Making Impact Products Affordable: "So we had margins that were acceptable in retail and that enabled us to reduce the margins to get those lights and power banks to people that needed them at localized pricing"
Show Notes
WHAT HAPPENED:
I’ll never forget the time I heard that our solar lanterns helped two warring factions in rural Africa literally bury the hatchet. They were both receiving our lights through an NGO, and suddenly, they were doing business together. That’s not a metaphor. That's real.
Or the 10-year-old from the South Side of Chicago who handed out tens of thousands of “blessing bags” with our lights to the homeless—just because he believed no one should be left in the dark. That kind of story? It wrecks you—in the best way.
We built a business from the ground up, armed with 25 patents, a “why not both?” mindset of profit and purpose, and a deep belief that a single light could spark something bigger.
PRINCIPLE:
You don’t need to choose between making money and making a difference. In fact, if you're doing it right, one fuels the other.
Too many founders think they have to “wait” until they’ve made it to give back. That impact comes after the profit.
Nope. Real impact is baked in from day one. When your mission is woven into your product, not just your marketing, you don’t need to convince people—it resonates on its own.
TRANSITION (external problem):
But here’s the kicker: a lot of us get stuck playing small because we think impact means complexity. Or we’re waiting for the “right” time, the perfect investor, the green light.
And while we’re waiting, other people are slapping together knockoff versions of our ideas and flooding the market with cheap stuff. Sound familiar?
We think we need permission to start building something that truly helps people.
THAT’S WHY:
That’s why I sat down with John Inger on this week’s episode of the Outdoor Adventure Lifestyle Podcast—because his story is proof that doing good and doing well isn’t an either/or.
This isn’t just about lights and patents. It’s about building trust, leading with purpose, and designing products that matter—even if you're just a team of 25 going up against big-budget giants.
CALL TO ACTION:
If you're tired of building things that look good but don’t do good, this episode will remind you why you started. Tune in now and rediscover how the smallest product can spark massive change.
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