Fully is a certified B Corp in Portland, Oregon, that sources, designs, manufactures, and sells ergonomic office furniture. As a B Corp, Fully meets the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, and aspires to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.
David Kahl, founder of Fully, began his career as an accountant. He was working in Manhattan during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In the days that followed, Kahl, along with most New Yorkers, walked to and from work because the subway was shut down. Thanks to this, and perhaps due to the trauma of 9/11, Kahl saw a community emerge in Manhattan in a way he had never before observed. People naturally stopped to hold conversations on the sidewalk, showing genuine concern for one another. The events of that week led Kahl to question whether his career was sufficiently fulfilling, so he spontaneously quit to pursue more meaningful work.
For Kahl, this pursuit would lead him to Portland where he began Fully with a vision to enable customers to live fully in their bodies and bring their full, active selves to work and life. This mission extends beyond Fully's product line. The company embodies these values within its own culture, as well.
People who work at Fully are encouraged to be their unique, authentic, and quirky selves all the time (including, and especially, while at work). Employees can bring their dogs to the office with them, they are paid to volunteer for causes they care about, and they treat the office as a playground with plenty of interesting pieces of furniture they can use to keep their bodies moving throughout the day. The idea is that when people move, they feel more present, engaged, and alive. This facilitates stronger and more genuine connections between individuals in the workplace.
Kahl has learned a lot about leadership by enabling his employees to bring their whole selves to work, saying, "I started to realize that if you take your time to hire really good people-and trust that they can do the job and bring their own approach and perspective to their work-it can be freeing." By allowing his employees to be truly themselves, they bring a stronger sense of motivation and creativity to their roles, in some cases doing things better or more efficiently than Kahl did them when he first started Fully. This has allowed him to focus less on operational responsibilities, freeing up his time to think more strategically.

Questions

1. How did David Kahl’s unique life experiences lead to his endeavor to start Fully?
2. What are some unique, individual attributes that make you who you are? Do you feel like you can bring these sides of yourself to work or school? Explain.
3. When individuals are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, what do you think might be the impact on productivity? How about on employee turnover?
4. Would you want to work for a company like Fully that encourages you to be your authentic self at work? Why or why not?
5. How does Fully’s mission influence how the organization is run? What are some important factors that determine how a company’s mission is carried out on a daily basis?

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