Altruistic Capitalism

Today is May Day.  Today is the day, many people take to the streets to protest the rights of workers and immigrants, the current economic crisis, and a myriad of other specific causes.  NPR has a good summary of what is happening via many different news sources.  You can check it out here.

At Bon Lemon, we believe in altruistic capitalism.  If you google "altruistic capitalism" there are all sorts of opinions and political ideologies defining what this concept means to them, but we would like to define what it means for us, because it is at the core of our mission as a business.

First, a little history might be helpful.  For those of you who already know the story, skip this part.  I started Bon Lemon after I was laid off from my job.  Well, two jobs actually.  (Yes.  That really sucked at the time.)  I was in the real estate law industry and the real estate industry tanked.  I found myself overqualified and unemployable.  I applied for tons of jobs and was casually rejected by each.  I couldn't even get a job at a local bakery.  Yikes!  When I could not stand unemployment any longer, fast food seemed like the only place left to look, and there was nothing left to lose, I started Bon Lemon with nothing more than a passion for being an entrepreneur and a credit card.

People say I was brave for starting Bon Lemon, but in all honesty, I would not have started Bon Lemon had someone hired me for a cushy, uninspiring job.  I would have taken the job so I could have health insurance and not feel like the pile of crap "unemployed friend/daughter/sister/girlfriend/insert-my-relationship-to-you-here."  I would have taken the job, watched the minute hand on the clock everyday, and I wouldn't have created anything.

But out of necessity (one can only live with their parents for so long after age 30) I started Bon Lemon, which was my true dream.  As I have said before, necessity is an ardent motivator.  I am so glad I was given the opportunity to fail and spend some time dealing with that failure, so I could create something great.  If you don't ever need for anything, it is easy to become entitled and apathetic.  Instead, I got the opportunity to create a business committed to changing the world through altruistic capitalism.

So, what does that mean?  It means, we want to make money, so we can do amazing stuff with it.  We want to employ people so they are happier, healthier and nicer to their families and neighbors.  We want to spend money at cool stores with owners who work their butts off to keep the flavor and feel of our towns alive. We want to give money to charities that are working hard to help make our world safer and more fun.  We want to make money so we can make the world a better place.  That's altruistic capitalism to us.

We don't have it all figured out.  We are still figuring out how to get people to buy our sparkle.  We are doing some great stuff, but we want to do more.  There are moments when I wish I had a cushy job with insurance and the ability to buy a new car.  (Heck, even just not feeling guilty about buying new shoes would be nice...)  But living a life you love is worth the sacrifice.  And I know that Bon Lemon is changing the world; my world, our employee's world, our customer's world, our community's world.  Yep, pretty much the whole world.  I know I wouldn't be saying that had a gotten some of the jobs I applied for.

So, I just want to tell you all how lucky I feel.  Even on the days I think the load is too much to carry, I look at the alternative and am so thankful for the opportunity to be where I am at.  Thank you for supporting Bon Lemon and our mission of altruistic capitalism.  I look forward to donating money to your charity, employing you (if you would like), and spending money in your small, medium, or large business that has a commitment to impacting the world.

This is not a political piece.  It is my personal story.  And I think it matters.  What's your story?  How are you inspiring the world?

You Are What you Eat (and I Love Bacon)

If the old adage is true, "you are what you eat," it is a miracle in my twenties I did not turn into cookie dough, corn dogs, or gelato. Maybe it is not meant literally, but I still think there is meaning behind those words. If you eat crap, you feel crappy. If you eat healthy, you feel healthy. Basic cause and effect.

I was an agriculture major in college. I started doing my own research on restaurants and eating at a much younger age. (Lots of practical research :) I have always enjoyed eating food, producing food, and learning about food. I learned about Monsanto/IBP/etc in college and it inspired me to change my shopping habits. I read Fast Food Nation 10 years ago when it first came out and it inspired me to change my eating habits. I know I am a little bit late to the party, but I just watched Food, Inc., and it has inspired me yet again. I want to make sure people know what is happening to our food. Because if you are paying attention, it is just plain nasty. (And there are a lot of people who would prefer you didn't see what's going on.)

I like pork. I like bacon, pork tenderloin, sausage, and pork chops. I could never get on the chicken bandwagon, so I have always eaten more beef and pork. In the course of my food education I have learned factory pig farms can be one of the most disturbing animal processing facilities out there. (Not saying chicken houses, dairies, or beef feed lots are Club Med...) Pigs live in dark sheds filled with inches of disease laden manure; they are abused (some of the videos of this make me absolutely ill); their growth has been unnaturally accelerated by hormones (chickens often can't stand on their own two legs); they are fed animal by-products, crowded on top of one another, and traumatized frequently.



There are countless reasons this kind of farming sucks. When you traumatize an animal it releases toxins into their body. Then we eat the meat from that animal, thus eating the toxins. No bueno. (Never mind the disrespect of another life.) Diseases spread rapidly in these environments and pass from pig to pig and then from pig to us. Gross. And not to sound like a tree hugger, but I don't like the idea of eating something that has been treated so poorly it's whole life. It makes me feel bad.

I don't think we need to stop eating meat. (Remember, I love bacon.) There are many animals that are raised on healthy, small farms. Supporting small farms is better for the animal, better for the environment, better for people, and they taste better. As consumers, we have the ultimate power to dictate what is available in the marketplace. If everyone stopped eating factory farmed pigs, factory pig farms wouldn't exist. I love the free market. (I will save my monologue on how the big ag companies are oligopolies and are violating anti-trust laws.)

Good food costs a little bit more. The Dollar Menu may seem like a bargain. Wal Marts prices may seem unbeatable. But I think the ultimate cost for this system remains to be seen. Our country is fat. Really, really fat. We have cancer, and Mad Cow, and all sorts of diseases we can't quite figure out. We might be rejoicing about a cheap gallon of milk or being able to afford to eat meat everyday, but I think the worst is yet to come if we don't start making some changes.

Like many social problems, change can seem daunting. Check out http://www.foodincmovie.com/get-involved.php for 10 Simple Things You Can Do To Change Our Food System. Do one of them. (Shopping at a co-op or farmer's market takes the guess work out of it.) I am a live and let live libertarian, but if there is one thing I can get on a soap box about (let's be honest, there's more than one :) it is this. We are poisoning ourselves, our animals, and our landscape. Consumers have the ultimate power. Let's change it.

Because, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.