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Well Said Wednesday
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Starbucks and Fair Trade
Many people equate Starbucks with good coffee, but not as many people equate Starbucks with fair trade. There is a reason for that. Of their current line-up, Starbucks offers only one fair trade certified roast, Café Estima, – that equates to 1 out of 16 roasts currently offered in Starbucks stores. And you guessed it – Café Estima happens to be one of the bottom sellers. However, it is possible that Starbucks’ lack of fair trade certified coffees does not make them the monster that fair trade advocates often think.
While Starbucks may only have one fair trade certified option, they utilize their own set of fair practices called C.A.F.E. practices, which stands for Coffee and Farmer Equity. C.A.F.E. farms and mills are appraised on 200 performance indicators by Scientific Certification Systems, a third-party organization.
According to the Starbucks website, C.A.F.E. practices impact more than 100,000 participating farms in positive ways. C.A.F.E. practices provide the opportunity for 99% of children from participating farms to attend school and the majority of C.A.F.E. farmers earn higher than the minimum wage for that country. Starbucks helps farmers grow their business by improving their access to credit through loan programs, making $14.6 million in farmer loan commitments in 2010. Of course, this is stated in their 10th annual Global Responsibility Report, but can a consumer trust this information?
From their beginning in 1971, Starbucks has attempted, and often attained, a leadership role in the coffee industry. There are times when this role has the ability to harm rather than help the company’s reputation. Their lack of fair trade compliance is one of those times. Developing their own set of practices may or may not help farmers, but there is no question that it has placed them on the outside of a growing population of globally conscious consumers.
Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. practices look good on paper, but consumers cannot be certain these practices are being followed. Starbucks might be better off complying to fair trade practices because globally conscious consumers trust a product with a fair trade logo.
Read Starbucks’ statements on C.A.F.E. practices here
Check out the fair trade website for a list of other fair trade coffees
What is your favorite coffee? Do you care about a socially responsible brew?
Go Ahead Katie: Giving Yourself Permission
“Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
The first step in any endeavor is getting permission. Let me finish that thought before you get riled up.
I’m not talking about getting permission from your spouse, parents, pastor or anyone really. I’m talking about the importance of granting permission to yourself.
There are two reasons this may seem like a foreign concept to you. Either you have never considered this as an option because it comes naturally to you, or like me, cannot even comprehend the idea of such empowerment.
Even now, as I sip my tea and stare at this screen, I’m secretly thinking “What am I doing? Who do I think I am? Who is going to read this?” The fact is I have a voice and I’m going to use it dammit, no matter what stands in my way – including myself.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on how to make disruptive change something. Something that more than just a blog my sister (hi Boo!) reads.
Here is what I have discovered. There is a community of writers who are there to inspire you and provide you with resources. They will all tell you one thing (in many ways) – don’t downplay your work. Or yourself.
I was so excited to start a blog last Spring when I realized I had a voice, but since then have been almost completely stumped on what to say. I am passionate about everything from social justice issues to decorating, with crafts and yoga smushed in between. (I just gave myself permission to make up that word.)
Quite frankly, I become overwhelmed. What kind of audience would follow a blog that covers crafts one day and Sudan then next? When I really ask that question out loud I come up with two answers.
1. Probably a lot of people
2. Who cares
Don’t get me wrong, I obviously care about people reading my blog because the whole point is to make a difference somehow.
But in the end, I have to trust that writing from my heart is the answer (as cheesy as it sounds.) Maybe there are other women out there who are like me – in their twenties and crazy about a hundred different random things. Maybe they need a place to be inspired. In the end, that is all I really want this to be.
People that have inspired me lately:
Who has inspired you lately?
Well Said
“We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.”
— Desmond Tutu
Life Changing Lunch: The Power of Fierce Conversations
Last week I had the opportunity to have lunch with a wise leader. She asked me several hard line questions and I looked at her with what appeared to be a blank stare. This lasted a little over an hour. In reality, my blank stare was not an indication of how little I was thinking, but how much.
I went to work and somewhere between a latte and mocha had a life altering revelation.
Not to keep you in suspense, but to provide background, I have to tell you about the past few months of my life in somewhat vague detail.
