Executive’s Desk: What 15 years of towels taught us about life and work

As Kei & Molly Textiles celebrates our 15th anniversary this month, we are filled with gratitude for the tremendous support our community has shown us over the years.

To mark this milestone, we’ve reflected on — and put to paper — a few of the 15 lessons that speak to the core of our values and our success. In doing so, I’m struck by the possibilities and potential of doing business differently.

While many small businesses are already guided by purpose and values, this feels like a chance to highlight what sets us apart from many large businesses — offering an example of how work can be shaped with intention, community and care.

Begin with purpose beyond profit: You may know us for our colorful, folk-inspired towels, but did you know that every dish towel we make is hand-printed with purpose? Our studio creates artisan-quality goods to build meaningful jobs for immigrants and refugees — training newcomers who are working to rebuild their lives. And even as our products have grown to reach over 400 stores nationwide, with revenues poised to reach $1 million this year, profit has remained a means to an end, not the end itself. We are working to gain a deeper understanding of how we are all connected in our humanity, regardless of where we come from. Find your purpose, make it your foundation and let profit sustain it.

Ask for help when you need it; give support when you can: One of Albuquerque’s greatest gifts is the generosity of its small business community. In our early years, we asked a local T-shirt company if we could use their industrial dryer at lunchtime to cure our towels. Black Duck said yes — for eight years! — until we could afford our own machine. Anyone who has felt the gift of support, hopefully, feels the call to give it, too. We sponsor the Kei & Molly Scholarship for immigrant students from Highland High School, donate to countless nonprofits and share what we’ve learned with students and emerging entrepreneurs. Ask for help when you need it, and offer support freely and without expectation when you can.

Communicate, communicate, communicate: You can imagine how easy it is to be misunderstood when our staff speak different languages. We therefore invest in communication, often through interpreters, to foster greater understanding. When there is conflict, we sit down and talk — whether it’s a language barrier, a simple misunderstanding, or an old wound that has nothing to do with work itself. Communication asks each of us to take responsibility. It puts the work on all of us to find a solution together, rather than waiting to be told what to do. We show up as adults. And, it builds a culture of shared growth.

Err on the side of kindness: It’s tempting to want to be right in this moment in history, to be strict on the rules, to ensure consequences are felt. We get it — as immigrants, we’ve felt the wrath of people who want to put us in our place. But what if, as a society, we choose to err on the side of kindness? Kindness asks us to pause, to listen before we speak, and to truly see the humanity in each other. It asks us to be better. So I ask all of us, in our work, our disagreements, our families, our communities, to err on the side of kindness first, because the world needs more of us choosing to be better.

Perhaps most importantly, lead with love: All our lessons grow from this one. At its core, love demands respect, honesty and trust. It asks us to recognize the dignity, potential and humanity in one another. It calls us to work with empathy and care. To lead with love is to choose the harder path — to speak truthfully, to listen deeply, to honor others even when it’s inconvenient. It isn’t a single decision but a daily practice. And yes, we stumble. We fall short. But the beauty of love is that it makes room for imperfection. It forgives, understands and invites us to try again.

Let this be the lasting legacy of Kei & Molly Textiles.

Our full list of “15 Lessons for 15 Years” can be found on our website at www.keiandmolly.com.