Julia and Joh Olson have a gift idea that you’ll feel good about buying. The husband and wife duo behind watch company Treehut offers special-edition products designed to raise money to aid the growing worldwide water crisis.
Half the proceeds from these select watch models, which range from $75 to $145, will benefit charity: water, a global organization dedicated to providing clean water to underserved communities. The organization uses all money donated to build wells in regions that desperately need clean water.
The San Francisco-based watch retailer is all but certain to raise plenty of money for the cause: The watches in Treehut’s charity: water collection are so beautiful that they’re impossible to forget after even a cursory glance.
In addition to a family of three almost-monochrome wood watches known as the Boyd, Treehut’s charity: water collection includes the Odyssey, which puts water front and center both literally and figuratively. The watch’s face contains a striking blue pattern with occasional white streaks, resembling a deep ocean or a fast-flowing river. Driving the water pattern home is that, where the “6” marker would normally appear on the watch’s face, a water droplet instead marks the half-hour. As with many of Treehut’s most striking watches, the Odyssey’s band is made of stunning dark wood that brings another natural treasure — the depths of the forest — to mind.
Treehut shoppers, for their part, are thrilled. “Customers really love our watches!” Joh Olson says enthusiastically. He would know a thing or two about customer satisfaction: In addition to his work as chief operations officer of Treehut, he doubles as a member of the Mighty Capital team, where he works with businesses to streamline their processes and maximize their customer service options. His goal in working with businesses is to emphasize just how paramount customer service is to a thriving business (and he serves as an advisor and board member to even more businesses seeking to provide only the best for their customers). Treehut is evidence of his prowess in this realm.
“We care about our customers more than others, and it shows,” Joh says. Such a strong relationship comes from within: “Care for your team,” he says, “and they will care for your customers.”
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Treehut’s watches stand out in a crowded field, the sort of gift perfect for the person who already has everything. Treehut’s wood watches, such as those in its charity: water collection, are especially eye-catching, and this should come as no surprise – just look at the company’s name. Trees are nature’s biggest provider of wood, and to Joh Olson, the company’s name extends far beyond just trees’ industrial use.
“A treehut is even simpler than a treehouse,” he says. “It’s a symbol of a simple and pure life.” Perhaps not by coincidence, Treehut is using its power to fund access to perhaps the purest expression of life: water.