Rose Marcario struggled to sleep. It was November 9, 2016, just hours after Donald Trump had been elected president, and the CEO of Patagonia was worried about how his White House ascent might disrupt not only her company’s business but the planet’s future.
From the bedroom of her Ventura, California, home, she agonized over Trump’s campaign pledges–to bring back coal, dismantle public land protections, and unwind efforts to combat climate change–which represented everything Patagonia, a stalwart defender of environmental issues, had long fought against. “It was disappointing on so many levels,” recalls Marcario, who felt “a real threat” that all the company stood for was “on the line.”
By 4 a.m., she had had enough. The 52-year-old practicing Buddhist got out of bed to meditate. This was going to be a long one. Marcario centered herself on Patagonia’s 45-year history. While some CEOs were salivating at the prospect of a more laissez-faire regulatory environment, Marcario intuited that this was the moment to embrace Patagonia’s core DNA–“to double down on our activism.”
This wasn’t an end, Marcario thought, but a beginning. She moved to her laptop and began punching out a company-wide email. It was more than her version of “Keep calm and carry on.” In her note, she stressed the urgency “to defend wilderness, to defend air, soil, and water.” She wanted to “galvanize” the Patagonia community around these issues, she says, reminding her people that they must “continue to [use] their voice” and “deepen our resolve to protect what we love.”
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
