Pure intentions.
It’s a simple phrase, but it can mean a lot when it comes to building a business.
For entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone creating something of their own, there is an incredible amount of freedom in being able to decide what your company stands for, who you serve, how you operate, and what kind of impact you want to have.
That’s sovereignty.
But with that freedom comes responsibility.
Because once you have the ability to make your own choices, you also have to decide what those choices are in service of.
That’s where service comes in.
We believe one of the most important questions a business can ask is:
“How can we build something profitable while genuinely serving the highest good of the people we work with?”
We don’t believe the answer is to choose between money and purpose.
We believe you can build a profitable business, take care of your customers, create opportunities for your team, and contribute something positive to the world around you.
And maybe, in a way, it’s a little like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Sometimes what begins as something private, an intention, a dream….. a letter you never thought anyone would read has a way of becoming something real.
The things we put into the world carry a piece of us.
So we believe in being intentional about what we create, who we create it for, and why we create it in the first place.
First, Give Yourself Permission to Make Money
Let’s start with something that can make people uncomfortable:
It’s okay to want your business to make money.
Entrepreneurs sometimes feel like they have to choose between being purpose-driven and being profitable.
You don’t.
A business needs revenue.
It needs cash flow.
It needs the ability to pay people, invest in products, improve its customer experience, and survive difficult periods. Have ya’ll seen these gas prices?
Profit isn’t automatically a sign that a business has lost its purpose.
In many cases, profitability is what allows the purpose to continue.
The important question isn’t whether you’re making money.
The better question is:
“What value are we creating in exchange for the money we’re earning?”
If you’re solving a real problem, providing a quality product, creating an excellent experience, or helping people accomplish something meaningful, there is nothing wrong with being compensated for that value.
In fact, sustainable compensation allows you to keep creating it.
Don’t Build a Business Around What You Can Take
One of the biggest mindset shifts an entrepreneur can make is moving from:
“How much can I get?”
to:
“How much value can I create?”
That shift changes the way you look at almost everything.
Instead of asking how to maximize every transaction, you can start asking how to make the customer’s experience better.
Instead of asking how to sell the most expensive option, you can ask which option actually makes sense for that particular customer.
Instead of thinking only about today’s revenue, you can start thinking about whether the customer will trust you enough to come back tomorrow.
This doesn’t mean ignoring the financial side of the business.
It means recognizing where sustainable revenue actually comes from.
Your Customers Are Giving You Their Sovereignty, Too
This is something we think is easy to overlook.
Business owners aren’t the only ones exercising sovereignty.
Your customers are, too.
Every time someone spends money with your company, they are making a choice.
They are deciding where their money goes.
They are adding you to their budget.
They are deciding who they want to support.
They are trusting that the product or service they receive will be worth the exchange.
That means a customer’s purchase is more than a transaction. It is indeed a choice.
As business owners, we shouldn’t feel entitled to that choice.
We should earn it.
That means being clear about what we’re offering, honest about what it can do, and respectful of the customer’s ability to decide for themselves.
Serve Before You Sell
Here’s a practical principle we believe every business can benefit from:
Serve before you sell.
Before asking someone to buy, get to know what they need.
Before recommending a product, get to know the problem.
Before making a promise, make sure you can keep it.
Before maximizing the transaction, think about the relationship.
And sometimes, be willing to say:
“I don’t think this is right for you.”
That can feel counterintuitive.
After all, you’re running a business.
But saying no when something isn’t right can actually build more trust than saying yes to everything.
People remember when someone puts their interests ahead of a quick sale.
The Highest Good Doesn’t Mean Giving Everything Away
Now this is something that used to be struggle over here.
Serving your customers doesn’t mean undercharging.
It doesn’t mean working for free.
It doesn’t mean sacrificing your own business until there is nothing left.
You have to take care of the business, too.
Your company has needs.
If you have employees, they have needs.
Your family may depend on the business.
Your suppliers and partners need to be paid.
Your future requires investment.
So don’t confuse service with self-sacrifice.
Healthy businesses create healthy relationships.
Charge fairly.
Know your costs.
Know your margins.
Pay people appropriately.
Build reserves.
Invest in your future.
And create enough financial strength that you can continue serving your customers when things get difficult.
That’s not selfish.
Build Your Values Into the Business
If you want your business to have a purpose, don’t leave that purpose sitting on an “About Us” page.
Build it into the business.
Make it visible in your decisions.
Ask yourself:
How do we treat our customers?
