How I Came Up With The Name Outwoken

Not outspoken but yes Outwoken!

The meaning behind the word Outwoken and how this became the name!

So, sip on your nice cup of tea while I spill the knowledge.

One of the most common questions I receive is, “How on earth did I come up with the name Outwoken?” It may seem a little out there but, trust me, there are some good reasons.

When people tell you let it come naturally believe it!

Let me start with my journey on changing my health situation. About three years ago, I was 220 pounds. That might not seem like a lot for some people, but I’m only 5’2″ and when you’re that short, there’s only one way for the weight to go … out! I knew that I needed to make a change.

I began working on myself by changing little things like juice to tea or wine to water or artificial food to organic food. I started to pay more attention to certificates on food like fair trade, woman-owned, non-GMO, organic, and no preservatives. I started doing cross-fit and would go at 5 am five days a week even though I felt embarrassed about my chunk flopping around all the fit people.

Within one year, I lost 55 pounds and have kept it off. My mindset started to change as well. I started to care more about things than before and would make more of an initiative to do the right thing even if it took more time.

Digging Deeper

I started a habit of drinking tea every morning and spending some time to myself. I found that I felt better with a warm cup of tea and a moment’s peace. I started to recycle no matter where I went because it felt good. But then I did some research and found that most plastics can’t be recycled. Sure, recycling felt good, but knowing the truth made me realize that there had to be something else I could do.

Eventually, I thought, ‘What if I start buying more things in compostable packaging? That would be better for the environment.’ But then I found that not a lot of products come in this type of packaging. Also, I found out that I didn’t live near a compost facility.

I wasn’t going to let that stop me. So, I dug deeper and started to investigate all the cool environmentally friendly packaging that is available, like mushrooms, corn starch based, sugar cane fiber based, and biodegradable packaging.

The research led me to conclude that biodegradable materials were better than compostable materials because they break down faster.

Putting Profits Over Environment

Throughout my journey of becoming a better me and walking more and more into my entrepreneurial shoes, I knew that whatever product I created had to be healthy for us humans and the world.

I talked to manufacturers about my ideas and received a lot of “No’s.” They weren’t interested in making biodegradable packaging because there wasn’t a demand or even enough interest to make a profit.

After each meeting, I remember thinking, ‘Where are their minds?’ and ‘Why don’t they think the environment is important?’ None of them were aware or even cared of what’s happening all around us.

That’s when I realized that people were either not willing to accept the fact that we needed to change or weren’t conscious about this topic. They left a sour feeling in my gut. They chose profits over our future.  

You know the old saying, “Think outside the box?” It means to push yourself out of your comfort zone and grow. This gave me a spark. I knew that I needed to create a brand that made people aware of the box they lived in. I needed to create a movement that pushed people to get out of the box and expand their minds. I needed to create something that taught people how to think differently and consciously get out of the box!

Becoming Outwoken

As I tried to figure out my brand, I often pictured myself shaking the plastic manufacturers and yelling at them to “WAKE UP and see the future of their world.” Then, it dawned on me. I was awake.

I was Outwoken!

They had to Get Outwoken!

We had to all Stay Outwoken!

The word came to me and felt so right. The meaning behind Outwoken is that we all have to be more conscious of how our actions change our world.

I created a brand that is Outwoken, because it’s self-aware that there needs to be change. Outwoken is being consciously aware of how everything, from products to packaging affects the world. That’s why my slogan is “Change the world by changing your mind.”

As a brand, I want to constantly promote knowledge on the environment, how we can empower one another, and how we can make a change. The only way we can do this is by creating awareness or as I like to say, “Spilling the tea”.

Remember: It’s good to be uncomfortable and think outside the box, because that is how you grow and stay Outwoken!

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read my blog. I truly hope this was insightful.

Until next time stay happy, laugh, and love genuinely.

stay #outwoken