A DAY IN THE LIFE OF OUR FOUNDER: A NEW SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR

 

It takes a lot of time, determination (and coffee) to not only start a business, but to build one that gives away 100% of profits to those in need. The Goodwash Company was built on the idea that helping others could become a day to day activity, like showering or washing your hair.

Changing the world one wash at a time is no easy feat, but it is definitely a worthwhile one. Here is what a day in the life of Goodwash co founder Mandy Powell looks like in the lead up to Christmas…

Monday November 7

6.30am: Wake up, which is definitely harder with the darker and colder mornings, but it’s made better with kisses and cwtches from Maisy and Duffle Powell.  A fresh coffee (in my NYFD mug) and chocolate are my essentials for kickstarting the day. Whatever chocolate is in the fridge usually works, this morning it’s a chocolate orange from the night before.. solid core still in tact, yum.

With the coffee giving the much needed kick start, it’s off for a walk across the farm with the girls. Though the cold crispy weather makes it hard to leave the bed in the morning, it certainly makes for beautiful morning walks with the dogs.

7.00am: With the girls walked, it’s time to really get in the mood for a day of hard work. The Goodwash shampoo and conditioner leave me feeling revitalised (and smelling wonderful), and give me that final boost to storm through the day.

7.30: My first task of the day is checking my diary for the day ahead, and going through emails. It’s also time for a bagel (and another coffee).

8.00-11.30am: The next couple of hours are spent double checking orders and making sure the deliveries for the day are ready for the courier. Fur Founders, Maisy and Duffle, stand guard over the parcels.

11.30am: With deliveries ready to go, the next half hour is spent putting together our Christmas Hampers and Gift Boxes. I light a Goodwash candle to get into a cosy mood and play a little Buble on the sonos. Today I’m focusing on our Dog Jogger hamper that has a bottle of woof wash, sports wash, and a soy candle – the perfect combination to treat yourself (and your best fur friend) after a good run.

12.00pm: Today we had some volunteers from The Welsh Wildlife trust in helping us make a difference. They worked hard labeling and bottling, helping us ready for a very busy Christmas. Last night we made a batch of delicious Ms Cupcake vegan cupcakes to thank our volunteers, which went down wonderfully with a cup of tea (or another coffee for me).

By working with different groups across the community we gain an insight into key needs of animal groups in Wales, and ways we can support via our fund, and our our own volunteers.

An integral part of our business model is that we improve lives of animals, and though we mainly focus on dog rescue, we also support other animals. Most recently we proudly supported a hedgehog sanctuary in North Wales that looks to boost the number of hedgehogs in the wild.

2.30pm: We took a trip to Llanharan to meet with the Hope Rescue manager to discuss how we at Goodwash can support the Big Christmas Give, helping over 400 rescue dogs this Christmas. We also spoke about Goodwash sponsoring a rescue dog kennel – very exciting.

3.30pm: Another meeting took us to meet with Mari Wyn from Community Trust Foundation Wales to  discuss me speaking at the annual event at the Coal Exchange hotel at Cardiff Bay about the reason I left my corporate job set up a non profit social enterprise and also to share our impact so far;

We are incredibly proud to have helped 15 homeless people achieve a BTEC qualification with our partners Vi-Ability & Street Football Wales, and to have supported the rescue of 10 rescue dogs and sponsored a puppy farming kennel which provides support to puppy farming rescues and their newborns.

5.30pm: I start to wind down the day down with a few emails and calls with Maisy and Duffle keeping watch of my toes, keeping them warm by laying on them under my desk.

7.30pm: After a busy day, it’s time to kick back with a little Coronation Street, a cup of tea and a biscuit. Standard.

8.45pm: Since starting The Goodwash Company, I’ve put on nearly a stone..as my regular training schedule has gone out the window!  In preparation for our charity Movember run on 12th November in Cardiff. I pootle off on 7k Run with Duffle (Maisy stays nice and warm inside at the window until we come back).

Each quarter a group of Goodwash volunteers run a Cardiff 10k and raise money for our Goodwash Foundation that is independently managed by the CFIW. Last time we ran we raised over £300 to support the Welsh Homeless World Cup in Oslo – and also provided them with wash bags full of Goodwash goodies.

10.00pm: After my run, I make sure to turn on the electric blanket before hopping in the shower. The lavender essential oil in the Goodwash sports wash helps relax me before heading to bed to check emails and the social media posts for the week.

After, I turn off the electric blanket, I finish the day as I started it – with cwtches and a little kiss for Maisy and Duffle before calling it a day. Nos Da.

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