b lab audit 1 of 8 – elemental herbs

the word “audit” instantly incites thoughts of finance and number crunching, right?  the b lab audit team is here to prove to you that company audits are – and furthermore really, really should be – about way more than money.  we can’t think of a better example than the first of team west coast’s eight summer b corporation audits.

and so today … i am taking you, dear reader (seriously, there may only be one of you) inside a b corporation audit – where the focus goes far beyond the traditional bottom line to cover social and environmental factors of doing well – and just as importantly, good – in business.

after getting caffeinated and full-bellied at a local san luis obispo coffee shop, we met caroline duell, founder and president of elemental herbs – along with production coordinator audrey and organics officer ray – in the morro bay solar powered community center kitchen (see? it’s already awesome) and got a glimpse of the company’s production process.  this particular morning, the team was jarring up the company’s flagship product – all good goop. the “goop” is organic, all natural, and petroleum-free.  it’s often been described as “strong enough for a climber’s raw knuckles and gentle enough for a baby’s bottom.”

it also smells amazing, but i digress …

after the morning’s mini-lesson, we drove 20 minutes to elemental herbs’ office/farm for a tour and to perform the actual audit.  we would like to note that caroline promises the audit was painless.  she may have even called it “fun” – fact.

as for team west coast, we left with much more than a momentous sample bag of organic goodies (confession: i have been using at least one product daily since … and yes, the goop is that good).  we also gained a wealth of knowledge and inspiration, seeing just how much good business a company can churn out in such a sustainable way … … we also got a hug.

many thanks to caroline and her team for their cooperation. the audit team agreed that this first audit was so educational and fun that it set the bar pretty high for the rest of the b corporations that we’ll be heading to through the end of july.  no pressure, folks.

click on any photo below to view the gallery.