All Bow Down To The Letter B
Godspeed: good fortune; success (used as a wish to a person starting on a journey, a new venture, etc.).
All bow down to the letter B this month of March.
Consider the letter B – it’s one of the oldest letters in existence, traced to the ancient Phoenicians; one of the first consonants babies learn to pronounce; and the Big, Bold, initial cap that anchors B Corps, companies committed to conducting Better Business.
I first certified my company, Oliver Russell, as a B Corp in December of 2011. I think there were around 400 or so B Corps at that time. As of yesterday, there are now 10,631 B Corps around the globe employing nearly 1.1 million workers.
March is B Corp Month, a celebration of Certified B Corporations, so here’s an issue dedicated my fellow B Corps.
B the change, anyone? 🍀
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
You’re Here to Care
“I think one of the things that makes capitalism not work as a system is, it was built on the idea of carelessness. Like, literally, the entire purpose of it was that people should build wealth for themselves and that other people didn’t matter — you couldn’t care about them.
“You’re here to care, to care for your workers, your community, the planet, the other people that you do business within your supply chain.” Andrew Kassoy, 1969-2025
Andrew, who passed away last year from cancer, co-founded B Lab, the nonprofit organization that runs the B Impact Assessment and oversees the international community of B Corps. He lived a truly remarkable life – you can read more about it in his New York Times obituary.
Sa(a)lt of the Earth
Earlier this month I took a field trip visit my friends at Boise-based Saalt, and I was reminded of just how inspiring its mission is.
Saalt, a B Corp, makes sustainable period underwear and reusable period cups.
Let's start with the products, which get rave reviews.
As Katie Couric Media says, “Saalt period panties are like the Lamborghini of period underwear.”
But it’s the impact of the products – and the company – that’s is so inspiring to me.
Five hundred million women around the world lack period care. When their period comes, they are often forced to stay home. For instance, 46% of girls in Nepal miss school because of their period. Think that's a lot? In Kenya, 86% of girls miss school for the same reason.
For many young girls in these countries and elsewhere in the developing world, this can start a downward spiral that culminates in the end of their education.
Saalt contributes 1% of its revenue to donate period care to regions with the most need, and help fund initiatives in menstrual health, education, and sustainability
It’s donated more than 150,000 products across 56 countries and funded more than 1.3 million days of school for young women around the globe.
On the environmental side, its reusable period cups eliminate disposal of traditional period products – more than 35 million waste products diverted from landfills, to date.
Saalt is also adding clean water to its mission, for as CEO and Impact Director Cherie Hoeger says in this year’s impact report, “Like period care, lack of water disproportionately affects women and girls. They’re the ones walking the kilometers each day to retrieve and transport water for the three Cs: cooking, caring, and cleaning. Access to water, like period care, is essential for women’s progress.”
As a male, I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a period. I REALLY can’t imagine what it’s like to have a period without period products.
So, here’s a shout-out to the Saalt team. You inspire us. Now keep going!
Oh, and if you’d like to learn more about this amazing company, you can check out their latest impact report here.
Come For The Certification, Stay For The Community
My favorite thing about being a B Corp -- hands down -- is the community.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with three B Corps over the past year: HigherRing, which provides me with outstanding bookkeeping services; Capricorn Investment Group, which rents an office in my coworking space; and Dragon Army, a super sharp digital marketing agency for which I developed a PR plan.
Working with fellow B Corps always seems to be better. It just does.
Oh, and the community is filled with fun.
Consider this: Out of the blue one day, I received this surprise "trophy" from fellow B Corp The Black Sheep Agency. They were exhorting me on and thanking our agency for being inspiring – just cuz.
What a surprise. I love the attitude. And the brand tie-in. I've placed this beauty in a place of prominence ever since. And it will occupy a place in my heart forever.
Thank you Aimée Woodall and all the Black Sheep. Baa!
B Corp Wear
I have a B Corp t-shirt business.
The t-shirts are made by my friends at fellow B Corp TS Designs, which makes the best and most sustainable t-shirts in the world. Oh, and they're Made in America!
Go ahead, buy one now. Just click here and as a B Corp Month special you’ll participate in a threesome, if that's your kind of thing:
- You’ll receive a fab t-shirt
- Support two B Corps
- Make your own personal statement about ethical fashion and sustainable manufacturing in this country.
Okay, let's go golfing and make it a foursome – enter BTHECHANGE at checkout for 20% off your purchase, good for the rest of this month!
B Corp Trivia
Which one of these companies was NOT a founding B Corp when the first companies were certified in 2007?
- King Arthur Baking Company, milling and selling superior flour since 1790
- Untours, personalized travel experiences
- Patagonia, outdoor clothing and gear
- Green Retirement, helping businesses, nonprofits, and individuals design pathways toward retirement readiness
- Seventh Generation, eco-friendly cleaning, paper, and personal care products
You can find the answer at the end of the newsletter.
How Conscious Are Consumers?
If you're doing work in the B2C realm – or just plain curious – you need to check out the 2026 Conscious Consumer Report from B Corp Public, in partnership with Ipsos and Engage for Good. It challenges nearly every assumption about conscious consumer behavior and shopping. A couple of key findings:
- 40% of North American purchases are now influenced by social and environmental considerations, up from 38% last year.
- Nearly 50% of the most engaged, values-driven shoppers are Republicans.
Great work by Phillip Haid and the team of Publicans. You can jump right in to the entire report here.
Get Your Favorite B Corp in the B Corp Handbook
Ryan Honeyman wrote the book on B Corps – and is now working on a third edition of that guide, the B Corp Handbook, currently due out in 2027. If you know of a B Corp that should be featured in it – and I’m betting you do – he’s announced an open call for submissions. Check it out here.
B Lab Goes Binary
B Lab’s new certification standards are now in full force. No more scoring based on points; the new standards have gone binary – you need to pass all components to certify. While I can’t give you the first-person down-low as I haven’t certified under them (two years to go until my recert), you can learn more about them here.
B Corp Trivia Answer
If you picked Patagonia, then you guessed right. Patagonia first certified as a B Corp in December 2011.