#16 Is everything for nothing?

It’s been four months since my last update. I wrote that the saddest thing would be if we came out of COVID-19 unchanged. So what’s changed, and what hasn’t?

Things that have happened lately, if lately is even a thing anymore:

Fluff is doing what our investors didn’t think possible, what the economy doubted was possible, and at one low point, I wondered was possible at all. We are growing.

Why?

Self (and skin)care is trending. People are spending less going out, and more looking in, to themselves and their routines and beauty habits.

Full coverage makeup is less of a priority when working from home. If it is a priority (for your zoom call), it’s simple and affordable cosmetics that consumers are opting for, especially over clothing and other more expensive purchases. This all makes sense to me, but you can read more about it here.

Finally, when people are shopping, they’re scrutinizing who they shop with. The BLM movement recently shone a light on founders' past and present behavior as well as the current “Girl Boss Reckoning” in which several high profiles founders and CEOS have stepped down from their positions. Consumers are demanding greater transparency and action from brands. Again, it makes sense but you can listen to more about it here.

Along with time and general exposure, the above excerpts may explain why people have been purchasing 3 Cloud Collections at once. From day 1 Fluff has been committed to a less-is-more, casual approach to beauty with everyday use makeup, and now, simple skincare that doesn’t demand a 10 step routine. Not only is our product offering more legitimate and accessible, but our message appears to finally be landing: across refills, formulas, and an attitude towards beauty.

On top of this, our sometimes shy, but often, fuck it, whatever, lo-fi approach to our vlogs, showing behind the scenes, and talking through our product development, mistakes, and learnings, puts Fluff in a position that many other brands struggle to achieve.

In the last few months, however, we have re-focussed on changing our structures, processes, systems, communication, and positions. We launched a hand sanitizer. And a cleanser. And hoodies. And 100% cotton beanies. We’re testing new things — some we won’t do again, and some have saved our business. There have been many ups and downs.

Sephora and L’Oreal emailed us and wanted to discuss what we were doing (right). But some of our investors have been worried. And asking for a 3-year plan in the middle of a pandemic.

We closed our store after our biggest month of sales. We are not reopening. Our store went from being everything — a non-negotiable — to an expensive distraction. Now it’s a “one day” not a“today” thing. And when we do it again, we’ll do it differently.

One of our core team members has left. I knew I wouldn’t be able to contain her forever within 9–5, however, I didn’t know it would be so soon. We had a conversation in which she told me I was bored and needed to connect with my inner child and I told her to grow up — we’re finding a middle ground. I’m grateful for everything she’s taught me and excited to see what she does next.

Like many of you, I have tried to pass time in lockdown in various ways, for instance: experience anxiety, like never before; be bored like never before; be exhausted and wide awake at the same time, like never before. In our second lockdown, I’m content that the only certainty is uncertainty, and letting go is more productive than holding on. But it hasn’t stopped me from wondering what the point of all this is. This, being business.

Is it all for nothing? Or something? What’s the point of making money if you can’t spend it on places or people or things? Why bother? Am I in this for my own, personal gain? Or something bigger? I’ve been thinking a lot about why we start things vs why we stay in things.

Two years ago I knew a little, but not a lot. Fluff was profiled as having aspirations to be “The Patagonia of the Beauty Industry” before we’d even begun. These are insanely big boots to talk about, let alone fill, but what we’re now realizing and working through, is that with the right pace, it might just be possible, and we might just be the people to do it. I think we’ve achieved a lot of what I initially set out to do, however in the process, we’ve unearthed something new.

I am 100% sure that anyone who’s 100% sure of anything right now needs a reality check.

I am 90% sure about where we’re going with our responsibility commitment and product pipeline.

75% sure about our messaging.

50% sure about our method and tools of scaling.

25% sure about forecasting.

0% sure about anything I’ve just said.

Admittedly, when we started I didn’t care about the things I do now. I knew there was a market opportunity, and I wanted to build a different brand with a better message, but I didn’t think Fluff could be the better beauty company, changing the way consumers think about consumption. I wanted to do things right, but I didn’t know the wrong I had to unearth and encounter along the way.

My priorities and focus within this business have evolved — there are many things that I now can’t ignore, despite feeling tired of talking to people about what matters.

“Much of what we produce to sell to each other to earn our living is crap, either ever more luxurious, specialized goods like electronic temple massagers and personal oxygen bars, or cheap salty junk food and disposable clothing. Every piece of crap, because it was manufactured, contains within it something of the priceless: applied human intelligence, for one, natural capital for another- something taken from a forest or a river or the soil that cannot be replaced faster than we deplete it.” We’re wasting our brains and our only world on the design, production, and consumption of things we don’t need and that aren’t good for us.’ — The Responsible Company.

Now, more than ever, Fluff is reminded and committed to content that makes people think and feel. Committed to messages that challenge the industry, that speak to who we truly are, and who we know people truly want to be. Committed to products that are useful and beautiful, and refillable — good for us, and the planet. And finally, committed to open and honest communications with our customers along the way.

Speaking of, we’re currently working through:

Our 2nd & 3rd shade development of our Bronzing Powder.

Replacing our secondary product packaging and poly-mailers with compostable, recycled paper materials.

Developing a refill model for our glass skincare products, that will include a re-delivery/recycle program.

Joining 1% For The Planet, Peta, & BCorp by the end of 2020.

Auditing our current SKUS to provide cleaner formulas.

Updating our messaging, packaging, and website.

Meanwhile, this period of uncertainty is far from over. We have big stock purchases to make with changing freight prices and timelines, bills and wages to pay, roles to replace and additional staff to hire, a new working environment to get used to, as well as new makeup and skincare products to develop and promote, new issues to discuss, and old systems to continue to break.

The good news? The industry is catching up, and consumers are leading this change. Fluff is building something that hopefully will outlive us. Something that people will remember.

“After all, if we zoom the lens back out to its edges there’s little doubt we’re specks of space dust on a slightly larger speck of space dust in an empty cavern of silence and darkness. Every war, every record, every invention, every birthday party — all contained within a blip on the cosmos. This is all there is — why bother? And, to that, I would argue… because this is all there is. People are not permanent. Art isn’t either. That’s why they matter.” — John Gorman.

And this is why I stay.

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Read past updates here.