“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” ~ Winston Churchill
Going on a holiday, having a hefty bank balance, buying a costly car or living in a grand bungalow..are the things that should make anyone happy, right?
For a long time, I believed that pursuing happiness is the only purpose of our lives.
It took me years to realize that the real happiness lies not in ‘consuming’ material things but in ‘creating’ something that others may find it useful.
Giving back to society is a lifestyle choice – Our journey
We have achieved more than what we could have ever imagined through our corporate journey and food-centric work-life.
OGMO came into existence a year ago with a desire to give back to society and to create values in the life of others.
It’s our way to express gratitude to this beautiful earth and its people!
Creating OGMO brand
OGMO which literally translates to Organic Move is founded on the principles of creating positive impact on our community.
The two agri-based businesses we focus are:
OGMO Foods – Creating products that benefits society (healthy living & clean eating)
OGMO Farm – Supporting a social cause that we believe in (food sustainability & women empowerment).
We use Minor Millet in our products which we procure from the farmers near our factory. Minor millet are drought resistant crops and use almost 60-80% less water to cultivate than paddy or wheat crops.
It is also a conscious effort to support our local farmers and to bring these traditional Indian grains back on our tables.
Having a set of core values & purpose to create the brand, helped us stay focused from the word go. These values are the essence of who we are and what our brand stands for.
Our core values:
- Innovation
- Healthy & clean eating
- Customer-centric
- Sustainability and social conscious
- Giving back
Having a strong value attached to a brand can help customers feel aligned to it, they feel a sense of pride and connect from the business they buy from.
Today, consumers are increasingly selective in what they consume. They are also concerned about saving time, having convenience and still want to eat healthy.
Empowering rural women
We are also a part of small farmer community in a village where OGMO farm is located.
We are fortunate to have been able to create a few job opportunities for the rural women at our factory and farm.
Recently we also took to natural farming as an experiment to motivate the farmers switch to it and to reduce the use of harmful chemicals.
The experiment was a huge success.
We now regularly guide and train other farmers on the same.
The food industry is evolving and we are excited to drive innovation and growth in it.
Going forward, we are planning to introduce few more new ranges of healthy products (which are in pipeline) and also focus on natural farming.
We feel humbled that we are not only able to live our dreams but are able to give back to society that fits our ideals and lifestyle.
Key to happiness – Giving back
Building business that gives back to good causes not only brings meaning to our life, it creates a sense of self-worth and is also deeply rewarding at heart.
But when you are trying to keep your head above water, searching for purpose of life or trying to find the core values for your organization may be the last thing on your mind.
Giving back to society can begin with even the smallest of the gestures that you think will make the world a better place.
Well, you don’t have to change the world or commit to the financial model of giving back.
You can give back your ‘time’ or ‘expertise’ to make a difference.
Just do something that is useful or create something that will be useful to others. Anything.