From Scratch: Carolina Kleinman, Founder & Creative Director of Carolina K
We know how daunting it can be to start a new business, especially if you’re disrupting an industry or creating an entirely new one. When there is no path to follow, the biggest question is, where do I start? There is so much to do, but before you get ahead of yourself, let’s start at the beginning. To kick-start the process, and ease some of those first-time founder nerves, we’re asking successful entrepreneurs to share their stories in our series, From Scratch. But this isn’t your typical day in the life profile. We’re getting into the nitty-gritty details—from writing a business plan (or not) to sourcing manufacturers and how much they pay themselves—we’re not holding back.
Photo: Courtesy of Carolina Kleinman
Name: Carolina Kleinman
Job Title: Founder & Creative Director
Business Name: Carolina K
Did you write a business plan? If so, was it helpful? If not, what did you use to guide your business instead? Why did you take that approach?
Despite growing up in fashion and having a foundation and understanding of what it meant to have a fashion business, I chose to do things my way by guiding myself with what felt right and using my intuition. I learned how to run a business the hard way without specific guidance but my own, without investment partners nor a business plan. Thinking about it now, I would say it is good advice to have a business plan but be prepared to have to pivot unexpectedly. As John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” song wisely states, “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” My approach has always been to be open, prepared, and aware of what reality may bring because it can disrupt the most detailed and thought-out plans, in business and life.
How did you come up with the name Carolina K? What was the process like, how did you know it was the right name, and what are some of the things you considered during that process?
Because my brand is such a personal reflection of who I am as a person—the way that I live my life, and my beliefs—I spent a lot of time trying to think of names that would represent just that. A meaningful word that would take this “project,” that was so close to my heart, to another level of growth and development. I went back and forth with a variety of different names but nothing was resonating. I then opted to use my namesake to just include my first name and the first letter of my last.
What were the immediate things you had to take care of to set up the business? (Website domain/setup, trademark, business name listing social channels, etc.)
I founded my brand 15 years ago and the most immediate action item for me was the initial filing to make Carolina K an official business and company. Then, setting everything else up that came along with that. I am so fortunate that my brother Pablo was able to help me with this process because I had no idea where to even begin. He was able to set up the paperwork and guide me through legalities.
What research did you do for the brand beforehand? Why would you recommend it?
Luckily, I’ve always been immersed in fashion and grew up playing around with rolls of fabric at my mom's clothing store in Argentina so everything came very naturally to me. Early on I had a very clear understanding that if I ever started my own label it would have to be done in an ethical and meaningful manner. This resulted in the research taking place as the development of collections happened. I traveled the world looking for artisans and factories, meeting and working with those along the way. Most, if not all, of whom I still work with today after 15 years. As I learned more about them I created a connection, and I knew I wanted to preserve the artisanal crafts, ancient techniques, and details of their culture.
I highly recommend seeking to establish a true partnership, meet who you work with in person, get to know your suppliers, test each of them out with small projects so that you can scale accordingly and grow together. Growth is great, but it’s beautiful when you can do it together.
How did you find and identify the manufacturers that you work with? What makes a successful partnership and what advice can you share for fellow business owners on finding the right partners?
I found many of my suppliers, manufacturers, and artisans throughout my travels prior to starting my company and throughout its growth. Still to this day when I travel, I often visit markets or attend festivals and celebrations in small towns or cities. At both places, I often run into a variety of artisans that sell items I end up falling in love with. I then strike up a conversation which usually leads me to placing a small order. This allows me to ensure their responsiveness and reliability. If things go well, I take them under my wing and continue to work with them long-term. To this day, we employ around 300 artisans worldwide that I’ve met and maintained relationships with for the last 15 years. I cannot express how important it is to really know who you are working with and cultivate those relationships to assure that the best materials are being sourced and used. Especially, in my case where we make sure to use eco-friendly materials that do not harm the environment.
Did you self-fund the company? If so, how did you bootstrap it? Did you do a friends-and-family round? Or did you raise seed money or initial investment money? If so, how much, and what was that process like for you? What path would you recommend?
Carolina K is a fully self-funded brand. In my early twenties, I was living in Los Angeles working towards being a musician and I would take small jobs here and there in styling or other projects in fashion. I later went back to Argentina where a woman that I knew offered me a 90-day term on fabric, leading me to design my first collection under the Carolina K brand. All I could afford was a one-way ticket to New York City. I took a leap of faith and flew there with the intention of selling it. The full collection sold out in just one weekend!
I paid off what I owed for the fabric and put the rest of the money back into the business. I repeated this cycle over and over; money always went back into the business. I must say, the journey has been hard. I didn’t study business, and it took me a long time to learn the business portion. Plenty of trial and error, especially when I was living outside of Tepoztlán, Mexico, and did not have internet access at home. Based on my struggles of scaling the business, I think I would advise others to connect and work with people that you trust and that are knowledgeable in areas that you may not be. For me, it would have been someone more understanding of the business side of things early on.
How much did you decide to pay yourself? How did you determine what to pay yourself?
To be fully transparent, I only had one employee for the first nine years. As a result, I didn’t see the need to pay myself a fixed salary up until the point my company really started to scale. All of the hats I wear as an entrepreneur and a creative is a lot of work, but I love every minute of it, and I know we will continue to grow and meet our financial goals.
How big is your team now, and what has the hiring process been like? Did you have any hiring experience? If not, how did you learn and what have you learned about it along the way?
At the moment, my team consists of seven employees and myself. Many of them came into my life at the right moment and time, hired on organically as well as the traditional hiring path of creating a listing on LinkedIn and interviewing. The organic path is always the best and most interesting; we either were introduced to each other by mutual friends or timing just led us to meet. The traditional path is always fun, as we meet a variety of new characters and hire based on who is the most fitting of the position and company culture.
Did you hire an accountant? Who helped you with the financial decisions and setup? Are there any programs you recommend for bookkeeping?
Yes, as we started to scale and needed more assistance in finances we hired an accountant. I do feel that having a great accountant in-house is key. Having a strong person dedicated to finance is something that makes the growth of the brand much smoother. I found that Quickbooks is great if the brand is based in the United States. Two other programs that I advise for clothing brands are AIMS 360, a production management and processing software, and Joor, a platform used to connect with buyers for wholesale. These have been great in assisting my team with production and sales, automating the process, and leaving less room for human error.
What has been the biggest learning curve during the process of establishing your business?
The biggest learning curve and challenge for me was learning how to seamlessly work with those outside of my brand while still maintaining important values such as caring and paying attention to customer needs while maintaining an eco-friendly brand. In our early years, I had to learn to block out the noise of buyers that would put us down or showrooms that wanted to mold our brand into something that it wasn’t. I realized that I had to trust myself, my good intentions, and work hard despite the external obstacles.
What is the most rewarding part of running Carolina K?
