I’m writing this on Saturday, November 7, 2020, having recently learned that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the U.S. election.
There was so much at stake in this election- human rights and safety, dismantling systemic racism, combating climate change, COVID recovery, the economy and the livelihoods of so many people – and it was terrifying to think that there was a chance that Biden/Harris wouldn’t win.
But that didn’t happen.
Goodness won. (Thanks in huge part to Black women and the Native American community)
The current administration is out.
And we, as an entire world, can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Maybe you’re wondering why I’m sharing this. You’ve probably stopped watching CNN by now and maybe feel as though you’ve heard all this on repeat all weekend long. Why am still talking about it?
Here’s why.
We cannot forget how important it is to use our power as entrepreneurs to speak up and have impact.
We cannot go back to being brands that hold off on sharing our points of view about the rights and wrongs of the world.
We cannot get comfortable with staying quiet for fear of losing costumers or turning people off.
Maybe you’re proud of how you have been showing up as a brand over these past 6 months. Maybe you’re not.
Maybe you have been shouting your values from the rooftops. Maybe you haven’t.
But either way, it’s clear that when we don’t let the fear of being judged or the fear of losing customers take over our decisions, we can have real impact on the world.
And we have to remember that.
Because honestly, winning this election is just the first step, of many steps, that has to happen to start to right the wrongs in this world.
As entrepreneurs we have the power to affect change. We have platforms to speak from and audiences who will listen.
We are natural problem solvers. We see when something isn’t quite right and we creatively come up with ways to make it better.
We have started businesses because we care about people. As a fashion designer, you have created a business that helps to make people feel beautiful, strong, confident, comfortable, seen, understood, or all of the above.
Don’t forget these things.
Don’t stop using your brand and your fashion business as a tool for good; for speaking up about what’s right.
I’m celebrating this massive win. I hope you’re celebrating this win too.
But now I’m thinking about what to do next. How to continue to use my platform, my privilege, and my business for good. And I hope that this wonderful win is a first step for you too, giving you the momentum and fuel to use your platform and your privilege (we all have some form of privilege — cis gender, straight, white, male, young, able, etc.) — to keep going.
Keep using your brand as a way to demonstrate your values.
Keep using your business and your influence for good.
Keep working to make the world better a little better than it was yesterday.
Lots of love and encouragement,
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