July 10, 2020 • 6 mins
We all need to wear them to quash Covid-19, but masks are more than a must-have accessory. They're an opportunity to do good and give back. We talk to Dana Cohen, whose company, Hyer Goods, added masks to its line as a way to help others during the pandemic.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
(00:27):
for today. These days, protective masks have become an extension
of ourselves, like carrying your keys in your phone. You
don't want to leave home without them. And despite reports
that some Americans are balking at mask mandates, one study
found that Americans report having worn a mask in public.
As masks become a staple in American life, they can
(00:50):
even be a fashion statement. Today, we're going to hear
from Dana Cohen, founder of higher goods and accessories company
that added masks to its product line. She'll tell us
how making masks allowed her to ease her COVID anxiety
and even make a difference for others. Today, around the world,
factories are producing masks at high speed. This is to
(01:10):
meet the ever growing demand. The World Health Organization estimated
that COVID would require eighty nine million medical masks every month.
And you can get masks everywhere, including from well known
fashion brands, and people are getting creative. You can find
masks of all colors covered in jewels or even spikes.
One creative engineer used the snorkeling mask design from a
(01:33):
three D printer as a face covering, and you can
even find masks for the bride room and wedding party.
Many mask makers are using the crisis as an opportunity
to do good. Dana co and founder of Higher Goods
Accessories discovered that by making masks she could combine her
personal mission protecting the environment with manufacturing a much needed product.
(01:54):
Here's what she had to say. So, Higher Goods is
a sustainable three brand. We sell high quality wallets, bags
and other accessories that are all made from waste. I
actually founded the company just last year in November of
after being a designer in the industry for over a
decade and just becoming increasingly frustrated over time with the
(02:18):
priorities of the industry in general in general, but specifically
how wasteful it was. UM So, my goal in founding
Higher Goods was to keep high quality materials out of
landfills and in circulation as possible um and I did
that by teaming up with a factory who I had
worked with for a long time. Actually UM. I first
worked with them in two thousand and eight when I
(02:39):
was designing leather jackets for Cohns, and we basically started
taking their cutting scraps and making them into small leather goods.
And from there we expanded because doc materials and making
larger goods. And of course, you know, we launched in
November and shortly after the world was slipped upside down, UM,
(03:00):
and we have to kind of re look at the
business a little bit, but UM still staying true to
using waste as a resource. UM. But we're also making
masks now. My goal was starting there goods was always
to make things out of waste, and it isn't necessarily
just a goal with the business. It's something I'm deeply
passionate about with everything in my life. So you know,
(03:21):
wherever I can repurpose things I do and that didn't
change when I'm pivoted to making masks, Like there's absolutely
no need to create new materials when there's plenty of
great that does stop fab us out there. I live
in King's County, Brooklyn, and when COVID nineteen was spreading
really rapidly in New York. In mid March, I read
an article about the hospital in my neighborhood using their
(03:43):
disclosal masks for up to a weeks, and I was
just horrified. And you know, I'm someone who very purpose driven,
and for long, as long as I can remember, that
purpose has been protecting the environment. But when you know,
all of this started happening with COVID nine teen, my
environmental passion sort of felt irrelevant, and I think everything
(04:06):
sort of shifted in my brain towards like, how can
I help the people around me, like fighting people that
are fighting for their basic needs of health and safety.
So UM, I started kind of frantically calling the neighborhood
hospitals and searching for organizations to see how I could help,
and I came UCRAT at the time, what was I
(04:27):
think a brand new organization called Masks for Medicine and
I think they have the two hundred and twenty followers
on Instagram, and you know, pretty soon thereafter they started
working with all these like giant fashion brands. UM. But
I was just kind of a on my home sewing
machine cranking out masks for twelve hours a day as
a way to harness my anxiety about COVID nineteen, and
(04:49):
this was the only way I felt like I could help.
It's so inspiring to hear how incorporating purpose into her
business has enabled Dana Cohen to help others during the pandemic.
Her are Goods masks are made from waste fabric and
they're washable so they don't go into landfills like disposable masks.
And you should also know that Higher Goods has a
great donation program. When you purchase one of their masks,
(05:12):
a second mask is given to an essential worker in need.
So here's something good for today. Putting on a mask
maybe the most important thing you can do today. For
many reasons, the mask you wear is more than protection.
It's an opportunity to make a difference. Consider buying a
mask that's made ethically or manufactured by a woman owned business,
(05:32):
or one that donates to frontline workers. For masks at
Do Good and Look Good. Check out the buy one,
give one mask at Higher Goods dot com. Thank you
for listening, and please share today's something good with others
(05:54):
in your life. This is Kim Azzarelli, co author of
Fast Forward and co founder of Seneca Women. To learn
more about Seneca Women, go to Seneca Women dot com
or download the Seneca Women app free in the app Store.
