When I watch my young children play, I think to myself “Am I doing enough for them?” This thought isn’t about the food they eat, the books we read together, or the little daily lessons on kindness or honesty. “Am I doing enough?” is about the world our children will inherit. In this moment, like many of us I suspect, I am overwhelmed with the enormity of this ever-present responsibility.
When my father transitioned EnvirOx to me, I was immediately excited to make a meaningful impact. Yes, there is an opportunity to do more for my family and my team members, but that is just the beginning. There is a bigger responsibility to the possibilities that exist at this moment in time. We now live in a country where fathers pass their businesses to their daughters. Please take a moment and let that sink in within the context of the last 100 years. This social leap brings us closer to equality. I believe that equality brings us closer to true sustainability. The opportunity to make our world better for everyone is upon us.
So, you may wonder, where is the intersection between a woman-owned business, sustainability, equality, and responsibility to the next generation?
EnvirOx is dedicated to providing products that are safer and healthier for people and the environment, in an industry known for its toxicity. The people most impacted by our technology are custodians, the unsung heroes of our everyday lives. Can you imagine your place of work, hospital, school, mall, grocery store or airport without the good work of custodial staff? It’s not a pleasant thought. We cannot go about our day to day lives without the dedication of these men and women. The people who do the cleaning are rarely given a choice as to what they use and are often not trained well on the dangers associated with most cleaning chemicals. As a result, being a cleaning services worker has one of the highest injury rates of any occupation in the US. It is not just dirty work, it is dangerous work.
Safer, healthier, and environmentally preferable options let custodians do their important work and do it well, without sacrificing their health. When a person is healthier, safer and has fewer setbacks, then we’ve taken a step closer to equality. If cleaning staff are healthier, then they can care for their families and make progress in their lives. I believe it is our responsibility to care and take action.
Like all businesses, we make choices about how environmentally responsible we’re going to be. We decide how much we’re going to care for our shared environment. My father gave us an incredible start when he began EnvirOx. He established the versatile, environmentally preferable chemistry and resource-reserving manufacturing processes. Now, it’s our job to make sure we innovate, continually improve and don’t lose our way. I believe that all business owners have a unique opportunity to make the world better for future generations. Our actions and choices are amplified. It is the choices we make every day at home and at work. It is about recycling, turning the water off while we brush our teeth, composting and choosing products from companies that are doing their part. It’s also about the products we make, the customers we serve and the people we employ.
A healthy living and working environment should be the choice and right for all people. I know it may be uncomfortable to realize, but every one of us has an impact on this for others, every day. When I watch my children play and ask myself “Am I doing enough for them?” the answer is always “I can do more.” And it isn’t just for them and it isn’t just me. We can do more for everyone. Every person makes an impact. The question is, how many of us will take ownership of our impact and do something about it? How many of us will work to create a future where the opportunity to be healthy and make progress is real for everyone?
Thank you for all you’ve built and inspired, Dad. I love you.
Diana Stewart
President
EnvirOx, LLC
