About Us

After two decades serving in leadership for patient safety, I thought I understood grief. I’d witnessed its impact on patients, families, and care teams, and I’d learned how to support others through difficult times.

But when grief became personal to me, I realized how much I didn’t know. Despite understanding what I should do—seek support, process emotions, rebuild—I found myself unable to act. Simple tasks felt impossible, and life felt overwhelming.

Through my experience, I saw how traditional gifts often miss the mark for those in grieving or in pain. When someone is in survival mode, they need support that truly meets them where they are.

That’s why I started Beyond Words Co.—to create thoughtful, research-driven gifts that do more than acknowledge grief. Our packages are designed to offer comfort, care, and practical support when it’s needed most.

Thank you for being here—and for choosing to go beyond.

Warmly,

Catherine Hinz

Owner + Founder, BWCo

Our Name and Logo Design

Our broken letters represent the brokenness one feels during times of loss. A token of thoughtfulness from a loved one helps close those gaps and provides comfort that words sometimes can’t.

Gray is our primary color. Grief isn’t black and white. There are many paths and many answers in the healing journey. We advocate embracing uncertainty and being “in the gray” for as long as it takes.

Our Partners

We love and respect who we work with.

We support businesses who give back to their communities, those with purposeful missions, women and minority-owned, and family businesses. We love finding makers and artisans who may not yet be “discovered” (we love sourcing at farmer’s markets!).

Most of all, we love working with others who put a special touch on what they send to us because they know it’s going on a special mission to care and comfort.

Our Products and Packaging

Products are thoughtful and sensitive to various characteristics in the grief journey. Our selected items are useful, beautiful, and honor self-care. Many of our products are meant to be eaten or used and eventually disappear—including the recycled shipping box it comes in.

Our selected products are often made and handcrafted in the USA, sustainable, eco-friendly, responsibly sourced, and organic.

Shipping packaging: Our packages are shipped with kindness and care. First, it is our intent that all products arrive safe and sound. We also strive for earth-friendly packaging and aim to reduce unnecessary waste. Packaging materials are carefully selected as part of our ongoing efforts to support sustainability and protect our planet. We don’t believe in putting “box in a box” for the shipping journey due to unnecessary waste and it’s one less task for our recipients to break down! Thoughtfulness includes:

Recycled cardboard box, recycled crinkle paper, recycled paper void fill, recycled insert paper.
Work to do: eliminate plastic tape, more eco-friendly sticker closures, strive for all individual item packaging to be more eco-friendly.

Simple Labels

Easily understood labels; preserving as much mental energy as possible.

Small Touches

Spices, flavors, scents, and essential oils are intentionally chosen. For example, you’ll find cinnamon in our “Calm” care package, which is believed to be a grounding spice.

Mindful of Caffeine

For example, our first care package promotes rest, the tea is caffeine-free. Coffee in other care packages has caffeine for a bit of a boost.

Mindful of Color

We are mindful of how color can affect mood and our care packages are coordinated to comfort during times of grief.

Rest

subdued in neutrals to support a shock/numbness phase; black is protective, grounding, and calming. Black and white together can help promote balance.