My favorite part of my brand is working with artisans. This means there is no fabric waste nor is there any contamination, and together we are working to maintain their ancient craftsmanship techniques. I quickly learned that even all of the positives can bring challenges. In the first eight years, every piece by Carolina K was made entirely by hand, but it got to the point where the artisans were unable to manage our growing purchasing demand. As a result, they sometimes were late to delivery deadlines that had to be met as they were dependent on sales. Trying to scale growth for the brand became challenging at that point. I then decided to develop prints that would complement and resonate with the hand-made pieces to assist in speeding up production. I traveled to India and partnered with very small print factories and later discovered skilled male embroiderers. We still work with both to this day and they too work with love and passion.
How did you promote your company? How did you get people to know who you are and create buzz?
The buzz happened organically. I started participating in trade shows in New York and in Paris and met other designers and buyers. As more purchases happened, I began expanding my reach at multi-brand stores and became more well known and established.
In 2014, I opened my first store in Williamsburg, New York while I was still living in Tepoztlán, Mexico. In 2015, an opportunity presented itself to move to Miami and we moved forward in doing so along with closing our Williamsburg store and opening a store at the Faena Hotel in Miami Beach. That allowed for more visibility because of the hotel location. We began hosting branded events and fashion shows that attracted and led me to meet and dress interesting and like-minded people, resulting in more recognition and brand awareness on a global level.
Years of growth also led to the understanding that working with a good PR company can be beneficial if you’re able to align on goals and beliefs. Our journey has been a slow but organic and meaningful one.
Do you have a business coach or mentor? If so, how has this person helped, and would you recommend one to other founders? How do you get one?
I do not have a business coach at the moment, but I did in 2019. I met this coach through mutual friends and having a coach really helped me establish important skills like how to manage my team better and how to set and achieve milestone goals for the business. The most important lesson that I attained from having a business coach was learning that I must build my brand around my lifestyle so it serves me, my personal beliefs, and my necessities. I did not want to be in a position where working consumed all of me. I found it very helpful to work with someone on strategy and learn more about the areas that you are unsure of so that you can learn to master them. I completely recommend looking into business coaching when it is financially feasible.
How has COVID-19 impacted your business operations and financials? What tactics and strategies have you put in place to pivot and ensure your business is successful through this period?
COVID-19 was a very challenging time for my brand as well as almost every other fashion brand. We saw orders being canceled or delayed frequently at the start of the pandemic and we had no idea what to expect or what was to come. Due to the national shortage of masks, we began to work with our artisans to design and donate them to organizations that would get them into the hands of those in need. As things began to calm down and stores began to open again, we started to see retailers requesting their original orders, and we realized how lucky we were to have that support.
COVID-19 put many things into perspective—one being the need to pivot and put more backing into the direct-to-consumer model for our brand. We took this opportunity to strategically develop a more curated approach to our wholesale and work towards the positives this brought for the development of direct-to-consumer. It is important to take challenging times and try to find the positives in order to accomplish growth.
What short-term changes will be crucial to your business strategy long-term post-COVID-19 and what plans are you making for when we get back to “normal?”
One short-term change due to COVID-19 that will be crucial to our business strategy, is the number of collections that we drop moving forward. In 2019, I was growing tired of doing so many collections; it didn’t feel authentic to my brand but rather robotic and stressful. Post COVID-19 we have opted to make collections less frequently and focus on making them better, more meaningful, and mindful. A great example is that this year we are skipping Fall/Winter ’21 and, instead, replacing it with a Zero Waste collection. This collection is designed with only repurposed fabrics from past collections and many are one-of-a-kind styles. We have also focused on our home collection expansion. It has been around since 2014, but this year brought the opportunity to focus on its growth. I’m excited to share that we are currently working on our five-year strategy, and there are plenty of great things ahead for the brand.
What advice can you share for small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs who are also reeling in response to COVID-19?
I would give small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs the same advice I keep telling myself. Stay positive, keep moving forward, take time to do a bit less so that you are able to make decisions with a clear mind and a clear vision. Make sure that what you do and decide has your heart in it. It took me 15 years to build this brand; I won’t let it fall apart in one to two years of crisis.
Photo: Courtesy of Carolina Kleinman
What is one thing you didn’t do during the setup process that ended up being crucial to the business and would advise others to do asap?
The one thing that I didn’t do during the setup of my company was take the time to dive deep into understanding the business side of my brand and the fashion industry as a whole. It is very crucial to understand or have the correct people around you to advise. If you are a creative person like me, having someone managing the business side allows you to dream big while they point you in the right direction to set up structure, goals, and strategies to help you achieve your big dream.
For those who haven’t started a business (or are about to), what advice do you have?
If you are creating something from the bottom of your heart that is authentic to you, you will be just fine. Be sure to always find your own voice, be ethical and conscious of the planet, don’t look to what others are doing unless there is something you can learn from them, and be consistent. There is so much going on in the world but remember that each of us is unique and has our own point of view and each and everyone one of us should find that value in ourselves, always.
What is your number one piece of financial advice for any new business owner and why?
Always stay within your budget, make sure to calculate numbers beforehand, and do not overspend. There is plenty of time to grow organically and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You cannot expect results overnight. I read an interview with Patti Smith where she mentions a quote by William Burroughs that I always go back to when tough decisions come up or when my patience runs out: “Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don’t make compromises. Don’t worry about making a bunch of money or being successful. Be concerned with doing good work. And make the right choices and protect your work. And if you can build a good name, eventually that name will be its own currency.” -William Burroughs
If you could go back to the beginning with the knowledge you have now, what advice would you give yourself and why?
I would tell myself to take some business classes and make the time to really understand. Remember to maintain consistency as that is the key to success. Lastly, continue to trust my intuition and always listen to my inner voice. She will never lead me astray.
Anything else to add?
Stay passionate and remember to always have fun, as it is the journey that matters and not the destination.
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This Founder Has Raised Over $4 Million in Venture Capital From the Backers of Warby Parker, Casper, Peloton, and More
Here's why she wants you to be picky about the investors you choose.
You asked for more content around business finances, so we’re delivering. Welcome to Money Matters where we give you an inside look at the pocketbooks of CEOs and entrepreneurs. In this series, you’ll learn what successful women in business spend on office spaces and employee salaries, how they knew it was time to hire someone to manage their finances, and their best advice for talking about money.
Photo: Courtesy of Nicole Gibbons
In 2018, Nicole Gibbons launched a brand like no other: direct-to-consumer paint company Clare. After navigating the outdated paint industry on behalf of her clients for years, the longtime designer made it her mission to disrupt the space. “Frankly, shopping for paint has always been a huge hassle,” Gibbons tells Create & Cultivate. “There are thousands of overwhelming colors, too many product lines, the store environments are completely uninspiring, and there’s a lack of design guidance throughout the process.” So she set out to take the guesswork out of decorating by founding DTC paint brand Clare, which carries a curated selection of 56 designer-approved swatches.
