Redefining our Mission
Darcie here - I’m the girl that runs Go Rings. The titles founder and owner have never really felt right, but that’s me. I’m writing from my back porch in beautiful Denver, CO with a brand update that I’m both deeply excited about *and, honestly* a little nervous to write.
Long story short:
Go Rings is getting more explicit about our faith-forward mission. We hope you’ll root us on! But if not, that’s ok. We love you SO much, and we want you to continue to be part of this brand community in whatever capacity you’re comfortable with.
Long story long:
I’m a Christian. Following Jesus is foundational to who I am and how I live my life. It’s also foundational to how Go Rings was started: to fundraise for an 11-month mission trip to spread the Gospel in 11 countries. Successfully funding that mission inspired our business model, which has given our brand the opportunity to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for amazing causes through our Partnership Program.
Our brand’s mission over the last 11 years has been to “use jewelry to help others raise money to Go. Do. Good.” which is wonderful! Andddd vague. We thought by not being super forward about the way we infuse our faith into our business we would reach more people and, ultimately, do more good.
I’ve always wanted people whose religious views didn’t align with mine to be able to embrace both the Go Rings product and purpose, even though it’s rooted in religion. A real fear of mine - both personally and for the brand - is being misunderstood because of my Christianity. Being labeled with cringey stereotypes: politically-charged! hypocritical! judgmental! close-minded! hateful! legalistic! …you know the type. To avoid that, we took the initial mission of the brand and broadened it - telling our story in a way that would appeal to the masses, offend no one, and include everyone.
In classic people-pleaser fashion, I’ve tried to make Go Rings all things to all people by being vague about our mission. And guess what? It’s exhausting.
"When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one" - Seth Godin
Because of this burnout, our team took a step back from all messaging, marketing and product development in Q1 this year. We’ve been looking inward, optimizing the business side of things and wrestling with what it looks like to come out as a Christian brand. It’s been a real journey - both challenging and energizing to get clarity on our vision moving forward.
So! To breathe some fresh air into our brand, I’ve decided it’s time to narrow our mission in order to multiply our impact. We're going all in with our mission & standing firm in our faith. My prayer is that Go Rings is able to spread more salt + light with every step we take, helping more people experience, know, and enjoy the love of God.
What will be changing:
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You’ll start to notice new language and content around our story and mission
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You’ll probably see a few more faith-forward jewelry designs on the site
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We’ll be investing in collaborations with organizations and creators who love Jesus & share our vision
What won’t be changing:
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We’ll still be supporting a kaleidoscope of causes (both faith-based and secular) through our Partnership Program
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Our jewelry’s quality
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Our brand’s personality (your trustworthy bff, but she makes jewelry)
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Our love and gratitude for those who have different beliefs
If you’ve made it to the bottom and you’re like “Wowww ok - I love Go Rings jewelry but I’m definitely not a fan of this direction” - I totally understand. If our beliefs are a dealbreaker, you can unsubscribe completely or just opt out of strictly faith-based updates. If this is goodbye - thank you, deeply, for supporting our brand over the years! We’re stronger with you, sharper because of you, and way more generous thanks to you.
If you’ve made it this far and you’re ~jazzed~ about our direction, WE ARE TOO 🤠 There’s nothing more life-giving than when someone loves you for exactly who you are. We wouldn’t be here, 11 years in, without your support. Giddy up! The road ahead is going to be fun.
If you have any questions, encouragement, feedback, or pictures of cute dogs/babies - feel free to send it my way. I’m first-day-of-school excited/anxious for this new chapter of Go Rings and would love to hear from you.
Sending all the love I’ve got,
Darcie
