Mindful Business Founder

ON figuring out what to do next before starting a new career (4:42)ON this murder trial that made Shawn realize he couldn't do it anymore (6:48)ON  visiting serving others, revisiting an old wound, soul searching and creating emotional space  (11:34)ON  silence, connection, transcendence, finding solace  (18:46)ON  vocation and the framework of the business of Askinosie Chocolate (24:20)ON  the ugly truth behind the global cocoa trade (29:02)ON  direct trade, community development and doing business differently (38:22)ON the power of small companies to do much more than fair trade (42:13)ON  Shawn's definition of success and how much is enough  (46:00)ON  the fallacy of the "social" enterprise, the need to some make sacrifices and our relationship with money (48:35)ON  finding someone who needs you, go serve them and ask yourself who you really are  (58:01)===========CONNECT WITH Shawn Askinosie / Askinosie ChocolateWeb: https://askinosie.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/askinosie/ BUY Shawn's Book: Meaningful Work: A Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Mitch Albom author of Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest LessonKhalil Gibram, on SorrowJohn O'Donohue on Thresholds Thomas Merton on AwarenessMichael A. Singer on SoulThe Harkin-Engel ProtocolNestle and Big Chocolate Can Keep Using Enslaved Childree ... For now - So Says the U.S. Supreme CourtTerry Collingsworth, Human Rights LawyerAri Weinzweig, Founder of Zingerman Deli===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

ON the beauty of Lisbon in Portugal (2:35) ON Isa's vision for the ideal world for her children (3:53)ON  Isa's realization of the emergence and emergency of her life calling  (5:06)ON  Isa leaving her job as a journalist in the health sector (9:38)ON  definition of Communication with Empathy (12:42)ON  work environment: the benefit of Communication with Empathy (18:51)ON  why Empathy must be paired with Assertiveness (boundaries) (21:58)ON  the power of saying NO (boundaries) (25:28)ON  communication with empathy for workers in the health sector  (34:33)ON  Isa stepping out of her comfort zone for her business  (37:13)ON  how Isa defines success for her  (41:09)===========CONNECT WITH Isa AlvesIG @is.g.alvesFB  @isagalvesisa.alves(at)gmail.com===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

ON How A Small Fashion Business can effectively create change and even lead change. (3:28)  ON How Can A Small Fashion Business Be Seen And Heard in a Noisy World and Why Seth Thinks it's Great News to be Copied (5:46)  ON The Purpose of Words: To CONNECT (8:41)  ON Idiosyncrasy (10:58)  ON Empathy (12:14)  ON  The Smallest Viable Audience (12:47)  ON Authenticity (13:37)  ON Why Running A Business Is  A Creative Endeavour (14:21)  ON Tools For Modern Business Owners That Want to Make A Difference (16:33)  ON How Seth Chooses Which Projects to Work On (18:54)  ON Showing Up and 8000 blog posts in the time capsule for future generations (20:26)  ===========CONNECT WITH Seth GodinSeth's Blog: https://seths.blog/Seth's Podcast AKIMBO  https://www.akimbo.link/===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Rana Plaza Disasterblog post: Tools For Modern CitizensThinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie DukeAKIMBO Season 9 - Episode 20, the question asked at 17:17===========Check out Seth's on Wikipedia===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

CONNECT WITH Daniela / Walk The Talk Africahttps://walkthetalkafrica.comIG @walkthetalkafrica===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Cape Town“(Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.) The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. (It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.)” (Steve Jobs)===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

ON Liz' Vision for the World:  where people feel comfortable enough to be who they are and still have the opportunity to succeed in areas that they want. (3:08)  ON The the mission of Ability People (TAP): to create meaningful employment for people with disabilities, by removing as many unnecessary barriers as possible (5:03)  ON Hiring people with disabilities and opportunities for businesses and companies (12:23)  ON The employment challenge for people with disabilities (16:49)  ON Liz personal journey with her disability (23:49)  ON  Liz fighting for herself and her elite swimming career (28:14)  ON Transition from swimming to launching her business (34:34)  ON Lessons learned (38:09)  ON Definition of success for TAP (41:08)  ON PODIUM by TAP a revolutionary marketplace that connects freelancers and businesses (45:25)  ===========CONNECT WITH Liz JohnsonThe Ability People TAP: https://www.theabilitypeople.com/===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Hidden Figures ===========Check out Liz' swimming achievements on Wikipedia===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

Definition of success can change over time:(2:33) David Nebinski(4:02) Bai ZahmriSuccess is beyond Founders' personal goals, it's more about connection, about adding value to the lives of others, inspiring others to do things differently:(5:03) Shivani Patel(5:59) Nan & Carl(8:20) Pola  Stępień(8:40) Bai Zahmri(9:10) Ihita ShandilyaOn  privilege, freedom, and exploration of new possibility:(10:04) Mati Ventrillon(10:46) Pola  Stępień(11:44) Josie MackenzieOn the sustainability components in the business created:(16:07) Ihita Shandilya(16:50) Bai Zahmri(10:03) Josie MackenzieOn being lean, on growing, and being close to the core of what the brand stands for:(20:39) Jennifer Myers Chua(22:51) Mati Ventrillon===========CONNECT WITH DAVID NEBINSKIDavid is the host of Portfolio Career Podcast: https://www.portfoliocareerpodcast.com/===========CONNECT WITH BAI ZAHMRIBai is the Founder of Nazkids https://www.mynazkids.com/===========CONNECT SHIVANI PATELShivani is the Founder of Arture https://myarture.com/===========CONNECT WITH NAN & CARLNan & Carl are the Founders of  Seeker x Retriever https://www.seekerxretriever.com/===========CONNECT WITH POLA STEPIENPola is the Founder of  MODAPOLKA https://modapolka.com/===========CONNECT WITH IHITA SHANDILYAIhita is the Founder of  MithilaSMITA https://www.mithilasmita.com/===========CONNECT WITH MATI VENTRILLONMati is the Founder of  Mati Ventrillon  https://www.mativentrillon.co.uk/===========CONNECT WITH JOSIE MACKENZIEJosie is the Founder of  AMMA Sri Lanka https://www.ammasrilanka.com/===========CONNECT WITH JENNIFER MYERS CHUAAt HIP MOMMIES: https://hipmommies.ca/Buy products that are useful, well-made, thoughtfully designed that are responsibly from suppliers that are good people, supporting good causes, and that are doing business ethically Jennifer's podcast: COST OF GOODS SOLD===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

(episode notes with timestamps - coming soon)===========CONNECT WITH JENNIFER MYERS CHUAAt HIP MOMMIES: https://hipmommies.ca/Buy products that are useful, well-made, thoughtfully designed that are responsibly from suppliers that are good people, supporting good causes, and that are doing business ethically Jennifer's podcast: COST OF GOODS SOLD===========BRANDS MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:EZPZGATHREWOBBEL===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic 

(episodes with timestamps - coming soon)===========CONNECT WITH David NebinskiWeb: https://www.portfoliocareerpodcast.com/===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:The Podcasting Workshop===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