But it’s not just about reinventing the fan deck. “At Clare, developing paint formulas that are healthier for our customers and the environment has been a priority since day one,” the founder explains. Clare’s paints are zero VOC, meaning they’re free of toxic carbon-based solvents that pollute the air and pose health risks, and Greenguard Gold-certified, meeting rigorous emissions standards, which is significant when you consider air indoors can be up to ten times more polluted than the air outdoors, according to the EPA. “People care now more than ever about the products they consume and the impact those products have on their health, their home, and the environment,” notes Gibbons.
Ahead, the founder shares how she’s raised over $4 million in venture capital funding for her clean and conscious DTC paint brand (including funding from the backers of DTC darlings by the likes of Warby Parker, Casper, Peleton, and more) and offers her best fundraising advice for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to replicate her success.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you were doing professionally before launching Clare?
Prior to launching Clare, I was an interior designer, running my own design firm and also doing a lot of work in the media as a design expert, including appearing for three seasons on a DIY home makeover show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Before that, I spent 10 years working as a PR executive for a large retailer while dabbling in interior design on the side. I’ve always been passionate about the home space and about helping people create beautiful spaces.
What was the “lightbulb moment” for Clare? What inspired you to start your business and pursue this path?
Frankly, shopping for paint has always been a huge hassle. There are thousands of overwhelming colors, too many product lines, the store environments are completely uninspiring, and there’s a lack of design guidance throughout the process. After realizing that the paint shopping experience was broken and outdated and that no legacy paint brands were focused on delivering a seamless shopping experience for their customers, I had the lightbulb moment for Clare. We’ve reimagined an entirely new paint shopping experience that’s easier, faster, more inspiring, and more convenient. Our mission is to help people everywhere create a home they love and to become the go-to paint brand for a new generation of consumers who are passionate about their homes.
Clare’s paints are zero VOC and Greenguard Gold-certified. Can you tell us why was it important to you to create non-toxic paints?
At traditional paint brands, this is generally an afterthought, but at Clare, developing paint formulas that are healthier for our customers and the environment has been a priority since day one. People care now more than ever about the products they consume and the impact those products have on their health, their home, and the environment. The cost associated with achieving our Greenguard Gold certification for indoor air quality, which is a top tier, EPA-endorsed green certification, was not inexpensive for us as a small startup. However, we felt this was an important step to take in order to give our customers confidence in our products.
You’ve raised over $4 million in funding for Clare to date, no doubt you’ve learned a lot along the way. What are three crucial elements everyone should include in a pitch deck when raising money and why?
First, tell a great brand story. Investors see hundreds of deals, if not more, so it’s important to present your brand in a way that grabs their attention and tells a compelling story. You want investors to immediately have a clear sense of your brand, your mission, what sets your company apart, and why they should get excited about both you as a founder and your company.
Second, tell a great numbers story. Your business model, or how you’ll make money, should be clear, as should the basic unit economics of your business and your growth projections. And these numbers need to be super compelling. A favorite line from one of our biggest investors is: There’s nothing like bad numbers to f*ck up a great story!
Lastly, do all of the above with conciseness, clarity, and a laser focus on the most important takeaways that you want the investors to remember.
Your investors include First Round Capital (an investor in Warby Parker), Imaginary (Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet's fund), and Bullish (a Casper, Peloton, and Harry's razors backer). What advice can you share for entrepreneurs on partnering with the right investors?
At the beginning of your journey, the power dynamics feel very much in favor of the investors. They have the money you need and, especially when you’re a first-time founder, you tend to believe they also have the secret sauce that’s going to help your business get to the next level, especially if they’re a bluechip fund with a lot of cachet. In reality, that is typically not the case. Most investors aren’t super hands-on, will never know as much about your business or category as you do, and often they don’t add a ton of value beyond the check. Founders often feel pressure to take whatever money you can get, but the investors YOU choose and the energy and influence they bring to the table can make or break your success. So the best advice I can offer is to be picky about the investors you choose and bet on yourself over betting on any individual investor being the key to your success.
Startups led by Black women receive less than 1% of venture capital funding. Why do you think there is still so much inequality in the venture capital world, and what advice can you share for BIPOC entrepreneurs who are currently seeking funding?
The venture capital world is incredibly homogenous. I’ve met a ton of venture capitalists and, overwhelmingly, they’re white men who are already rich and often born into privilege as well. So when it comes to deal sourcing, they’re focused on their own insular network of people who come from similar backgrounds which naturally leads to an extreme lack of diversity.
VCs are also taught to “pattern match,” which is to look for patterns in founders that mirror previous founders who have been successful, but there’s an inherent bias in this approach when all of their founders come from similar backgrounds. Data proves that diverse teams lead to higher returns yet it’s still difficult for VCs to get out of their insular bubbles and actually invest in diverse founders and teams. In order to create more equality in terms of who gets funded, funds need to diversify their own teams, especially at the partner level since partners are who ultimately make the investment decisions. This will lead to a more diverse pool of deals to source from, and in turn, more BIPOC entrepreneurs seeing their ventures get funded.
For entrepreneurs of color seeking funding, I’d say to first focus on funds that have a track record of funding diverse founders. This might mean funds that have a specific diversity focus, or simply who have a more balanced representation of founders in their portfolios. Next, don’t be intimidated by any data that shows the odds may be stacked against you. Instead, let your passion and confidence in what you’re building guide your process. Finally, be relentless and don’t get discouraged by the “no’s.” Raising venture capital is an incredibly difficult and draining process for any founder and even those who are very successful at raising capital face a lot of rejection. Trust that the right investors will be aligned with your vision.
What was your first big expense as a business owner and how should small business owners prepare for that now?
My first big expense was building out our website. I was lucky enough to find a team who really believed in me and the business and agreed to help start the high-level conceptual and creative direction work for the site without pay before I raised capital. Once I closed our financing, I was able to pay them properly. We started working on that before I actually put any physical product into production.
Photo: Courtesy of Clare
What are your top three largest expenses every month?
We don’t replenish inventory monthly, but during the months we do, that by far is our biggest expense. Payroll and marketing are our next biggest expenses.
Do you pay yourself, and if so, how did you know what to pay yourself?
Most people assume that being a CEO of a highly publicized company means you’re rich or you have a hefty salary, but most startup founders, especially at the early stage are grossly underpaid because everyone is incentivized to put as much value as possible into the business. I’m lucky that because we had an influx of capital from venture investors I was able to pay myself a modest salary, but the salary I’m paid is around a 60-70% decrease from what I was making before Clare and a huge short-term sacrifice. I basically pay myself enough to cover my monthly expenses and not much more. The hope when you’re building a company is that the upside will be significant so any initial sacrifice or temporary discomfort are both necessary but also well worth it in the long run.
Would you recommend other small business owners pay themselves?
Absolutely. To the extent that you can pay yourself a liveable salary, you should absolutely do so. Running a business is incredibly stressful, and it will be difficult to stay focused on the business if you’re also highly stressed about your personal finances and don’t have enough money to cover your basic necessities. The only exception is that if you’re lucky enough to have someone else taking care of you financially (i.e., family support, a spouse, etc.) then, depending on your situation, you might be better served not taking a salary and investing everything you have into growing your business. It all boils down to your goals, your plans for growth, and what you need to get you to your next milestone.
