It’s a confusing time to be a man. We see guys all around us suffering under the weight of limiting, toxic stereotypes that are reinforced by outdated brands. We know that suicide is the country’s leading cause of death for guys aged under 45; one in five boys will experience mental illness before the age of 18; and family violence kills at least one woman every week. 

We believe this is preventable if we invest in initiatives that allow men to break free of limiting constructs and express themselves more freely. Consumer brands shape culture, and there is a huge opportunity for STUFF to help tackle the escalating crisis around masculinity. It is urgent that we find new ways to do so and that’s why we’re here: to reflect a more authentic masculinity.

Back in 2017, I was sitting in a cafe with one of my great mates (and co-founder of The Man Cave). We were due to give a presentation to a local school on purpose-driven businesses and, true to form, we weren’t nearly as prepared as we should’ve been. 

We began rattling off brands and realised that there was nothing in the masculinity space that was really driven by purpose. Not only that, none of these brands actually reflected us or the people we knew. It was all old-school, outdated stereotypes that were cringeworthy to watch.

We saw a massive opportunity to create a brand that represented a more modern, authentic masculinity and one that was built with social impact at its core. Drum roll please…introducing STUFF, a personal care brand which had our charity, The Man Cave, as a majority shareholder.

Right now, it’s a pretty confusing time to be a man with mixed messages coming from every direction. So alongside creating high quality products, our goal for STUFF is to support men as they navigate a new era of masculinity so that we can create a movement of men living a life of connection, purpose and positive impact.