We started 2023 off in a financially precarious position. We made bold decisions rooted in our purpose and values. After a year of transition and hard work, it feels wonderful to consider the immense amount of progress we made to build a sustainable foundation for years to come.
Below is a Keap 2023 retrospective: the good, the bad, and the fragrant. 👃
Make your transition 🎵
Among the many changes of this year, none was larger than our counter-intuitive decision to simplify our offering (and subsequently make Lavender + Petals available year-round). Without going into the nitty gritty of our operational metrics, I can tell you that this move has proven to be a lifesaver for us.
Not only that, it allowed us to take major steps forward in our product vision in ways that would have previously been impossible.
We launched a major upgrade to our glass candleholder. We were able to dedicate time to a big matchbox upgrade (coming early 2024). After struggling once more with summer melting issues caused by our coconut wax’s low melt point, we were able to put those issues definitively behind us with an improvement to our formula. Lastly, for the first time in 3 years, we started work on a new scent! We aim to launch it in 2024.
There were many other big changes early in the year. The most significant was my co-founder Stephen’s transition out of day-to-day responsibilities after eight years of dedication to Keap. It was a bittersweet moment that allowed us an opportunity to celebrate Stephen and the magic he brought to this project—and my philosophical take is that it is all part of a cycle of renewal and regeneration. I am very thankful to still be able to count Stephen as a close friend and confidant, which I don’t take for granted given how many co-founder “breakup” horror stories I have heard.
|
|
Team lunch in the studio after Stephen's announcement |
|
We kicked off the year with a celebration of the two-year anniversary of our move off social media. This opened up a number of interesting conversations (thank you to all of you who shared your own thoughts and experiences on the topic!) and led to BtheChange publishing this opinion piece. Since then we’ve been hearing from more and more business owners considering how to get off social media.
Upon returning from our summer sabbatical, we launched our annual Keaper survey. A few hundred Keapers shared their insightful opinions on a range of topics including our products, social media and more (first part of our debrief here).
In November, over a hundred Keapers wrote beautiful appreciations for people in their lives, in the form of a haiku. It was one of my all-time favorite initiatives, and we’ll be brainstorming how we can make it even better next time.
Talking about some babies 🎙️
We had other big transitions on the team, as we celebrated the birth of one baby girl and the announcement of one more to come in a few months! To adapt to these changes, several Keapees (“Keap employees”) learned and developed new skills. Other team highlights included a new surfboard and a string of trivia victories. We also managed to belatedly celebrate our Kingston move with a ribbon cutting ceremony, with giant scissors and fresh watermelon juice. We enjoyed wonderful site visits to Saipua and the Omega Institute, and we launched a new tool to help each of us manage our time (“Leader Standard Work”, in lean parlance).
|
|
Sofia petting a day-old lamb at Saipua |
|
Getting ready to cut the ribbon |
|
One highlight and constant through it all has been the amazing support we received from our customers and readers. Whether it’s sharing love letters, giving detailed feedback in our surveys, suggesting partnerships, offering introductions, we have been supported in so many ways by our community this year.
It really is humbling and thrilling to be on the receiving side of that love, and we hope we can continue to improve and return that love and trust back to you.
Thank you for an incredible 2023!
Humbly,
— Harry from Keap, Steward-Owner
In other news:
- Northlands is our seasonal scent for subscribers for December. Exceptionally, we also have some for sale for newsletter readers during this month, but today is the last day to grab them. Shop here (password: JUSTFIRYOU) until midnight.
- In-time for holiday shipping: We’re no longer guaranteeing 12/25 arrival with standard shipping for orders outside of New York State. For New Yorkers, today (Sunday 12/17) is the last day to place orders with regular shipping for 12/25 arrival.🗽 You can see a full detail of our cutoffs for express shipping options here.
|
|
Happy 5-year Keapiversary to Gabe in Massachusetts! 🎂
And a warm welcome to our new Keapers David, Joseph, Lane, Audrey and Cheryl! Glad to have you on board. 🤗
And as always a big thank you to all our Keapers out there! 🙏 |
|
“I couldn’t be happier with my first candle, and the tester of the December scent that came with — what a great perk!! I can’t decide if I like Wood Cabin or Northlands better — they are both wonderful! I think I like Wood Cabin for the cozy Wisconsin nighttimes and the Northlands for brightening up the beautiful, sparkling, chilly Wisconsin days.
The art and poem that came with the candle really made my day as well! (Not to mention my name being written on the envelope — what a nice, personal touch!)
When my husband and I were visiting NYC this fall, we went to two of our friend’s restaurants in the West Village, and in both places I caught the same alluring scent in the air — they were both Wood Cabin candles! That’s how I came upon your company!
We sincerely look forward to continuing to receive these candles and give them as beautiful gifts.
Thanks again!”
— Kirsten, in Wisconsin
A recent love letter from a Keaper — see more Love Letters here |
|
It's the holidays! This is what a USPS truck full of Keap candles looks like. :) |
|
MORE ABOUT KEAP
Keap is a Benefit Corporation started in 2015, inspired by a philosophical question: In an always-on world, how can we reconnect with ourselves and restore our balance with nature? Made in Kingston, NY, our candles combine deep artistry with a regenerative approach that extends to the way we treat our customers, our team and other stakeholders. |
|
|
|
|