How did you know you were ready to hire and what advice can you share on preparing for this stage of your business?
With Clare, as a venture-backed company, the goal is to build a venture-scale business, so I knew there was no way I could do this on my own. I hired people as soon as I possibly could to help fill expertise gaps and also increase my bandwidth. When I started out, key hires included a digital marketer and head of supply chain since those were areas that needed a lot of attention and where I lacked the skills and expertise.
What are some of the tools you use to stay on top of your business financials? What do you recommend for small business owners on a budget?
We have an outsourced CFO and an accounting firm who manage all of the day-to-day finances but keep a close eye on everything. In terms of tools, we use Quickbooks to manage our accounting. Google Sheets and Excel are tools of choice for building out reports to look at trends and gain deeper insights into how we’re doing.
Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy and why?
This really depends on your goals. If your goals are growth then investing in marketing is probably going to be the most important area to focus on. If you have a highly technical product with a big innovation roadmap, you might invest in hiring engineers. If you have a capital-intensive supply chain, investing in building efficiency there might make the most sense.
Do you think women should talk about money and business more? Why?
Absolutely. Having collaborative discussions around business, finance, and sharing best practices with peers is often the best way to learn and grow.
Do you have a financial mentor? If so, how did you find one and do you think all business owners need one?
I’m lucky now that I do have people around me who I can go to for guidance, but I haven’t always. This is unfortunate because I feel like I could have prevented a lot of costly mistakes in both my business and personal finances if I had someone guiding me. I’ve had to figure a lot out of my own over the years, so if you have access to a mentor, lean on them to help you navigate all the things you don’t know.
What is your best piece of financial advice for new entrepreneurs?
Ruthlessly prioritize what’s most important to your business and what’s in the best interest of your brand mission. When you’re running a young company, everything feels like a priority and so many opportunities come up that seem worthwhile, but when bandwidth is slim, you have to prioritize like a boss. Focus both your dollars and your human capital on the initiatives and opportunities that will propel your business forward and deliver the most value.
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The Fashion Industry Accounts for 4% of the Globe’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions—So These Founders Are Doing Things Differently
Proving sustainable fashion can be profitable.
You asked for more content around business finances, so we’re delivering. Welcome to Money Matters where we give you an inside look at the pocketbooks of CEOs and entrepreneurs. In this series, you’ll learn what successful women in business spend on office spaces and employee salaries, how they knew it was time to hire someone to manage their finances, and their best advice for talking about money.
Photo: Courtesy of Londre Bodywear
It’s no secret that fashion has a sustainability problem. But while the industry currently accounts for 4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, consumers are advocating for change and spending their dollars accordingly, investing in brands that are committed to reducing their impact on the environment. Londre is the latest sustainable fashion brand to catch our attention at Create & Cultivate, and we’re not the only ones. The Canadian fashion brand recently received a $208K investment on “Dragons’ Den” (a.k.a the “Shark Tank” of Canada) and we’re eager to share the story behind the brand before you see it all over your Instagram feed (because trust us, you will).
Based in Vancouver, Ainsley Rose and Hannah Todd launched Londre in reaction to the startling amount of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. To date, the brand has recycled 100,000 plastic bottles off of the streets and beaches of Taiwan into their sustainable swimwear offering. But sustainability isn’t just about the planet for Rose and Todd, it’s also about the people. “Our products represent 360-degree sustainability, and this is something we heavily invest in,” Rose tells Create & Cultivate. “We believe that you can’t take care of the planet without taking care of its people, so ensuring our internal and external teams are treated fairly is critical,” Todd adds.
Here, the co-founders share how they bootstrapped the brand with an initial investment of just $15,000 and turned it into a business that generates seven-figure revenue.
Talk us through your bootstrapping process. How did you self-fund Londre, and would you recommend that route to other entrepreneurs today?
AINSLEY ROSE: We took an initial $15,000 CAD investment from a close friend to help with our first round of samples. Since then, we’ve completely bootstrapped our business and have been self-sustaining. As a sustainable mission-driven brand our finances have to be looked at strategically to ensure that we can make choices that enact positive change and benefit both the planet and our business.
HANNAH TODD: Since inception, Londre has seen a 300% year-over-year growth, and a big reason why is that we’ve been scrappy. This has helped us develop clarity in our business because sometimes having too much cash allows you to put a bandaid on a problem instead of fixing the issue from the start. This has also allowed us to grow organically, putting community first and ensuring market need. Not being beholden to a VC or large stake investor also has allowed us to work without an additional layer of pressure, and better tune into our intuition about what is best for our business.
Can you share three crucial elements everyone should include in a pitch deck when raising money?
HT: Because we were pitching to someone we have a strong personal relationship with, our pitch was super simple. We didn’t even have a sample made yet. Ultimately, they chose to invest in us because they had faith in the values and ethics we hold as people, and less so in the product offering itself. Being empathetic, speaking from the heart, and having a good understanding of market trends helped us in our pitch.
AR: The person who invested in us originally is still a trusted advisor and has been able to provide incredibly helpful insights over the years.
What are some of the most common mistakes people make when raising money?
AR: I think the most common thing we see is valuing skills over the relationship. In choosing an investor, or business partner for that matter, ensuring that you feel comfortable communicating honestly and have a strong foundation of trust is key.
HT: We also see people asking for too much too soon. If you are creative enough, you can likely get by with less than you think, and having too many controlling voices involved can complicate things.
How much do you pay yourselves, and how did you know what to pay yourselves?
AR: Londre started out as a side hustle for Hannah and me that eventually became our main gig and source of income. I was working as a photographer, which allowed me to set my own schedule and develop a great network. I eventually stopped taking on new clients once Londre had reached a point where I felt comfortable taking a meaningful salary.
HT: I was working as a yoga instructor so also was able to make my own schedule. We chose how much to pay ourselves based on our lifestyle. To decide on our salaries we budgeted how much we needed each to live comfortable, satisfying, and sustainable lives in Vancouver and worked backward from there! We also allocated a bonus structure to celebrate when sales goals are hit.
How did you decide what to pay employees?
HT: Currently, we work with a team of contractors who are all small business owners in their own right. We find that this gives both parties more flexibility and freedom. We collaboratively decide on compensation and offer performance-based incentives. We believe that you can’t take care of the planet without taking care of its people, so ensuring our internal and external teams are treated fairly is critical.
AR: We look to third-party certifications like Oeko Tex 100 for our fabric and work with Vancouver-based companies with an A+ Better Business rating to ensure that our ethical and sustainable mandate is met. Although working this way is more expensive than using a more traditional fashion model, ensuring value alignment in our brand has made our business thrive, generating seven-figure revenue and feels deeply rewarding.
Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy?
AR: Our products represent 360-degree sustainability, and this is something we heavily invest in. We notice more brands are using more recycled materials and it’s something we love to see! However, if sustainability isn’t looked at from a holistic lens, it may easily be greenwashing.
