I’m rich but I don’t have a dime.

I say this often and repeat it to myself, especially when I’m out with friends or family who seem to have so much more than I.

I’m not complaining… I’m an adult and twenty years ago I dragged my husband and family into the garment business, even after my dad warned me not to. He knew what I was getting into cause he saw what his dad (my grandfather) went through running his clothing business. “It’s an industry that needs constant capital, Germaine…” he cautioned. “You’ll never make millions doing it.”

He was right in many ways. We have sold millions of dollars in clothes over the years but yeah, our financial portfolio is pretty grim. A few years ago after Amazon finally took over the retail world, we lost a ton of our independent retailers and the wholesale end of our business took a nosedive.

Like most entrepreneurs, we didn’t let that stop us. We decided to dig deep and revamp our collections, our website and even our showroom. We stayed focused on making the highest quality, cleanest fashion by keeping our production in the U.S.A. and we continue to use fabrics with a lower impact on the planet in hopes others appreciate our ethics and support our business directly.

But running MAJAMAS EARTH is like riding a roller coaster and sometimes I feel as if I’m still running a start up. It’s really hard, but I’m grateful we took this road. Why?

Well for one, I know we make a healthy alternative to the dirty fashion brands that contribute to the devastation climate change is wreaking on our planet and two, regret is a bitch my friend. I mean if I hadn’t dragged my husband and family into the garment business, I’d probably be making lots of money for another company and wondering “What if?…”

Sharing my fear of dying penniless actually has a purpose, because once again I’m very rich. Yeah, I don’t have much money but I look at all the people who’ve lost their homes to wildfires in California or hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters and thank the universe for all we do have, even if that doesn’t include a swanky summer home or a hefty retirement fund.

But just giving thanks isn’t enough. We need to ACT to save our planet and protect the people and creatures living on it.

That’s why I’m proud of the fact that over a year ago, we partnered with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization that aids reforestation.

Why trees?

Our planet is getting warmer because there’s too much carbon dioxide in our air. Warmer climates contribute to natural disasters like drought that cause the fires in California and hurricanes that can take out entire islands like Puerto Rico and our coastal communities in Florida and Louisiana. Trees are lost in these disasters and re-planting them is more important than ever.

For those of you who ditched your science classes, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air, store it and release it as oxygen into the atmosphere. They even filter the water we drink, provide habitat to over 80% of the world’s biodiversity and provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people who work in forestry. (Learn more…) They, my friends, are nature’s way of cleaning up our mess.

So this holiday season, please add a buck to your MAJAMAS EARTH order and support One Tree Planted with your purchase. It’s a great way to show your support for all the folks dealing with the fallout from climate change and a great way to fix the environmental issues we’re all facing.

Every dollar donated plants an indigenous tree in North America: California, Colorado, Oregon or Florida to help replenish deforestation.

The best part is you can do something that will make you feel rich even when you don’t have much to spare. Giving to and supporting efforts like One Tree Planted is a win-win for all of us.

So the next time you’re feeling broke take inventory of all you have like your health, safe and stable housing, maybe even a struggling business like ME and know you’re wealthy as all hell. You may not have a dime but you spared a buck and helped others get their feeling of wealth back too.

Thank you,

– Germaine Caprio, Company Owner & Designer

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