Plenty
of
business
leaders
and
professors
have
told
Cally
Boman-Dunham
’02
about
the
importance
of
running
an
ethical,
employee-oriented
company.
But
the
international
relations
and
business
major
has
never
been
particularly
inspired
by
those
messages.
“Lots
of
people
talk
about
the
concept
of
business
ethics
–
about
treating
people
well
and
treating
the
environment
well,”
Boman-Dunham
said.
“But,
I’ve
never
really
seen
people
that
have
actually
done
those
things.
They
just
talk.”
That
changed
in
March,
however,
when
the
senior
participated
in
a
Master
Class
lead
by
Trudy
Bronner
’65,
owner
and
chief
financial
officer
of
the
Escondido-
based
Dr.
Bronner’s
Magic
Soaps.
“When
you
hear
her
talk,
you
can
tell
she
really
believes
in
the
idea
of
ethics-
really
applies
it
to
her
business,”
Boman-Dunham
said,
toying
with
a
bottle
of
the
all-natural,
biodegradable
soap
widely
popular
among
out-door
enthusiasts.
“That’s
what
got
my
attention.”
Master
Classes
give
students
an
opportunity
to
learn
from
outside
professionals
who
are
leaders
in
their
respective
fields.
In
many
cases,
visiting
“masters”
lecture,
while
at
other
times
they
lead
students
through
a
series
of
learning
activities.
Bronner’s
growing
company,
which
manufactures
the
top-selling
soap
in
the
natural
marketplace,
stands
as
proof
that
business
leaders
can
be
socially
responsible
and
still
turn
a
robust
profit.
At
least
10
percent
of
the
company’s
annual,
pre-tax
profits
are
donated
to
civic
causes,
including
an
orphanage
in
China
and
well-digging
projects
in
impoverished
Ghana
villages.
Support
also
is
provided
to
a
woman
who
adopts
disabled
children.
In
1998,
the
company
gave
the
Boys
&
Girls
club
of
San
Diego
County
a
land
grant
of
more
than
1,000
acres
to
build
a
camp.
After
seeing
a
particularly
profitable
year
in
2001,
the
company
gave
24
percent
of
overall
pre-tax
profits
to
charity.
“We
could
keep
more
of
the
money,”
Bronner
acknowledged.
“But
we
don’t
need
more
than
what
we
already
have.
We
make
nice
salaries.
We
drive
nice
cars.
I
take
a
nice
vacation
every
year:
Do
we
really
need
more?
No!”
The
company’s
16
full-time
employees
benefit
from
the
company’s
generous,
socially
responsible
approach.
The
lowest-paid
employee
earns
about
$42,000
a
year.
A
generous
retirement
package
also
is
provided
to
workers,
with
the
company
contributing
15
percent
of
each
employee’s
overall
salary
into
a
retirement
plan.
Health
insurance
costs
for
employees
and
their
families
are
paid
by
the
company.
A
salary
ratio
scale
has
been
established
ensuring
that
the
gap
between
the
highest-paid
executive
and
the
lowest-paid
worker
does
not
become
too
wide.
The
company
has
carefully
regulated
growth
to
ensure
that
employees
are
not
overworked.
“We
try
to
treat
our
workers
like
a
part
of
our
family,”
Bronner
said.
“We
care
about
them
the
same
way
we
would
care
about
our
own
families.”
As
a
result,
employee
turnover
is
almost
non-existent.
Still,
Bronner
said
avoiding
turnovers
is
not
what
motivates
company
executives.
“This
is
not
part
of
a
plan
we
have
to
improve
our
company
from
a
financial
standpoint,”
said
Bronner.
“This
is
a
bout
us
trying
to
do
what
is
right
–
to
treat
everyone
like
they
deserve
to
be
treated.”
That
focus
on
ethics
was
critical
when
the
company
was
started
more
than
50
years
ago
by
Emmanuel
H.
Bronner,
a
third-generation
soap-maker
who
came
to
America
from
Germany
in
the
1920’s.
Striving
to
communicate
his
eclectic
views
about
God,
truth
and
love,
the
founder
compiled
his
philosophies
and
had
them
emblazoned
on
the
soaps’
labels.
His
words
remain
on
the
company’s
products
today,
about
five
years
after
his
death.
The
label
on
the
almond-scented
soap
declares,
“To
keep
my
health!
To
do
my
work!
To
live,
to
live!
To
see
to
it
I
gain
and
grow
&
give
&
give
&
give.!”
The
soaps
are
made
primarily
with
natural
oils,
making
them
particularly
mild.
All
ingredients
used
in
them
have
not
been
tested
on
animals,
earning
the
company
special
designation
from
the
Coalition
for
Consumer
Information
on
Cosmetics,
an
alliance
of
animal
rights
organizations.
After
telling
students
how
her
family’s
company
is
operated,
Bronner
acknowledged
that
each
of
them
still
has
to
make
their
own
decisions
about
business
ethics.
“It
depends
on
what
is
in
a
person’s
heart
and
mind
–
that
is
what
determines
how
they
will
run
a
business
or
live
their
lives.
I
like
to
think…
that
we
try
to
make
good
choices
that
help
others
and
help
the
environment.
But
if
your
own
interest
is
making
money,
I
don’t
think
that
will
happen.
Your
choices
will
be
very
different.