HT: For example, even if a product is made from recycled materials but isn’t functional and high quality, packaged using sustainable materials, and without a plan for the end of its life cycle, it ultimately will end up in a landfill contributing to further waste. We’ve focussed most of our financial energy on product development and quality control. Ensuring that our products are high quality and long-lasting is our first concern, not only from a customer satisfaction standpoint but also from a sustainability perspective. We just launched our first loungewear collection, The Essentials, and a lot of research went into finding fabrics and components that stay true to our 360-degree approach.
What was your first big expense as a business owner?
HT: Our first round of samples. What we thought was going to be a $5000, two-month project turned into a $16,000 venture, nine months later. The first suit we created, the Minimalist in Matte Black, is still our biggest seller, so ultimately the hundreds of revisions were worth it.
What are your top three largest expenses every month?
AR: Production costs (ethical manufacturing and sustainable materials); shipping and compostable and recyclable packaging; and digital ads (we actually only started running them in the last year).
How much do you spend on office space?
HT: $0. We are fully remote.
How much do you spend on employee salaries?
AR: Contractors and our salaries: ~$25,000 a month
How much are you saving, and when did you start being able to save some of your income?
HT: We as co-founders save about $1,000 a month each. We’ve only started paying ourselves enough to save within the past year.
Did you hire an accountant? Who helped you with the financial decisions and setup of the business?
AR: Yes! We have an accountant who supports our year-end and we use QuickBooks for day-to-day accounting.
HT: Ainsley’s fiance is a CPA and he’s stepped in to help us with inventory forecasting and budgeting when we need support with more complex financial modeling
What are some of the tools you use to stay on top of your business financials?
AR: We use QuickBooks for our accounting. We also have a detailed model which helps us plan our inventory, forecasting, and budgeting. Additionally, we have a recurring calendar event monthly to go over inventory and budgeting.
What do you wish you’d done anything differently in your financial journey as business owners?
HT: We overspent on in-person events. The most successful event we held was actually the least expensive, as connection trumps extravagant details every time.
Do you think women should talk about money and business more?
AR: Absolutely! There is so much stigma around gaining wealth, particularly for women. We’ve both taken courses by Lacy Phillips to break down any blocks and baggage we may hold around money and learn how to move into abundance.
HT: We feel privileged to have a community of entrepreneurial womxn who we can talk candidly about finances and this has helped us immeasurably.
Do you have a financial mentor, and do you think all business owners need one?
HT: Our investor, who still has a small stake in Londre Bodywear, is our financial mentor. This relationship works for us because we can communicate openly with them and have been able to lean on their entrepreneurial experience. We check in every two months so we can ask general questions.
AR: We don’t think you necessarily need a mentor because your intuition is best, but having a mentor who you can trust to gather advice from and see if it fits has been helpful for us.
What is your best piece of financial advice for new entrepreneurs?
HT: Get super clear on your values. There are tons of shiny things to be distracted by but when you have a foundation of nonnegotiable sustainability (or whatever your chief value is) it allows for further clarity.
AR: Also, don’t be afraid to negotiate and see what transactions you can do as trade instead of monetarily. Get creative with your trades! We asked for tons of help and in exchange would not only offer store credit, but also services that lined up with our skills. For example, Hannah was a yoga instructor and would offer a private yoga session in exchange for someone helping us build a financial model.
What have been some of the hardest money lessons you've learned along the way?
AR: We originally wanted to start our business in Bali. Our fabric and samples were stolen, and I was left waiting at the airport at 1 A.M. for the sample maker, who never showed up, and had nothing to show for a two-week-long trip. We ended up restarting in Vancouver (where we live), and now are able to have eyes on production. Keeping things close to home so you can directly oversee everything gives you more control over how your money is used.
HT: Wait until you have clear market approvable before creating a huge run of your product. We’ve always valued organic growth and doing small runs and which has contributed to increased demand and zero wasted product.
What is your #1 money tip for small business owners?
HT: Be scrappy, don’t be afraid to ask hard questions, and negotiate in a kind and empathetic way.
AR: Keep your values at the forefront of all of your financial decisions.
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When She Was 12, She Started a Cookie Company—Now She’s the Founder of Two Major Organic Food & Bev Businesses
Her appetite for entrepreneurship is insatiable.
You asked for more content around business finances, so we’re delivering. Welcome to Money Matters where we give you an inside look at the pocketbooks of CEOs and entrepreneurs. In this series, you’ll learn what successful women in business spend on office spaces and employee salaries, how they knew it was time to hire someone to manage their finances, and their best advice for talking about money.
Photo: Courtesy of Nicole Bernard Dawes
It’s safe to say Nicole Bernard Dawes knows a thing or two about the food industry. Raised among the aisles of her mother's natural food store in Chatham, Massachusetts, and on the factory floor of her father’s company, Cape Cod Potato Chips, she was surrounded by CPGs and P&Ls from a young age. And it didn’t take long for her parents’ passion for food and entrepreneurial drive to make an impression on her. When she was twelve, she started a cookie company with her best friend, and although the business was short-lived, lasting just one summer, her appetite for entrepreneurship was not.
In 2003, after a search for organic crackers left Dawes empty-handed, she teamed up with her father to launch Late July, a snack food company to fill the gap in the market for delicious, organic options. Known for its range of delectable crackers, popcorns, and tortilla chips, the brand has quickly grown into a multi-million dollar business with stockists ranging from CVS and Bevmo to Whole Foods. Now, Dawes is applying her business acumen and skill for bringing superior-tasting organic options to market to the beverage industry with Nixie, a certified organic, non-GMO sparkling water brand.
Ahead, the serial entrepreneur tells Create & Cultivate all about how she’s built two successful food and beverage companies, what really it takes to see a business through tough times, and why every entrepreneur should prioritize investing in their team.
How did you make your first dollar and what did that job teach you that still applies today?
When I was twelve my best friend and I started a cookie company. By some miracle, we actually convinced two delis in our small town to sell our homemade chocolate chip cookies all summer long. Twice a week from June to September, we baked our cookies, wrapped them individually, labeled them, and walked to each location dropping them off. We had a blast! In addition to the importance of pricing your product correctly and crafting a good sales pitch, I experienced the joy that comes from loving your job.
Take us back to the beginning—what was the lightbulb moment for Nixie and what inspired you to pursue this path?
With Late July, I was pregnant with my oldest son and couldn’t find an organic saltine anywhere in New York City. I realized that I had discovered an opening into the multi-billion dollar snack market. For Nixie, similarly, I desperately wanted a delicious, refreshing, and certified organic sparkling water to satisfy my family’s significant daily sparkling water habit. I was shocked that none existed that checked all those boxes.
One of the things that drives me the most with both Late July and Nixie, is proving that certified organic products can sell as well as their conventional counterparts. I also love being a business owner because we’re able to make an impact in areas that are important to me personally and also for our planet—for example, I have a goal of helping to eliminate single-use plastic beverage containers and Nixie is committed to never using them.
Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks. What’s the most pivotal financial risk you’ve taken, and how did it change your path?
Deciding to launch Late July’s tortilla chips during the recession of 2009, the same year my father died and our bank used his death to put our multimillion-dollar loan in default, was the biggest risk I’ve taken as an entrepreneur. We essentially pivoted our whole company with a very expensive product launch during the most uncertain time in our company’s history. Those tortilla chips went on to become the number one tortilla chip in natural foods, and changed the whole trajectory for Late July, making us an overnight success, seven years in the making. When we made this pivot our sales were at $8M, afterwards, we quickly grew to $100M.
Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy and why?
Definitely their team. Hiring the right people is expensive and time-consuming, but your team is everything.
What was your first big expense as a business owner and how should small business owners prepare for that now?
For both Late July and Nixie our first big expense was our initial production run which is very often the case for consumer product companies. Most factories have pretty significant minimum order quantities, which in addition to the cost of producing the finished goods, also means significant upfront costs for raw materials, packaging, and corrugated all before you have any customers. You have to spend the money without any guarantee that you’ll ever make it back. First production runs are expensive and terrifying for a million reasons, but also exciting.
What are your top three largest expenses every month?
Outside of the cost of goods, freight, and promotional expenses, our three biggest monthly spends are on payroll, trade marketing, and sales support (brokers, merchandisers, etc.).
In the beginning, how much did you pay yourself and how did you know what to pay yourself?
I didn’t take a salary for a long time at Late July and when I did it was $60,000 per year. It wasn’t until a board member in my eighth year suggested it was time to stop underpaying myself based on the company’s success that I finally increased it to a market rate. For that, I used comps for my industry as compiled by our payroll provider. I’m not currently taking a salary at Nixie.
Photo: Courtesy of Nixie
Would you recommend other small business owners pay themselves?
It really depends on the source of your funding and the amount of your ownership. If you are the primary source of funds and own a significant majority of stock, then it doesn’t really make sense to pay yourself until the company is ready. If you are giving up ownership to bring in investors, then you should absolutely budget for your own salary at a market rate.
How did you know you were ready to hire and what advice can you share on preparing for this stage of your business?
I hired a part-time accounting person almost right away at Late July and budgeted for a full team for Nixie. So much depends on your funding and how fast you intend to grow. One piece of advice I’d suggest—especially if this is your first venture—is to be hyper-aware of what areas are your strengths and which are your weaknesses so you know what roles to hire first and what qualities to look for in any given role.
Did you hire an accountant? Who helped you with the financial decisions and setup?
I did have an accountant from the beginning of both companies. He helped me choose the right type of company formation (i.e., LLC vs corporation). For Nixie, we also used an outside accounting person to help our VP of finance with day-to-day accounting in lieu of bringing that function in-house.
What apps or software are you using for finances?
I highly recommend the following financial and software programs that we use at Nixie: Xero for accounting, Bill.com for bill pay, Gusto for HR, Unleashed for purchase orders, Crisp for sales forecasting, and Expensify for expense reports. We also use Office 365 and Microsoft Teams. I love our current software setup. It’s not expensive and allows for easy reporting from anywhere.
Do you think women should talk about money and business more? Why?
Absolutely! If you stop for a minute and realize that until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed in 1974, married women were denied credit cards and loans in their own name. It wasn’t much easier for single women. It takes generations of change to normalize new behavior, and encouraging open communication on the topic of money and business among women is a vital part of that. I have a network of fellow women CEOs who I frequently and openly talk to about issues affecting our businesses. I also love when business magazines, podcasts, and websites utilize women CEOs to answer everyday business questions.
Do you have a financial mentor? Do you think business owners need one?
Not specifically, but I was raised in a family business and grew up around P&Ls, income statements, and balance sheets. When I started that cookie company at twelve, my father taught me how to calculate our cost of goods and properly price our products. I don’t think having a specific financial mentor was essential for me because of my background and the fact that I was an economics major so I had a high degree of comfort and familiarity with finance, but if finance and accounting are outside of your comfort zone, then yes.
What is your best piece of financial advice for new entrepreneurs?
Deeply understand your cost of goods, P&L, and balance sheet. Never let anyone else tell you the financial state of your company. If there’s something you don’t understand, learn it.
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My First 2 Businesses Failed—Here's How I Turned It Around
"There isn’t a single path to finding your way to success."
Photo: Courtesy of Jonne Amaya
Growing up, I was told that everything is possible. I remember having a conversation with my dad when I was about seven years old. He would ask me to name what I’d like to be when I grew up, and then he would respond with, “How is that a career option?” I told him that I loved plants, and he said, “You’ll own a winery.” When I was young, I was not attached to the idea of a college experience or a common career path. And since my parents encouraged me to follow my passion, I felt free to experiment and explore.
I became intrigued by jewelry when I was just eight years old. My mom would allow me to order pieces from the Jewelry Channel on TV and then return them after I saw the pieces in person. When I was ten, my parents got me a 0.05-carat diamond ring for Christmas. I was always obsessed with jewelry, but it became a career prospect when I started creating pieces myself at bench jewelry classes in Barcelona. Deep down, I always knew that I would have my own company at one point in my life.
I launched my first brand when I was twenty-one years old. It was a Renaissance-inspired, edgy jewelry line. I was working for a young L.A.-based jewelry designer at the time, and her marketing strategy was to take photos of local, It girls wearing her pieces. She was very successful, and I naively assumed that I could emulate this business model and achieve the same kind of success. But in eight months, I sold three pieces and received zero interest from stores or showrooms. I was so confused. I had cool designs, great imagery, and all the right assets.
I started my second company when I was twenty-five while working for Vrai & Oro (now known as Vrai). I was really impressed with their timeless design aesthetic, direct-to-consumer business model, and transparent pricing. I was convinced that the reason Walk the Chapel failed was due to my wholesale approach and the fact that the jewelry was not for “every day.” So this time, I went the D2C route and created modern, unisex pieces.
A year into this venture, I was still not finding success. I was really frustrated. Around this time, I started taking custom orders from clients. When I would pick up the finished pieces from my jewelers in Downtown L.A., I saw all of their other work: it was an endless stream of generic jewelry, largely “replicas” of other designers’ pieces, produced in mass.
When I saw the amount of production the other brands had in comparison to the single, custom-designed pieces I was making, I realized that I didn’t want to contribute to this waste. When I was just starting out in the industry, I equated huge wholesale orders with success. Now, I have started to see mass production as the problem.
Not only did the artistic process of jewelry design get lost through mass production, but it was also extremely unsustainable. I pivoted my brand strategy to demonstrate the value of repurposing and really dove deep into why it was important for consumers to change their buying behavior when it comes to jewelry.
When I found my purpose, that's when I started seeing my luck turn around. Sharing my message and brand became my main priority. I understand now that when starting a business, it’s important to create a foundation around a core vision and purpose. Once you establish that and remain consistent, it all lines up from there.