How do we respond when we make a mistake?
Are our promises realistic?
Do we recommend what is genuinely appropriate?
How do we treat our employees?
Where do we source our products?
What happens to the money we earn?
What impact do our operations have beyond the customer?
What can we give back?
Your values become real when they cost you something.
It’s easy to say you care about people. It’s more meaningful when you make a decision based on that belief even when a different decision might produce more money in the short term.
This Is Something We Live, Not Just Talk About
This philosophy isn’t something we’re sharing because we think we’ve figured everything out.
We’re learning.
We’re making decisions.
We’re testing ideas.
We’re figuring out what works and where we can improve.
And we’re trying to keep one principle at the center of it all:
We want our business to create more value than it takes.
For example, our tangible expression of that is our commitment to plant a tree with every order.
When someone buys from us, they receive the product they’ve chosen, our business receives revenue that helps us continue to grow, and a tree is planted.
It’s a small action. We don’t pretend that planting one tree changes the world. But we do know small actions become meaningful when they are repeated consistently.
One customer.
One order.
One tree.
Then another.
And another.
That’s how we want our business to participate in something bigger than itself.
Don’t Wait Until You’re “Big Enough” to Make an Impact
Another lesson we would offer other businesses is this:
Don’t wait until you’re successful enough to start living your values.
You don’t have to be a huge corporation.
You don’t need millions of customers.
You don’t need a big following on social media.
Start where you are.
Maybe it’s planting a tree.
Maybe it’s donating a percentage of revenue to homeless shelters.
Maybe it’s supporting a local organization.
Maybe it’s giving your employees paid volunteer time.
Maybe it’s reducing unnecessary packaging.
Maybe it’s simply treating every customer interaction with more care.
The specific action will look different for every business. The important thing is that it is genuine.
Purpose Shouldn’t Be a Marketing Costume
Consumers are increasingly aware when a company’s values feel disconnected from its actions.
That’s why businesses should be careful about making big claims.
You don’t have to tell everyone you’re changing the world.
Just do something meaningful and be transparent about it.
If you plant trees, explain how.
If you donate, explain where the money goes.
If you source responsibly, be specific.
If you make a mistake, acknowledge it.
Credibility comes from consistency.
Say less. Do more.
Let your customers experience your values rather than simply reading about them.
Sovereignty Means Choosing Your Own Definition of Success
Every business owner has the opportunity to decide what success means.
For one company, it might be maximizing growth.
For another, it might be creating a lifestyle business that provides freedom.
For another, it might be building a company that can employ hundreds of people.
For another, it might be creating something that has a measurable environmental or social impact.
There isn’t one definition that works for everyone.
That’s part of the beauty of entrepreneurship.
You get to choose.
But once you’ve chosen, you have to build accordingly.
If you say relationships matter, don’t create a business that rewards employees only for maximizing transactions.
If sustainability matters, look at the environmental impact of your operations.
If customer wellbeing matters, examine how you sell.
Your business model should support your values, not constantly work against them.
Service Gives Your Freedom a Direction
Sovereignty gives you the freedom to choose.
Service gives those choices meaning.
That’s the balance we keep coming back to.
We want to make money.
We want to grow.
We want to build something successful.
But we also want to know that our success is connected to something worthwhile.
We want customers to receive genuine value.
We want our team to benefit from the business we build.
We want our business relationships to be based on trust.
And we want to contribute something positive beyond the immediate transaction.
For us, planting a tree with every order is one small way of putting that philosophy into practice.
Conclusion
Overall, if you’re building a business, or thinking about starting one – maybe the most important question isn’t:
“How can I make the most money?”
Maybe start with:
“What do I genuinely want to contribute?”
Then ask:
“Who can I serve?”
“What problem can I solve?”
“What value can I create?”
“How can I build a profitable model around that value?”
And finally:
“What do I want my business to give back?”
The answers will be different for every entrepreneur.
That’s the point.
Your business is yours.
You have the sovereignty to decide what it becomes.
But that freedom comes with an opportunity and a responsibility to use it well.
For us, that means building a business that is profitable without losing its humanity.
It means serving our customers with genuine care.
It means recognizing that making money and doing good don’t have to be opposing goals.
And it means taking small, tangible steps toward leaving something better behind.
Pure intentions.
Sovereign choices.
Genuine service.
Real value.
Sustainable profit.
And, with every order, one more tree planted.
That’s the business we’re choosing to build. May you choose what works best for you.
