Last Monday I had the pleasure of interviewing Judy Kohl, the new owner of The Mustard Seed. Not surprisingly, Judy was initially hesitant about doing the interview, as she did not want to put the focus on herself. Luckily, I was able to convince her to share the story behind Mustard Seed, and her goals for the store’s future. With her warm and welcoming demeanor, Judy’s passion and dedication to the store’s mission and its volunteers was clearly evident.
Judy Kohl, owner of The Mustard Seed.
Kasey: How did Mustard Seed come about?
Judy: We’ve been open for three years since February 2009. It started as the brainchild of Jackie Renwick. She had a vision and years of retail experience. She had a concept for a fair trade store- there was one like this in Michigan where she used to go on vacation. It was significant to her to be able to be involved in something that made a difference – which is why I also became involved.
K: Why did taking ownership of the store after Jackie appeal to you?
J: I had been doing the books for the store and had been involved from the beginning, before it even started. Jackie always knew she just wanted to run the store for three years. So…I was in the group that was brainstorming who might be the possible next owner, and I never dreamt of it being me! My close friend, Jeannie Long, told me “I think you’re supposed to take over Mustard Seed” – it came out of nowhere! Then my husband also said, “I think you should…it’s a part of who you are.” I couldn’t believe he was saying that because he likes me being free. Finally, Jeannie’s husband, Gerard, a really godly man, also told me, “I feel like you’re supposed to do this.” I said I’d think and pray about it and then I started getting excited about it!
And the decision has been confirmed over and over. For instance, it turns out I know so many of the people that I ended up dealing with – people I had no idea I knew! There’s this link to all these buyers and it turns out my dad was their teacher! Another example is buying from the Leakey Collection. Jan Syversten, who works for the Leakey Collection, is a childhood friend from Kenya, who I hadn’t seen since fourth grade -Judy’s parents were missionaries in Kenya and she spent her childhood growing up in Kenya]. She came here [Lake Forest] for a wedding and she walked right into Mustard Seed this past May! And then my died right when I took over, but people just stepped up right from the beginning…they felt ownership.
K: What is Mustard Seed’s mission?
J: Mustard Seed focuses on helping women and children in developing countries. Although Mustard Seed indirectly helps men too, it’s the women and children that need a break. They’re the ones that don’t get a shot. We have a heart for those who are under-empowered. We want to give them a little bit of grace and a second chance.
K: Mustard Seed is a non-profit store. Where do Mustard Seed’s profits go?
J: We have some expenses- merchandise, rent, insurance and very little advertising. After covering that, there’s a board that meets and we think and pray about where we should give. My philosophy is to give more consistently. Although I like variety, I like to support organizations consistently so we are able to really make a difference and get to know the people. On the other hand, I have also said to the volunteers, if there is a cause that thye’d like us to give to and it fits our mission, we’ll write a check.
K: Just to clarify, so if Mustard Seed sells a bracelet, do you send the profits back to the country/person who had made the bracelet?
J: No, we give in two ways. First, we help the artisans who make the products by paying them a fair price for their work. Second, in most cases, our store profits are then donated to a totally separate group of causes and organizations such as L.A.C.E.S. and the White Rainbow Project. There are some exceptions, however. For example, those Indian throws I talked about earlier, we do give directly back to them.
K: Can you give me some examples of groups where you’ve donated a made a difference?
J: I think a favorite example is the L.A.C.E.S. program in Liberia which is a soccer program for soldiers who are just young boys. These boys had been kidnapped by an abusive general and forced to be soldiers. To help them regain their youth, a man named James had started L.A.C.E.S., and we sent money to him- and it made such a difference. They also provide psychological help and share their faith so what they do is really powerful. James had never come to America and last year he came to the store! He told us firsthand stories of the children. For example, the general of the rebels- he was so abusive…he was kidnapping these boys. He showed up [at the LACES program] with his son and they were all afraid of him because he was the general. But he said “This is OK. This is OK for my son.”
Another example is the Kibera slums in Kenya. We had talked to women who had AIDS and couldn’t even get out of bed…but now through this program called WEEP, they’re on anti-virus meds and are better. Their children are getting an education and they own a home. My favorite quote was from a woman who said to my husband, “now I’m just like you. I own a home…my children go to school.”
The LACES program, a soccer program for boy soldiers in Liberia.
K: What has contributed to the success of Mustard Seed in these last 3 years?
J: I think people want to do good. It is part of the culture of who Americans are…and the North Shore has the resources to give back. I think it’s who we want to be.
K: Why do you think so many people are willing to volunteer their time to work at the store?
J: I think it’s the chance of being with like-minded people. There is a certain type of people who volunteers here- people who want to give back even though it takes a lot of their time.
The other thing is- which is really important to me- there is a spirit of family here and we really care about each other. We’ve had to work through [our identity] because people think Mustard Seed is just a Christian store. But I want to be a store that includes a lot of faiths. I don’t want to be exclusive and I don’t want non-Christians to feel like they’re not a part of the family. It is important for me to try to nurture this feeling of family.
K: Can you sum up what Mustard Seed does in just a few words?
J: We’re compelled by God to do good, feed the poor. Everything He asks us to do, we can do through the Mustard Seed. We’re doing God’s work.
K: What is your favorite MS product?
L: The marula oil- I use it every morning and night- and our lip gloss. I mean, I love everything! I love the blankets, I want one really bad! But being practical, I love the oil and lip gloss. I’m a lip gloss person!
