Episode 62: Ian Bentley, CEO of Parker Clay - How I Built My Purpose-Driven Business

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Hello, beautiful humans.
Welcome to the human Beauty

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movement podcast.
I'm your host Jennifer Norman.

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Throughout my life, I've been a
lover and a seeker of all things

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beauty from art and dance to
cosmetics, and fashion to music

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and nature.
But through my own personal

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Journey.
I've come to discover what I

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believe is the most beautiful
thing.

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In the universe, the beauty of
the human soul, on this podcast,

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I sit down with beautiful humans
from all corners.

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Of the globe and all walks of
life to learn how they are

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living their own unique.
Soul Beauty out loud.

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You'll hear from game changers.
Rebels with gray causes stages

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odds, feeders and Valiant
Warriors who fall down seven

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times and get up eight.
This is the podcast where

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abundant energy flows and
supreme wisdom is bestowed, get

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ready to enjoy the inspiration.
Hello, beautiful humans.

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Welcome to Today's Show.
So I A lot of you may agree with

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me when things are going well,
and life is pretty comfortable,

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it's easy to take things for
granted.

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It's easy to go into any given
Store, buy shoes or a bag.

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Just spends a lot of money on it
because you like the brand or

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you like the style, not always
do.

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We think about who made the bag
where did it come from?

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And under what kind of
conditions was that bag made?

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My guest today is an incredible
human being who wants to help

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people understand the impact
that they're making when they

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buy.
Bye.

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So let me introduce you to in
Bentley, co-founder and CEO of

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Parker.
Clay, a mission-driven company.

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That makes ethical bags.
Hello Ian.

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Welcome to the show.
Hi Jennifer.

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Thanks for having me.
So excited to be here, and share

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a little bit more about what
we've done, what we're doing.

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Yeah, I can't wait to let
everybody know what you're

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doing, because it is absolutely
incredible.

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I think that you can kind of say
that you're taking be unethical

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baggage, out of buying great
bags.

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So, can you tell everybody what
was the inspiration behind?

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Parker clay.
How did this origin story?

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Come about.
Yeah, thanks for asking that.

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And the way that you let into
the story, just absolutely love

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that consciousness of thinking
about those things.

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And the way that we think about
things and we might need to

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borrow that line that you just
dropped as well with a great way

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to think about it.
And you're right, I mean, even

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talking about things going well,
and life going well and kind of

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the process for I guess, going
all the way back for Brittany.

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And I, my wife and I was
literally, we started dating in

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high school.
So high school sweethearts.

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He's she was a senior and I was
a sophomore.

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I always like to point that out,
because in high school, that's a

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big deal, right?
You were cool.

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I think.
That's right, that's right.

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Hopefully my kids here that he
grew up in Santa Barbara, we

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did.
Yep.

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Grew up in Southern California,
Santa Barbara.

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Not a chef in place.
By the way, it is a lovely

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place.
No, it's the certainly, a

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beautiful part in the world.
I'm grateful to call it home,

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still even today.
Yeah.

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And so, we went to college down
in San Diego.

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Got married, really young.
We're fortunate enough to Back

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to Santa Barbara and start our
careers here.

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Brittany is a designer, she's
work for Fortune, 50 companies,

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doing design and Creative
Design, Graphic Design, and I

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started working in real estate
development.

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We bought our first house at our
first two children.

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And so, my sons are Parker and
then next game clay.

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Those are the boys names.
And we started talks about

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adoption as something in that we
were interested in and it was

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always funny because And I would
we'd watch like date night

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movies, like Hotel Rwanda or
things that you're like not the

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lightest, you know, most
rom-com, they were serious

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subjects.
And we were just really

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interested in what was happening
in the world and we would look

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at statistics and read
statistics about orphans

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worldwide.
And here's statistics like 160

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million orphans and I think with
Statistics, it's very difficult

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to personalize.
It's like these huge numbers.

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What do I do?
And I'm looking at my door at

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home, seeing Parker and seeing
clay playing the And it just hit

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me.
It was like if that was one of

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my boys, I would do anything to
be there for them and to help

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them.
And then I think about all these

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other kids around the world and
went like, yes, we have plenty

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of room in our table for more
and we love to adopt.

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And so that started the process
of us adopting which is what

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ultimately led us to Ethiopia.
We looked at countries all over

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the world even here in the US,
But ultimately landed in

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Ethiopia to adopt our daughter
who was just a few months old

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and that was really the The
beginning of big change for us

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looking at what else we could
do.

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How else we could get involved.
And so kind of part, two of that

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was, we came back with our
daughter, from Ethiopia, at our,

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you know, careers doing life.
And again, we're kind of in the

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iconic American Dream, right?
We had just bought our house.

