What Different Can Do - And How We Support It!
As April ends, we come to our final post about What Different Can Do and exploring how neurodiversity makes the world a better place. This week I spoke to Shawn Nelson, the CEO and founder of Lovesac. Shawn and Lovesac have been huge supporters of organizations that serve neurodiverse people, including supporting Camp Southern Ground and our campaign this month. Shawn and I talked about how Lovesac has built support for important causes into the structure of their business, going above and beyond to have the biggest impact possible. We talked about how businesses, and all of us, can be an important of seeing what different can really do and making true inclusion happen.
IT REALLY IS BETTER
As I started talking to Shawn I really wanted to understand how a successful and growing business started supporting causes in a such a deep and real way. Shawn talked to me about the causes that Lovesac supports - neurodiversity and sustainability are two of the biggest - and how supporting these came about quite organically. As Shawn put it, “It is good for business, oh and by the way, good for the world.” Shawn talked about how in the past the business community really only focused on one thing - profits. What Shawn, and many other businesses leaders have learned more recently, is that focusing on being inclusive or being sustainable actually leads to a more successful and, yes, more profitable business. It really is better. It’s better for the business, better for the customer, better for the employees, and oh by the way, it’s good for the world.
HAPPY ACCIDENTS AND POSITIVE RESULTS
While Shawn and were talking I loved hearing about how he and Lovesac came to support neurodiversity through sort of a happy accident. Lovesac began when Shawn started making large, ultra comfortable “not bean bags” as a new product for the market. As they started selling these new “sacs” they started getting feedback from customers who were neurodiverse, that the Lovesac product was incredibly helpful with some sensory issues and helping to provide calming, comfort, and support. Shawn and Lovesac leaned in and wanted to find more ways to support this community. Much like how Lovesac has slowly built sustainability into every single area of their business, they want to push for more diversity and more inclusion. From product design, to who they hire on their showroom floors, Lovesac is a great example of how businesses can work with the community to make our world a more accepting place.
“Diversity brings a better outcome.... and I believe the benefit goes to those who interact with neurodiverse people. We become more empathetic, more caring, more loving, and feel more joy. ”
CREATE THE CULTURE
Shawn told me about one specific story of neurodiversity inside Lovesac, and how changing the understanding of one store or even one person can have a huge impact. Shawn told me about a young neurodiverse man who really, I mean really, loved his Lovesacs. He would come to the showroom just to hangout and talk about the sacs. So Lovesac hired him, and let him start selling the same product that he loved and appreciated so much. That young man has now been with Lovesac for well over a decade, outlasting managers and co-workers, and creating a showroom with a unique culture and an inclusive environment that the customers can see and experience. The whole story made me think about how that small action of recognizing passion and talent, and then giving that person a true opportunity has turned into to so much good for the neurodiverse community. Yes, that one man got a job he loves, but more importantly it showed a young CEO and company that supporting neurodiversity pays off. Then that company paid it back, with years of funding and donations to places like Autism Speaks and CSG, that single act of inclusion made waves that are still spreading out into the world.
BETTER TOGETHER
As we wrap up our month of talking about the value, the beauty, and the importance of accepting neurodiversity into our world, I want to leave with a final thought and a challenge to whoever may read this. Inclusion, most of the time, happens in the small everyday moments where we all have to make choices. Shawn and Lovesac decided to hire that neurodiverse young man. Zac Brown decided to start a camp that puts inclusion front and center. While the rest of us may not be a CEO or a famous musician, we still have the power to impact the world. We can advocate for neurodiverse people in our homes, our workplaces, and our schools. We can donate or volunteer with organizations that are doing some of the really important work. Most of all, each of us can try to make the more inclusive choice in our lives each and every day. We can stop and help someone, we can take some time to listen and understand, and in the end if we all do our part, we’ll see that different can do anything.