Meet Rachel Kois of Simple Switch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Kois.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am so thankful for the parts of my story that have shaped my passions, skills, and insights ever since I was a kid! To name just a few, I am one of the lucky ones born in Colorado and I grew up spending lots of time in Rocky Mountain National Park and surrounding areas; the mountains and our earth were always my playgrounds. I grew up with a family and school system who cared about sustainability, like a mom who properly sorted her recycling and a grandmother who’d pull over the car to pick up litter! I was given the opportunity to travel internationally to meet with and volunteer in communities in poverty when I was really young and taught a lot about justice and equity from a family and community who cared deeply about people and our planet. I also grew up with two entrepreneurs for parents, so starting a company

I studied business entrepreneurship at CU Boulder (fun fact I also majored in Theatre Performance and still love acting and singing a lot!) and while in school, I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa to work with under-resourced entrepreneurs. My clients were so smart and talented, and I was frustrated that they didn’t have the same access to a buyers’ market that I had. When I returned home, I made a commitment to spend my everyday dollars on products from companies I aligned with… small businesses, social enterprises, businesses with a focus on climate impact, etc. It was WAY harder than I expected. It took my hours to find a product I could feel confident aligned with my values, and at the same time, Amazon was getting easier to use every day. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I knew I had to create the solution. I started Simple Switch to make sure customers have an easy and convenient way to shop online (like Amazon) for only ethical and sustainable products. (Not like Amazon.) Now we’re four years in, accepting investors, expanding to sell to businesses, and so much more!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve felt really fortunate for the mentorship I’ve received, a privilege I’ve had to live without a salary for years while starting Simple Switch, customers and the community who have gotten super involved in helping us grow… the list goes on. With that said, entrepreneurship is really mentally and emotionally taxing! I’m constantly needing to re-learn how to take good care of myself, how to ask for help, where to go for guidance, and more. We haven’t had any huge roadblocks (yet) but there have been plenty of challenges, like raising funding amidst a pandemic, dealing with internet trolls, hiring the wrong people, etc. Most days, I can look back on each of these things as a learning opportunity.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
1 TRILLION will be spent online this year, and that comes with a lot of benefits like ease, convenience, variety, etc. Unfortunately, a lot of those consumer dollars will go to companies who are over-polluting the planet, creating tons of packaging waste, treating their employees well, and whose supply chains are full of exploitation issues.

Simple Switch is the solution for sustainable and ethically sourced online shopping, our mission is to NORMALIZE online shopping as a force for GOOD by making it easy and convenient for people and businesses to buy everything we need online, all in one place, trusting that every product has a positive impact on people and the planet. We’re really proud to be a certified BCorp, Climate Neutral, and women-owned.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love anything from Brene Brown. Her content always grounds me in my values and gives me practical, data-focused ways most authentically progress in my life and work. I particularly like her “Dare to Lead” podcast. I also love podcasts like “How I Built This” that help me understand the journey of other entrepreneurs who are farther along on their journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: SimpleSwitch.org
• Instagram: Instagram.com/Simple.Switch
• Facebook: Facebook.com/SimpleSwitch.org