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We have our kids like things are
going well, careers are going

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well and there's this like
unsettled part of our lives were

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working on.
What else is there?

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We just experienced this
incredible country, incredible

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people and Over and over again.
We kept hearing, people say if

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you want to help come and create
opportunities here in Ethiopia,

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don't you know, hand out or not
the solution.

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It's really jobs and opportunity
and that like couldn't leave our

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minds.
So we ended up going back.

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A few more times after adopting,
our daughter from Ethiopia and

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met this amazing organization
that was helping women out of

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trafficking, and prostitution,
doing job training and skills

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training and Rehabilitation
work.

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And they said, hey we would love
to create more jobs and we're

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like love this.
We can help And the options were

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kind of well, we could donate
money, we could go over for a

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week or so at a time and help
out and then there was this like

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crazy idea.
Well, maybe we could move there

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and help and that was like yeah,
that's crazy.

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Will never do that well less
than a year.

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After adopting our daughter
sayla, we sold everything that

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we owned, bought one-way tickets
and moved our family to Ethiopia

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to partner with this group.
And that was really the reason

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why we moved to Ethiopia Parker,
clay at the time.

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Not.
I mean they were my sons, but it

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was not a brand yet that we had
started and that came after

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living in Ethiopia.
Wow, I have so many questions.

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But first of all, I wanted to
say how amazing I mean that is

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the True Heart opener.
You had this innate desire to

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take on a child, which is a huge
undertaking, I come from a

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family.
A lot of people on this podcast

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know, my story that when I was
two years old, I was also

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adopted from Korea, my parents
had three of Their Own Own

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children already and then two
years after I was adopted.

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They adopted my brother and
sister from Vietnam.

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And as a matter of fact,
yesterday was 48 years, for

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them.
Is, I've already been?

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No congratulations.
I've been in the states for 50

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years and so I absolutely my
heart goes out to people who are

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willing to bring other children
of need into their family and

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create a new life and then from
there, you decided to go all-in

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and I totally agree with this.
It's like, you know, you can

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give a fish or you can teach
them to fish you Gives run, you

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can donate.
But the real benefit the

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greatest way that we can change
economy, change society, build

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different countries into better
prosperity, and to have them

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Thrive is to put the economy
where they're at and so helping

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to teach and educate and
providing job opportunities and

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bringing wealth into those.
Local communities is the best

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thing that we can do.
And so yeah you and your wife

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for Or just like literally
pulling up your whole entire

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family.
Taking that kind of a risk and

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moving to Ethiopia where they
were probably a million unknowns

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maybe two million.
I mean, yes, it was crazy.

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I just yeah, I stood at LAX with
these tickets with the kids and

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I'm like at least a one percent
chance.

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This is the worst decision I've
ever made.

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And so how old were you boys at
that time?

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Yeah they were three and five
years old.

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So just little guy we have
pictures of pulling them around

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on their little wheelie
suitcases.

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And you know What I love about
kids, they're such a pureness to

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you know, they're like yeah sure
that Mom Dad will follow you and

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I think as a mom and a dad
you're like oh this is heavy.

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Am I totally messing up my kid's
life by doing this?

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Are they going to have the right
education?

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All these things and there's
really I think there's moments

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in your life where you have to
kind of abandon the most

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rational, logical thinking and
step off the edge into something

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completely on.
And that was a moment for us

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which has been one of the
greatest moments of our life,

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for sure.
I think it speaks so loudly

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Loudly to The Testament that if
they're not safe, you're not

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safe.
So it's like there is no safety

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unless we're all safe.
And so you may as well take a

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rest because you're seeing
something like once you see it,

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you can't unsee it.
You can't turn a blind eye and

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to do.
So would be so completely

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negligent.
I think in your heart and in

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your mind to just walk away and
say, oh, you know, I've done my

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part, I've adopted a child but
rather you said there's more

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than I can offer.
There's more good that can be

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done and who better to do it but
me and so let's do it.

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I think that with that, there
was a term that I discovered

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early, when we were first
adopting and it was called

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depraved indifference and it's
actually my understanding of it

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is a legal term which, you know,
let's say you're at a park

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sitting on a bench and there's a
lake and someone's out drowning

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in the lake and you know, how to
swim and you have the ability to

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go and save that person but you
don't, it's this depraved

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indifference.
And I think we often don't know

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how to, we feel like there's
such overwhelming pieces, like I

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said, even going back to
adoption millions of kids, but

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you An do something for one
person.

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And I think it's always that
like first step, right?