(with timestamps - coming soon)===========The Manifesto for Quiet DisruptorsHave you noticed? We’re shifting from one era to the next.From the modern, industrial age where there were linear and predictable answers, to a complex, interconnected and volatile world. Where what we do affects who others become and impacts our whole environment, without us fully realising it.We need different voices. People with fresh things to say who don’t need to shout.Not just super-heroes with confident gestures. Nor the loud, always-on culture, with quick answers that offer attractive sticking plasters, yet fail to see what comes next or why we are doing it anyway.But the thoughtful and creative change-makers who look from the edge and craft their responses, who want to make a difference, differently. Not just for today.Because more of the same won’t do.So now is our time to shift the conversation by becoming the change we want to see. Owning our voice, finding the others and having the courage to speak softly about things that matter.Because only people make change. And change emerges with those who have the courage to be different:who think before they speak;who ask questions we’d sometimes rather not face;who create solutions we hadn’t expected;who see more from the edge, than the centre, and make connections that surprise us;who are driven to make a difference, but want to do it differently, with grace;who get their energy from calm reflection, beautiful ideas, and taking the long view;who exercise kindness, generosity and stubborn courage in pursuing a different way of looking, being and doing that can turn our world upside down – for the better.It’s time for the new change-makers. The quiet disruptors with the courage to speak softly about things that matter.Sue HeatheringtonThe WatersideNovember 2020===========CONNECT WITH Sue Heatherington / Quiet DisruptorsWeb: https://quietdisruptors.com/Daily poetry: https://sueheatherington.com/twitter @SueWaterside===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:University of East AngliaSusan CainSimon SinekPatagonia "DON'T BUY THIS JACKET"Josie Mackenzie / AMMA Sri Lanka

EPISODE NOTES(with timestamps - coming soon)===========CONNECT WITH Shivani Patel / ARTUREWeb: https://myarture.com/Instagram: @arturedesign ===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:National Institute of Fashion TechnologyCHENNAI: city in South of India where ARTURE is locatedINDIEGOGO: crowdfunding platform===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic 

(with timestamps - coming soon)===========CONNECT WITH Josie Mackenzie / AMMA Sri LankaWeb: https://www.ammasrilanka.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amma_srilanka/  ===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Central St MartinsKANDY: the second city of Sri LankaOfficial languages in Sri Lanka: Tamil and SinhalaNuwara Eliya, where AMMA is located in Sri LankaColombo, the capital city of Sri LankaGood Market TRAID UKFIBERSHED===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

ON Malaysia, its lush forests and Bai’s future vision for the world  (2:43)  ON the reason why Bai created Nazkids, a social business that provides jobs for women and particularly mothers in Jitra, Kedah (4:30)  ON providing training as the hiring process of the makers (8:27)  ON how Bai created a new category in baby clothing by developing Malay traditional outfits for babies’ Aqiqah and how it landed in the hands of celebrities and royal families (10:02)  ON the power of the pictures to launch the brand (12:11)  ON why it is so important to build the brand first (13:44)ON Bai leaving a corporate career to start her own company (15:02)  ON losing most of her savings and bootstrapping (17:10) ON the philosophy behind training programs, why Nazkids focuses on training even if the women do not end up working with the business (20:23)  ON the longer vision: to provide business training so the women can start their own business (22:41)ON Bai’s definition of success: how many people Bai can bring to achieve greater things in life (24:50)ON why Bai decided to register her company on Dec 12, 2012 (26:40)  ON challenges and learnings from running a social business (27:53)ON where you can find Nazkids and the new products launching since the start of the pandemic (beyond masks!!!) (29:33)  ===========CONNECT WITH Bai / NazKidsWeb : www.mynazkids.comInstagram : https://www.instagram.com/nazkids/  Shopee in Malaysia :- http://shopee.com.my/starzgate23 (or search for Nazkids)Shopee in Singapore :- https://shopee.sg/starzgate23 (or search for Nazkids)Lazada in Malaysia :- https://www.lazada.com.my/shop/nazkids (or search for Nazkids)===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Jitra KedahRainforest in MalaysiaAqiqah or AkikahKuala Lumpur===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

ON Madhubani Paintings also known as Mithila Paintings, an Ancient Art Form practiced by Women  (2:59)  ON Ihita’s late Grandmother using this form of Art as a tool to bring a change in this part of the world (4:24)ON learnings from spending childhood at Grandmother’s NGO (4:53)ON the realization of the challenges of being women and continuing the work of her Grandmother (5:55)ON looking for more sustainable sources of revenue (8:18)ON the idea of evolving from an NGO to a Social Enterprise in order to help the system support the artisans in a way that they support our existence on this planet (9:07)  ON adding value and meaning to corporate gifting (10:25)  ON using artisans work onto fashion items (12:16)  ON the challenges of switching from NGO model to a social business model & change of mindset (15:19)  ON a hybrid model to support the vision (19:03) ON MITHILAsmita international expansion (21:00)  ON Ihita definition of success: creating a system that holds the vision of creating sustainable livelihood for artisans and their creativity (22:45)  ON Ihita’s vision of the world for her children: knowledge and appreciation of traditional art forms as the expression of timeless beauty and emotion (24:29)  ON MITHILAsmita near future development: international expansion  (26:48) ===========CONNECT WITH Ihita ShandilyaMITHILAsmita: https://www.mithilasmita.com/Connect on WhatsApp: +91 9901187800 BUY from MITHILAsmita: ArtnHer https://www.artnher.com/===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Madhubani is a town municipality and headquarter of Madhubani district. Madhubani is situated in the Indian state of Bihar.Mithila PaintingsACUMEN fellowship UN Women Empowerment Principles award===========Host: Leekei TangContact: hello (at) betterbusinessfounder.comMusic credits: Ukulele Fun by Liosound Music / Wooden Xylophone by Floraphonic

How can we build a creative business that delivers value to people and to the planet? What does it EVEN mean to be or to become BETTER for a fashion business? I’ve been exploring and experimenting with these issues for almost 20 years now. And today we are facing some really really big challenges but it also means that we have amazing opportunities ahead of us to build a BETTER BUSINESS in the fashion industry. And I believe that there are many different ways we can achieve that. Hi everyone, Welcome to Better Business Founder I’m your host, Leekei Tang, On this podcast, we will explore what it means and what we can do to make our BUSINESS even BETTER, because Better doesn’t have the same meaning for everyone. Some episodes of this podcast will be conversations with mission-driven founders in creative industries, just like you, that are sharing their journey of building their own Better Business. Sometimes it will be conversations with people that are teaching us a concept or a new idea. And sometimes, I’ll be just talking to you. And Together we will learn and grow, so we can challenge the status quo with intention, and ignite change, right now. Because guess what? Your Business is the CATALYST to Create the Change You want to see in the world Better Business Founder is the podcast for purpose-driven business founders that are seeking to build a Better business, on their own terms. You can subscribe now wherever you normally find your podcasts and invite some friends that would benefit from these conversations. Take care and talk to you very soon