When I was younger, I undervalued the message behind my brand and overvalued the product itself. I see a lot of start-ups making the same mistakes, and they’re missing the most important part of the puzzle. It’s very clear to me now that there isn’t a single path to finding your way to success. Now, I mainly focus on getting my message heard by the right consumers who share my values.
“When I found my purpose, that's when I started seeing my luck turn around.”
—Jonne Amaya, Fine Jeweler and Founder of Jonne
About the Author: Jonne Amaya is an emerging fine jeweler who hyper-focused on sustainability. Born in Mexico and based in L.A., Jonne creates custom fine jewelry with intention and never designing in bulk. Through a personal, intimate process, she works with her clients, one-on-one, to create new designs or transform existing pieces into the jewelry of their dreams. Jonne began her jewelry design career by learning benchwork and then studying gemology in her native Mexico. She created her first piece by repurposing a family heirloom with sentimental value that had gone unworn. By giving the piece new life, she discovered her love of sustainable, intentional jewelry design.
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4 Simple Ways to Live an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle (Even If You're Too Busy)
Let's get green.
Photo: Daria Shevtsova for Pexels
Did you know 8 million metric tons of trash are dumped into the ocean each year?
This trash also kills around one million marine animals and birds every year. Not a day goes by without pollution of some kind. Whether it’s the fumes from cars, the plastic bag holding our PB&J sandwich, the cheap graphic tee you bought last week, or even the plastic water bottle you bought with your salad on your lunch break.
But no matter how busy your days are, everyone can (and should!), find the time to care a little more about this place we call home. It’s time to do our part to reduce this toxic waste and find smarter ways to keep our planet clean and safe. Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips to kick off an eco-friendly lifestyle, even if you’re busy.
Be Mindful of Fast Fashion
Clothing is an essential part of our everyday life. What we pay for clothing, how we feel in it, and how long it lasts are all important factors to keep in mind when purchasing clothes. Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest style trends. This allows companies to create cheaply made clothing that will likely not last long for the consumer—ever wash a shirt once and the thread string comes out, or it shrinks three sizes?.
Sustainable fashion is the process of fostering change to clothing products towards greater ecological integrity. There are several ways to become a trendsetter without giving into fast fashion and its grand marketing scheme. A string of companies are popping up around this sustainable drive offering easy ways to consign fashion and buy used clothing—hint Poshmark, thredUP, The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, and eBay. They are all doing their part to promote sustainable fashion at an affordable, not cheap, price. Buying secondhand and investing in clothing that is high quality and made with organic and durable fibers are the best ways we can support this sustainable clothing initiative. Did you know fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world behind oil? Let’s change that, ladies.
Invest in Sustainable Food Storage Containers
Work life consists of various foods and snacks to get you through your day. This includes plastic containers, plastic zip-top bags, maybe even plastic bags as lunch bags. Look for food containers that have silicone lids instead of plastic. Silicone is long-lasting, free of all estrogen-mimicking chemicals that are usually found in plastics, doesn’t contain petroleum, and is not harmful to the environment.
Stainless steel is another noteworthy material to use for storing food. People often forget that stainless steel is a highly recycled commodity. According to the International Stainless Steel Forum, the rate of stainless steel recycling has increased to 90% while plastic recycling remains at 1% with most remains dumped into a landfill. If you tend to bring a big lunch everyday, you might want to purchase a reusable lunchbox. This gives you the freedom to keep all your food in place and cold, while also reducing plastic bag use.
So, next time you make a Target run, take a peek at the containers section to make your ecological footprint a little less toxic.
Bring Your Learnings Into Your Building
Most office and apartment buildings should be following all recycling rules no matter what, but if you’re in a building where they don’t pay attention, then now is the time to inquire.
Contact the building management company and ask them any questions you may have about how to recycle properly. Make signs, set up bins, and do your part to educate your fellow employees and residents on recycling and how to do it the proper way. Provide lists of resources for people looking to get rid of plastic bags, old toys, clothes, food, or even electronics.
Print out recycling guidelines with handy pictures so people can learn at-a-glance how to appropriately dispose of their trash. Talk to your building manager about implementing these recycling guidelines and ask if you’re able to hold an info session to teach employees or residents about the do’s and don’ts of recycling (once social distancing restrictions are lifted). The more people we educate, the better our quality of life will be.
Reduce Plastic Use Where You Can
We all know plastic is the big criminal here. One of the biggest actions we can take is to stop purchasing plastic water bottles, and particularly, plastic water bottles in mass quantity. Not only does this waste affect our marine life but can also affect public health by spreading diseases and other illnesses as a result of burning waste.
In 2010, Sarah Kauss founded the company S’well with an important mission in mind. Kauss wanted to rid the world of plastic bottles. She molded fashion and function together to create a product that consumers couldn’t resist. The bottles are designed to keep your beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. S’well is a woman-owned company with a strong and clear vision to make the world a cleaner place.
Instead of polluting the Earth every day with more plastic water bottles, reuse your own cute and sustainable water bottle that is entirely yours (and you’ll save so much money). You can take it with you pretty much anywhere you go. It’s the easiest way to make the world a cleaner place.
About the Author: Abbey Adams currently works at a digital marketing company while also maintaining her music blog, blondieandthebeat.com, of six years. Throughout her time as a freelance writer for a women’s magazine she’s learned to share every story and empower as many women as possible. You can usually find her writing in bed binging “Sex and the City” (for the 10th time) or at the gym sweating out her anxiety on the stairclimber.
This story was originally published on July 6, 2019, and has since been updated.
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Nature Needs Heroes—Timberland Is Calling on the Next-Gen of Conscious Creators to Put the Planet First
Put your best “green” foot forward and shop with a conscience.
We’re coining them the “zeroes”—this new generation of zero-waste heroes are conscious creators, plantfluencers, and eco-crusaders that are marching to the beat of a green drum towards a sustainable future. They’re also keeping the fashion industry accountable for its high waste-producing reputation. (For context, the EPA estimated rubber, leather, and textiles make up more than 9% of all solid waste within the US.)
According to the Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2019 Update, more people are choosing to look for fashion brands with an eco-friendly focus. In fact, 75% of consumers in the report view sustainability as either extremely or very important to them. But we’re at a critical point where the environment can no longer wait for the consumer to lead this movement—it’s up to fashion leaders to make the bold moves and switch to a sustainable business model. That’s why we’re so thrilled to be partnering up with Timberland for their Nature Needs Heroes event at their stunning NYC flagship on 5th avenue.
Photo: Courtesy of Timberland
While the lens on sustainability has been magnified in recent years, Timberland’s environment-first commitment has been ongoing. In a bid to alleviate the fashion industry’s impact on global C02 emissions, they’re going to plant 50 million trees over the next five years—they’ve planted more than 10 million trees worldwide already.
We’ve invited four conscious creators for an enlightening conversation on why putting the planet first is good for all—and we want you to join us!
Photo: Courtesy of Timberland
Read on to learn more about each of our panelists, the work they're doing, their mission, and why we should get behind them—be sure to RSVP NOW as space is limited and this will fill up fast!
