ESG Is F-U-N

Last weekend, my husband and I snuggled up on the couch for a romantic evening of  business documentaries on Netflix. (He’s my person.)  We decided on Abercrombie. 

The show was a whirlwind of being transported to highschool, complete with the phantom smells of heavy cologne and the anxiety of trying on too-short shorts.   

In short - Abercrombie's exclusionary brand ultimately made its way across the entire business operation: from hiring, to staffing, merchandising and more. It’s tempting to think that those days are far behind us, and shocking to realize that much of this happened even as recently as 2012.

So what lessons can we learn from those that were a part of the story? 

• Diversity is good business

• Businesses shaping culture, conversations, and shared values- for better or for worse.

• Profit motives can drive positive impact.

But the biggest takeaway for me – that social impact isn’t new. 

The final quote: 

“There were probably just as many people then as there are now who hated what we were doing.  That were completely offended; Who didn’t feel included;  didn’t feel represented.  But they didn’t have the platform to voice it - and now they do... So maybe it’s not a massive new social awareness.

It’s just that now we’re hearing everyone, and we have to pay attention.”

Now that’s a t-shirt I’d buy.