ON Scott’s Vision of the World (5:50)  ON Why Scott transitioned from a music career to creating Creative on Purpose (6:13)  ON Trusting ourselves when starting something new (8:37)  ON Scott’s definition of Creativity (12:22)  ON Integrity (15:03)  ON Introduction to Stoic Philosophy (17:18)  ON The Gift of Adversity (21:52)  ON Coddiwomple [to head confidently to an unknown destination] (26:04)  ON Values and Virtues (28:41)  ON Taking Action (30:47)  ON Being Part of a Community to Step into Possibility (34:15)  ON The Intention when Writing Onward (37:31)  ===========CONNECT WITH Scott PerryCREATIVE ON PURPOSE: https://www.creativeonpurpose.com/BUY ONWARD, When Certainty Ends, Possibility Begins===========MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION:Seth Godin and Akimbo: https://akimbo.com/ Some Stoic Philosophers & Historical Figures influenced by Stocism:Zeno of Citium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno_of_Citium Seneca: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_YoungerEpictetus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EpictetusMarcus Aurelius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_AureliusFounding Fathers of the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_StatesNelson Mandela: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela===========Host: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes

Host: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes

ON Nan's  (2:54)  ON Carl's (3:24)  ON who Seeker x Retriever is for (3:58)  ON Seeker x Retriever brand philosophy (4:54)  ON finding the weaving community in Chaeson Lampang Province (6:20)  ON the first encounter with the weavers (8:27)  ON the meaning of Seeker x Retriever (11:06)  ON working with the tailor (12:46)  ON working with the weavers (15:05)ON why they also offer made-to-order (17:01)ON  human collaboration as a core value of Seeker x Retriever (18:56)  ON waiting in today’s fast-paced world (22:03)  ON explaining the brand philosophy to sell to customers (23:10)  ON scaling up or down? (27:03)  ON the definition of success (29:06)  ON not working with too many stockists and on finding your tribe  (32:11)  ON the joys of working as a married couple (33:27)  ON not having experience in fashion is an advantage in the current fashion system (35:15) ===========CONNECT WITH Nan and CarlSEEKER x RETRIEVER: https://www.seekerxretriever.com/ IG / FB===========WHERE ARE THE ARTISANS THAT MAKE THE CLOTHES:CHAE SON NATIONAL PARK (LAMPANG) in THAILANDBAGRU VILLAGE RAJASTHAN in INDIA ===========Host: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes

Growing up in Poland (2:05)Pessimism on the current environmental outlooks (3:43)  Why launching a fashion brand is Pola’s way of taking action and of spreading her message (4:54)  The Narciso collection, made with vintage fabrics dated back from the 90s (7:22)  Łódź and its textile industry history (10:00)  The urban Nomad collection,made with Polish denim dated back from the 80s (11:44)  Fashion Design as a branch of Product Design (13:48)  How Pola launched her first collection (15:15)  Why Pola sells her collection directly to clients (17:37)  Łódź Design Festival (18:22)  “I want to focus on the ergonomics. My clothes, most of all wearable and comfortable and made with sophisticated tailoring techniques” (19:25)  “My goal is to improve the quality of life with my brand” (21:52)  How Pola defines success (22:29)  Learnings from failures (24:28)  Trade-offs to be made and moral dilemmas (25:32)  The joys of running her brand (28:11)  ===========CONNECT WITH Pola StępieńMODAPOLKA: https://modapolka.com/en/shop/IG / FB===========MENTIONED  IN THIS EPISODEPolish former industrial city of ŁódźThe Film The Promised Land (1975) by  Andrzej WajdaŁódź Design Festival===========Host: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes

Julia’s cross-country education and experiences (1:59)  How Julia’s brand is connected to her personal vision (2:43)  How Julia Skargeth brand started in Asia (4:30)  How launching a Kickstarter campaign led Julia to ... take over a factory in Indonesia (10:00) A crisis is a chance to grow and to get better (12:36)Why Julia relocated production in Europe and restarting the brand (13:28)On transparency as part of the brand storytelling (18:00)Julia’s creative process on the fringe of the traditional fashion calendar (24:02)Brand’s further developments (27:12)What brings joy to Julia from her business (28:51)===========TO CONNECT WITH JULIAJulia Skergeth website: https://www.juliaskergeth.com/en/welcome/On Instagram: skergeth_official===========Host: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes  

The Creative’s Workshop and tankespjärn (2:56)  That pivotal moment when Helena discovered the concept of tankespjärn (10:40)  Doing gentle with an edge (16:00)How does this serve me? (24:17)Who is tankespjärn for? ( 27:19)  How Helena uses tankespjärn in her work? (29:27)Tankespjärn applied to the development of a business (34:23)  The benefits of a tankespjärn review of the business as it is constantly evolving  (37:50) To find out more about Helena and tankespjärn (43:14)  There is no Truth [time capsule question] (46:39)  My recent tankespjärn moment (50:25)CONNECT WITH HELENA ROTHRead Helena's Blog: https://helenaroth.com/Listen to Podcast: Tankespjarn with Helena Roth Join the tankespjärn Community on PatreonIG / FB===========MENTIONED  IN THIS EPISODEThe Creative's Workshop, an Akimbo workshop by Seth Godin Buddhas by the Roadside, a series of conversations with HelenaPrior guests that are living example of a tankespjärn life (according to Helena):Mati Ventrillon, LISTEN to her storyKate Field, LISTEN  to her story===========Host: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes

The MV collection stemmed from a dream of bringing machines to Fair Isle to trigger the development of other businesses in the island (3:43)  The cost breakdown of a hand-knitted jumper (7:10)The MV collection was inspired by museum pieces and how the “Hooded Jumper” was born (9:33)The colorwork and innovation in the “Crew Neck Jumper” (12:40)  The MV collection is a celebration of the very early Fair Isle knitting design, yet industrially manufactured (15:16)Challenges with the 2018 MV collection (17:42)Learnings from the MV collection (19:25)It's very difficult to put your passions and your beliefs into words, creating a business or a brand. How to transmit the message?  (21:47)  Why the mainstream fashion system doesn’t work for Mati (22:45)  Why is it more important for Mati to produce pieces that are made to last (25:55)The new design ideas need to be a celebration of the island and of its traditions, it has to be more profound than a simple change of color (a computer can do it!) (26:50)Mati thinks that we are entering a period where like-minded individuals and communities are more important. Connecting with people will probably be the answer to grow the business (27:45)  Advice for building a meaningful brand: make sure that you know perfectly what is it that you're standing for? And then to grow from there and to keep that connection as you grow and as you diversify (31:07)Book coming out in September “KNITTING FROM FAIR ISLE” (33:34)  ===================CONNECT WITH MATI VENTRILLON       https://www.mativentrillon.co.uk/===================Pre-order Mati's book "KNITTING FROM FAIR ISLE" by Mati VentrillonHost: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes

Fair Isle, the most remote inhabited island in the UK (03:22) Today, a crofting community of 54 permanent inhabitants (07:27) Mati first encounter with Fair Isle and application process to move there (12:14)Discovery of Fair Isle knitting and of its role throughout history (17:50) Research and launch of the brand after the dissolution of the knitting cooperative  (28:21) Bringing Fair Isle knitwear on-line and development of the bespoke service  (34:33) The Walpole Group “Crafted UK” Mentoring programme (36:06)Development of FAIR ISLE ARTISANS to pass on the Fair Isle knitting skills (37:10) The growth of the business is limited by the space available on the island (39:47)===================CONNECT WITH MATI VENTRILLON       https://www.mativentrillon.co.uk/===================Mentioned in this episode   National Trust for Scotland  and Walpole Crafted  Host: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes

Why the COVID pandemic could be an opportunity for the fashion system? (00:23)Why small independent fashion business owners could play an effective role in the reshaping of the fashion system? (1:20)Why you need to reframe your situation? (3:07)How to manage your cashflow? (7:04)Why you need to keep LEARNING? (8:58)Why you need to learn from other industry sectors? (9:38)=============Mentioned in this episode: Turning the Tables by Simon RatcliffeHost: Leekei TangContact: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comMusic credits: Mister Sunny Face by Wayne Jones / Blue Skies by Silent Partner / Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes  

Kathleen’s entrepreneurial journey (1:55)  On being an image consultant from a more holistic point of view (3:15)  Why continuous learning is so important (5:05)  Learning stories from doing the work, asking for help & sticking to your values (7:31)  Learning to decline “opportunities” (8:54) What Kathleen loves about her work “people learning and growing and moving towards who they are, how they're created to be and, and that makes them happy and more productive and more useful in the world” (14:06)What’s coming next for Your Authentic Image and Kathleen  (17:01)  CONNECT WITH KATHLEEN at Your Authentic Image https://yourauthenticimage.com=======================================PODCAST HOST: Leekei Tang  https://themindfulfounder.comFor all enquiries: podcast (at) themindfulfounder.com

In today’s episode, we have another very special guest, Kathleen Audet. Kathleen is the Founder of Your Authentic Image. She has been running her image consulting business for over 20 years. Kathleen helps her clients connect who they are on the inside with how they show up in the world. What her clients have achieved with her is just amazing as she has helped them advance in their lives and career. Kathleen will tell us all about her unique holistic approach to image consulting and she will also share some transformation stories about the clients she has helped. In this conversation, Kathleen will share some tips I’ve personally found very useful on how we could show up in the world more authentically, and we will also discuss how Kathleen uses her business as a platform to spread awareness on sustainability issues in the fashion sector. So please welcome Kathleen Audet.

https://www.leapfarm.com.au/https://themindfulfounder.com/

To connect with Kate https://www.leapfarm.com.au/https://themindfulfounder.com/

02:00 Why Janice chose an on-demand production model: to optimize use of cash flow with lower inventory and less waste08:00 Room for improvement for higher sustainability: sewing threads and packaging09:30 Why it is right now the time for small sustainable brands to be ahead of the curve.14:30 How to find the right suppliers17:00 Achievements and humble brag 19:00 Launching an online business 20 years ago and today, what has changed?23:00 What’s next? New product launch? CONNECT WITH JANICE TRAYES at Connecticut Country Clothinghttps://www.ctcountry.clothing/https://themindfulfounder.com/

02:00 Growing up in Connecticut, summer in New Hampshire and deep love for nature and water05:30 Looking for an outfit for a wedding inspired Janice to launch Connecticut Country Clothing09:30 Being a sustainable company is a no brainer12:30 What set Connecticut Country Clothing’s blazers apart? The fabrics and… the fit18:00 Sustainable from farm to dye, natural, biodegradable fabrics produced in a closed-loop system21:00 Fairtrade practices and manufacturing hemp fabrics and moss used to clean the waterCONNECT WITH JANICE TRAYES at Connecticut Country Clothinghttps://www.ctcountry.clothing/ PEOPLE AND PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEKatherine HepburnRobert GrahamCupro fabricHemp fabricCorozo buttons (Tagua nuts)https://themindfulfounder.com/

02:00 How Mary transitioned from being an Investment Banker to become a Fashion Business Owner06:00 Why Mary’s business plan did not work out and the difficulties of finding the right manufacturers09:00 “technology is a lot of our future” [in the fashion manufacturing sector]12:00 Things that Mary had to “unlearn” when she left her corporate to pursue her new career and new skills she has developed19:00 Mary is launching of the Adjustable collection with a smart innovation to address waste generated by infant’s wear23:00 The importance of finding the right manufacturing partners26:00 An adjustable bodysuit with facts and figures in the time capsule for future generations to realize to understand how we got here, where we are right now.==============NUGGETS:Expectations and timeline have to be reset when transitioning from a large corporation to a startupIn a startup, before you can delegate, you need to learn just enough what they are doing on a daily basis in order to delegate and to manage the resources properly“technology is a lot of our future” [in the fashion manufacturing sector] A simple innovation can address a complex problem of waste==============To connect with Mary Marland and to find out more about WILD DOVES https://wilddoves.com/Email to the Podcast Host (Leekei Tang) podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comWebsites mentioned: SPOONFLOWER and MAKER’S ROWhttps://themindfulfounder.com/

https://themindfulfounder.com/

02:00 Mary’s Vision of the world: Conscious living and more deliberate living04:00 Mary launched Wild Doves to solve waste problem generated by the infant wear08:00 The fashion items disposal problem and waste generated by the industry13:00 Compost of 100% natural fashion fiber, repurpose and resale used fashion items17:00 Discussions about recycling fibers used in fashion19:30 The truth about bamboo fabrics24:30 Her experience sourcing for fabrics with the minimum footprint28:30 Mary’s definition of a sustainable fashion business, from farm to landfill.32:30 Being gender-neutral with infant’s wear to break the organized bias from the fashion industry to always sell more items===========================NUGGETS:Most people treat infant’s wear as disposableThere’s no such thing as zero-footprint. You cannot consider sustainability without considering the waste issue, so that is farm to landfillBamboo is sustainable in agricultural terms but not as fabric as it requires chemicals in the making process (bamboo viscose)It wasn’t until the 19th century that consumerism created boys and girls clothing===========================To connect with Mary Marland and to find out more about WILD DOVES https://wilddoves.com/Email to the Podcast Host (Leekei Tang) podcast (at) themindfulfounder.comhttps://themindfulfounder.com/