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The proverbial.
That first step is sometimes

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always the hardest to take, but
through that door opens up so

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much amazing opportunities.
And when it's for purpose, when

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it's with purpose, you're right.
Even if I feel like we're at,

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even if we were to not be
successful, we have made impact

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on thousands of lives through
what we've done and that is

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Success, right?
Even if it was for one, it would

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be successful in my eyes, but
obviously the vision is much.

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Bigger because we want to impact
millions of lives.

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Yes.
Oh, so you knew that there was

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some sort of a calling, but when
you got there, undoubtedly, the

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fact that you're probably scared
that you're worrying.

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Like, oh my gosh, I've made a
huge mistake.

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Like all of those doubts are
probably still with you for some

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time.
At what point did you see things

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starting to move?
Tell me what happened after you

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landed and started to get your
feelers out?

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Yeah, well, you know, Jennifer
entrepreneurs, never worry.

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They're never afraid.
They always have full confidence

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and yes, Yeah, right.
The truth is, yeah, there's a

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lot of scary moments in that
and, you know, surrounding

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yourself with great people,
being with my family, obviously,

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a huge sense of confidence,
having a great Community behind

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us as well, was a great sense of
support.

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And so, we were there working
with these women, primarily

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doing job training and skills
training.

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But we were always looking for
ways to find industry where it

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could scale.
It could be competitive in the

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marketplace.
At the time we were doing, like

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handlooms, scarves, and textile.
Which were beautiful but they

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also weren't as competitive in
terms of price point.

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Things like that in the market.
And so what we did want to do

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was create any sort of
Enterprise that was more of a

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philanthropic purchase right at
the time.

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If you think back to like 2012,
2013, this is the time when like

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TOMS Shoes was really starting
to go buy one.

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Give one bounded great.
Which we, now know isn't the

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best model because of just its
impact on those economies.

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They were giving away a bunch of
shoes and their shoe cobbler.

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Herbs that are making shoes that
now don't have a job, right?

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That's not the best model
though.

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It was really, how do we create
sustainable jobs?

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And at the time we were looking
for, what's here in Ethiopia

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that we could utilize, and it
happened to be Britain's

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birthday, one year and we were
out, there's no big like

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shopping malls and things like
that there.

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But we found in this Boutique
Center, this little bag and it

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caught Brittany and eyes eyes.
Both looking at it going.

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That's interesting.
We look inside and there's a tag

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that says Made in Ethiopia and
Into on the other side of the

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tag flip around, I had the guy's
phone number and so we called

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this guy.
Just interested in learning more

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and asked him, you know, where
did you get the leather?

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He goes, what do you mean?
Where they keep the leather?

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From here?
Ethiopia was like, really, okay,

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I see goats and cows and sheep
everywhere, but don't realize

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the byproduct of that is
beautiful leather.

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And so he met us, we went to a
Tannery.

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And at the Tannery this day,
there was these shipping

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containers out front, where they
were loading it with leather

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finish, leather.
And I asked the owner of the

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Tannery, where are you shipping?
Being this too and he goes oh

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we're that one's going to Italy.
We ship all the time to hold on

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your shipping.
This leather to Italy and

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instantly.
If I said made in Italy

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rightmost you and the listeners
could probably think of a number

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of name brands that are made in
Italy.

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But what does that mean?
What is it actually from Italy?

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Or was it just literally
physically, made in Italy?

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And so, that was kind of a light
bulb moment of saying here, we

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have all these women that are
some of the most incredible

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filled with potential, you know,
hungry for great opportunities.

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You to go to work.
And here's this beautiful, raw

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material, that's not even being
made into anything in the

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country.
It's all being exported to

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really premium bags.
Let's create this Brands here,

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made in Ethiopia at the source,
creating jobs for these women.

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And that was really, the aha
moment where we started creating

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a few products.
Testing it out, people loved it.

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And that was the beginning of
Parker, clay, amazing.

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And so, how many women do you
start with?

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And then tell me like fast.
Forwarding.

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Like, what does it look like
today?

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Just to see how you've scaled
over the years.

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Yeah, so that was 2014 when we
officially started while we

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00:13:44,900 --> 00:13:46,500
live.
There, we started literally

278
00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:51,400
with, I think two or three
sewing machines and 325 people

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00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,000
get mostly all women and in a
small little room of a place

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00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,900
that we had in Ethiopia and we
just figured it out, we

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00:13:57,900 --> 00:14:00,900
disassembled some bags and
tested things, we taught

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00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:03,900
ourselves, we learned what goes
into making a really beautiful

283
00:14:03,900 --> 00:14:07,000
premium bag and that was yeah,
that was 2014.

284
00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:10,300
And today, we actually just
recently moved into a new

285
00:14:10,300 --> 00:14:14,000
facility, huge facility, like,
over 16,000 square feet.