Here's Something Good is a production of the Seneca Women
podcast network and I Heart Radio Have a Great Day.
(06:19):
For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, check out the
I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
(00:27):
for today. These days, protective masks have become an extension
of ourselves, like carrying your keys in your phone. You
don't want to leave home without them. And despite reports
that some Americans are balking at mask mandates, one study
found that Americans report having worn a mask in public.
As masks become a staple in American life, they can
(00:50):
even be a fashion statement. Today, we're going to hear
from Dana Cohen, founder of higher goods and accessories company
that added masks to its product line. She'll tell us
how making masks allowed her to ease her COVID anxiety
and even make a difference for others. Today, around the world,
factories are producing masks at high speed. This is to
(01:10):
meet the ever growing demand. The World Health Organization estimated
that COVID would require eighty nine million medical masks every month.
And you can get masks everywhere, including from well known
fashion brands, and people are getting creative. You can find
masks of all colors covered in jewels or even spikes.
One creative engineer used the snorkeling mask design from a
(01:33):
three D printer as a face covering, and you can
even find masks for the bride room and wedding party.
Many mask makers are using the crisis as an opportunity
to do good. Dana co and founder of Higher Goods
Accessories discovered that by making masks she could combine her
personal mission protecting the environment with manufacturing a much needed product.
(01:54):
Here's what she had to say. So, Higher Goods is
a sustainable three brand. We sell high quality wallets, bags
and other accessories that are all made from waste. I
actually founded the company just last year in November of
after being a designer in the industry for over a
decade and just becoming increasingly frustrated over time with the
(02:18):
priorities of the industry in general in general, but specifically
how wasteful it was. UM So, my goal in founding
Higher Goods was to keep high quality materials out of
landfills and in circulation as possible um and I did
that by teaming up with a factory who I had
worked with for a long time. Actually UM. I first
worked with them in two thousand and eight when I
(02:39):
was designing leather jackets for Cohns, and we basically started
taking their cutting scraps and making them into small leather goods.
And from there we expanded because doc materials and making
larger goods. And of course, you know, we launched in
November and shortly after the world was slipped upside down, UM,
(03:00):
and we have to kind of re look at the
business a little bit, but UM still staying true to
using waste as a resource. UM. But we're also making
masks now. My goal was starting there goods was always
to make things out of waste, and it isn't necessarily
just a goal with the business. It's something I'm deeply
passionate about with everything in my life. So you know,
(03:21):
wherever I can repurpose things I do and that didn't
change when I'm pivoted to making masks, Like there's absolutely
no need to create new materials when there's plenty of
great that does stop fab us out there. I live
in King's County, Brooklyn, and when COVID nineteen was spreading
really rapidly in New York. In mid March, I read
an article about the hospital in my neighborhood using their
(03:43):
disclosal masks for up to a weeks, and I was
just horrified. And you know, I'm someone who very purpose driven,
and for long, as long as I can remember, that
purpose has been protecting the environment. But when you know,
all of this started happening with COVID nine teen, my
environmental passion sort of felt irrelevant, and I think everything
(04:06):
sort of shifted in my brain towards like, how can
I help the people around me, like fighting people that
are fighting for their basic needs of health and safety.
So UM, I started kind of frantically calling the neighborhood
hospitals and searching for organizations to see how I could help,
and I came UCRAT at the time, what was I
(04:27):
think a brand new organization called Masks for Medicine and
I think they have the two hundred and twenty followers
on Instagram, and you know, pretty soon thereafter they started
working with all these like giant fashion brands. UM. But
I was just kind of a on my home sewing
machine cranking out masks for twelve hours a day as
a way to harness my anxiety about COVID nineteen, and
(04:49):
this was the only way I felt like I could help.
It's so inspiring to hear how incorporating purpose into her
business has enabled Dana Cohen to help others during the pandemic.
Her are Goods masks are made from waste fabric and
they're washable so they don't go into landfills like disposable masks.
And you should also know that Higher Goods has a
great donation program. When you purchase one of their masks,
(05:12):
a second mask is given to an essential worker in need.
So here's something good for today. Putting on a mask
maybe the most important thing you can do today. For
many reasons, the mask you wear is more than protection.
It's an opportunity to make a difference. Consider buying a
mask that's made ethically or manufactured by a woman owned business,
(05:32):
or one that donates to frontline workers. For masks at
Do Good and Look Good. Check out the buy one,
give one mask at Higher Goods dot com. Thank you
for listening, and please share today's something good with others
(05:54):
in your life. This is Kim Azzarelli, co author of
Fast Forward and co founder of Seneca Women. To learn
more about Seneca Women, go to Seneca Women dot com
or download the Seneca Women app free in the app Store.
Here's Something Good is a production of the Seneca Women
podcast network and I Heart Radio Have a Great Day.
(06:19):
For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, check out the
I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
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