Bellroy: A better way to carry
"We spend time thinking about the sort of businesses, processes, behaviours and values that might help the world flourish, and we end up with our work cut out for many years to come." Bellroy Co-Founder and CEO, Andy Fallshaw.
"When you start thinking about how rad life is, and what helps it rather than hinders it, insights come flooding in."
Bellroy is a brand built on doing things better - in many ways.
Crafting vessels to carry our essential stuff in the best way seems like it should be enough for one business to focus on. But the Bellroy brand and ethos goes far deeper than that.
A certified B Corporation, Bellroy is a brand much bigger than itself. With a mission to "use business as a force for good", they're definitely a brand forging ahead to a better way of doing things in Australia.
"Being among a group of businesses who have inspired us like Patagonia, Warby Parker and Dumbo Feather is pretty humbling," Bellroy co-founder Andy says.
"The certification process pushed us to refine our mission and formalise processes like our Matched Giving program and changing to 100% renewable power in our offices. We also give 1% of all sales to highly effective human and animal non-profits."
Bellroy create smarter ways to carry your essentials.
As Australia catches up to the likes of Europe and America when it comes to sustainable business, I asked Andy if they've seen Bellroy's approach influencing others on our home turf. And of course, they're humble!
"We're very happy to share our experiences in the hope that others might learn from them. It's nice to think we might be helping other brands and communities," Andy says.
"We are far from perfect and like to think of ourselves as lifelong learners!
"The core values we draw on to make decisions today are the same as they were on day one. For us, it's always been about making the most responsible decisions we can around how we create our product and go about our daily practices - and refining our approach whenever we come across better ways."
From a product perspective, the Bellroy crew are passionate about giving us slimmer, more carrier-friendly wallets. With a commitment to sustainability, working with leather has definitely thrown them some challenges.
"We knew it was going to be difficult to get better transparency around things like sourcing and third-party processes," co-founder Andy says.
All Bellroy products are made to last - and they’re real about how the leather will develop over time.. Image via Bellroy
"Through learning as much as we could from like-minded brands such as Patagonia and partnering with like-minded groups like Leather Working Group, we've been able to significantly reduce uncertainty in a number of areas across the business - it's exciting.
"Probably the biggest challenge is finding credible standards you can rely on, that aren't simple 'greenwashing' efforts. We've been fortunate that other brands who have walked that path before us have been able to point us in the right direction."
So what advice can the founder of a responsible business share with others wanting to tread that path?
"There are whole industries that try to convince you that their new idea is "the great idea", that everything will change with this next book/convention/idea/widget," Andy says.
"When you realise that there are no magic pills - instead you have to work hard, seek constant improvement, and consolidate thousands of “better ways” - you start making the real progress."
Instagram: @bellroy
Facebook: @carryBellroy
Twitter: @Bellroy