286
00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,800
We've got about 200, employees,
80 percent, are women.

287
00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,700
We do on job skills training.
Some of these women who have had

288
00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:24,400
no history or background in
leather, we're able to bring

289
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,400
them into job training.
Big, percentage of our team have

290
00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,300
never had a stable job.
So, it's the first time they

291
00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:33,600
have contract Jobs first time,
they even have savings accounts.

292
00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,000
We subsidize food programs, so
we have a great lunch.

293
00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,400
CH and Cafe on site.
We provide transportation, we're

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00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,700
working on a child care center
at the facility and it's just on

295
00:14:44,700 --> 00:14:47,600
and on and on we continue to do
more and more as we grow.

296
00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,800
But the vision really is that we
would have thousands of people

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00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,200
working with us and that would
be impacting millions of lives

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00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,400
throughout the supply chain of
what we're doing, bringing

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00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,300
really fashion leading fashion
brand to Africa, that the world

300
00:15:01,300 --> 00:15:03,200
would know.
That Africa is not just this

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00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,800
massive continent, where people
think about it as Charity or

302
00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,300
issues.
That it is a beautiful vibrant

303
00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:12,500
continent that is got so much
opportunity.

304
00:15:12,500 --> 00:15:14,800
So we feel like we're onto
something at the very beginning

305
00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,700
that is about to really take
off.

306
00:15:16,700 --> 00:15:20,000
Wow.
Congratulations on being able to

307
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,600
see your vision through and I
know, it's still just the

308
00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,100
beginning.
I am confident that this will

309
00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:28,400
have impact, not only in
Ethiopia, but through those that

310
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,600
you inspire to have businesses
just like yours.

311
00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,100
And so, tell us like, when
you're starting out a business

312
00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:39,800
and you have these values Do you
have this hope of how your

313
00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,700
business is going to operate?
What are some of the challenges

314
00:15:42,700 --> 00:15:46,500
that you face as an
entrepreneur, as the CEO of a

315
00:15:46,500 --> 00:15:49,500
company?
I'm sure profitability and

316
00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,000
constantly doing the right
thing.

317
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,900
Ethics, even International
Trade, what are some of the

318
00:15:53,900 --> 00:15:56,000
hurdles are the obstacles that
you come across?

319
00:15:56,100 --> 00:15:58,700
Yeah, you named a lot of them in
there and all those are

320
00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:01,800
challenges.
There's a great book called The

321
00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,500
obstacle is the way by an author
called Ryan, holiday love what

322
00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:07,600
he writes.
And what I've learned Through

323
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:08,800
reading a lot about that as
well.

324
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,000
And I've experienced in my life
is the obstacle often

325
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,700
illuminates, that opportunity.
That's just ahead.

326
00:16:14,700 --> 00:16:17,300
Sometimes have to walk through
to get there and starting a

327
00:16:17,308 --> 00:16:20,400
business in Ethiopia is
definitely not one of the

328
00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,100
easiest things to do.
I think, had we not live there.

329
00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:25,700
It would be very challenging to
start the business.

330
00:16:25,700 --> 00:16:27,600
There's language there's culture
working.

331
00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,700
Cross-culturally is very
challenging.

332
00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:33,400
I think, when I first came to
Ethiopia, there was a mentality

333
00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,000
of Western business, that just
doesn't work there and trying,

334
00:16:37,100 --> 00:16:40,000
To bring that is not the right
approach, right?

335
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,100
You're working with a different
culture, you're in their

336
00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:45,000
culture, and you have to respect
that honor that.

337
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,300
And so that's been something
that we've been able to do

338
00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:51,200
really successfully, but I would
say that building any scaling

339
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,700
company comes with growth
challenges around

340
00:16:54,700 --> 00:17:00,000
infrastructure, operations
strategy, the multi kind of

341
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,099
cultural and National legal
aspects, and business aspects.

342
00:17:04,099 --> 00:17:07,000
So what it really comes down to
me is putting the right people.

343
00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,800
All around you putting great
people around you, who frankly

344
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,099
are much smarter than I am.
Who can do great things and take

345
00:17:14,099 --> 00:17:15,800
the business where it needs to
go.

346
00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:19,500
I think, my job, I recognize is
really zooming out and seeing

347
00:17:19,500 --> 00:17:22,200
the whole picture and making
sure that all the right pieces

348
00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,700
are kind of in alignment and
that we're driving things

349
00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:26,700
forward.
But there has been the

350
00:17:26,700 --> 00:17:28,400
challenges.
I mean, I'll even say they like

351
00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:29,500
during covid.
Right?

352
00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:32,700
For many people, 2020 was a very
challenging year.

