The Female Entrepreneurial Spirit Behind Kindhumans

The Female Entrepreneurial Spirit Behind Kindhumans

Company

The Female Entrepreneurial Spirit Behind Kindhumans

Words by Kindhumans Co-Founder and President Suzi Wilkenfeld 

You are kind, you are special, there is no one else like you in the world, be fearless enough to chase your dreams, you are loved. These are some of the things I tell my daughters.

When I think about the future and what I’d like to teach them (after kindness, of course), it is that inspiration can transcend limitations – you can do anything you put your mind to! No doubt faith like this is what is behind those that innovate, and anyone else who is passionate about creating change.

As I look back on my inspiration and journey, I feel extremely inspired, proud, and hopeful for the future female entrepreneurs around the globe. What began as a minority of female pioneers has now become part of the normal day to day, with new female-owned businesses popping up routinely.

Many of these women fueled my motivation as a mother; to do better, demand better, and be better for myself and my children. They are also an integral part of what inspired me to help create Kindhumans with my husband Justin. 

When I entered into motherhood 6 years ago, I threw myself into researching products for my family. Which company made the safest car seat, the best BPA-free bottle, the best non-toxic mattress and crib – the list goes on and on, because, you know, it turns out you need a lot of things for babies ☺

As I started researching I began to realize that ingredients varied widely for many products, and even though they had the standard safety ratings and consumer reviews, the ingredients had little to no regulation for toxicity, safety, and sustainability. I dug deeper into my research, I consulted our pediatrician, naturopaths, my dear friend who is a nutritionist, and other wellness practitioners. I researched online and found excellent portals like EWG and Made Safe. By day, I was a stay-at-home mom and by night, I did my research – quickly expanding my resources and knowledge. I became a self-taught expert in non-toxic living and an advocate for my family’s health and well-being.

 

Throughout this time in my life, Justin was adamant: “You need to write this down! You can share this and help make it easier for others.” I grew up being taught that if you can help others, you must! So, I began creating lists of “must-haves” for new moms, not thinking it would go farther than my circle of friends. I shared these lists with friends and family and then quickly became a trusted resource for product questions. My friends and family would often tell me that my recommendations were continually passed on to other friends. And I thought, how cool is that? What an amazing community of women. It made me immensely happy knowing that my work could potentially make it easier for them to make conscious decisions about what they were bringing into their homes.

Soon, my interest in ingredients filtered into other aspects of our home. I began to carefully swap out existing products that we had been loyal to, some dating back to my childhood. Starting with laundry, moving to cosmetics, to cleaning supplies, and eventually realizing there was a need to filter our water due to contaminants.

I felt driven by other women, who had started their companies when they saw a need and space for improvement. Women like Gregg Renfrew of Beautycounter, Kate Jekubas of Meliora, and Sandra Ann Harris of ECOlunchbox were determined to forge a new path within their product category by moving standards, labeling, and sustainability forward to better serve their customers and the planet.

“What began as a minority of female pioneers has now become part of the normal day to day, with new female-owned businesses popping up routinely.”

– Suzi Wilkenfeld

 

I felt supported by some amazing women who have chosen to share their knowledge on Instagram and other platforms, making it easily accessible, digestible and informative. Of those, I always love to share Dr. Vivian Chen (@plateful.health), Irina Webb (@ireadlabelsforyou), Dr. Natasha, Psy.D, MPH (@drorganicmommy), and Dr. Jess Peatross (@dr.jess.md). I feel so fortunate to live in an era where information is at our fingertips. I’ve often equated it to picking up breadcrumbs; each new bit of information is a clue, and as you follow each clue and put them together, you eventually make it to a well-informed decision that you can feel good about.

This transformation took time – it didn’t happen overnight, and was truly an evolution; one that is ongoing. One thing I would suggest to anyone intent on making a change is to be patient with yourself and take baby steps if need be. Do what you can, when you can. Also, don’t look back with guilt; what you didn’t know isn’t your fault.

Today, my focus has grown to include careful decisions on product packaging and environmental health. While I was once focused on the product inside, I am now equally as focused on what goes into making the product and the packaging it comes in. My choices are largely based on ingredient safety, efficacy, company ethics, transparency, and environmental impact – this is further defined in our Kindhumans Credo. A holistic approach allows me to better understand the true impact I have with each purchase, hence our “Kind to Yourself, Kind to Others and Kind to the Planet” mantra.

Why does this all matter? 

