Influence vs Impact.

On our recent trip to Rwanda, I took some time to reflect on life and my own personal values. It was the first time I have been able to join my husband on an origin trip because in previous years I was pregnant or my son was too young for me to leave. But this year, I found myself in the fortunate position to go and open up the first big project we, at St Remio, have been able to fund, the Cupping Lab for TUK Rwanda. What a journey!

As we walked towards to TUK facility, we were overwhelmed by the celebration. The joy from the women radiated and the fields were filled with song and dance as they sang ‘Thank you’ for the Cupping lab. It was a life-changing moment and my heart felt full.

Our vision for St Remio at the moment has never been clearer. What we are trying to achieve, the stories we are trying to highlight and the message we are trying to drive is REAL and POWERFUL.

These days we talk a lot about influence on social media. People influencing a brand, awareness and sales and we put a lot of emphasis on this. But I found myself asking, what does that really achieve? I realised that influence is fleeting. What lasts and what really means something is IMPACT; an action that has a direct and meaningful outcome on people’s lives.

I saw firsthand, the impact we, at St Remio, were having and the ripple effect on 1000’s of people’s lives and that of their families. By being able to fun our first big project in the Cupping Lab, we saw the women learning about coffee, finally able to taste and understand their own product and to learn the value of the crop they grown and empowering them in business to sell their product with confidence and knowledge. They could also now teach other farmers about the flavour profile of their coffee and advise them on how to change their farming techniques in order to grow a more desirable flavour profile and earn more. The flow on affect was far and wide…

On social media, I am a no one. But for me, true meaning and outcomes with real purpose lie in IMPACT. So join us on our journey and be part of our vision. A simple choice to purchase St Remio is having a positive impact. YOU are having a positive impact and your actions are profound and far reaching.

By Julia Tink, Director St Remio/ One Collective Group