Here’s an old joke: The world is divided between two types of people. A type that divides people into types, and a type that doesn’t.
Look around today and you might feel that everything is divided into two types. We’re divided politically, ideologically, and spiritually. And because our outer world (ie: work) is a reflection of our inner world, I see polarities play out in business and branding, too. Companies are either fear-mongering or inspiring action. Attacking or embracing change. Driving or stifling innovation. For leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs, one thing is clear: we are being called to choose, and we are being called to act.
For myself and my company, I take up the mantle of stubborn optimism. Not head-in-the-sand ignorance. Not Polly Anna-ish idealism. But forward-facing, solution-searching stubborn optimism that believes in untapped human potential to create the answers we need to solve the problems we created. It’s our responsibility, and personally, I see it as a creative challenge.
I’ve spent the last several months uncovering deeper layers of my own personal WHY. It’s complex stuff, and it doesn’t reveal itself all at once. But, with practice and patience, an epiphany surfaced: the inner work is the primary work, and it must come first and lead our actions. What we think of as our ‘work’ (like our job title and our contribution to society), is merely an outward expression of the inner world we’ve cultivated.
This is not the usual stuff CEOs talk about. But, I deeply believe that it should be. I want to know the WHY that drives leaders and how they bring their personal convictions into their businesses. I want to know the problems that plague their minds on sleepless nights, and how they wake up the next morning, fueled to find solutions. I want to tap into the psyches of entrepreneurs who failed time and time again in their quest to create something greater than themselves. And ultimately, I want to help tell their stories, build their brands and bring their gifts to the world.
In the spirit of stubborn optimism, boundless creativity and becoming the change we wish to see, the team at Oyl + Water is leaning into our WHY and raising the bar on creativity, consciousness, and brand communications.
Our Creative Cloud
Our Creative Collective is growing, and today our team of strategists, copywriters and designers live and create from all over the country. This year, we’re taking flight. We’re moving out of our brick and mortar offices to inspire boundless creativity that knows no ceiling. We create from the places that bring us the greatest inspiration. We come together often and migrate towards our clients more frequently. A true cloud-based business model, we know that creative freedom produces more inspired work, and connects us all more intentionally. It also saves money, requires less energy, creates more efficiencies and is more fun. So, if you need to reach us, email us, don’t snail mail us. Our home is in the clouds.
Our Commitment to Clean
Oyl + Water has always been committed to Mindful Marketing and our client base has largely been natural and organic brands. Though we've worked with many clients over the years who do not position themselves as "clean and green", each time we do, I struggle. I'm not suggesting it's easy to develop a clean, sustainable product line or a conscious company, but I fundamentally believe it's our responsibility to try. So, we’re aligning our YES’s with our convictions, and working exclusively with beauty, lifestyle and wellness brands that are committed to conscious capitalism. This means they are formulating with natural and organic ingredients; sustainably sourcing their ingredients and forming ethical partnerships with their vendors; and packaging with responsible materials. We want to give energy to companies that are providing a product or service that leaves the world better and more beautiful than they found it. And we love transformations as much as the next beauty junkie, so if a brand has these aspirations but doesn’t know where to begin, we’re the ladies for the job.
Our Ripple Effect
It’s 2019 and these times call for radical and compassionate action. We believe businesses must take a stand for a cause greater than their own bottom line. As brand builders, we have a responsibility to inspire founders and co-create brands that will positively impact millions of lives and our one shared planet. There are countless ways to do this. We are committed to helping our clients find all the ways to authentically build a philanthropic mission into their business model.
In the end, I don’t want to be the type of person who divides people into types. But I do want to intentionally choose where I invest my, and my team's, creative resources. As a stubborn optimist, I believe that the more we align our personal and professional work with integrity, mindfulness and love, the sooner we will begin to realize we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
Photo by
Eliška Motisová on
Unsplash
