21/07/2026
I devoured this book at the weekend and I can't stop thinking about it.
If you care about nature (as I do) and you have a business making things (as I do) and you sometimes have trouble reconciling the two (as I do) AND if you like a good, well told story then this book is for you.
In The Company of Nature is written by Frieda Gormley founder of homeware brand and it has galvanised so many things that I have been learning and thinking lately about doing business with nature in mind. It's such a fascinating story and so beautifully written and particularly interesting for me as I make wallpaper too.
They have had a hell of a journey and reading about it made me relieved that I chose to keep my business small but they are doing such good things to make their business ‘regenerative’ rather than ‘extractive’, giving back much more to nature than they take. They are one of the first businesses to have given Mother Nature and Future Generations an actual legal seat on their board!
This quote spoke to me.
“Somewhere along the way, a certain kind of capitalism gave business a bad name. But profit, at its best, is energy. It is meant to move, to circulate, to feed life. And when that energy flows towards creativity, community and Nature, it generates the greatest return of all.”
I hope this book is read widely as it's what the world needs right now. We need to see new possible ways forward out of the mess we are in. They are leading the way.
She wrote it outdoors. I read it outdoors, the river and the frog and the breeze through the flowers nodding in approval.
🐸🪷🌳