752. When Your Model Stops Working: How to Evolve and Multiply Your Impact - Kohl Crecelius, KNOWN SUPPLY & Krochet Kids intl.
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About This Episode
Ten years into building Krochet Kids intl., Kohl Crecelius hit a wall. Revenue plateaued. Donors said the self-sustaining model didn't need their money. And the thing that made the brand special was the thing holding it back.
So he rebuilt from the ground up. The result: KNOWN SUPPLY, a certified B Corp that helps nonprofits, brands, and companies make ethically produced merch, supporting thousands of makers worldwide.
Guest co-host Jason Locy of Whiteboard joins Jon for this one.
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why your org's "unique differentiator" might be the very thing limiting your impact
How to know when it's time to partner instead of doing it all yourself
The surprisingly human metric Kohl trusts most to measure impact
You'll walk away with permission to loosen your grip, and a clearer path to doing what you do best. 🩵
Episode Highlights:
(0:45) Meet guest co-host Jason Locy
(4:33) Kohl's story: crochet hooks, Uganda, and a human story
(8:20) The 80/20 model and the 10-year plateau
(12:52) Rebuilding from the ground up: the birth of KNOWN SUPPLY
(17:35) The "man in the mirror" question: what are we actually good at?
(19:20) Keeping your soul while letting go of control
(24:35) How to measure impact: jobs and thank-you notes
(31:40) A moment of generosity: mentors who believed early
(35:13) One good thing: ditch scale for the sake of scale
Meet Kohl: The Founder Who Traded Control for Multiplied Impact
Kohl Crecelius is co-founder and CEO of KNOWN SUPPLY and Krochet Kids intl. He learned to crochet from his older brother in high school, then turned that skill into a social enterprise creating jobs for women in Uganda and Peru. Today, KNOWN SUPPLY is a certified B Corp that partners with Fair Trade Certified factories, uses GOTS-certified organic cotton, and connects every shopper to the person who made their garment. Kohl also writes No One Builds Alone, a Substack on building organizations collaboratively.
Guest co-host: Jason Locy founded FiveStone, a strategy and branding agency for nonprofits, foundations, and social enterprises, in 2001. FiveStone is now part of Whiteboard, where Jason leads strategy.
Powerful Quotes
"The first 10 years of our work, I was cosplaying what I thought a CEO should be." - Kohl
"When we ditch the idea of scale, we can start to focus on long-term sustainability." - Kohl
"We can be our own limiting factor if we hold things too closely." - Kohl
"We could only really be a conduit for that change." - Kohl
"It's both expanding our impact a hundredfold, and it is narrowing the things that we do, so we can do them really, really well." - Kohl
"What are we good at, and what do we actually want to do?" - Kohl
"We cannot make steps forward in our life unless we start to be able to have autonomy financially." - Kohl
"It's not just that you gave another tote bag away. You made this connection." - Kohl
"Having people in your corner is one of the main things that made the difference for us." - Kohl
"Ditching scale for the sake of scale and using that as a validating principle is one of my biggest encouragements to anyone leading any organization." - Kohl
"The system is as big as you want it to be." - Jason
Resources Mentioned
KNOWN SUPPLY: certified B Corp making ethically produced apparel and custom merchandise — knownsupply.com
Krochet Kids intl.: the original nonprofit, still producing crocheted headwear in northern Uganda
No One Builds Alone: Kohl's Substack on building organizations collaboratively
Fair Trade USA: fair trade certification partner for KNOWN SUPPLY's production
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard): organic cotton certification covering human rights and environmental standards
B Corp Certification: KNOWN SUPPLY is a certified B Corp
Whiteboard: certified B Corp creative agency, where Jason Locy leads strategy (FiveStone is now part of Whiteboard)
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek: referenced by Jon on long-term, mission-first thinking
Connect: Kohl on Instagram @kohlgreyson | @knownsupply | Jason at jasonlocy.com
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this episode, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com
