Hot Tip: There’s More to Business Than Profit
What if the metrics for success in business were built on being generative, resourceful, deliberate, GENEROUS, or caring? What if we could create an operational model that stands in opposition to the patriarchal values of competition, ego, scarcity, individualism, and materialism?
When we started visioning what Hush could become, we knew that we couldn’t just pick the same models that everyone else had been using. We knew enough to know that besides thinking about strategic work differently, or even our internal culture, there was work that had to be done about how we operate and function as a business too – something we needed to weave into our DNA. We had a lot of ideas and wondered what else we could be thinking about, what else could we be doing differently?
We eventually came across the work of Jennifer Armbrust and the community she’s created, Sister. Sister is rooted in the beliefs and practices of Feminist Business Principals and the Feminine Economy. I was sold at about a half scroll down their website: “This is about transforming our relationship to money, to work, to the earth, to our bodies, & to each other.”
YES!
We dug deeper. We bought the books, we signed up for a retreat. We read, we’re still reading. Armbrust work was the gateway that showed us another path, but her work is not entirely unique. Theories about Feminist Economics have been around for decades and there are so many people starting to think about a new way, practicing a new way. And isn’t it about time we try something different? Do we really believe this is working well for anyone that isn’t a cis white man in this world?
This cannot and will not be business as usual – we have an opportunity to be part of changing how work gets done, how resources and power get distributed, how we treat each other, how we think about our growth (spoiler: it’s not just vertical), and how our business impacts the world around us. This is about prioritizing the wellbeing of people and the planet over profit. We aim to keep learning at Hush, to remain flexible in how we work and to further integrate this work into our practice, with the hope that we can be a small part of shifting the dynamic. This is a commitment to lifelong learning and evolution.
As Jen Armbrust of Sister said, “If we want to change the systems, we must become systemic changemakers.” Our collective health and wellness and the planet literally depend on it.
Follow the links, discover new ideas, follow the rabbit hole…