Touch A Life supporters come in all shapes and sizes. They come from the USA, Ghana, Portugal, and all across the globe. Some give a one-time donation, some support a child or program through monthly giving, and some give in honor of a lost loved one. Emily Goode has been a supporter for several years but has started giving in a new way: through her small business. We recently spoke with Emily about her new business and how she is using it to contribute to the work that Touch A Life is doing to rescue, renew, and restore children from lives of forced labor.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Emily. Daughter, sister, wife, mama, and new business owner are a few of the hats I wear these days.
How did you start your business Hey Honey Co.? “Be fearless in pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” This is a popular quote I first ran across when I was in college. At the time, I was a psychology major dreaming of dropping out and living overseas. I had traveled internationally a few times and knew I had one job: to love God and love His people well. That’s all I wanted to do. Fast forward, I stayed in school, graduated college, and started a job in an office that did not suit me one bit. The people were awesome; I just did not want to be an office working girl. I thought about starting my own boutique at this point, looked into what all it would entail, and quickly said “Nope! Can’t do this!” After seeing startup costs, license requirements, inventory needed, and much more I had not thought about, I was bummed. I just wanted to shop and let my friends buy things from me! I started selling my own clothes on my personal social media accounts but the thought of my own boutique never really left me. I wanted to do it but the memory of “Nope! Can’t do this!” haunted me.
Four years later, I am married to my best friend, I just had a beautiful baby girl, and COVID-19 hits. Throw in postpartum emotion + pandemic anxiety + a teeny bit of hard-headedness and that dream I had years prior, that thing that really did set my soul on fire, the thing I had tucked back on a shelf of “Nope! Can’t do this!” came back to me. After finally telling my husband this is what I wanted to do, he suggested giving it 24 hours to simmer. I assure you by dinnertime the next night I had my boutique name and a business plan ready to present to him.
Hey Honey Co. is an online-only boutique for women. I am determined to create a retail platform for all the girls-on-the-go to shop high quality fashion at affordable costs. I am still learning all things business but am having so much fun in the process.
How did you get involved with Touch A Life? Getting involved with Touch A Life sparked when a mentor and dear friend of mine, Rachel, started looking into taking a group of Arbonne girls back to the country she loved so much. It had been a dream of Rachel’s to take Arbonne girls with her to Ghana for many years and when she decided it was time, she knew she wanted to reach out to TAL Co-Founder Pam Cope! We went April of 2019 and it was a trip that changed my life forever.
What does giving through a small business look like for you? I get paid every Friday through Shopify, the web page my boutique is run though. For me, it’s easiest to remember to donate as soon as I get paid. So, every Friday I donate 10% of my entire sales for the week. Some weeks the amount I give seems so insignificant but I know I’m called to be faithful with the small and that’s what I have right now. When I first started giving, I did set an alarm so I wouldn’t forget! But now, I see that I’ve been paid and it’s instinct to give through Touch A Life’s super easy-to-navigate website. I believe everything we have is the Lord’s to begin with. I’m simply giving back to what is already His. If we do not help His people, who are we leaving it up to? I believe it’s our responsibility as Christians to help.
Kuddos, Emily, for following your dream, and thank you for making Touch A Life a part of it! Visit Hey Honey Co. to browse the beautiful pieces in Emily’s collection. If you’re interested in contributing to Touch A Life through your small business, please contact Rachel Brown for more info.
