, local make-up artists (I need all the help I can get when I am in front of the camera, local equipment, local facilities.
All these businesses then spend that money and so the money goes round and round.
Support Friends
I have a talented friend Samantha that set up a printing shop down in Queenstown. We are getting new cards made for our orders. Soon you will get a new fancy card rather than the current plain black one.
So we haven't got an employee yet but we are helping to employee Kiwis and that feels good.
Moment of Gratitude
Last week I mentioned that I am going to give therapy a go. I was overwhelmed with the response. Lots of people sent in emails of support and some wrote in about their own journeys, which were beautiful to read.
It was great to get the messages from everyone, but it was interesting that amount of people that reached out to see if I was OK. I tried to structure my position that I was going to improve rather than as a failing but I guess that stigma for therapy as some acknowledgement of needing help is still strong.
As a human being, I am very strong, but I go to the gym and lift weights to get stronger. I see this journey into therapy as the same. I am trying to use it to become a better person and I am just asking for help from someone to help me on that path.
I think framing is huge. Maybe we can all approach the mental health situation the same we would with physical health. If your friend starts to go to the gym and gets a personal trainer, do you ask if they are OK?
Shave well, be awesome, keep supporting local you legends.
Luke
