Sexy. The 1986 edition of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary gave two definitions of sexy: “1. spicy or racy with references to or portrayals of sexually stimulating matter” and “2. sexually suggestive, erotically stimulating.” Since then, Merriam-Webster has added “genuinely attractive or interesting” to the definition and gives the example of “a sexy stock.” Other dictionaries include terms like “exciting” or “glamorous.”
Somewhere along the way, “sexy” morphed its way into the business world as being synonymous with “investment-worthy.” Sexy businesses (not to be confused with sex businesses, the definition of which really hasn’t changed in thousands of years) attract investors and generate buzz. They are where the press focuses attention and where social media posts explode – and the money follows.
I wonder how long this definition of sexy can be sustained. If we only focus on the sexy things, what happens to the decidedly un-sexy necessities? What happens to the basics that societies need to survive and thrive? Infrastructure isn’t sexy, but we all use it every day. Electricity isn’t sexy, but no one is happy when the power goes out. Sustainability isn’t sexy, but climate change requires our attention. Equitable economics isn’t sexy, but bringing people out of poverty is a must.
Maybe we need to shift our interpretation of what is sexy so that we can dedicate the time, energy, and capital to efforts that can truly sustain our society and our planet – towards efforts that solve real, immediate, critical world problems.
There is no doubt that “decarbonization of the distributed power grid” is not listed in Roget’s Thesaurus under “sexy.” But it’s extremely important, and it’s what we do at One Energy. We focus on the .6% of U.S. electricity consumers who account for 26% of the consumption of electrical power, and we provide solutions that can dramatically reduce their carbon footprint. We do it as a business that meets 10 of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We do it with an executive team that’s 80% women, in a stunning, light-filled, collaborative workspace that promotes health and wellness in multiple ways. We do it while treating our people well. We are focused every day on doing the right thing for our customers, our investors, our people, and our planet. It is incredibly exciting stuff, but it’s definitely not glamorous.
Is One Energy sexy by current standards? I certainly think it is. Tackling the big problems. Treating employees well. Reducing the carbon footprint. Doing the right thing. Maybe we could start to define “sexy” in a different way. I’ll reach out to Merriam-Webster.
Anne Bain is the Head of Accounting at One Energy.
