Care is a Strategy
Image by Plainsight Studios. Courtesy of Saie.
By Laney Crowell
The older I get and the longer I lead, a simple truth has become clearer: the future belongs to those who care. Not just in theory or as brand language, but in the regard for care as a foundational asset. And if that sounds “feminine,” maybe we need to reimagine what that word means. And not because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the right business move.
Care isn’t softness, it’s acuity. It’s the ability to tune in, to hold the long view, to consider both what we’re building, and who we’re building it for. It’s noticing what others might overlook and acting on that information with clarity and conviction. It’s realizing that your customers are your community, and your community is what sustains you and to their hearts you must be true.
And yet, the traits associated with this kind of leadership (like empathy, collaboration, and intuition) are still treated as secondary. Just over 10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women, a number that’s actually declined from its peak in 2022. Women of color hold less than 2% of those CEO roles. And while women make up nearly 50% of the workforce, we account for only 28% of senior management roles globally. We’re still far from recognizing these qualities as essential rather than the exception, and we still operate in systems that reward dominance over discernment, visibility over vision.
But as things become more hectic, as our climate erodes, it’s not just about values, it’s about our quality of life, our communities are going to want to buy from brands that support them. So again, this isn’t the right way to lead, it’s the smart way.
Courtesy of Saie.
Saie has a three-year partnership with rePurpose Global. This initiative targets the impact of global plastic waste on communities while also investing in women's development and empowerment. Courtesy of Saie.
When I founded Saie, it was with the instinct that things could be done differently. I didn’t set out to replicate someone else’s roadmap; I believed (and still do) that real, practiced, and consistent care could sit at the center of a company and drive its performance. The beauty industry has long been dismissed as superficial, but I’ve seen how beauty can be a vehicle for impact: how it can fund change, tell better stories, and bring people into deeper relationships with themselves and each other. All while creating a top brand.
We say we’re a people-and-planet brand, but what that really means is that we see care as both method and mission, and what has always led us to make decisions that don’t follow the traditional playbook.
“I remember exactly where I was when Roe v. Wade was overturned. It wasn’t just shocking, it was clarifying. And while we were advised by many to stay quiet, that didn’t feel like an option. We’re a brand built by WOMEN, powered by women, and supported by a community that shows up for each other. The question wasn’t if we’d respond, but how quickly and how boldly. ”
I remember exactly where I was when Roe v. Wade was overturned. It wasn’t just shocking, it was clarifying. And while we were advised by many to stay quiet, that didn’t feel like an option. We’re a brand built by women, powered by women, and supported by a community that shows up for each other. The question wasn’t if we’d respond, but how quickly and how boldly. That moment of clarity became the foundation for The Every Body Campaign, our initiative rallying more than 60 beauty brands to take a stand for reproductive justice in its full form. The right to have children (or not); to raise them safely and with support; to make decisions about one’s body free from coercion or control. That too, is care.
My daughters are still too young to read this, but I think about them constantly when I make decisions as a leader. I want them to grow up in a world where women aren’t just allowed to lead, but expected to, and trusted to do it differently. Where their rights aren’t up for debate, and where decisions about women’s bodies are made by the people living in them.
That’s why this work matters: the fight for equity, autonomy, and justice is where care becomes action. It’s happening in courtrooms and clinics, in classrooms and conversations. It lives in the policies we write, the ones we challenge, and the examples we set. Progress isn’t always linear, and it rarely moves fast enough. But it’s made by people who stay close to what matters, who consistently show up, and who take a stance. It comes from the people who hold the line when the pressure to compromise is strong.
We need more leaders who see care as a lens, and who understand that building anything meaningful requires tending to more than just growth. It requires attention, intention, and accountability. It’s not naive; it’s what actually works.
Caring isn’t a detour from power or performance or progress. It’s the throughline. It’s the blueprint. It’s the path.