353
00:17:32,700 --> 00:17:35,000
What's about to happen?
And now, we've experienced it

354
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,600
over the last few years, and we
have Always put people first,

355
00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,200
and I think that has always done
very well for us is when we

356
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,600
honor our team honor, our people
when covid hit we have some

357
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,900
women who are immunocompromised
and we didn't know what was

358
00:17:48,900 --> 00:17:51,300
about to happen.
So we sent them to hey, we want

359
00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:53,600
you to be home.
We're going to pay you and make

360
00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,400
sure that you're taking care of,
until we can kind of sort out

361
00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,800
how this needs to work and
quickly move to put contingency

362
00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,000
plans in place for our business
to ensure and that led us to

363
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,500
actually having one of our
biggest years in the history of

364
00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:09,600
Parker clay through.
So I think that the foundation,

365
00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,400
it's always about putting people
first and I think that if you

366
00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,400
have the right people and they
are prioritized that those

367
00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,300
challenges become much easier to
overcome and when there's a

368
00:18:19,308 --> 00:18:23,500
purpose I think that also really
galvanized has your team and the

369
00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:26,100
community around you wear.
What would the world look like

370
00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:29,400
if blank didn't exist?
And if you put that any company

371
00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:32,900
or brand there, I think that
kind of tells you how important

372
00:18:32,900 --> 00:18:34,200
it is.
What would the world look like

373
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,700
if blank didn't exist?
And I think that gets to the

374
00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:40,200
Core Or of, what does that
company organization doing to

375
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,800
impact the world?
If it's well I wouldn't have a

376
00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:43,800
nice bag.
You know that.

377
00:18:43,808 --> 00:18:46,500
Okay, that's one thing, but we
wouldn't be empowering women to

378
00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:48,400
thrive.
We wouldn't be transforming

379
00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,500
those communities Parker clay
didn't exist.

380
00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:52,800
Like there's things like that,
that start to come to mind.

381
00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,300
So that's always been a very
motivational push.

382
00:18:56,300 --> 00:18:59,100
I think through those challenges
for us and that's allowed us to

383
00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:02,300
overcome a lot.
Yeah, when you've got a real

384
00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:05,900
deep seated purpose and one that
is so important, like what you

385
00:19:05,900 --> 00:19:10,100
have and you've seen The impact
of what it can do versus, what

386
00:19:10,100 --> 00:19:14,100
be environment, what the society
is like, without it, how

387
00:19:14,100 --> 00:19:17,600
important it is, and you'll
almost do anything in order to

388
00:19:17,900 --> 00:19:21,100
make sure that your persevering,
because then you're honoring

389
00:19:21,100 --> 00:19:25,500
everything that goes into the
success of their livelihoods.

390
00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:29,500
And so it's not just a bag to
your point, it's everything that

391
00:19:29,500 --> 00:19:32,200
that bag symbolizes.
It's the prosperity and the

392
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:35,600
future in the hope of an entire
economy, such as what you're

393
00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:37,700
helping to create.
So, For those of you

394
00:19:37,700 --> 00:19:39,700
entrepreneurs that are out there
listening.

395
00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:41,900
You're right.
It's so easy to say this is

396
00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:43,600
getting too hard, it's not worth
it.

397
00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:47,600
I give up but really dig deep
down inside like what is your

398
00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,000
internal Mission?
What is that purpose?

399
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,400
Why are you here?
Why are you doing it?

400
00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:57,100
If you can answer truthfully,
that you are making an impact in

401
00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:59,900
other people's lives.
That go beyond the product or

402
00:19:59,900 --> 00:20:02,700
service, directly of what you're
providing.

403
00:20:02,700 --> 00:20:05,000
Then it's worth it.
Keep doing it.

404
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,900
Don't give up.
Find a way.

405
00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:10,600
The universe will be at your
beck and call if you just so

406
00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,800
respond to it.
And just sometimes go with the

407
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,000
flow of the energy of what
you're finding because people

408
00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,300
will come to you.
Ian has been able to find great,

409
00:20:19,300 --> 00:20:23,000
very intelligent and wise people
to surround himself with to help

410
00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,800
ensure the success of his
business and to ensure the

411
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,500
success of its growth, this will
all come to you.

412
00:20:28,500 --> 00:20:31,900
So it's really important to know
your why it's really important.

413
00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:34,300
I know that some Angela
Duckworth book grit.

414
00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:36,300
I know that you mentioned the
obstacles.

415
00:20:36,300 --> 00:20:38,200
The way that's one.
Of my favorites as well.

416
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,700
But there are so many wonderful
books out there that can really

417
00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:46,100
help you Galvanize in your
purpose and in the perseverance

418
00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:49,100
to continue on even when things
get tough.

