What’s with the New Logo?
The Decatur Alpaca Cottage is a family owned business rooted in Community, Inclusion, Philanthropy, and Hospitality. The Cottage is a place for our guests to rest, rejuvenate, and reconnect with loved ones. Over the years, as our farm and business have continued to evolve and as I’ve learned more about running a small business, I’ve also learned more about the world in which my business exists. Over the past year as the deep divide of inequity, social justice and civil rights came into an undeniable focus, it became clear that, small business or not, the Decatur Alpaca Cottage could not and should not exist in a vacuum separate from the people and rest of our country.
In this, I made the decision to work with LaToia of Your Big Debut, a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) consultant, to update the Mission Statement for the Decatur Alpaca Cottage. As a guiding force in my business, I wanted to ensure our Mission Statement captured how I strive to be as a business owner. Read our full Mission Statement here. I continue to work with LaToia to learn and unlearn more, stay on track, and be a part of the change needed in the world.
Lot's of tough conversations are happening these days and, although they are difficult, they are necessary. In the span of the last year, I've had hard and uncomfortable conversations with my children, friends, neighbors, businesses, and political representatives across the spectrum. These conversations are emotional, often painful, and exhausting. In this, something has become abundantly clear ~ as a white woman, I have the luxury of choosing whether or not to have these conversations. I could choose not to seek out these conversations. I could choose to look the other way. I could convince myself that racism "doesn't affect me directly", so it "isn't my battle to fight." Sure, I could do these things, but the reality is I couldn't live with myself if I did.
So I'm having the tough conversations. I'm having conversations where sometimes I get called out for making a mistake and doing the wrong thing. I'm having conversations which result in a realization that there is a bias in me that needs to be addressed. I'm having conversations that open my eyes to an experience that is unfamiliar and sometimes traumatic to me. I'm having these conversations because if I were to choose not to, it would fly in the face of everything I believe in; kindness, compassion, equity, and justice. I'm putting my energies where my heart is.
Those of you who have followed the Decatur Alpaca Cottage know there is a lot of heart here. At the root of my family’s business is a deep and abiding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. For these reasons and more, I wanted our logo and branding to reflect this commitment. What you see in our new branding and website is colors and a logo that better reflects that commitment as we work to create a more just world. If you’re reading this blog entry, please know that I appreciate you're here for it, too!