The Here I Am Sourcing Manifesto

Self-care is not a commodity. It is a human need.

We source from small businesses led by people making decisions based on their values. We do not expect perfect choices. Just intentional ones.

These are the kinds of partners we work with.

1. Makers creating products that work

We source from makers whose products:

  • Are effective and do what they say they do.
  • If a product claims to relieve stress, then it calms the nervous system. 
  • If a product is for skincare, then it delivers benefits for the skin.

We try every product before including it.

2. Makers who won't compromise on fairness and respect

We work with makers that:

  • Are women-owned because women are under-represented as business owners.
  • Handcraft or produce in small batches, taking responsibility for their waste and energy use.
  • Pay people fairly and treat people with dignity, even when it costs more.

If a maker compromises these things, we don't work with them.

3. Makers who are transparent about tradeoffs

We source from makers who:

  • Read their own labels and can explain what's in their products and why.
  • Disclose when they use synthetics and explain their reasoning.
  • Make their tradeoffs visible, not hidden.

If a maker won't explain their sourcing decisions, we find ones who will.

4. Makers who make intentional choices

We work with makers who:

  • Say no to things that don't align with their values, even profitable ones.
  • Stand by their decisions publicly.
  • Keep their product lines small and considered.

Being selective is by design.

5. Makers who take responsibility for their impact

We prioritize makers who:

  • Understand how their choices affect their people, their communities, and the planet.
  • Scale intentionally instead of compromising their environmental values.
  • Stay committed to their values as they grow.

Bigger is not better.

6. Makers who support rest, not extraction

We work with makers creating products that:

  • Support nervous system regulation, not productivity-maxxing or the pursuit of eternal youth.
  • Encourage slowing down, not overconsumption.
  • Make rest feel normal, not earned.

You don't need to deserve care. 

7. Makers building relationships, not just transactions

We partner with makers that:

  • See their customers as people, not units.
  • Honor their pricing and refuse to undercut themselves.
  • Build communities, not just markets.

This is a relationship, not a transaction.

8. Makers who choose integrity over trends

We source from makers who:

  • Build for the long game, not the algorithm.
  • Nurture their customers, their communities, and their impact.
  • Stay committed to their values, even when nobody's watching.

Commitment is part of care.

9. Makers making political choices

Every maker we work with is taking a stand:

  • To build differently.
  • To consume more thoughtfully.
  • To create a slower, kinder way of living.

Money has impact. Where we spend it matters.

In short

We don't claim our products are perfect. We claim our makers are thoughtful.

If a maker is here, they've made hard choices based on their values. They've made tradeoffs in the open. They're standing by their decisions.

Shop with intention. Support makers who are thinking hard about their choices.