Retail pricing and retail sales channels. Let’s start with a question: what are your retail sales channels, today and in the future? In other words, where and how are you selling or you are planning to sell your products? Are you selling on the internet? If it’s on the internet, is it through your own website? Or on another site? If it’s on another site, is the other site a marketplace or a retailer?Are you selling in a physical store? Again is it your own store? Or in someone else’s store?  If it’s in someone else’s store, is it a retailer? Or are you selling on consignment?Anyhow, you might sell your products to a retailer, it could be another shop, a department store or an e-shop. In this case, you are selling BtoB, which stands for Business to Business. It means that first your Business is doing a transaction with another Business, let’s say a multi-brand store. Then the store will add their markup on the price they have initially purchased your product. In this case, the end customer can then buy the product from the other store and not from you. And the end customer will buy the product at the retail price that has been set by the other store.You might also sell your products directly to the customer, and this is called a DTC model, Direct-To-Consumer model. In this case your end customer will buy the product directly from you at the retail price that you have set. This price would have to include the cost of the customer acquisition that might be the cost of the online ad and/or the commission that the marketplace would charge you.   So, in order to buy your products, your end customer is faced with 2 options: Option 1) he or she can buy it from one of your retailers. Option 2) he or she can buy it directly from you.  The one thing I encourage you to consider, at the very beginning of your business, is whether you intend or do not intend to sell your products to a retailer one day. In other words, do you intend to engage in a BtoB sales model, whether it is physical or online? Even if you are not doing in right away, but you intend to do BtoB sales some day, you need to understand the markup that the retailers would add to your type of products and define your own retail price that is aligned with the price that the retailer would sell your products at.Let’s take an example. Let’s say that there is this store you’ve always wanted to sell your product in. This store usually adds a 100% markup on the cost they have purchased your product, your own retail price should then also include this markup. Let’s say that your BtoB price is USD 50, so for the retailer the cost of buying from you is USD 50. Then the retailer adds a 100% markup and sells your product in his store at USD 100. In that case, your own retail price should be aligned with the retailer’s retail price and should be approaching USD 100 and that, even if you are not selling to this retailer YET.Why? If you don’t do that, you might lock up your brand in a situation in which it is difficult to grow in terms of sales or lose your existing, first customers. It’s very tempting, and I’ve seen so many fashion brand owners go down that road, to say, I’m perfectly fine with selling my products to my end customers at USD 50 because it covers my costs and I earn a good profit that I’m happy with and I don’t want to increase my retail price any more because it is the fair price for my customers. And I totally understand that because with the Direct to Consumer model, you do not need a third distribution party, you can cut down one layer of intermediary and, provide a better price for your customers.  However, you need to bear in mind that if you do not include BtoB sales one day, your sales will be capped at your own ability to drive traffic to your own stores and it will be capped at your own ability to generate sales. And I want to be very clear here. I am not saying that you need to include BtoB sales in your business model but if you do not consider BtoB, your sales growth will be limited to your own ability to generate sales. This is a very important decision that you need to take into consideration early on in your business. Many of the fashion business owners, I have been working with, have started a Direct to Consumer Model. So for a couple of years, they have been selling their products at a retail price that does not include their retailer’s markup. When they decide to extend their distribution network through other retailers, they need to operate big changes in their business model because their need to increase their retail price to align with the retail price of their retailers. But, as I explained in a previous episode, it is tricky to change your price point once you are already selling to customers. There are ways to go about that issue and I’ve helped brands going BtoB even if their initial own retail price was too low, but it was always a bit of a stretch and I advise you to have this consideration early on in your business launch. The takeaway of this episode is to consider your sales channels as early as possible, if you decide to start with a DTC model, which you actually should because you always need to maintain the sales contact with your end customers, you need to seriously consider your own ability to generate sales. Of course, you also need to consider the associated costs to achieve your sales target because selling comes at a cost. So the retail price you set would also include these costs and in the end, you might be surprised, because your retail price might be closer to your future retailer’s retail price, sometimes.   If selling in a BtoB model is a possible option in the future, I advise you to survey your potential retailers to understand their markup structure and to include these elements in your own retail prices, so you get the right price point right away. Remember changing your price point is always tricky. What has been your experience with defining your retail price? I would love to hear from you.You can reach out to me by sending an email podcast(at)themindfulfounder.comHope this has been helpful and that this episode has given you some food for thought for your pricing strategy. There will be many more Mindful Monday’s episodes on the subject of pricing. Particularly one on the impact of BtoB pricing and distribution channels, this might be interesting for you, particularly if you are planning to take your brand international and export your products.That’s it for today, stay tuned and talk to you soon. Contact: podcast(at)themindfulfounder.comhttps://themindfulfounder.com/

02:00 Cashflow and investments, differences between a product-based business and a service-based business.07:00 When it comes to promoting the business, no one's going to promote it as well as the founder.08:30 Why Tammy launched her podcast, Plastics Revolution12:30 Challenges and opportunities for businesses to take part in the sustainability movement. Design with sustainability in mind16:00 Advice to mission-driven entrepreneur: consider the whole life-cycle20:30 Dreams for The Refoundry: create a demand for recycled plastics23:00 Dreams with The Refoundry: I want us to be a good example and a champion for being good stewards of our resources.===========================NUGGETS:Product-based business requires higher investment upfront compared to service-based businessThe founder of a business is always the best promoter of the productSustainability starts with the designConsider the entire life-cycle of the product: material sourcing, logistics, packaging, disposal...etcAt each step, try to be intentional and strategic in order to reduce the environmental footprint===========================CONNECT with Tammy:To find out more about Tammy Ven Dange: https://tvendange.com/To find out more about The Refoundry: https://refoundry.com.au/Tammy’s podcast: Plastics RevolutionConnect with Tammy on socials @tvendange Books mentioned:“Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman” by Yvon Chouinard“Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike” by Phil Knighthttps://themindfulfounder.com/

You need to understand that the right price is very much linked to the psychology of your clients and how they feel about your products, your brand and how they perceived your price point. This episode is about the few things you need to consider when you want to change your price point.What is a price point? A price point is the average price range of your products. When you talk to BtoB buyers, your price point is usually one of their first questions. The price point helps the buyers and their client position your brand. So your price point help the buyers and clients know if your brand is for them from a price perspective, whether the price you are asking for matches with the perception of what your product is worth.  It is difficult and even dangerous for your business to change your price once you’ve started selling your products. For the same product, if you suddenly increase significantly the price, your existing clients might just stop buying from you because they will perceive the price as too high for what they expect to pay. Let’s say that you sell sweaters and you have been selling your sweaters at about $100, if suddenly instead of $100, your sweaters cost $150, well, some of your customers might think that they are not willing to pay that amount for that sweater and for the same amount they would rather buy a sweater from another brand, which in their mind is worth $150. Did you notice that I did not say that your existing clients cannot afford your products anymore? they are not buying from you because they’ve bought your sweater at $100 before which it is the price that they perceived that is the right one for them. Not that they cannot spend $150 but because they perceive your sweaters worth $100. This is good news because it means that you can increase your price, and I can explain how you can increase your price point in a future episode.What about a sudden decrease in your price? And I’m not talking about sales or promotion here. Well, that also might lead to lose some of your existing clients. Why? Again, it’s related to the psychology behind the price. Say that your sweaters that you used to sell at $100, and now, you sell them at $50, for exactly the same product.Sounds like a bargain for your customers, right? Now that the price has been divided by 2, will your clients buy more of them?Not quite, really. Why? It might sound counterintuitive but there are so many reasons for that. By dividing the price of your products by 2, you might harm your customers’ trust because they might think that they have been fooled by paying way too much for a product that is now worth half the price they have paid before. They might also think that you have changed something in your sweater in order to sell it at a cheaper price, and without telling them the truth. Or, even worse, they might believe that the price that they have paid, a $100, is a way for them to feel special because they bought a sweater that not everyone is willing to pay for, but now that it is at $50, many more people are willing to buy the same sweater and your existing clients would not feel so special anymore with your sweater.You can see that either way, it is difficult to change your price point, whether it is increasing it or decreasing it. Your existing clients, once they have bought your product, have associated your brand with a certain price point that is the RIGHT ONE in their mind. By increasing or decreasing significantly your price point, you might create a confusion in their perception of your brand. So, when you launch your products, you have to think really carefully about your prices  and who your products are for.And when you need to or you want to change your price point, you need to think of the narrative that you will share with your clients to help them perceive your brand at your new price point.I would love to hear from you and experience with changing your price pointYou can reach out to me by sending an email podcast(at)themindfulfounder.comHope this has been helpful and that this episode has given you some interesting food for thought for your pricing strategy. There will be many more Mindful Monday’s episodes on the subject of pricing. Stay tuned and talk to you soon.Bye byehttps://themindfulfounder.com/