419
00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:51,700
And it's interesting because I
did yesterday, here are

420
00:20:51,700 --> 00:20:54,800
statistic that purpose-driven
companies during the whole

421
00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,600
covid.
Crisis were about 75% more apt

422
00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,500
to thrive and to do well and to
not fold a lot of other

423
00:21:02,500 --> 00:21:05,000
companies, shuttered, their
doors, they just didn't have

424
00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:06,800
what it took to persevere
through.

425
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,900
Those sorts of crises of when
things get really tough.

426
00:21:10,900 --> 00:21:13,700
But when you are mission driven
when you are purpose-driven,

427
00:21:13,700 --> 00:21:17,500
there is more of a likelihood
that you will be able to find a

428
00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:20,400
way and good things will come to
you. 100%.

429
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:21,400
Yeah, I couldn't agree with that
more.

430
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,400
Yeah.
So my next question, I know that

431
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,100
along the way one of the other
things in terms of growth is

432
00:21:27,100 --> 00:21:29,500
fundraising.
You had some unconventional

433
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:32,200
fundraising initiatives that had
been successful.

434
00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,100
And so I was hoping that you
could share some of those with

435
00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:35,700
us too.
Yeah, during covid.

436
00:21:35,700 --> 00:21:38,800
The challenge.
When that hit was team, how can

437
00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,300
we be creative Innovative?
What could this look like?

438
00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:45,000
And so we always use, it's an
African proverb.

439
00:21:45,100 --> 00:21:48,100
And it says, if you want to go
fast, go alone, if you want to

440
00:21:48,100 --> 00:21:51,600
go far go together and we have
really adopted that throughout

441
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,300
the company.
It's part of our core values.

442
00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:56,200
It's really at the core of what
we do or we say we go together

443
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,700
and during covid, we came up
with this initiative recall that

444
00:21:59,700 --> 00:22:03,100
we go together and it was
basically inviting the community

445
00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,600
to support us and kind of you
know by it was almost.

446
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,100
This is Structure of it was
almost like being able to buy a

447
00:22:09,100 --> 00:22:12,200
gift card that we would double
the value of but you would get

448
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,200
it down the road so you get it
like a year later, things like

449
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:16,500
that.
So it was a bit of an investment

450
00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:19,500
up front, the then get to use it
down the road and we had

451
00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:21,600
overwhelming just response to
it.

452
00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:23,900
Everybody loved it.
Everybody came out and said, hey

453
00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:26,900
again, we want to see Parker
clay exist in this world.

454
00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:28,900
We believe in the mission,
believe in what you guys are

455
00:22:28,900 --> 00:22:31,500
doing.
And that really galvanized a

456
00:22:31,508 --> 00:22:34,000
group, it took us further as
well.

457
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,900
We're able to go through that as
I said, and then more recently.

458
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:39,500
Bentley?
What we kicked off we started it

459
00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:43,700
really officially more this year
was a really unique way of

460
00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:47,800
fundraising and it's called a
regulation A+ so something that

461
00:22:47,900 --> 00:22:51,700
came into law not that long ago
and the concept was it's a

462
00:22:51,708 --> 00:22:55,600
community Purpose Driven around
it where typically a business

463
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,300
like ours, this would be what
what most would reference

464
00:22:58,300 --> 00:23:01,300
probably like a series a in
terms of fundraising, we've

465
00:23:01,300 --> 00:23:04,400
proven our growth, we've
established ourselves and now

466
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,400
we're looking to really pour
more fuel on the fire to God,

467
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,200
and rather than just going out
to the kind of elite or high

468
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:15,400
wealth individuals, who would it
be investing, maybe millions or

469
00:23:15,500 --> 00:23:18,000
Capital, which there's nothing
wrong with that in and of

470
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,700
itself.
But what we wanted to do with

471
00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:22,400
said Community, the people
who've been around us who've

472
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,100
been part of this success.
We want to invite you to invest,

473
00:23:26,100 --> 00:23:29,500
literally into the company and
have shares in Parker.

474
00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:31,400
Clay.
And so, that's what we just

475
00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:34,000
recently.
Launched, its really a unique

476
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,500
way of being able to invest, you
can invest Eating at $500 into

477
00:23:38,500 --> 00:23:41,800
Parker, Clay versus what
typically would be reserved as

478
00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,200
hundreds of thousands.
If not, Millions is kind of the

479
00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,500
traditional fundraising ability
and what I love about it is that

480
00:23:47,500 --> 00:23:51,600
it democratizes investment, it
allows everybody to come to the

481
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,900
table and say we want to be part
of this and as a result as we

482
00:23:55,900 --> 00:23:59,100
continue to grow and work on
scaling, the business that the

483
00:23:59,100 --> 00:24:02,500
opportunity of growing
financially in that is really

484
00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:04,300
exciting to be able to pursue
that.

