Build Ecosystems, Not Empires
Formerly Brown CEO Letters / Written by Gelaine Santiago
A Profitable, Impactful Business Starts With Small, Human Connections.
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Kamusta (how are you), Reader?
I’ve been quiet on this newsletter because we just got back from our annual sourcing trip in the Philippines, visiting our artisan partners for Cambio & Co.
Spending time with them reminded me: real relationships—not numbers—are at the heart of everything. This applies to activism, but also to building profitable, impactful businesses.
I recently read Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown. One idea stuck with me:
Critical Connections > Critical Mass
We often think success—whether in activism or business—requires reaching the masses. But chasing a big, faceless crowd can be overwhelming and draining to the point that we don’t even try.
Instead of trying to reach everyone, what if we focused on meaningful, small-scale connections?
In nature, small repeating patterns—fractals—create massive impact. A single floret of broccoli seems tiny, but together, they form a big great 🥦. Likewise, small, intentional interactions—repeated over time—build movements AND businesses with depth.
What This Means for Your Business
We’ve been taught to:
- Chase viral moments.
- Prioritize fast, massive growth.
- Measure success by how quickly and big we scale
But unless you’re aiming to be the next Amazon or McDonald’s (which, if you’re here, I hope isn’t the case!), you don’t need millions - or even thousands – of customers.
Most of us can build thriving, impactful businesses with just 1,000 fierce & engaged customers (see: Ramit Sethi’s Golden Circle).
Why This Matters More Than Ever
We’re becoming more fractured—social media is less social, people are afraid and feeling isolated. We need genuine human connection more than ever. We need safe, honest, and braver spaces more than ever. We need relationships built on trust, authenticity and care.
Your business can be a space for that.
Here’s how:
💬 Stop posting into the void. Instead of chasing engagement for the algorithm, focus on creating content that speaks to what your customers actually need—what keeps them up at night, what excites them, what makes them feel seen & cared for.
🤲🏽 Remember, we’re all just humans behind these screens. Interact with your customers as people, not just buyers. Reply to their comments. Ask real questions. Host a live chat or an event just to connect, no hard sell needed.
✨ The small moments matter. How you treat your team, suppliers, and customers everyday says more about your values than any flashy mission statement.
🩷 Gather with your people. Find fellow business owners who share your values. Build each other up and support each other. Business is hard AF – none of us should be doing this alone.
And if you’re craving more of those deep, meaningful connections, let’s create them together.
Join my Focus Fridays Founder’s Coworking Session next week on March 14th!
This is a space to work, reflect, and connect with values-aligned entrepreneurs—and get shit done to move your business and dreams forward.
How are you cultivating critical connections in your community, Reader? What kind of connections are you craving? I’d love to hear—hit reply and share.
Sending human vibes 😊
Gelaine
Thoughtful Finds 🌸
- Shopify laid off their entire team supporting Black, Indigenous & women entrepreneurs to appease Trump and people are mad (Reddit thread)
- How one Black-owned business responded to Target's DEI rollback (Via OhHappyDani on Instagram)
- Let's stop sending traffic to Elon. Copy & paste links from Twitter here instead.
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