By Rick Crawford
Since its inception in 2011, RepYourWater made giving back to conservation part of its DNA by donating a percentage of sales to a variety of nonprofit partners, such as Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, and Wild Steelhead Coalition, among others. Giving back to conservation makes a lot of sense for a company that depends on a healthy environment because no fish means no customers. However, what makes RepYourWater unique is that Garrison and Corinne Doctor, husband and wife co-founders, are avid anglers and hunters themselves, which fuels their passion for conservation.
They truly care about our fisheries and hunting lands and are successfully building a purpose-driven brand that is clearly resonating with the growing number of conscious consumers. For example, from 2011-2016 RepYourWater donated over $70K to its conservation partners, which is outstanding for a relatively small company. Building on that, RepYourWater set a goal to donate $50K to conservation in 2017 and it surpassed that goal by donating a total of $54K
“We believe that it is paramount as a business in an industry that relies on the outdoors to make a difference for the places where we recreate,” said Corinne Doctor. “Our conservation partners are out there doing the work both on the ground and at a policy level that are ensuring we all have wild places to fish and hunt for years to come. We are proud to be able to support their work on a financial and awareness level.”
RepYourWater isn’t just putting its money where its mouth is though. It has created an excellent “Calls to Action” that makes it easy for their customers to get involved on important conservation related issues and “stay up-to-date with specific action steps such as petitions, pledges or letters to legislators.” Additionally, there were a number of new sustainability initiatives and conservation partnerships that certainly contributed to RepYourWater’s record-year, but Garrison said introducing a variety of new product lines, including: quarter-zip hoodies, vests and button-down shirts were the main contributors to their record-donation year in 2017.
While it is certainly safe to say that RepYourWater had its most financially successful year in 2017, if you ask Corinne or Garrison, they will tell you that they are measuring the success of their business not by how much money they can make, but by how much they can give back, and that is just fine with their nonprofit conservation partners.
Keep up the good work, and stay tuned for some more exciting announcements coming soon as RepYourWater continues to not only give back, but confronts climate change in 2018.
Rick Crawford is a mediocre fly fisherman and the President of Emerger Strategies, a company providing fly fishing lifestyle brands, manufacturers and retailers with sustainability and marketing strategies that mitigate risks, enhance brand value and increase profitability. After graduating with an MBA in Sustainable Business from Marylhurst University, Crawford spent the last five years in the sustainability industry working with start-ups, small-to-medium enterprises and manufacturers in a variety of fields, including: solar, bio-diesel, green building and product transparency. Click here for more information.
