AMA with Nathan Johnson
Thanks for being here! Can you share a bit about Maison Bloom’s mission and how you started on the path to social impact?
Maison Bloom’s mission is to get people to make better, holistic decisions for themselves and their future. We believe by providing a quality tasty beverage alternative that provides an amazing elevated mind and body experience, consumers have the ability to make different decisions about what they put in their bodies. For us at Maison Bloom, we always practice what we preach and live by a high level of standards. We strive to create value for consumers and have an impact that far exceeds our brand and products. That means we are always looking for ways to improve our sustainability, environmental impact, and lift up our community as we climb. For Maison Bloom, creating a social impact wasn’t an option. It is something we believe deeply in and there shouldn’t be any excuses as to why a brand cannot give back, no matter how big or small they are. So we started and we’re on a mission to create an even bigger impact as we grow!
What are some of the most significant projects Maison Bloom is currently working on, and how do they align with your mission?
I can’t provide all of the details but I will say that partnering with Companies Doing Good and First Descents is just the beginning. We believe deeply in our partnerships and want to do more than simply donate cash to these organizations. We really strive to put as much effort as possible into tangential wins such as Introductions, time, additional resources that are provided to our organizations as well. That said, as we grow, we are looking for better ways to reduce our environmental impact and carbon footprint, and improve our sustainability and supply chains. We are putting quite a bit of effort into ensuring our ingredients are top quality, produced in sustainable ways, finding better ways to improve things like recyclability of our products, and overall, bringing a greater awareness of how small steps add up to large impacts over time.
How does Maison Bloom measure the impact of its purpose driven initiatives?
This is a great question and one that we will continue to refine and answer as we grow. We’re a fairly new company so right now we are focused on our commitment of donating a portion of proceeds to First Descents for every can of Maison Bloom sold. Over time our mission will grow and evolve based on the capabilities and mission of the brand.
Social impact often involves navigating complex challenges. What are some of the biggest obstacles Maison Bloom has faced, and how have you addressed them?
This is true for any business but individuals and brands will always find a way to execute on the things they believe in most. Social impact for us is no different. The biggest obstacle that we currently face is making the business work with the capital and revenue that we have coming in. We’re a small operation trying to do big things and we always have a bigger vision than we’re able to do in that moment in time. I have no doubt we will grow into that vision and continue to move the goal post further and further out but right now, we need to grow awareness for the brand and bring more consumers to Maison Bloom and the hemp infused cateogry. Right behind that is finding more brands and partners that share in our vision for quality, community, and social impact. It always takes a village and this is no different. The more brands and partners working towards a common goal will only enhance the impact we’re able to make.
What drew you to get involved with CDG’s Impact Program?
There are many things that drew me into CDG’s Impact Program but the two that stand out are honesty/integrity and the ability to move quickly and get things done. Prior to our engagement with CDG, I had not heard about the organization. After spending some quality time with the team, I felt extremely comfortable working with them as a partner because of how they treated our team, Maison Bloom as a whole, and the community in which we both operate. There was genuine care and desire to help and bring awareness to those in need and do this in a manner that conveys honesty and integrity. Additionally, Maison Bloom is a fast mover. There is so much to do in the world and I personally don’t do well in a world that is mostly hurry up and wait. When I was speaking to CDG about our want to dive into social impact, all it took was two conversations and we had our strategy and a path forward. The team at CDG has continued to surprise us with consistent support guidance on how to make the largest impact possible. We’ve got a lot of impact to make!
It often feels the customer conversation is both a huge challenge and opportunity when launching social impact initiatives. Can you tell us why you feel engaging your audience with social impact is so important?
I don’t think this is a difficult conversation to have at all. Everyone wants to feel valued, supported, and loved, and ultimately that is what social impact is all about. It’s blessing others with what we’ve been blessed with ourselves. Additionally, at Maison Bloom, we believe serving others should be part of the mission for every brand. It strengthens the bond between the customers and the brand and shows them that they are not just buying a product, they are buying into something much greater. That’s a tremendous ROI for a small fee.
Tell us a little bit about your nonprofit partner, First Descents
I’d start by encouraging all the readers and Maison Bloom partners/customers to visit the First Descents website [https://firstdescents.org/]. We chose this partner for a number of reasons. 1 – I lost my father to lung cancer three years ago and knew we wanted to partner with a nonprofit that had an impact on cancer and/or cancer patients. 2 – Maison Bloom is conscientious about what goes into our beverages and producing the with high quality, natural ingredients. From a holistic perspective, not only can individuals make better choices for themselves with what they consume, we recommend physical activity as well as getting outside and enjoying nature and sunshine. First Descents creates experiences that are often outside and in nature. 3 – Last but not least, Maison Bloom has a saying that we “Elevate the Every Day.” This means we’re adding another level of joy and euphoria to someones day or experience. That is exactly what First Descents does. They create life changing experiences for their clients that add so much joy and happiness in moments of their lives when things could otherwise be much darker. They are the spark and bright light when it is needed most.
What do you hope to gain from participation in the Giveback Program?
We hope that we can create a large impact for First Descents and allow more people to experience the joy that First Descents brings to their clients/patients. We also hope that potential customers on the sidelines see that their purchase of Maison Bloom has this fantastic impact and that they choose to support a brand doing something bigger than themselves. And lastly, we hope that with Maison Bloom leading by example, other brands and partners in the industry will join us in either starting their own social impact programs or growing theirs if they already have one established.
Finally, what is your big hairy audacious goal for this year? How can folks join you in that mission?
Our BHAG for this year is to have Maison Bloom available in 15 states across the US and be available in at least three national retail chains. This is not an easy feat for a brand that is just starting out but we believe in our core mission and our ability to reach the consumers and “our tribe” that supports our initiatives such as social impact. Customers can support us by purchasing Maison Bloom products, creating digital and social media content and tagging the brand, and spreading the word about Maison Bloom and what we’re doing. Lastly, if customers do not feel comfortable purchasing our products but they still want to support our mission, they can donate to First Descents directly and still make an impact.