VanillaPura's Mission: We are making our world sweeter, one vanilla bean at a time.
In the digital age, social media algorithms have become the invisible architects of our online interactions. They've learned what keeps us scrolling, clicking, and engaging—and unfortunately, it's not always our best selves. Outrage gets amplified. Divisiveness gets rewarded. Vitriol spreads faster than compassion.
But at VanillaPura, we've chosen to swim against that current.
The Algorithm Doesn't Reward Kindness—But We Do
Since January 2022, we've done something that might seem unusual in today's social media landscape: we've given away free vanilla beans to people who demonstrate online kindness in our Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit communities. Not just once or twice, but over 1,500 times.
Why? Because our mission has always been to make our world sweeter, one vanilla bean at a time—and that sweetness extends far beyond the culinary realm.
Kindness as Our Default Language
We know the algorithms don't favor kindness. A thoughtful, encouraging comment doesn't generate the same engagement metrics as a controversial hot take. A gentle correction doesn't spread like a scathing critique. Compassion doesn't go viral the way conflict does.
But we've made a conscious choice in our online communities: kindness is our default way of communicating with others. When someone asks a question, we answer with patience. When someone shares a baking mishap, we respond with encouragement. When disagreements arise, we model respectful dialogue.
And when we see these values reflected in our community members, we celebrate them—with the gift of premium vanilla beans.
1,500 Acts of Kindness (and Counting)
Over 1,500 times, we've witnessed beautiful moments of human connection in our digital spaces and have rewarded those participants with FREE vanilla beans to start their own extracts:
- A experienced extract maker taking time to mentor a beginner
- Community members sharing recipes and tips without gatekeeping
- People offering words of encouragement during someone's extract making experiments
- Thoughtful responses that build others up rather than tear them down
Each time we see these moments, we're reminded that the algorithm may not reward kindness—but kindness rewards itself in ways that matter far more than engagement metrics.
Every Friday on Facebook where we have over 200,000 followers and group members, we invite our followers to nominate another group member for "Free Beans for Online Kindness". Strangers nominate strangers that have demonstrated kindness during the week and on Sunday we announce the winner of free vanilla beans.
Being nominated for kindness by a stranger that has recognized you is a gift in and of itself. Winning the free vanilla is a small added treat.
Making the World Sweeter
We could chase the algorithm. We could optimize for controversy and clicks. But that's not who we are, and it's not the world we want to help create.
Instead, we'll continue to nurture spaces where kindness thrives, where questions are welcomed, where mistakes are learning opportunities, and where people genuinely support one another. We'll keep giving away vanilla beans to those who embody these values, not because it's algorithmically advantageous, but because it's right.
Because at the end of the day, making our world sweeter isn't just about the vanilla beans we sell—it's about the connections we foster, the kindness we promote, and the community we build together.
The algorithm may not reward kindness, but we will. Always.
Join our Extract Making communities on Facebook, Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest where kindness is always in season—and sometimes comes with free vanilla beans.