01:30 Why Tammy launched The Refoundry to help Mother Nature by making great products from recycled plastics07:00 Leaving a job as the CEO of an animal welfare charity, paddling across 5 continents to witness plastic pollution everywhere and taking action to tackle the problem09:30 From organizing rubbish collection near Canberra to the idea of manufacturing recycled plastic11:30 A senior position in a small town and the challenge of recreating the public identity14:30 High capital investment to make molds and prototypes16:00 “Stray no more” crowdfunding campaign to raise fund, to market and test the products19:00 Learnings from the crowdfunding campaign22:00 Shifting to make another product=======================NUGGETS:The plastic pollution problem is visible on the 5 continents Creating products using recycled plastic is one way to tackle the plastic pollution problemA recycled plastic product needs to be useful if not, it will just end up in the landfill quickly. The key is to design an innovative product that solves a problemInjection plastic molding and prototyping requires high capital investmentCreating the right momentum is key to a successful crowdfunding campaign=======================CONNECT with Tammy:To find out more about Tammy Ven Dange: https://tvendange.com/To find out more about The Refoundry: https://refoundry.com.au/Tammy’s podcast: Plastics RevolutionConnect with Tammy on socials @tvendangehttps://themindfulfounder.com/

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. Like many other little girls, she loved to read and to draw flowers and dresses. One day she asked her grandpa if he could give her money so she could buy some candies. Any other little girls would have asked their grandpa to buy them candies instead of money to buy candies. But her Grandpa was not like any other Grandpas in the world.She would never have thought of asking grandpa to buy anything because he was always busy working. See, Grandpa was a powerful businessman. He was the owner of a factory that made beautiful dresses for little girls in town, and there were so many people working for him. So he was too busy to buy candies. When Grandpa was not in his accountant’s office looking at numbers, he was always on the factory floor making sure that everyone was doing a great job. Grandpa was a highly respected man. He gave jobs to all these people that had left their hometown to find jobs and a better life for themself and for their loved ones. Life was not easy for these families. They often arrived with very little money, very little possession and they had no jobs. So it was difficult for them to find a safe shelter and to send the kids to school. With his growing business, Grandpa was able to hire these workers. If they were willing to learn and to work hard, he would give them a job.In addition to a job, Grandpa wanted to do more to help these families. So he started by providing meals to all his workers and all their family members to make sure that they get nutritious foods every day. When he had more money, he invested in a big house and provided his workers with a home and helped pay for the school fees so the kids could have an education. Working for Grandpa and living in this big house was like being part of a very big family.The word got spread very quickly. There were more and more workers coming to see Grandpa. He was happy to hire some of them and very soon he was able to build a strong team of workers that were fully dedicated to do their best work at the factory because Grandpa was providing them with so much more than a job and a salary. He also provided them with a safe home where their kids could grow in a stable environment and aspire to a brighter future.  But let’s go back to this little girl and her candies problem.So when she asked Grandpa for money, he asked her why he would give her money? He only gives money to his employees because they worked for him. So he would not give her money, he doesn’t do that.But the little girl really wanted candies, so she asked Grandpa to hire her.What can you do Grandpa asked?I can draw. So I can be one of your designers. I can draw dresses. You make dresses for little girls, I’m a little girl, I know what I want I know what other little girls want. I’ll show you my drawings and you’ll give me a job so I can buy my candies.  I don’t know if your work is good. Show me what you can do, then I’ll decide. If it’s good I’ll take you, if not no money for your candies. She did not convince Grandpa to hire her, but there’s still a small chance she would get a job. So she will try her best and will work very hard on her drawings.That day, she did not play with her sister. She did not read a single page of her book. She was too busy drawing the perfect dress.She knows that she had to put the hard work here because she really wanted these candies and she knows that Grandpa expects everyone to do their bests and will not make an exception for her.The next morning knocked on Grandpa’s office door.The Accountant was with him.Grandpa told the Accountant to leave the room because he has to deal with a very serious business proposal. She entered the room and she stood across Grandpa’s giant wooden desk.She opened her sketchbook and with no hesitation, she handed it to Grandpa, convinced that he would pay her for the great job she did. Grandpa pulled out his glasses and put them on his nose. He always does that with his Accountant when looking at the numbers. He looked at the drawing for a long time.And finally said: this colorful long princess dress with different types of flowers on it? Is this what you want to wear and what you think that other little girls want to wear?Yes, she said.Have you worked hard on it?Oh yes. I did not play yesterday and didn’t read, because I’ve been working on it all day.And do you think you will wear this dress every day?Yes, every day. Because it’s the most beautiful dress ever.OK. I’ll ask my head seamstress to make a dress according to your drawing, so you can wear it every day. And we’ll start from there.Does that mean that I’m working for you and you’ll give me money for my candies?No. You did a good but I’m not giving you money because you are still a little girl and you are too little to go to the store by yourself. So instead of giving money, we will go to the store together and I’ll buy you candies. The little girl couldn’t be any happier.She will get the dress of her dreams.She will finally get the candies that she wanted and now proved that she deservedAnd her Grandpa will take some time off to go to the store with her.This little girl is today very grateful to Grandpa for this precious little lesson about the power of work and the value of money. She is also grateful to Grandpa for leading her to believe in herself and for letting her get what she wants by doing what she loves and doing her best work.  And in general, she is so grateful to Grandpa for showing her that you could build a strong business that truly takes care of its workers, and in fact, the more Grandpa was committed to providing for his workers, the better off was his business. This is such an inspiration that will serve her all her life. That’s it for now. Hope you’ll enjoy this little story.Wish you wonderful year-end celebrations with your loved ones And talk to you next year.https://themindfulfounder.com/

Today it is the objective 12.2: achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. How can we, as a business owner integrate better practice in our business to achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources? What is a natural resource? A natural resource is what we, people, can use which comes from the natural environment. Examples of natural resources are air, water, wind, wood, fossil fuels, natural gas, iron, coal... Some of these resources are renewable, which means that Mother nature knows how to make it available again, some of these resources are not renewable, which  means that once it is used, it is no longer available.We are mainly users of these resources, so there’s little we can do about how these resources are managed. What we can do instead is to become more efficient users by choosing whenever it’s possible, the resource that is renewable and by being mindful of how the use of natural resources affects the quality of life for both present and future generations.This is such a broad topic and so much needs to be done. Yet, we can feel really powerless as a small business owner and don’t really know where to start. My advice to you is just simply start and start today.Start auditing just one of the aspects of your business operations.Even if you don’t label your business as a sustainable business, there is still so much you can do to be an efficient user of natural resources. I want you to think of the 3 Rs: Reduce, Recycle and Re-use.Is there anything you can do to reduce the use of natural resources? What can you recycle? Is there anything you can reuse? Talk to your team to see if these small changes really make sense and are in-line with your brand’s mission. Agree on a list of actions you want to try out. Define a test period, at the end of the period, review what has been working if some things need to be changed, then adjust your actions. Then repeat with another aspect of your business operations, then another one and another.You can build this culture of more efficient use of natural resources by creating small and new habits in your business. You will not be able to create an overnight change and you will not see immediate results, actually, you might never see the results at all, but it is important to be part of that change.With your business, you have a powerful tool to help achieve an objective of the SDGs. So start today.https://themindfulfounder.com/ 