Photojournalist exploring sustainability and social politics, founder, Adimay.
You can’t talk about sustainable fashion without mentioning Aditi Mayer. The creative force by sustainable fashion blog, ADIMAY, she has been exploring the ties between style, sustainability, and social justice for four years. *Read: Before it was a buzzword. Frustrated with the lack of representation and intersectionality within the sustainability movement, ADIMAY became a space that looked at sustainability with an eye that was equally curious, curatorial, and critical.
Deborah Shepard
Digital Content Creator, Clothed In Abundance
The 25-year old writer and speaker founded Clothed In Abundance to teach people about the benefits of minimalism and how the art of decluttering can positively impact our mental health, and finances. Deborah teaches spiritual women to care about things, deeper than things. She’s also the founder of Broke Not Broken a clothing line and upcoming podcast that supports and uplifts mental health survivors through the power of storytelling. Follow her minimalism journey on Youtube, Instagram, and find out how to support her work.
Founder, Trash Is for Tossers
As the founder and CEO of Package Free, Lauren Singer is on a mission to make the world less trashy by offering products that help you reduce waste daily. Her zero-waste editorial platform, Trash is for Tossers is an extension of that MO where she showcases how to live a low or zero-waste lifestyle that’s cost-effective, accessible, and fun.
An Environmental Studies graduate from NYU, former Sustainability Manager at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and popularizer and pioneer of the Zero Waste Movement, the amount of trash that she has produced over the past eight years can fit inside of a 16 oz mason jar. Singer has empowered millions to reduce their waste and has kept over 100 million pieces of trash out of landfills through her work at Package Free.
Founder, Reading My Tea Leaves and Author, Simple Matters
As the writer and photographer behind popular lifestyle blog, Reading My Tea Leaves Boyle writes about all things slow, simple, and sustainable. In 2016, she authored her first book, Simple Matters—a nod to the growing consensus that living simply and purposefully is more sustainable not only for the environment but for our own happiness and well-being, too. Boyle embraces the notion that “living small” is beneficial and accessible to us all—whether we’re renting a tiny apartment or purchasing a three-story house.
Please come and join us on October 2 at Timberland’s NYC flagship on 5th avenue from 6:30—9:00 PM for our panel conversation “Conscious Creators—Why Putting the Planet First Is Good for All” and celebrate a more sustainable future. Make sure you RSVP HERE because this will be sure to fill up fast!
Slow Stories: The Big Picture—The Relationship Between Content and Sustainability
Slow Stories: Part 2
This is the second installment in a series on slow content. See the first installment here.
For most modern marketers, content has become an essential component of their overarching digital strategy. But with content's increasingly present role in both our personal and professional lives (in tandem with an often complex social and political landscape), the conversation is now shifting in a thoughtful direction toward considerations of its role in social epidemics surrounding mental health, the evolving news climate, and more.
Since launching the Slow Stories podcast, I've spoken with leading brand-builders who have collectively alluded to the fact that our current consumption habits are forcing new ways of thinking about content's relationship to sustainability. And when looking back at our first season as a whole, my collective takeaway from these conversations revealed three primary elements that make up the slow content movement today:
1. Slow content provides value and purpose
Beyond aesthetics and virality, many of our podcast interviewees defined slow content as being something that offers true value in a densely saturated landscape. Understanding a piece of content's purpose and how it will serve an audience—whether through educating or inspiring—gives it a better chance of leaving a long-term impact beyond just fleeting inspiration in our day-to-day scrolling.
2. Slow content considers data and fact-checking
The immediacy that social media and self-publishing affords us has presented new challenges in how we detect what is real and what is being obscured. To create a credible storytelling environment, our interviewees contend that a return to a slower, well-researched process is critical for all conscious storytellers.
3. Slowing down our relationship to content makes us nicer, more well-rounded people
Finally, a lot of my conversations with these incredible women signaled that there's not necessarily a need to create content all day, every day. As we all work to discern what it is we want to say (and consume), it is equally important to create space to take a step back, recharge, and connect with what drives us offline just as much as what inspires us online.
With these pillars in mind, today's article is going to further expand on the importance of thinking about creating content through a sustainable, big-picture lens. If you find yourself struggling to think about or implement "slow" content in your own strategies, let's look at a similar movement like slow fashion.
At their core, slow fashion brands are commonly known for championing ethical and sustainable production practices, educating consumers on how their pieces are made, and rewriting the rules regarding social and business expectations surrounding their brands. As a result, companies like this have slowly begun to transform the greater fashion industry by creating new standards that are more conscious of both the modern brand builder and consumer's needs. The content and marketing space can surely borrow from these efforts to create a more sustainable landscape for storytelling professionals on both sides of the equation. Below, I've listed a few considerations for brands and content creators to ask themselves—and each other—to enact more sustainable, mutually-beneficial opportunities to create content that has longevity.
1. Set the expectations
The same way a fashion brand would set standards regarding their production process, a content creator can similarly follow suit and establish their own set of best practices when taking on projects. Part of this exercise is educating brands about the importance of ethics—which extends to proper compensation, creative resource allocation, and so on.
2. Ensure consistency and communication
As I mentioned in last month's article, setting yourself up for success in the slow content space begins by laying a long-term foundation in collaboration with your team or client. Part of this is not only communicating what resources you need to bring the content to life, but further educating your team on how it fits into their big picture brand story and mission. When creating enduring content for a brand of any size, it is essential to discuss the end-goal, and what elements must be considered to bring it all to life in an on-brand way. That is where tools like brand books or guidelines come into play to ensure that all relevant details are considered during the production process.
3. Champion the investment in content—and the creators needed to bring it to life
At times, it can be hard for brands to justify the additional spend on custom content (especially when UGC is alive and well). But going back to our slow fashion example, whenever I've found myself in a new business meeting, I often compare the investment in content to investing in quality-made clothing: I'm purchasing a well-made garment and supporting a brand I love as a result. Not only does this demonstrate an interest in championing the brand as a content creator, but it often helps contextualize why putting resources into original (and quality) content is vital for the brand's business goals—and on a more human level—sustaining the support of/relationship with content collaborators.
In a world where trends, expectations, and platforms can change in an instant, thinking about sustainability's role in content isn't always an easy task. I hope this article provides a framework to have necessary conversations with your clients or team to establish systems and tools that allow you to create content that is thoughtful (and provides value) for years to come.
For more musings on slow content, I invite you to follow along with the Slow Stories podcast on iTunes and my monthly column here on the Create & Cultivate blog!
Rachel Schwartzmann is the Founder and CEO of The Style Line LLC. She created The Style Line in late January 2011 via Tumblr and has fostered The Style Line’s brand in its growth since then. Rachel has been featured in esteemed sources including Forbes, Refinery29, and MyDomaine and has also spoken at Create & Cultivate and Columbia University on establishing a unique brand point of view and entrepreneurship. On October 1, 2015, Rachel took The Style Line in a new direction as a boutique content company with the introduction of its slow content agency CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL.
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