The Hardest Question: Why Community is Our Ultimate Stakeholder

A little while ago, my daughter had a boy over to the house. It was all pretty casual, a visit cleared with her mom. Though, as I found out later, I was the last one in the house to know he was coming!

But before he even walked through the door, the jokes had already started echoing around our home. My family knows me well. Sometimes they know me too well.

The running gag in our kitchen was: “Watch out! Dad is going to shake his hand and immediately ask, ‘So, what are you doing for this community?'”

Honestly? They were not wrong. I almost did.

I did not say it out loud that day. Instead I settled for a smile and a handshake. But the question was right there, sitting just behind my grin. Because for me, that is not just a clever line or a bit of small talk. It is a real question. It is the primary question of a life lived with intention.

The Mirror of Responsibility

I ask that question of myself every morning. I ask it of our team during our weekly meetings. And most importantly, I ask it of the business we run.

• What are we doing for this place we call home in Uvita?
• What are we doing for each other?
• Are we actually doing the work, or are we just talking about it?

I know I can come off as serious. I have heard the feedback over the years. Even our guests, people meeting me in this light, joyful, tropical setting, can sometimes feel the weight of my focus.

The truth is, I care deeply. I care about people. I care about the health of the ocean. And because of that care, I tend to hold very high expectations of myself and the people around me.

Sometimes I wish I did not. I wish I could just let things slide and “go with the flow” in the way people often expect of someone living in Costa Rica. It might make life easier. But I have tried, and I do not think I am wired that way. Caring deeply comes with a heavy burden of responsibility.

Moving Beyond the Default Path

In the traditional corporate world, the default path is to ask one thing: “How much did we make?”

But as a Certified B Corp, we are legally and morally bound to ask a different set of questions. We have to consider our impact on all stakeholders. That includes our workers, our customers, our environment, and our local community.

This is not a new concept for us. When I was seven years old, my group of friends and I donated our trash money to help a girl get a heart transplant. We realized back then that money could buy someone time, a shot, or hope.

That was our first lesson in community impact. Decades later, that childhood instinct has evolved into a formal business structure. It is the same philosophy that taught us how to be a quitter when it comes to standard corporate identities and how to find the lived experience of enough in a world that always wants more.

High Expectations as an Act of Love

I realize that my intensity can be a lot to carry. But here is what I have learned: you only hold high expectations for the things you truly love.

If I did not care about the future of the Osa Peninsula, I would not worry so much about how we manage our waste. If I did not love the ocean, I would not spend my energy ensuring every guest understands their role as an Ocean Guardian. If I did not believe in the potential of the people I meet, I would not ask them what they are doing for their own communities back home.

Asking a hard question is an act of love. It says: “I see you. I see your capacity. And I refuse to let you play small.”

At Bodhi, this “Act of Love” takes many forms. It is why we created the Smile While You Paddle Surf-A-Thon, turning our time in the waves into tangible support for Costa Rica Coral Restoration. It is why we chose not to build more bungalows on our neighbor Walter’s land. We wanted to preserve a garden and a memory rather than just increasing our guest count.

We do not just teach you how to stand up on a surfboard. We are trying to show you how to stand up for the world.

Cultivating a Movement

This level of intentionality can feel heavy in a world that prefers the light and easy. But we are not building a resort. We are cultivating a movement. You cannot build a movement without the courage to ask: “What am I giving back to the soil that sustains me?”

This is what we call the anthropology of business. It is the understanding that our business is an organism within a larger body. If the community of Uvita is struggling, then Bodhi Surf + Yoga cannot be truly healthy.

We are here to protect a way of life. We are here to make sure that “Pura Vida” is a lived reality for everyone in our village, not just a slogan on a t-shirt.

Conclusion: Join the Community

Our retreats are not just vacations. They are immersions into a way of life that values connection over consumption. When you stay with us, you are not a customer. You are a member of our Bodhi Family.

Are you ready to join a community with a purpose? Come discover what it means to be an Engaged Ocean Guardian. Book your retreat and join our community today.

Frequently Asked Questions about Business Community Impact

Why does Bodhi focus so much on the local community instead of just the guest experience?

We do not see a distinction between the two. We believe a business is an organ within a larger body. If the community of Uvita is struggling, the business cannot be healthy. When we support local employment or coral restoration, we are protecting the very soul of the experience our guests come here to find.

How can a small business start making a real community impact?

It starts by identifying your non-negotiable values. You do not need a massive budget to start. You just need a commitment to a small action. Whether it is donating a percentage of your time or committing to ethical sourcing, impact is a muscle. You build it by choosing the harder right over the easier wrong.

What exactly is the “Hard Path” of purpose?

The Hard Path is the choice to value meaning over metrics. It is the path where you say no to easy growth because it would dilute your connection to the community or the environment. We choose it because a balance sheet cannot give you a sense of belonging, but knowing you made a true business community impact and left your home better than you found it certainly can.

Does “High Expectations” mean the Bodhi experience is stressful?

Quite the opposite. We hold high expectations for our stewardship so that you can have a high-quality, worry-free experience. By being rigorous about our values and our environmental impact, we create leadership by example. Our intensity is the intentionality that allows you to feel truly held during your stay.

How does the Surf-A-Thon help the community?

The Smile While You Paddle Surf-A-Thon raises funds directly for local environmental and social projects. It allows our global community of past guests and supporters to contribute to the health of the very place they visited, ensuring a cycle of giving that lasts long after the vacation ends.