02:00 Nadine adapts her offering as she discovers what the Wise Woman’s needs are.04:30 Teaching is a two-way street. To be creative and adapt is part of the joy of teaching.07:00 Nadine is missed when she moved her yoga classes to another location as she is filling a void10:00 Why Nadine doesn’t own a yoga studio. She goes where the Wise Women are instead of making them come to her13:30 The business challenge of shifting from being a medical doctor in a hospital to becoming a freelancer17:00 Helping people as a doctor vs helping Wise Women as a yoga teacher, in the world of prevention with a delayed gratification mindset19:00 Her passion for her work, the reward from doing the right thing for the people who need her very special blend of skills help her overcome the negative thoughts in moments of doubts21:00 Aging is beautiful. There is a sense of freedom with aging22:00 Project of launching an online course to touch more Wise WomenNUGGETS:Fine-tune your product offering as your business and customers’ needs evolveTeaching is a two-way streetLearn to adapt and be more creative for higher impact teachingUse the reward from doing the right thing for people who need you to kill the voices in your head in moments of doubtsAging is beautiful. There is a sense of freedom with agingTo find out more about Nadine and Yogi MD https://yogimd.net/https://themindfulfounder.com/

Hi, this is Leekei, and today is the third episode of our Mindful Mondays series. Every Monday I share with you a specific foundation idea, a small dose of inspiration to help you quickstart your week. The idea behind that is simply because I’ve noticed that many fashion business owners are often struggling with the foundation and the Mindful Mondays series is here to help you get over that struggle. These episodes will sometimes be about a sustainability issue, about a business foundation concept, sometimes like today, about a mindset concept.    In today’s episode, I want to share with you a story. When I first started off with my brand, I took part in a tradeshow in LA, Los Angeles. Taking part in a tradeshow is a way to show your brand and to connect with wholesale buyers such as local boutiques, independent concept stores or bigger stores. As I have already told you I had no prior experience in the fashion business when I started off. I had no idea how wholesale business works, about the buying cycles and I had no real connections.But I had allocated a small budget for a tradeshow, so I looked up on the internet to find one we could participate in. I found this one that was located in downtown LA. The cost to exhibit at this tradeshow was fairly low compared to the others, because it was the first edition of this new tradeshow. I thought that it was a good idea: a startup business supporting another startup. This tradeshow was located at the CMC, the California Market Center, downtown LA. Since there were other more established and more expensive tradeshows on the other floors of the CMC, I thought that it was a smart idea to join the cheaper tradeshow as wholesale buyers would come to our floor and pay us a visit so they will have a chance to discover our brand.I couldn’t be more wrong.Not only the organizers did not promote this tradeshow properly to wholesale buyers as they were supposed to do, but they did a very poor job at fitting up the space of the show, so it was not appealing at all. So during this 4 days of the show, we had a very poor attendance, but I had plenty of time to get acquainted with the other business owners and to chat with them.However, I managed to get a small order from a boutique in Santa Monica.So the story I could have told myself is that I wasted a whole week of my time and my team’s. We wasted our energy and lots of money for a small results that did not even cover the expenses for this tradeshow. It was such a bad experience.But I chose to tell myself another story. Here is the story:We did get a first order from one lovely boutique in Santa Monica that not only allowed us to say that we are selling our brand in LA, but it was also a great place to gain brand exposure in a very good boutique that helped position our brand to the level we were aspiring to.We spent 4 full days chatting with other exhibitors and it was such a great opportunity to learn from other business owners and sales people. During these 4 days, we learned so much about the fashion wholesale business in the US that we were able to build a strong US wholesale strategy that allowed us to sell to some of the best boutiques and stores throughout the country.We also gained experience in preparing for an overseas tradeshow and in setting a booth.The journey of a business owner is long and it is paved with obstacles and small and big wins. It is sometimes demoralizing when things do not go the way you were expecting them to go but if you decide to dwell on the negative thoughts for too long, you might not see the small wins that you have achieved. And even if you felt that you have not achieved any small wins, which I doubt, at least you’ve learned something that you could do differently in the future or that you have discovered a new idea, a new concept or a new direction.It is very important to pay attention to all the small wins and to learn how to grow from there. There are so many examples in your business. Think of a time when you did not reach the outcome you’ve expected. Was is a smaller outcome you can celebrate? If not what did you learn?We need to train ourselves to have a better narrative of our lives.So we need to practice everyday.Here’s a practice we can all do: Think of when you go to bed at night, when you feel frustrated about all the things you have not finished. What if instead, you decide to celebrate all the things that you have accomplished during the day? It’s a better feeling, isn’t it? Practice that when you go to bed tonight.In the meantime, have a great day and a wonderful week ahead.https://themindfulfounder.com/

01:30 Why Nadine transitioned from being an MD, Pathologist to be a Yoga Instructor and Health Coach for the Wise Women, women of over 60.04:30 What is specific about aging bodies and how Nadine decided to adapt regular yoga practice to cater to the Wise Women11:00 Her Podcast, Yogi MD, to reach more women and in a broader way by offering a more holistic approach to health and well-being12:55 The dimensions of health: physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual18:00 Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Being outstanding and thoughtful to spread the word22:30 Finding joy in helping cancer survivor feel safe and be part of a communityNUGGETS:Approach to health: Prevention versus Fixing symptomsEven aging bodies can always keep learningThe 5 dimensions of health: physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritualCommunity word-of-mouth marketing: doing outstanding work so the word will spread Yoga on a chair or in the kitchen is possible and is not boring To find out more about Nadine and Yogi MD: https://yogimd.net/https://themindfulfounder.com/

