Friend-crushing on the voice of Horny Toad.
We here at EcoSalon are huge fans of Horny Toad Activewear, not just because of the Santa Barbara-based company’s infinitely wearable line of inspired outdoor clothing, but also because of the passion Horny Toad infuses into their messaging and branding. That must be why we adore Safia Radha Ohlson, the woman behind Horny Toad’s social media and content. According to Safia, we’re at the top of her blogroll too. Let the lovefest continue.
Name: Safia Radha Ohlson
Website: http://www.hornytoad.com
Why do you read EcoSalon?
At work I curate much of the content we use in our social media. This means I spend a decent amount of time cruising the internet for relevant, funny, inspiring material – an experience that can range anywhere from satisfying to horrifying. Even on a good day EcoSalon trumps pretty much everything I come across. It’s like having cocktails with your funniest, smartest, most literate girlfriend. It knows when to go deep and keep things super real, it’s outraged when appropriate, but it’s not afraid to dish a little dirt and compare lip balms either. Plus the playlists and recipes… God, I can’t imagine life before kale quinoa cakes.
Tell us a little bit about Horny Toad and its mission.
Horny Toad is a clothing company based in Santa Barbara. We make the kind of stuff you’d wear when, for example, you’ve got a date that begins with a hike and ends with dinner and there’s no time to change in between. Perfect for when you want to look cute but you also want to be casual and are probably going to get a little sweaty. Most of our fabrics are eco-friendly and we try to keep our styles timeless enough that our customers will want to wear them for years and years. We also make some of the best yoga pants I’ve ever owned (and, for the record, I pretty much LIVE in yoga pants).
What do you do there?
Like I mentioned, I do a lot of the social media stuff for Horny Toad. But I’m also the copywriter and editor of all our written content.
How do people embrace the values of the organization within the office?
Our values are well articulated in the phrase “Find Fun. Do Good. Be Comfortable.” Each of us embraces this ethos in our own, personalized ways. Living in Santa Barbara is so ridiculously good that the urge to give back becomes inherent, and I think we’re all living our lives with a huge amount of gratitude and happiness and balance. The Horny Toad company culture reflects this too. We do beach cleanups and other community outreach on a regular basis. We make a big lunch together about once a month as a way of staying connected in a playful, non-work way. Inter-departmentally, we help each other out whenever necessary. Our dogs come to work which keeps the atmosphere light and sane. We’ve also formed several great partnerships with outside organizations and local companies. For example, all of our products are shipped by a Chicago non-profit Horny Toad help found called Planet Access Company which provides work opportunities and beautiful, safe group homes for adults with developmental disabilities.
What hobbies do you pursue when you’re not working?
Right now I’m learning how to be a good meditator, which is a lot like learning how to do magic. When it’s working you can literally transform ignorance and suffering to wisdom and freedom. Pow! Shazam! Also I do a lot of yoga and am learning how to paint and photograph stuff. And I spend an embarrassing amount of time adoring my dog, Jade, who is current reigning queen of the fairy dogs.