Episode 104 – Rebecca Hamilton and W. S. Badger Company

A Better Balm

Introducing Rebecca Hamilton and W. S. Badger Company

There are no better products than those developed out of a dire need. That was exactly how today’s guest, Rebecca Hamilton’s product Badger Balm was created. Badger Balm is a family business and B-Corp that was founded in 1995 by Rebecca’s father Bill. Bill was a serial entrepreneur and carpenter who needed something to sooth his cracked hands after working outside in the cold New Hampshire winters.

Today, Badger has a number of organic body care products and Rebecca is the company’s co-owner and vice president of innovation & social impact. Badger has a commitment to sustainable sourcing and building true one-on-one relationships with the producers of their ingredients. Not only does this create a product that is top-notch, but also it humanizes their supply chain and gives every product and its ingredients a story that must be told.

Check out this week’s episode to see how sustainable sourcing and relationship building can develop a product that has a great story and you can be proud to use. Also, check out this episode for insights on how a successful family business can be run.

In this episode

• Greg tells us about his daughter, Kaiya’s love for Earth Day and Badger’s products.
• Rebecca tells us why each Badger product has a different whimsical design.
• We learn why Badger was a great fit to becoming a B-Corp.
• Rebecca tells us how the company was developed and how it has progressed over the years.
• We talk about the importance of sustainable sourcing and how shortening the supply chain and making long-lasting relationships with suppliers can help your business.
• We learn the story behind the olive oil that Badger sources, the story behind it, and why the decision was made to use it.
• Rebecca highlights the power of humanizing the supply chain and doing business transparently.
• We also discuss family businesses and how to run one effectively.
• Rebecca tells us how leadership coaching helped her family work great in business and in the home.
• Dave appreciates Rebecca’s thoughtful approach and learned a great deal on how the family business can effectively run.
• Greg talks about his experience doing the B-Corp assessment for Hemmings House Pictures. He also talks about how there are so many great products out in the market but when you see a B-Corp stamp it means that you are buying from a company that is measuring their impact.