Conscious consumption is a crucial step in preserving the health and longevity of our planet, for ourselves and our children. Moreover, we need to find a way to live in harmony with the planet again, and that begins with addressing the man-made chemicals and materials that are contaminating our bodies, waterways, and natural environment. I believe education is the answer; sharing our stories and building community can help change the way we consume goods. I feel confident about the future because of influencers like Lauren Singer and Kathryn Kellogg who have dedicated their careers to helping others reconsider and redefine their consumption and waste.

What started as a research project on car seats, became a journey which led to the inspiration and creation of our company, Kindhumans, and the Kindhumans Shop.

You see, after all the research was done to find the product, I then had to find the place to purchase it; oftentimes I was purchasing from multiple vendors and sometimes paying for multiple shipments which didn’t benefit my family or the planet. That left us asking, “what if we could find a way to put all these rad brands into one shop?”

We also wanted to find a way to unite the growing community of kind humans around the world, celebrate and partner with like-minded, purpose-driven brands to curate an online space for products that are eco-innovative, sustainable, healthy, and kind. Lastly, we wanted to showcase the true role models behind those businesses, because we believe they ignite inspiration in others! 

 

Female Leaders, Change Makers and Role Models

Food is medicine. Helping you find the root cause.

Dr. Vivian Chen of @plateful.health is devoted to educating and helping people to improve their health with lifestyle changes, helping clients without a prescription pad, and finding the root cause. She is a great resource for overall best health practices, sharing her thoughts on non-toxic living, sleep, detox methods, and reading labels…as well as delivering it all in a way that isn’t overwhelming.

Learn more: www.platefulhealth.com

Safer skin care for everyone.

Gregg Renfrew founded Beautycounter in 2013, with a mission to provide clean skin care to all. Their safety standard goes well beyond what is legally required in the United States and they are the first company to advocate for stricter guidelines and regulations to shift the personal-care industry away from using harmful and questionable ingredients. I was so inspired by Gregg and the business she built that I became a Beautycounter Consultant for two years and learned a lot about their advocacy and how to read cosmetic ingredient labels.

Learn more: www.beautycounter.com

Meliora means better. People- and planet-friendly.

Kate from Meliora is another female business owner who is pushing the industry standard. She started Meliora while studying for a master’s degree in environmental engineering and she struggled to find out and understand what ingredients were in everyday household cleaning products such as laundry detergent. She wanted to make sure the ingredients were safe for those in her household and the environment. Meliora lobbied in support of cleaning product Right-To-Know Acts, including the successful SB-258 campaign that will require ingredient listings on cleaning products in California.

Learn more: www.meliorameansbetter.com

Shop Meliora: www.kindhumans.com

Living a zero-waste lifestyle in New York.

Lauren Singer made the headlines in 2016 with the “trash jar” where she fit her trash from the past four years into a single 16 oz. mason jar. She has been a constant source of inspiration for us with her direct and informative yet fun approach to reducing waste as a consumer. From her blog (“Trash is for Tossers”) to her successful zero-waste store (“Package Free Shop”) in Brooklyn, she is dedicated to inspiring and educating people about living more sustainably.  She has been able to turn the zero waste lifestyle from a hippie, crunchy thing to a cool, sexy way to live that is achievable for us all!

Learn More: www.trashisfortossers.com

Author Profile:

Suzi is passionate about her family and giving them the happiest and healthiest lives possible.

As a mother of two, one of Suzi’s main goals has been to teach her daughters that ingredients matter. What we put in and on our bodies has a profound effect on our health. Additionally, the products we consume have an impact on our planet. The inspiration for Kindhumans was born from the countless hours spent researching healthy products for her family and friends. With that, came the motivation to help other people easily understand and purchase products that are healthy and sustainable.

Prior to working on Kindhumans, Suzi was a National Sales Director at Feld Entertainment, formerly Live Nation, where she helped structure advertising and marketing programs for top brands within television, media, and live event space – in front of millions of fans. Her media, marketing, and sales background brings a unique perspective to the world of honest, transparent brand + consumer engagement. She is a truth-seeker, an unrelenting researcher, and a self-taught health advocate, which makes her an incredible asset to setting our brand guidelines and product standards.

When she’s not working on the business, you can find Suzi in one of her three happy places: in the garden, at the Farmer’s Market, or in the kitchen.

We believe that happy and healthy people can help heal our planet and, in turn, a healthy and happy planet can heal our people: Nature’s very own closed loop on healthy living.” – Suzi Wilkenfeld, Kindhumans Co-Founder & President

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The Female Entrepreneurial Spirit Behind Kindhumans
https://kindhumans.com/kindhumans-blog/45269/