#12 Unfollow

Time since launch: 15 months
$ invested: 1Mil+
Current challenge: Stock levels

I’ve unfollowed a lot of people (including friends) and brands online lately. It feels nice.

Nice because it was so easy. And something I should have done a long time ago.

Nice because it reminded me that I have a choice and that the content I consume isn’t out of my control.

Shelby’s Instagram feed only contains photos of Chihuahuas. And it makes her happy. I hate Chihuahuas. But in my feed? They make me happy too.

But Shelby also told me about the things that come up on her explore feed. Things she would see on Instagram that made her feel like she couldn’t be herself. Things that made her feel like she should be someone else. I get it, and you probably do too.

We decided that we didn’t want to create content that makes anyone want to be anyone other than themselves.

A lot of people say that social media isn’t real life, and use that as an excuse to keep doing what they’re doing. I say sure, but it is a reflection. If you’re not buying into it, I’m happy for you. But there are so many people who literally are, and paying for it in more ways than one. Today’s smoke & mirrors are really just translucent powder & filters.

I wonder if when people meet me if they are let down? Do I look like the photos I post? Better or worse? Am I as funny as the captions I write? Surely, just as blunt. I think this is the same for brands.

Shelby and I just returned from two weeks in New York where we met and spoke to our customers. We visited some brands that we had liked for quite some time.

We went to stores where sales assistants were too busy talking about their experience with braces to say hi. We visited showrooms that were overcrowded and uninspiring. Overall we left feeling both overwhelmed and underwhelmed. And this is a pattern.

I’m surprised that I’m still surprised what a good photo can do, not to mention retouching apps. From selfies to real estate — everything looks ‘better’ through our screens.

And this is the problem. This is what Instagram does to us. It makes us feel like we’re not good enough. It makes us feel like we should be anyone other than ourselves.

We saw another celebrity launch another makeup line. Honestly, these things just do not need to exist. I struggle daily with this question: if you have so much influence why don’t you put it to good use? Why don’t you sell the world something that matters?

There are of course good people and good brands across these industries. This month we spent time making friends with people we care about who care about the right things too.

There are a few founders I talk to who share the reality that business is slow and boring and great and most days feel like Groundhog Day. Behind our overseas trips and polished feeds are people going to work every day and into the night sitting behind a screen trying to raise more money to pay more staff to buy more SKUs and create more content so you can buy more stuff. And hopefully behind that stuff is a message. One worth sharing.

My question is, can you still care when you have scaled? My experience with other brands is split down the middle, but my opinion is not. You have to. No excuses.

A friend recently told me to ‘give consumers what they want’ — which was meant to mean the same stuff that every other brand is doing. But what about what I want? Why is this good advice? At Fluff, we truly believe that the world is made better by people who do what they care about. If you only do what other people do, how do you know what to believe?

I replied that people don’t know what they want. We’ve all been too busy following instead of liking what we actually like or figuring out what we really care about and why.

Right now it’s cool to care about the Amazon rainforest. Right now diversity is trending. Right now everyone wants sustainable packaging but most people still throw their shit into the same bin. I’m not excluding myself from this conversation either. Is it enough to simply say you care?

A few months ago over dinner, I asked our team what Fluff’s version of Apple’s Think Different campaign would be. If we could stand for, and be known for one thing, what would it be?

We bounced around a lot of ideas. Plenty of 2/10s. Some 5/10s, maybe. We were trying to understand this sentiment that so many people appear to hold on to. This desire that people have to like what they like, not what others tell them to. To do their own thing, to break the mold. I think it’s time to give this a name. If you’re like us, and you don’t want to do this dance anymore…

Unfollow.

Things I currently care about:

Fewer, better products.

Creating content I enjoy consuming.

Wine.

Liking wine less.

Being honest with myself and in turn others.

Writing letters.

Choosing to be around people who make me happy.

Chihuahuas in my feed.