485
00:24:04,300 --> 00:24:07,600
So that's what we're literally
were in the middle of That right

486
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,900
now and everything we've shared
right is very authentic and

487
00:24:11,900 --> 00:24:14,900
genuine about who we are and
what we do and there is nothing

488
00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:19,400
better than the idea to us as
Founders to have the community

489
00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,500
with us.
Not only buying the beautiful

490
00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:23,900
bags but also saying, hey we
want to be part of this

491
00:24:23,900 --> 00:24:27,600
financially as well and believe
this can be a huge company and

492
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,000
opportunities that go well
beyond.

493
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,800
And so, we've been really
excited and really encouraged by

494
00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,000
the results and turnout.
So far from that.

495
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,100
Yeah, we have until a more
months to continue to raise

496
00:24:39,100 --> 00:24:40,900
money through this crowd fund
around.

497
00:24:40,900 --> 00:24:44,600
So, is there a specific
crowdfund app or a platform that

498
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,600
you're using it for this raise?
Yeah, we're hosting it.

499
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,200
So, if you go to invest dot
Parker.

500
00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,100
Clay.com, that is where it's
hosted.

501
00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:56,600
So we're hosting it on are
essentially our own website for

502
00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,500
you to go on.
We're working with a great

503
00:24:58,500 --> 00:25:02,600
company called dealmaker that is
really the technology behind the

504
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,300
Rays and just as you go online
and you're able to buy a Parker

505
00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:08,500
clay bag.
You can really kind of go to

506
00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:12,700
this website and learn about
what we're doing, learn about

507
00:25:12,700 --> 00:25:15,500
our growth and what we've been
able to do so far.

508
00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,000
We had to do a full-blown audit
and we have approval

509
00:25:19,100 --> 00:25:21,900
qualification by the SEC to be
able to do this.

510
00:25:21,900 --> 00:25:24,600
So it's all really well
documented and out there for

511
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,800
people to do the research, and
you can go online and basically

512
00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,600
buy shares in Parker, clay
direct from the website.

513
00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:34,000
So we've got a video, our whole
story that I shared got a video

514
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,800
with some fun pictures and clips
of Brittany.

515
00:25:36,900 --> 00:25:39,500
Die.
Pretty somehow has managed to

516
00:25:39,500 --> 00:25:43,300
look younger and more beautiful.
As she's aged, I've like gotten

517
00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:47,200
gray and less hair, but you'll
see that in the video.

518
00:25:47,300 --> 00:25:50,100
But yeah, it's really a fun
thing for us to be doing this

519
00:25:50,100 --> 00:25:53,700
and part of it to even have an
offering tier, we have perks for

520
00:25:53,700 --> 00:25:57,200
this raised and one of the
highest tears, if you invest a

521
00:25:57,208 --> 00:26:00,100
certain amount will even take
you to Ethiopia and show you the

522
00:26:00,100 --> 00:26:03,300
factory and help us design a bag
and things like that.

523
00:26:03,300 --> 00:26:06,800
So lots of fun ways to get
involved but honestly yeah.

524
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:11,100
Love the idea and the response
and just the messages that we

525
00:26:11,100 --> 00:26:13,900
get from our community, we had
this woman and here in Santa

526
00:26:13,900 --> 00:26:17,100
Barbara, who wrote a review on
our website.

527
00:26:17,100 --> 00:26:20,700
Like did not ask her to or
anything and a group of friends

528
00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:23,300
in the community bought her one
of our bags.

529
00:26:23,300 --> 00:26:26,200
While her son was getting
treatment for cancer and she

530
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,700
said that as my son was going
through this, these women gave

531
00:26:30,700 --> 00:26:34,600
me this bag that I wore on my
back, knowing they have my back

532
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,600
and it was like so beautiful.
So it's not just a leather bag.

533
00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,600
Yes, it's beautiful.
And you want to buy it because

534
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,000
it looks great functional, but
it represents so much more.

535
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,900
And I think that example is what
at the very core were trying to

536
00:26:47,900 --> 00:26:50,600
build and want to build it
Parker clay exactly.

537
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,400
This is not just conscious
shopping and being a conscious

538
00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,200
consumer.
It's not just being a conscious

539
00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:01,600
investor and certainly that is
important to help vote with your

540
00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,500
dollars to allow good businesses
to prosper.

