My company and my self are intricately linked. I am the founder of World Peaces; its operations and direction are conceived in my brain and take life through my relationships. My name is Connie, and most likely if you are reading this, you already know something about me and what I care about. Still, I think it's important to make it clear, because we all understand Fair Trade, and the work of wholesaling handmade goods, in the different ways. I think the diversity of approaches to this kind of work is what makes it so rich and interesting. I have a perspective, within the field with its own personality and voice. So, I want to tell you what this work means to me. The first in the list of what matters to me is love.
What matters most to me is love. I believe it makes the world an interesting and worthwhile place to make a mark when we give and receive and enjoy love. Love is not easy, particularly when it comes to people who have diametrically opposed ideas to ours. Even when we think we are on the same page with people, or we are related to them, or we made a commitment to them, or even if we birthed them, people are not always easy to love. Figuring out how to honestly love ourselves is a challenging feat in itself! So in a globalized world with deep gaps between those with access to resources and power, I believe the way we trade is another approach to learning about, and practicing, love. Trading with love is not a concept we are taught, either as business people or as consumers, but I believe it matters a great deal. It should be our driving force, as much in our professional lives as in our personal lives. If love is a value we hold, I believe we need to learn to practice it in the way we work with people. As something that matters to me, love is the foundation of World Peaces, and a driving force for the business.