As a small business owner, Brett has some big ideas. He is committed to (1) becoming a B-Corp small business by December 2022, (2) baking into the financials a fund for supporting environmental & social impact projects ($100k by 2025), (3) collaborating with other like-minded business owners to develop a sustainable small business fund ($1 million by 2025), (4) developing a 1000 acre land trust dedicated to regenerative agriculture, forestry & land management practices (2025), and last but not least, (5) committed to becoming a net-zero carbon emissions small business by 2030.

Growing up in Minnesota, Brett developed an appreciation for seasonal living along with a deep connection to the outdoors. He also had the opportunity to travel abroad in Mexico and Venezuela while attending the University of Minnesota, which instilled in him a taste for travel and adventure. From Minnesota, to Central America, to Alaska, Brett finally landed in Seattle where he fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and found a place to settle down.

Shortly after arriving in Seattle, Brett met his partner, Sharla. Her love of travel and experiencing new places led to a life together based on their shared values of hard work and time off. In order to do this they needed to earn enough money to fund their adventures while maintaining a flexible schedule. Enter Holiday Spirit Lighting; a seasonal operation Brett and Sharla launched in 2009, which allowed them to work hard during the holiday season and travel during the Spring and Summer. For over seven years Brett and Sharla developed their seasonal business while taking full advantage of their time off traveling the world.

As the business grew, thoughts of starting their own family took root and after giving birth to their daughter Aya in 2014, they settled into a new lifestyle. Brett decided to transition the business to a more stable direction by starting a home detailing operation to complement it’s seasonal counterpart. Dubbed Renova Exterior Detailing in 2018, the company expanded to include a year-round enterprise which presented many developmental opportunities along with a fair amount of challenges. Thanks to his small business mentor Larry, he was encouraged to apply for the SBA Emerging Leaders program in 2017, which led to a three year strategic plan that helped transition and solidify his seasonal business to a year-round operation by 2020. After participating in the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program, Brett was encouraged to take his small business to the next level. At first the challenge did not seem appealing to Brett, who held a strong conviction in sustainability and small business. However, after further considering this opportunity, Brett began to rethink “profitability” and “success” and felt that these newfound motivations aligned with his goals for his small business. He began to appreciate the connection between small business and the community and felt that Renova Exterior Detailing and Holiday Spirit Lighting could become a force for positive economic, social and environmental impact. Through this more holistic approach, he finally felt like he had arrived at his calling - to join a sustainable movement and enlist the guidance of Sustainability Ambassadors. Brett, Sharla and team are excited to explore the new direction of their business and join a force of good for the communities they serve.