All you really need to know is that I have been stressed out beyond words. No, I’m not a surgeon. I am a manager. Management comes with its own set of challenges. One of these challenges is that you have to learn at some point to let things go. No amount of self talk is going to accomplish this. No one can effectively tell you to do this. It must be learned the hard way. The way you realize you are over stressed when you go to the doctor for stomach issues and they prescribe you antidepressants – that kind of hard way.
The past few months I have been hit with one hard thing after the next with little support.
Until last week. Don’t tell a wise leader that anyone stole your spark, even if asked what happened to it. She will tell you this and she will be right: Did someone steal your spark or did you allow someone to take it? Because no one has the power and no one has the right to do that.
A powerful truth.
However, that was not the realization that came between the latte and the mocha. That realization was this: I become paralyzed by stress and cannot overcome it no matter how hard I try because I carry other people’s problems. No amount of yoga, quiet time spent with God, hot tea or any other stress relief method will put a dent in that. You can only manage the stress that is yours. I can only manage the stress that is mine. You can’t let go of something that you don’t have control over it until you realize that it doesn’t belong to you.
Those are my words of wisdom this week. The next time I become overwhelmed by stress I am going to ask myself “is this mine to carry?” Then, I’m going to let it go.
Check out “Fierce Conversations” by Susan Scott to learn how to become a fierce leader and accept the fierce conversations that come your way!
Winter Perspective from a Friend
I just had to share this. Words to remember when I start to feel blue this winter.
“I think I’m the only midwesterner who likes winter. I like winter clothes. I own more fall/winter coats than anyone I know. I would much rather be cold than hot. I don’t care that it gets dark early because xmas lights are pretty. I like having a fire in the fireplace. I like how quiet it is outside. I like snow. I like warm beverages. Show winter some love.” -Jessie Stockwell
Well Said
“Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt-
Things I am Learning
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
Today was the perfect day to come across this Alcott gem. It was also a turning point for me.
People often think they are being helpful, when in fact, they are sending you into a traumatic spiral. They will tell you to have more confidence, while simultaneously finding your weakest spot and stabbing it with a stick – a thorny stick. These are the same people that are surprised when you use a big word or tell a funny joke.
I am learning that these people should not be given the luxury of being taken seriously. More often than not, they have an agenda and it is not in your best interest.
I am young. I am blonde. I have an innocent demeanor. These qualities do not prevent me from being successful in any endeavor. Yet, for some reason, I allow people to treat me as if this is the reality. I am young, but I am not stupid.
In short, I am learning that there are going to be a lot of surprised people out there when I achieve every goal I set out to achieve. Today I am taking the advice I give to others – don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something you know you can.
The Year of the Princess
Caption: this is obviously not me as a child for two reasons. My yellow crayon costume was homemade and itchy. I was not smiling or wearing make up in my yellow crayon photos *must find*
Who doesn’t have fond memories of childhood on Halloween? One of my favorite memories is Halloween when I was six or seven. This was going to be MY YEAR. I was finally going to be a princess. There was the year of the itchy yellow crayon costume, the year of the weird bunny one piece, and the year of the unintentionally creepy surgeon. But this – this was going to be the year of the princess.
This also happened to be the year of the Baptist school. All of a sudden, Halloween was evil. Dressing up and eating candy was suddenly equivalent to direct devil worship. For some reason, my super creative, hilarious, fun – loving mother bought into the idea. I’m not sure if she actually believed it, but the Baptist school was awfully persuasive.
I staunchly refused to believe that it was actually happening. My young mind could not grasp how quickly things could change. Either way, there was no Halloween fun at school that day. I’m sure that was the day we watched a video in chapel on how KISS stood for Knights in Satanic Service and heard a testimony about someone dying in a fiery car crash, which was an awful way to go considering they were just going to burn in hell. In other words, the usual.
The ride home from school was full of optimism. I continued trying to persuade my mom, while watching her facial expressions closely. We arrived home and I had somehow failed. It didn’t matter because I was smarter than all of them – my mom, the Baptists…everyone.
I snuck upstairs as my mom started making dinner. I changed into my prettiest dress. I snuck downstairs past the smells wafting from the kitchen. Dinner would be done soon, I had to hurry. Next stop – garage. I picked up my sparkly silver baton and escaped outside to Halloween freedom.
I started going door to door asking for candy and declaring that I was a princess this year. It didn’t take long for my mom to figure out what I was up to.
I don’t remember what happened after that, but Halloween was never the same.
