A Premium Experience & the Power of Giving (Part 3)

Welcome to the final week of thoughts inspired by the fantastic experience I had with Bombas. This week, I'd like to talk about what happens when you combine a premium experience, the power of giving, and a mission that matters.

People want to do business with companies that do the right thing or, at a minimum, align with their ideals. It's true that the definition of the "right thing" is left to the interpretation of each person, but if you've watched the news lately, I think you'll agree that it isn't very difficult to tell when a company is hitting the mark with the majority of their consumers or when they veer off the path. Because I know that good things are always happening, I'll focus on some positive examples in this week's thoughts. Because these thoughts have been inspired by Bombas, I'll start there.

I mentioned in part 1 that Bombas gives one pair away for every pair purchased. After researching their website, I learned they have donated 100+ million pairs to people who could use a little help through their distribution partners. By simple math, if you counted giving a week's supply of socks, underwear, and shirts, they've given away enough to clothe over 4.7 million people! Here's the thing: the fact that they've given that many items away means there have been at least that many purchases. The socks are great, but there are several manufacturers of great socks. Doing the right thing for the right reasons gives them an edge and helps create loyal customers.

Another example that I've admired is Tory Tipp. Who's Tory? Glad you asked! Tory is my State Farm Insurance agent and someone I'm now thankful to call a friend. Insurance is one of those things you never hope to use, and when you do, something obviously went wrong. I haven't had very many claims over the years, but the responsiveness I've received from Tory when needed has been exceptional. Additionally, he has always proactively provided me with options and direction for my various business and personal policies. I don't tell you that as an advertisement for Tory, but rather to set the baseline of a premium experience. Tory combines that with the power of giving and a mission that matters through The Kindness Revolution™. Tory consistently puts both his company and personal resources to work, honoring community members and businesses that serve others and do the right things. Last month, he featured a business that chose to donate 5% of its sales to local charities in honor of their 5-year anniversary. He also sponsors all kinds of local events that highlight local youth or positive activities. In the past, he was willing to partner with my church group and another person with a mission that matters, Heather Oden to put on a Glow Run 5K to benefit a great organization, LIGHTHOUSE – Light Up The Dark. In addition to the positive marketing his business receives through these actions, he does this because he loves Jesus and feels that it's his mission to make an impact. The result of his combination of a premium experience, the power of giving, and a mission that matters has been huge growth within his business, in spite of some very talented competition in the area.

A final example that I'll provide is what we're achieving at Ag Partners Cooperative, Inc. Our Globally Responsible Production (GRP) program has been built with these standards in mind. GRP's main thing is partnering with our farmers in their constant pursuit of feeding the world sustainably to ensure a bright future for our children. We work to lower the barriers of proving the exceptional work being done and ensuring market access that incentivizes their continued effort. Quick pivot question: Did you know that there are over 100 food deserts in Kansas & Missouri alone? That information drove us to start partnering with industry partners and individuals to install greenhouses in schools, with the goal of teaching children how to grow nutrient-dense foods in small spaces. Like the other examples, this isn't the main thing, but that doesn't make it invaluable, and it has been extremely well received. We have also created the program in a way that will allow other retailers in the agricultural space to utilize it. We could have worked to keep it all to ourselves, but that wouldn't have provided the best opportunities for our farmers and our children. So we made the choice to choose the greater good. Our efforts to provide an exceptional experience for farmers and consumers, combined with a mission that matters, have led to faster growth and greater momentum than I could have ever imagined. We are now partnering with some of the world's largest companies across multiple countries in joint efforts to build a better future for everyone.

I have written in the past about my belief that the Bible is the greatest business book ever written. Colossians 3:23 states, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." As I have studied leading companies, I have noticed that this mantra has largely driven their success. They don't all serve the same Lord that I do, but their "Lord" drives their daily efforts, and that level of passion transcends standard growth curves. A mission that matters, even if only internally, can drive unexpected success.

Those companies understand their mission and focus on it. Here's a fun fact: you can have more than one mission! Personally, I have two missions. Beyond my professional mission (see GRP above or learn more at www.globallyresponsibleproduction.com), my personal mission is to hear "well done, good and faithful servant" from my Lord and Savior at the end of my life. I believe these two missions run in parallel well, and they drive me daily.

That leads me to this week's challenge. Take some time to ask yourself, "What's my mission?" Do your actions align with it? If not, ask yourself, "Why not?" Consider focusing on them to share the value your mission provides with the rest of us. Make your mission a mission that matters to everyone!