Hi, this is Leekei, and today is the second episode of our Mindful Mondays series. Every Monday I share with you a specific foundation idea, a small dose of inspiration to help you quickstart your week. The idea behind that is simply because I’ve noticed that many fashion business owners are often struggling with the foundation and the Mindful Mondays series is here to help you get over that struggle. These episodes will sometimes be about a sustainability issue, about a particular mindset, sometimes like today, about a business foundation concept.    In today’s episode, I want to start talking about the concept of Brand and why your brand is so important to your business. This episode is just a start because it is such a broad topic. According to Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon, Your Brand is What Other People Say About You When You’re Not in the Room. So it’s so much more than a brand name, a logo or even a tagline. Your brand perception is what your customers and potential customers think about you. This is related to how you build trust in delivering the promise about who you are, what you stand for, and what are the unique and meaningful benefits you deliver.You are building your brand by living up to your promise every single time someone comes in contact with your business, like your shop, your ad campaign or your customer service. And you need to strengthen your brand by consistently reinforcing your brand promise.Strong brands create loyalty, a group of raving fans who talk about what they love. Your brand is not about what you say you are, your brand should be about what others say you are.You can strengthen your brand perception by first deciding who you want to be as a business, then delivering on your brand promise, and giving your customers the visuals or the words they need to share your message.To illustrate that approach, I’d like to invite you to spend some time and look at the US womenswear brand Eileen Fischer and see how this brand is living up to its promise. This brand has decided that “Our purpose is to inspire simplicity, creativity, and delight through connection and great design”. To understand how they deliver trust, go and visit an Eileen Fischer shop to feel the brand experience. If you don’t have a shop near you, visit their website. Look at their design, but also at the shop layout. Talk to a salesperson, read some pages of the website and notice the tone of voice. Pay attention to the messages in-store and on the website. How do they make you feel? What are your emotions when you are in contact with the brand?If you want to go a bit deeper, go to their brand mission statement page and read in detail their practice. How are these promises translated in the way they operate the business? Now go to their social media and notice the art direction of the pictures. How do they choose their models? What is the setting and the surrounding of the pictures? How is the hair? And how is the makeup? What is the facial expression of the models? How looking at these pictures make you think and make you feel?Did you notice all the events organized in the stores? Some of them are sales events but many of them are not related to sales but are designed to support the values stated in the brand mission statement.My question to you is: How would you describe Eileen Fischer to a friend. Do you think that what you would say is in-line with what they want you to say?And now, for your Fashion Business. What have you decided who you want to be as a business? What do you want your customers to say about your brand? How do you want to make them feel every time they are in contact with your brand?Review all the steps of your business operation. Are all steps inline with the experience you want to provide to your customers? If not, what change do you need to implement? What can you improve? What can you do better?Start making small changes. Like sustainability, brand building is also an ongoing process. Start now, today, so you can build a strong brand so your business can deliver value to people and to the planet. https://themindfulfounder.com/

SHOW NOTES:02:00 An introduction to Moldova, a former Soviet country with its wineries and plentiful beautiful landscapes03:30 Starting a business making hand-painted silk dresses. Each piece is unique.05:00 Making pieces of garment you want to pass from generation to generation. The concept of wearable art.06:00 Taking the leap. How attending a fashion show gave Lilia the confidence to follow her dreams and to leave her career at the United Nation to become a fashion designer and launch her business07:30 Learning as you build your business. Launching the wrong products. Finally finding the right product concept that customers LOVE09:30 Timeless collection and slow fashion concept12:00 Breaking the rules of the fashion calendar to gain in freedom for creativity13:30 The Nymphs as a guiding theme to design powerful campaigns to build the brand image15:30 The collection is sold in Moldova, Paris and Milan16:00 Waste is an environmental problem that Lilia has identified. Together with her team, they contribute to the reduction of the fashion waste by developing unique pieces that are passed from one generation to another. In general, their attitude is to identify problems and try to find solutions by small increment17:30 Being 100% sustainable is very difficult. Her approach to environmental issues is to not over promise or to make false promise. For example, switching to natural dyes requires additional research for it is in their development plan.19:30 Joyful moments of a fashion business owner. The most fulfilling moment is when a customer “gets” the intention of her brand (a piece of wearable art to be transmitted to the next generation).22:00 Time capsule question: take good care of your environment and think of the future generations NUGGETS:Design something unique that you love, your customers will love itCreate powerful image campaigns to build your brandSustainable business: find and address one problem you can solve, look for opportunities for additional improvementsSustainable fashion: do not just throw labels, do not over promise FB / IG move.womenswearhttps://themindfulfounder.com/

Hi, this is Leekei, and this is a new episode of the Mindful Monday series, a small dose of ideas and inspiration to help you quick start your week. In our constant quest for better understanding on how our business can deliver value to people and to the planet, I want to talk today about the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the SDGs, and how these can be implemented in your fashion business. Do you know what these goals are? You might have heard about them in 2015 when these goals have been adopted by the UN Member States Nations. The SDGs are part of a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity in 2030. These are 17 goals with a grand objective to provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and for the planet, now and into the future. Each goal is defined by a subset of targets. These goals are set for the governments of the UN member states, so as Business Founder, we can of course, not achieve any of the goals by ourselves but what we can do, is to take action towards the achievement of these targets.  Some of the targets could be an inspiration to build your own targets and define your own set of business operation rules that you can implement in your Fashion Business. Actually all targets could be a source of inspiration, but I chose those that are most actionable for your fashion business.You can find the details of all the goals and targets on the SDGs on the website sustainabledevelopment dot UN dot ORG Today we will look at the targets related to air, water, soil and ocean pollution. Target 3.9 is the reduction of the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contaminationTarget 6.3 is the improvement of water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, water reuse and recyclingTarget 12.4 is the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, and the reduction of their release to air, water and soil.Target 14.1 is the prevention and reduction of marine pollution.You can find the full details of each target on the UN website sustainabledevelopment dot UN dot ORGDoes your business have any direct connection with the achievement of these targets? Maybe not a direct connection but certainly an indirect connection through your … suppliers. The suppliers that provide you with the fabrics, with the leather parts, with the metal parts...etc.Of course, in most countries and for most factories, there is a regulatory framework and certifications. But I like to ask my own questions, such as:What kind of dye do they use? How is the chemical waste managed and disposed? Is the manufacturing process polluting the air outside the factory? How about inside the factory? Are workers exposed to indoor air pollution? Is their protection equipment adequate and sufficient?Is the room sufficiently ventilated? Do they reuse or recycle water?These are some of the suggestions for questions you can ask your suppliers before you enter into a business relationship with them. But I am sure you will have lots of other questions.Make a list. Ask your questions. And if possible, spend some time in the factory to see with your own eyes how the product is made. Talk to the workers. Be curious, be alert, look around.Then you can make your own assessment and decide if you want to work with this particular supplier. You might have not checked all boxes but at least you know and you can decide if it is acceptable to you or not.I know that it’s not always easy to visit a factory but if you can, do it. Maybe you will learn something new and get closer to the workers of this particular supplier. The workers will also be able to associate a face with a company name. This makes the whole difference to them and to you.So even if the SDGs do not directly apply to your business, you can use them as a framework to get inspiration to build a better business that delivers value to people and to the planet. I hope you’ve found this episode useful. In a future episode, I will explore with you another aspect of the SDGs.The objective of Mindful Business Founder is to become mindful of the consequences of our choices and of our business decisions. We cannot transform the fashion industry, but we can always take small but mindful actions to make it better.  https://themindfulfounder.com/

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Mindful Business Founder. It is the podcast for Fashion Business Founders seeking to build a meaningful and profitable business. My name is Leekei Tang, I run Fashion Business Acceleration Programs. I meet fashion founders and business owners who want to learn how they can better balance their business interests with environmental and social issues.Being a Fashion Business Founder myself, with a background in sustainable development and I can tell you that aligning business and environmental goals is not all that simple. Because each business is different and the extent of environmental and social impacts is a complex issue.But we cannot just ignore the problems and do nothing. As a business owner, we have the power, we even have the responsibility to create changes in our world. And the way forward is to BE MINDFUL. Being mindful is an attitude. And with this podcast I’m hoping to inspire business owners to be more mindful of the consequences of their actions and of their decisions.We will be talking to other Mindful Founders and explore what they do differently. We will try to learn from their guiding principles and get inspirations from their experience. We will be talking to Fashion Business Founders and also Founders from other industries. Mindful Business Founder is about business, but also about delivering value to people and to the planet.I’m your host, Leekei Tang and my podcast is called Mindful Business Founder.https://themindfulfounder.com/