541
00:27:04,500 --> 00:27:09,400
But it's really about the seed
of the Intention, if you are

542
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,800
helping to support these good
businesses, use, good entities

543
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,000
to thrive and, you know, that
their heart is in the right

544
00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:20,800
place that intention carries
through and this was a perfect

545
00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,100
example.
As Ian has just described of how

546
00:27:24,100 --> 00:27:27,500
this product is helping to touch
people's lives, how the

547
00:27:27,500 --> 00:27:32,100
symbology of what Parker clay
stands for is really so much

548
00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:35,800
more profound and meaningful
than the physical bag itself.

549
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:39,200
It's really about About having
each other's backs, it's really

550
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,600
about bringing along the
goodness at every single stage.

551
00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:46,100
So, consider the bag consider
investing.

552
00:27:46,100 --> 00:27:49,500
I'll make sure that the website
for investing.

553
00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:52,100
And any information that you'd
like to find is in the show

554
00:27:52,100 --> 00:27:54,600
notes.
But then also consider gifting

555
00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:58,500
consider spreading word about
this company as well as other

556
00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:01,600
companies that you find that are
very similar in their goodness

557
00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:03,900
and in their intention as Parker
clay.

558
00:28:03,900 --> 00:28:05,900
And you know, that I have
several of them on my podcast.

559
00:28:05,900 --> 00:28:08,100
It's important.
It's important to be

560
00:28:08,100 --> 00:28:12,600
knowledgeable and to be aware of
the impact that we as decision

561
00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,700
makers, within our own lives,
are carrying forth, what we're

562
00:28:15,700 --> 00:28:18,400
bringing into our households,
the energy that we're bringing

563
00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,600
into our lives.
And so, I just want to thank you

564
00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:22,400
and so much.
Thank you so much for all of

565
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,400
your work for Britney.
And before I depart, I know that

566
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,400
you have two more children,
you're a father of five.

567
00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:30,400
So I want you to tell you about
that.

568
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,100
We've talked about the first
three.

569
00:28:32,100 --> 00:28:35,500
Tell me about the next to.
Yes, 05 kids, which, you know

570
00:28:35,500 --> 00:28:36,800
what it's like coming from a big
family.

571
00:28:36,900 --> 00:28:37,900
Ali.
It's fun.

572
00:28:37,900 --> 00:28:41,600
Crazy.
So we adopted our daughter at

573
00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,600
nine years old while living in
Ethiopia.

574
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,900
So we kind of, if you're in the
adoption world, we broke the

575
00:28:46,900 --> 00:28:49,600
traditional Trend, which is
adopting out of birth order and

576
00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,700
it's turned out great.
She is now 19 going to college

577
00:28:52,700 --> 00:28:56,000
down in Los Angeles at LMU doing
great.

578
00:28:56,100 --> 00:28:59,800
Like wants to go back to
Ethiopia and do work there to

579
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,600
make an impact.
Like just love her story and

580
00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,400
where she's going, and then we
got pregnant with our fifth.

581
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,700
Kya is her name.
She was conceived in Ethiopia

582
00:29:08,700 --> 00:29:13,100
born, back here in the US, and
she is now eight years old,

583
00:29:13,100 --> 00:29:16,000
which is crazy.
So we've been back here in the

584
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,600
US after your, she was born here
in the US and we stayed here

585
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,000
because one of our other
daughters, we had some medical

586
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,900
treatment that we needed to get
her, which is what another story

587
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,500
brought us back to the u.s. from
Ethiopia for that time.

588
00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:31,800
But now we go back and forth.
Usually at least quarterly we're

589
00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,800
going back and forth so we'll be
back together and along the way

590
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:36,400
to.
We bring back one of the kids

591
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,900
are a couple the kids and then
we try every few years to bring

592
00:29:38,900 --> 00:29:41,500
the whole family back to
Ethiopia to spend time there.

593
00:29:41,500 --> 00:29:46,100
So it is fun and wild and a
family of seven is we love it.

594
00:29:46,100 --> 00:29:49,200
We love it.
Intently co-founder and CEO of

595
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,500
Parker clay.
Thank you so much for being on

596
00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:53,200
the show today and thanks
Jennifer.

597
00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,600
It's been a pleasure.
Thank you for listening to the

598
00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:59,700
human Beauty movement podcast.
Be sure to follow rate and

599
00:29:59,700 --> 00:30:02,600
review us wherever you stream
podcasts.

600
00:30:02,700 --> 00:30:05,900
The human Beauty movement is a
community-based platform that

601
00:30:05,900 --> 00:30:10,000
cultivates the We of humankind,
check out our workshops, find us

602
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,300
on social media and share our
inspiration with all the

603
00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:16,800
beautiful humans in your life.
Learn more at the human Beauty.

604
00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:21,100
Movement.com, thank you so much
for being a beautiful human.