Front and center on Seventh Generation’s homepage is a quote from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy: “In every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” Its name comes from this quote, and the company does everything possible to ensure that its product, business, and community involvement embody this tenant. This idea, and name, holds the company together as it “reflects not only [its] philosophy but [its] dream of restoring and protecting the earth for our children and all who will follow in our path.”

Seventh Generation is now the leading US brand for non-toxic and environmentally friendly household products. Seventh Generation’s 50 plus products are offered online and in retail stores across the country, in both natural focused stores as well as national chains. By providing non-toxic, recycled, environmentally friendly products the company has already saved 327,800 trees, 233,000 pounds of greenhouse gases, 1.3 million gallons of petroleum, and 124 million gallons of water.

For this exact reason, the company recently received the ‘Pioneer of Precaution’ award from the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, the Environmental Research Foundation, and the Science and Environmental Health Network. It also gives grants to local community organizations, consistent with the mindset of focusing on the future. Grants are approved on a case-by-case basis, and the company has chosen to focus on environmentally and family oriented community organizations. These grants have also helped the company in its goal of being a community based business.

But it’s not stopping at that. Seventh Generation is trying to get even more involved, and taking time to think critically about how its involvement can best affect the next seven generations. As it evaluates opportunities for nonprofit and peer business relationships, it’s making sure to engage in internal dialogue, so as not to over-commit and to maximize its influence. By considering a wide variety of options and extensively internally collaborating, it is a rather slow process of change. Despite the fast-paced focus in business today, Seventh Generation believes that this approach will prove to be a long term advantage.

To this end, it’s bringing in a ‘regenerative strategic planner,’ looking at research from the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, and planning on hiring a consultant (as the company is only 42 employees strong) once it crafts a solid vision for the involvement. This thoughtful approach is linked to one piece of advice that Director of Corporate Consciousness, Gregor Barnum, gave: focus internally first. This means making sure that there is a strong internal dialogue, transparency, and real community between employees at the company. By understanding the purpose of the company all employees, and thus community programs, are more likely to be aligned and successful.

The company admits it has forgotten this at times in the past, and failed to follow up on grants given to nonprofits. Changes in the program will seek to prevent this lapse in the future, as Seventh Generation wants to support sustainable and long term relationships. Barnum describes the changing mindset as an epistemological change, trying to move away from traditional linear thinking to a more holistic approach.

Even in how the company has chosen to change its approach to community involvement, it is embodying the mission it laid out for itself. This is perhaps the most important lesson from the Seventh Generation case: not losing sight of your true values in times of change.

By Louise Doyle
Based on interview with Gregor Barnum, Director of Corporate Consciousness at Seventh Generation, conducted by Susan Hyatt.

More information on Seventh Generation, Inc. can be found at: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

Through Zhena Gypsy Tea (ZGT), Zhena Muzyka has created a company with an integrated approach to community involvement, personal fulfillment, and product success. ZGT has a strong community involvement program, composed of a three-pronged initiative: ‘organic harvested tea that gives back to the planet, fair trade tea that gives back to the people harvesting the tea, and community support to ensure long-term sustainability of the business and community.’ This threefold objective is implemented through a diverse set of programs.

Both the organic and fair trade requirements help ZGT to fulfill its mission to end poverty in the communities from which it buys raw materials. This means not only buying the fair trade tea at a price premium, but also looking at what and how communities are using funds to improve. Zhena focuses on fair trade because workers are given health benefits, paid fairly, and no child labor is permitted. Even the tins holding the tea are made in China under Fair labor requirements.

Community involvement is also central to the company, where giving started before ZGT ever met its bottom line. Zhena insists that starting the giving from the beginning is crucial, as it integrates this mindset into the business as a whole and ensures that it grows out of sustainability. She even introduced a ‘tithing system that takes out the bottom line automatically.’

The company Credo serves to tie these programs together, solidify the threefold approach to improving the community, and guide who & how to support. The credo requires that all teas benefit at least one cause from an extensive list, that the company helps to improve women’s body awareness and preserve the gypsy culture, and support organic and biodynamic agriculture.

Philanthropic efforts to support different causes are supported through a grant process and cause products. The grants come from the sales of four new tea products, and support organizations that are consistent with the credo. ZGT tries to focus efforts on a few causes very important to the company and Zhena. For example, it is now focusing on supporting CEO Women, a group to help disadvantaged business women with micro-enterprise development.

Furthermore, ZGT offers cause products. These are teas created and named for a certain cause, with all profits going to that cause. Causes include Code Pink and Women for Peace. These products help bolster the company’s reputation through Cause Marketing and help to educate consumers with information about the tea and its cause on each tin.

In order to make sure that the efforts of ZGT are sustainable in future years, Zhena has systematized many of the processes. The primary example of this is the credo which Zhena created. But choosing an important personal issue and making sure to hire employees that support these objectives is also a form of systemization. It further helps to remind Zhena and employees not to straddle their efforts to much — to be firm about which organizations to support and which ones not to support.

Some of the strongest words of wisdom Zhena has to give are to tap your interests and utilize that personal connection. By choosing causes that one is passionate about, people have the bonuses of being ‘paid in soul’ and of greater incentive to work and put everything they can into getting it going.

Zhena wants to leave the legacy of passion for what she has done, and integrating her own culture and personal beliefs into the causes chosen will help further this memory. This extends beyond just grants, dictating her personal volunteer time and encouraging Zhena to donate belly dancing lessons and insight into the Gypsy heritage to help empower women. Zhena in fact uses her heritage and personal experience to guide not only the community involvement of the business but also the business strategy as a whole.

After finding out that her son was ill and needed better healthcare, Zhena turned to self reflection and prayer to find a solution. She then decided to leave her writing behind and start ZGT, literally beginning in a cart donated from a friend. As a result, the causes that the organization supports have a lot to do with giving women the power to be financially independent and helping to ensure that children in need receive the appropriate care.

One important resource for Zhena has been the progressive organizations of like-minded individuals. She has looked to these people for inspiration as well as practical help. Zhena emphasizes the need to ask questions freely, pointing to one example where she asked the crowd she was speaking to for advice and instead found a business partner.

The greatest reward of this integrated approach has been the deep sense of satisfaction that Zhena and those involved have because they know that they are doing something to help. And there have been business advantages: namely in the brand recognition and customer attention it is receiving because of the causes it supports so whole-heartedly.

By Louise Doyle

Based on interview with Zhena Muzyka, founder of Zhena Gypsy Tea, conducted by Susan Hyatt.

More information on Zhena Gypsy Tea can be found at: https://www.gypsytea.com/