Welcome back, everyone. This is a podcast. It's intended to be a look inside of simple modern and really a look at how do you apply generosity in any kind of organizational context. We wanted to build a company that improved everyone's lives, that was involved, not just employees, but also the customers and the partners we work with, and the communities that we work in. And I'm hopeful that as we share stories about what that's looked like for us, that it'll be encouraging to you. And also, we'll give you some things that you can apply in whatever context you're planted. Today, we're going to be talking about the topic of generosity, and looking at questions like how do I create a culture where generosity is prevalent? And why do we strive to be generous? And how do we take a more holistic view of generosity than just cutting checks? You know, when we were going through March of 2020, it was pretty memorable time for just about everyone. You know, we built this company that was growing really rapidly. And we had this commitment to generosity. But little did I know that the next two or three weeks would really test our resolve in that area more than anything that had come before, I felt pretty confident at first that we were positioned well as a company that we were strong, we were going to be okay. And I remember really distinctly at the end of March 2020, having a day where for the first time I thought are we going to be okay, it wasn't actually completely obvious, because things were just so abnormal. And at the same time, one of the things that I saw was, there was unprecedented need in our communities and nationwide. And I just had a sense that if we're going to run an organization that's really about generosity, like this is our time to shine, this is when we should be stepping up. And yet we had the most uncertainty I think we've ever experienced within our business. And yet, we made the decision organizationally that we were going to go ahead and lean in on generosity and lean in to giving at the exact moment when when it probably felt the scariest. So that looked a couple different ways, we were able to give over a million dollars between cash and product donations to frontline workers and different people that had been impacted by COVID. And a lot of ways, it was a defining moment for us that we've looked back to several times as a company, as part of the stories that we tell about who we are. And one of the best parts of the experience was seeing the hundreds of pictures and letters that flowed in from people that we had given product to or that we had been able to give cash donations to and how it had been really helpful in a time of need. And one of the reasons that I love to tell that story is it's a great example of that generosity cost you something. And in that moment, I think organizationally, we were able to really solidify something that we had said from the beginning, which was we wanted to exist to be generous. And during a time where it was really difficult to be generous. We actually were. And as I thought about for me, what are the seeds of that? Like? How did I kind of come to the conclusion that I wanted to run a company that was based on generosity, one of the stories that comes to mind is from right after I graduated from college, after I graduated from college, my first year out, I got a job with a nonprofit, ministry organization, and I had to raise my entire salary. So I got maybe three or four weeks into fundraising. And I don't think I'd raised a single dollar. I had a coach with this organization that kept encouraging me, even though basically nothing was coming in. And I had kind of goals that I was supposed to be hitting. And I was way behind those. This was back when we actually like still open mail that came in a mailbox. And I remember going out to the mailbox one day and I had one envelope in there. And it was from my my support coach, the person who had been coaching me through trying to raise the financial funds. And she'd sent me a $500 check. And it was the first $500 Check I got. And I think that there have been events in my life like that, that have really been foundational in how I think about generosity, and that today we're trying to apply within our organization. So today, we're going to talk about practically what does that look like and how do you create a culture of generosity. When we founded the company in 2015. Many of the things look just like another startup you know, trying to find product market fit and doing experiments and testing But one of the things that was really unique and different was the way that we approached formulating the company culture. And we knew that we wanted generosity to be a cornerstone piece of that culture. We knew we wanted generosity to be a part of the company, before we even knew what product that we wanted to sell. We didn't start with what we started with why? And then we kind of worked backwards. So one of the ways that I described this to people today is that really, we're a company built on a particular culture that just so happens to sell water bottles that we started with why and branched out into what, when I define generosity, the way that I describe it as being open handed with everything you have, I usually share four reasons why I think generosity is crucial. And the first one is that every single person has been a beneficiary of generosity and your life has been irrevocably changed by the generosity of other people. The second reason is, we need it. We are all fighting a battle against our own selfishness. One of the things that I like to think about is that there's there's probably a pretty wide range of people that I could look like, versions of myself, so to speak, and that what I'm doing through the course of my life is trying to chase whatever the best version of me is. And when I make decisions to choose generosity, especially when they're difficult, it's like an antidote to my selfishness and my own self interest. And not only does it enlarge other people's future, and improve their lives, but it enlarges my future and improves my life, it helps me to grow towards the best version of myself. The third reason is that life isn't fair. We all have to wrestle with the question, when we look at the world of why do some people have the experience that they have, it's not fair that some people's kid gets leukemia at seven, it's not fair that some are born into abject poverty, and others are born into wealth. And yet, that's the world that we live in. And so we're all faced with making a decision of what we're going to do with that. And for me, and hopefully, for you, as well, the decision that we can choose to make is that we want to be a part of improving the lives of other people. And, you know, when we see those differences in those discrepancies, to try and do something about it. The fourth point that I would make is that generosity is a really clear way for us to make a redemptive and positive impact on the world. And all of us have a limited time that we we get to use. And you know, the hope is that there's something meaningful that's being done with that. And so one of the things that I'll do that's really a helpful, just kind of reorienting process. And sometimes it helps me to get back kind of on track is I will do a mental exercise that I call the 80 year old exercise, which is imagine what I will think when I'm 80. And I'm looking back on my life, that the weeks that I just lived, if I if I look at that week, through the eyes of an 80 year old me, what will I see and how I feel about the way that I invested my time and my money and everything else. And it's incredibly clarifying, because one of the things it does is it shows me the things I can get caught up in that don't really matter. And it really crystallizes and clarifies that. And it helps push me towards the things that I think have enduring meaning and purpose, and generosity making a lasting impact in the lives of other people through generosity is one of those things for me. So it's a question that all of us can be asking ourselves. If you evaluated the last month of your life through the eyes of 80 year old you, what do you see? What would you change? And how would you be more deliberate with the month to come in light of that? So here's some questions you can ask yourself to process this topic. First, what's an example of you receiving generosity in your life? And how it made a difference? What have you been given that you can be generous with? Like we talked about, it's not just the financial resources, or what's in our bank account, we all have a ton of different things that we've been entrusted with that we have the choice of whether or not we're going to be generous with. So what are the things that you have that you can be generous with? Finally, when you're 80, and you're looking back on your life today? What are going to be the things that matter the most to you? How will you think about generosity and the way that you've used the things you were entrusted with near the end of your life? And how can you take that knowledge and apply it to how you're living today?