Given Goods: Part 2

Aside from fashion and retail goods, Cammy loves hot yoga, French films like The Intouchables, and sifting through her daily blogroll. Learn a little bit more about the powerhouse behind Given Goods:

on getting here

"I've always been overly empathic and compassionate about certain things. I think that is what I always cared about but I didn't totally know how it would totally manifest itself into work for me. Had I thought about this when I was living in Thailand, I probably would have said, "There's a business to be hatched here". Or, had I thought about this when I was graduating school, it would have been a pretty obvious path... but for some reason, it just didn't occur to me that this was what I wanted and needed. I heard about these things and took a ton of classes that were in this space, but I didn't necessarily know how to put it into action. If you looked at me five years ago, and you told me I would be starting this enterprise, I would have denied it."

cammy cares

"Personally, I have a very big passion for women and mentorship; for bringing up ladies to the ranks and making sure there are people to mentor them- especially in this start-up community. For telling them, "Hey, you can do this". I wish there were people who I could've approached, saying, "Hey, I've got a weird idea, and you've been out there doing this for a while, so hear me out". Greater spatial issues in what we do? I am incredibly passionate about job creation, global marketplaces for beautiful things, and making sure people are following through on social responsibility. When you are talking about uplifting a whole group of people in a town or country, I want to know, how are you doing that and how is it sustainable? There's been this trend of aid for aid's sake, and that kills me. People don't always need what you think they need. To go and live amongst a certain group of people and really understand what makes them tick, what they need, and how you can get them there in a way that is sustainable - these are things a lot of companies we work with are grappling with. But everyone's still learning, and it's hard to make it scalable. That's what interests me. At the end of the day, I kind of want to be one of our companies. To run off somewhere and think about how this community can pull themselves out of these conditions, theses health problems, and this lack of education- that's what I want to do."

sources of inspiration

"By and far, it's our vendors, who I have the pleasure of speaking with daily. Today I had a call with the woman who runs Ūsful Glassworks, which is this amazing non-profit in Boise, Idaho. They work with folks who just got out of prison and teach them how to make this unbelievable glassware- and they're all made from recycled wine bottles. I gave some to my parents for Christmas and they're obsessed with it. They've bought 6 sets and given them to everyone they know. We have them at our house. But she says, "Yeah, I don't pay myself yet. We're 3 years old and I can't just do that yet- but I'll get there." And I said, "You are awesome. You are out there solving real problems for real people; giving them jobs and making these beautiful products... who are you? And she says, "Oh, I'm just a mom". That's how my day goes sometimes, and that's what inspires me."

recommended reads?
- le catch
- GOOD magazine
- big bang studio
- tomboy style
- ecostiletto
- magnifeco

We're pretty sold on Ūsful Glassworks, and just bought the beautiful olive oil dispenser and candle votives. Remember, the deal's still on: use 'GGxmere' at Given Goods for 15% off your entire purchase.

Being able to chat with amazing female entrepreneurs like Cammy are some of the best parts of our days, and is a continuous source of inspiration for us. What inspires you?

xx
the meré