Meet Founder of GoodSteps, Alice Brown

GoodSteps is a company dedicated to the belief in the power of purposeful purchases. By creating quality, hand-made products, those who purchase can know that they are financially supporting incredible organizations. 20% of the total purchase goes to MANA Nutrition and Atlanta Community Food Bank to fight hunger. 

I’m very excited to be chatting with Alice today, lawyer turned founder, about the amazing work that GoodSteps has done and dig deep into her journey.

Tell us a bit about who you are and Good Steps?

I was a corporate lawyer here in Atlanta for many years. When I had my first child I was just working so much. I realized that if I was working that hard I wanted to be working towards something good and meaningful. I came at it sort of backwards, I had the idea to do something good, then I came up with the product. I landed on flip-flops. They’re a wardrobe staple for everyone, across ages and genders. I dove into manufacturing and two years later we launched. 

Tell us about the give structure. What does that look like?

So we decided to be a for-profit company and we wanted to be a support system for nonprofits who already knew what they were doing to fight hunger. When they place an order, the customer gets to decide where their gift goes. They decide whether they want 48 meals for the Atlanta Community Food Bank or 13 days of nutrition to be funded for MANA Nutrition. Then at the end of each quarter we cut a check for each of organization. 

So you had the moment where you decided whether to make GoodSteps a nonprofit or for-profit. And I feel like we are similar in that I don’t know how to do the work. But THEY do! And I’m going to help THEM do the work they’re already doing. 

This just seemed like the most direct way to provide the most support.

You said something in a recent post, basically asking “if you could make an online purchase and it actually went towards something good, wouldn’t you want to do that?” I love that.

And I feel like the more people know how to find companies that actually give back in a meaningful way, and in a way that doesn’t compromise on quality, the more they will seek them out. Particularly the younger generations.

Let’s dive in, tell us your favorite thing about your role?

I feel like it sort of morphed over the years. When I first started, coming straight from law, anytime there was a contract that is when I felt the most confident. But now I just really love talking with the customers. When the shoe resonates and creates a repeat customer and I get to talk about our mission, that is my favorite part. I’m proud of the product. 

Fast forward 5 years. Tell us, what are you doing and what is GoodSteps doing?

I love this question. Hopefully my role will continue. I’d love to keep this a small business. I feel like that is the best structure for Good Steps. I hope I still have my hand in a bit of everything. Marketing and building up our kids line, which will be launching soon. Very excited about that! Ideally we’ll have additional Giving Partners, as well, and branching out beyond Atlanta.

One of my favorite parts of both of these organizations is the ability to track where your money is going, down to which children in which village. 

And from a consumer standpoint, being able to see that your purchase made a true difference in a child’s life. Your purchase did that! You have the transparency of a nonprofit with your giving. And 20%! That’s incredible. 

Let’s talk about your favorite social media post or movement you’ve seen. 

The one that immediately comes to mind was the Ice Bucket Challenge. It was just so fun and it made giving go viral so quickly! 

I actually use that example with a lot of the people I work with, in creating a ripple effect. And to be honest, I hadn’t heard of ALS before that challenge! So the fact that they were able to get the word out and build this movement of giving is incredible. 

Exactly! It made giving fun and accessible. It was amazing to see how quickly it grew.

Give us a pro-tip, what makes your job easier and your goal easier to achieve?

I think, just from a technical aspect, my bottom line is about giving money away.

So it makes it easier to sell things when that is my motivation. It makes it easier to talk to people about it. I’m not a natural salesperson, so that definitely makes my job easier. 

That is a great one! Because it’s all about mindset. I worked in retail and it can feel really easy when you believe in it and really hard when you don’t believe in it.

So even though you’re not a nonprofit, finish this sentence for me “More nonprofits should be…”

What’s funny is the first thing that popped into my head was “for-profits”. I feel like the mindset of a nonprofit is interesting and if they were able to partner with for-profits in a meaningful way, they would benefit from each other.

I feel like most nonprofits are essentially two businesses. There is the business that is their actual programs and what they do, and then there is the business which is focused on fundraising. It’s a lot of work!

And there are natural partnerships, like it would make sense for a grocery store or a restaurant to partner with a nonprofit fighting hunger. And as the pressure for these companies to give back grows they will be looking for opportunities to do so.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your social impact business? 

We always say we give 20% of our profits, but I don’t think people realize that we give away all of our post-operational profits. And I want people to know that we have a great product and I wish there was a way to search for companies that give back when people are browsing through Google.

That reminds me of Bombas socks. They are a wonderful company that donates socks to people experiencing homelessness. And they are also incredible socks! The best socks. And that’s what you want people to know. That not only are they a part of giving to these great causes, but they are getting an exceptional product with their purchase. 

And the fact that you’re giving 100% of your profits, after operational costs, is amazing. Shout that from the rooftops! I think most people don’t understand what that means, when you say you give 20%, not realizing that is all of your profit. That would be a great infographic.

People won’t need to sacrifice on quality when they purchase a pair of our flip flops. They are exceptional quality AND the money spent goes towards an amazing cause.

Tell us how people can find you and learn more about GoodSteps

Definitely! They can find us on Instagram @GoodSteps and at GoodSteps.com and anyone wanting can use promo code SUMMER for 15% off their purchase. 

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