Our Better Company, Better World Pledge

 

 

Four-Day Workweek

 

Our company operates on a four-day workweek, instead of five.

 

We take care of our clients on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We don’t work on Friday.

 

Studies show that adopting a four-day workweek leads to happier team, improved mental health, greater productivity, and higher profits.

 

We experimented with a four-day workweek in 2021 with excellent results. We’re continuing this practice in 2022.

 

Living Wage

 

The federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour. This is outrageously low and not enough to live on.

 

We pay our team (full-time employees and part-time contractors) $25 to $50 per hour.

 

Full-time employees also receive benefits (Medicare, Social security, FUTA) and profit-sharing, paid out twice a year.

 

Results, Not Hours

 

We tell our team, “Please work less. Don’t automatically work 40 hours per week. Focus on results, not hours.”

 

We encourage our team to work efficiently, get things done quickly, deliver whatever project/result they’re being paid to do, and then go relax and enjoy life.

​

Time to Live

 

We take a 2-week company holiday in the summer and another 2-week holiday in the winter.

 

We encourage our team to take additional vacation time, too.

 

Full-time employees receive 8 weeks of paid vacation time per year (or more).

 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

 

We have a small team (2 co-founders, 2 full-time employees, 4 part-time contractors). On our team, you’ll find people who identify as female, non-binary, straight, queer, Latinx, Black, and white.

 

Inclusion is reflected in the way we work with clients. In our writing courses, we offer materials in written, audio, and video format (with closed captioning) to suit a variety of learning styles.

 

When it comes to DEI, there’s always room for improvement. We will continue seeking out ways to learn, do more, and do better.

 

Giving Back

 

We have a Scholarship Program and provide (at least) 30 scholarships per year, totaling nearly $30,000 in funding.

 

Scholarship recipients come from marginalized and under-served communities including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and folks with different/unique physical abilities.

 

We also provide scholarships to first responders and other people whose lives have been significantly impacted by the pandemic.

 

These scholarships help people write books and become authors—at no cost.

 

Mental Health First

 

Mental health comes first. Always.

 

If a team member needs an extra day off, no problem.

 

If a client is abusive or disrespectful to our team, this behavior is not acceptable and that client will not be invited to work with us again.

 

Generating revenue should never require sacrificing your peace, wellbeing, and health.

 

. . .

 

Our Promise

 

We take this Pledge seriously.

 

We regularly will evaluate how we’re doing throughout the year and make sure we’re honoring this Pledge and doing the things we promised to do.

 

We will revise this Pledge periodically as our company grows and evolves.

 

. . .

 

Our Hope

 

We hope that this Better Company, Better World Pledge creates a ripple in the world—inspiring other folks to work and live differently.

 

If you notice something on this Pledge that you want to adopt in your own life (or company) please do so.

 

Small businesses like ours (and yours) can make a big difference.