Have you ever used a product because it was great quality and worked well, but never knew the story behind it? You’d be amazed what inspires business owners to launch brands these days. Products and services are inspired by life stories, humanitarian efforts and so much more. Check out some of these brands that we’ve found particularly cool recently.
AnaOno
AnaOno is uniquely boob-inclusive, as its bras are made for people with one breast, two breasts or no breasts. They are designed by a breast cancer survivor who was looking for practical and beautiful undergarments to address the challenges and pain points customers face when wearing an underwire or molded cup bra without compromising the beauty of pretty intimates. Just as breast cancer is not a one-size-fits-all disease, AnaOno creates comfortable bras that fit all different types of boobs. These bras ease the transition and help women feel more confident about their appearance during and after cancer treatment.
Argentum Apothecary
In 2010, founder Joy Isaacs underwent major surgery and experienced silver’s miraculous power of healing, when her surgeon used silver-infused wound dressings. Soon after this experience, Joy had a vivid dream. It was a dream with immense energy, from which she woke with a clear vision to use the power of silver in skincare. Throughout the journey, Joy embraced key energies, each playing a unique role in the creation of the dream becoming a reality. Their pursuit of balance and beauty within formed the basis of ARgENTUM’s 12 archetypes ~ 12 BECOME 1.
Each jar contains 1 of 12 archetype cards: Creator, Sage, Magician, Caregiver, Everyman, Ruler, Jester, Innocent, Rebel, Explorer, Hero and Lover. With your card, you are supposed to draw energy from the imagery and symbolism, using your intuition to help reflect your subconscious. The idea is to acknowledge your inner beauty and focus on its message to inspire balance and harmony within.
Esker
In this luxury beauty brand, the key ingredients are plant-based and rely on earth’s bounties to make the products effective. To Esker, it’s important that we understand where each of our ingredients come from and that we take the time to learn about and support the ecosystems that offer us powerful plant life.
Nearly 90 percent of flowering plants and 75 percent of agricultural crops depend on pollination, mostly by bees. Without pollination, plants can’t reproduce and much of the world’s vital resources (food, oils, fibers, raw materials) would slowly cease to be. Bees and other pollinators are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, urban sprawl and global warming, but planting pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds can support the work of pollinators and keep the health of their ecosystems thriving.
Each box of Esker body oil includes an envelope of pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds that can be planted at home in your garden or anywhere else you think could use some blooms.
Why wildflowers? Because pollinators give us plant-based, natural beauty. The most important step you can take in preserving pollinators is to plant a flowering garden. This mix of 18 perennial and annual species of wildflower seeds blooms into a rainbow of colors that attracts bees, butterflies and birds right in your own yard.
GoldieBlox
GoldieBlox is a children’s media company challenging gender stereotypes with the world’s first girl engineer character. Through the integration of storytelling and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) principles, GoldieBlox is building a global character franchise with videos, animation, books, apps, curriculum and merchandise; the tools that empower girls to build their confidence, dreams and ultimately, their futures.
All of these kits are designed to teach Girl Scouts something new and make engineering fun. Not only do the activities teach engineering principles that are applicable in the real world, but they are a ton of fun for the girls.
Rough Linen
When Tricia Rose was in her 60s, she made a major life shift. Tricia was working alongside her husband creating films when the inspiration for Rough Linen came along. It was when she visited her family’s cottage in Scotland and came across a homespun linen pillowcase made by her great-grandmother that she knew her passion lied elsewhere. Without hesitation, her husband created a Rough Linen website and Tricia began promoting on the daily.
Considering that her business was starting from zero, she knew she had nothing to lose. Eventually, Rough Linen evolved from Tricia running it all—from cutting and sewing on her dining table to a year later moving to her boathouse with new machines and a handful of skilled seamstresses. Fast-forward five years and they are now stationed in an approximately 6,000-square-foot warehouse by the bay with professional workrooms, great natural lighting, and as of 2018, a gorgeous showroom. Rough Linen now boasts 18 full-time employees (all women, with one male sewer), plus consultants and part-time staff.
