She's Fit To Lead

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a thirty-something midwestern gal, motivated by passion and success. I love my animal family (I have 3 pups and 2 kitties), traveling, the outdoors – sunshine, beaches, lakes, all of it. I’m known to capture the moment and always listening to the BEST music. My passion for consumer goods keeps me always thinking of the next big thing.

What exactly is TF Publishing?

TF Publishing is always evolving – but in a nutshell: calendars, planners, journals, stationery – all of the pretty things to keep us organized in a fashionable way!

What inspired you to start TF Publishing?

TFP was born to fill the need of organization and we have always been planner user and list makers. There’s something so gratifying about crossing off a list and having your schedule on a desk in front of you. We make getting organized fun, inspirational, and something to look forward to!

How did you come up with the name?

TF stands for Time Factory, time – as in dates / calendars!

You’re recognized for your green initiatives, can you tell us about that?

We have made it a priority to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Not only do we have a wind turbine that provides partial power to our building, we have eliminated nearly all plastic from our products, offering recyclable, paper alternatives instead. For example, rather than plastic covers for our planners, we offer adhesive paper pockets that you can use anywhere in your planner. We also provide reuse suggestions for our products on our website and on social media. Our products are made from recyclable paper and use environmentally friendly inks. We reuse or recycle the corrugated cartons our products are shipped in and have a recycling program available to our entire office park. Our journals/planners are created using cotton or linen covers and the internal pages use a wood-free paper. We reuse boxes to pack orders so have minimal rubbish, and we recycle everywhere we can.

What is your favorite part about running TF Publishing?

Every day is a new challenge, and we learn something new every day. We have a great culture here, and some wonderful, hardworking people to make things happen each day. And of course, its very rewarding and exciting to see product concepts and ideas come to life, and then finally, satisfying customers with the end result. Being a shopper myself, the process of how products get into retail stores in fascinating!

What is your least favorite part about running TF Publishing?

Every business has its ups and downs, but I would say patience. We have to work so far in development sometimes we get it right and know exactly what customers want, but there are definitely some risks that are taken in what trends will be hot and how customers are planning.

Is there a favorite product?

That’s a tough one, right now I am loving our Planners. Specifically, the Abstract Large Weekly Monthly Planner. It has a fun and colorful exterior, and the inside pages have ample writing room for my daily plans, place for my weekly goals, habits, and checklists to keep me organized, efficient, and accountable!

Where are your products sold?

Of course TFPublishing.com, as well as Amazon, Target.com, Zulily, World Market, Kohls, and many others

What makes you different from other planners out there?

There are sooo many great planners out there, in different styles and price points. I think we do a great job of making great quality, stylish products at affordable prices. Our products are designed to appeal to everyone – from moms to students to professionals. We not only aim to make staying organized trendy and fun, but we are also very selective in the materials we use – how does it feel? how does it look? will it last? – all while keeping in mind the consumer’s budget.

Is there a certain time in the year it is better to buy your planners than others?

Our academic planners are released in April-May, and then our calendar-year planners are mostly purchased in November and December, before the new year begins.

How do you spread the word about your company?

We are very active on social media – showcasing the personality and culture of our company, which is also reflected in our products. Establishing genuine connections, customer service and word of mouth from loyal customers spreading the word is invaluable as well and has helped our business grow organically.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

Love what you do. Be an ambassador for your brand. And don’t give up. This company has taught me that hiccups, mistakes, and failures are going to happen. Keep trying – nothing is perfect. If you truly believe in something, an idea or product – you can make it happen.

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? 🙂
Mantra: 365 new beginnings. Each day is a new opportunity to do great things!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m originally from Beijing and came to the United States by myself for the first time at the age of 14 for boarding school in Connecticut. I just graduated cum laude from Boston University Questrom School of Business in 2017 where I majored in finance. I currently live in SoHo, New York but always travel around Asia, America, and Europe. Right now, I work full time for a home products and interior design company while developing Spirit Spritz on the side. I worked on the concept for a few months before officially launching it in early February 2018.

What exactly is Spirit Spritz?

Spirit Spritz is an online platform that features interviews (all conducted by me in person or via Skype) with global entrepreneurs in the creative industry on how they build their business. All the interviews are broken down into different business topics and focus on how they take their first steps. Through Spirit Spritz, I aim to empower and provide actual helpful resources to aspiring creative entrepreneurs.

The set up and the content of Spirit Spritz is what makes it so different from so many other entrepreneurship-related websites out there.

What inspired you to start Spirit Spritz?

I knew I wanted to start my own company at some point but didn’t have a concrete business idea. I have always been interested in the creative space and had background in fashion, art, media, etc., so I knew I would do something in these fields. While trying to brainstorm what company I wanted to start and how I could start it, I became really frustrated by existing resources. The online media is not particularly useful either, especially since I have to spent a lot of time filtering the over-saturated information. For example, if I want to learn how someone started a fashion company but is not a designer, most of the profiles are on industry-related publications such as Vogue and focus primarily on the products and brand. At the same time, websites such as Entrepreneur.com do provide a lot of articles, but most of them is tailored towards tech entrepreneurs, and I have to spend a lot of time filtering the over-saturated information, such as “15 traits of an entrepreneur,” which is not truly useful. Nowadays too much what we see out there paints a picture of someone pitching an idea to investors, getting funding and guidance from them, and hoping to become the next Uber and AirBnB. As someone in the creative industry, I know so many entrepreneurs under the spotlight who have amazing companies and really just started with their savings and figured out the process step by step. I also love networking and learning from people’s stories. Even way before Spirit Spritz was born, I would email people in successful positions and ask for their career path and advice. I was thinking: this is a something I genuinely want to know more, and I’m already a networking veteran, so why not formally interview them and share their stories with other people who need this information but don’t have access?

How did you come up with the name?

I dedicated a day at home and gave myself a deadline to come up with a name that day. At first I was thinking a name that could reflect what I do. Some of the names I thought of at first are “Diagonal” or “Radius” since my website essentially takes people from one point to another in an expedited way, but these names are already taken by different types of companies. Eventually, I decided to try a different angle that’s completely unrelated to what my website is, which allows me to expand my offerings in the future as well. I wanted a fun and positive name and randomly started thinking about what food I like. I immediately thought about (Aperol) Spritz because it is my favorite drink, and Spirit Spritz came about 5 seconds later. I like how spirit and Spritz have similar spellings, and spirit can be the entrepreneurial spirit. It just feels very uplifting and rolls out easily. Then the logo and the orange theme came about immediately after that. I just loved it so much and was so happy and bought the domain on that day.

How do you secure your interviews with high profile names?

I started with people already in my network. For example, I worked for Alexandra Senes, founder of Kilometre. Paris, and Oliver Mak, co-founder of Bodega, so I knew they would say yes. Then I attended conferences and events featuring entrepreneurs as speakers, and I just introduced myself afterwards and asked if they were interested. It’s easier to make an impression in person and harder for people to say no to your face compared to emails. Once I had a few confirmed high profile names, I started cold emailing people and including these names in the emails. Having a good concept and being able to articulate that well is the foundation. There isn’t another platform like Spirit Spritz, and as creative entrepreneurs themselves, they know exactly the problems I am facing and want to support my mission. But besides that, knowing how to write a good email is so important! I made sure to start by stating exactly what I want from the person, followed by a short paragraph of what Spirit Spritz is, and conclude with a meeting proposal with a specific time. Nobody has time to read a huge block of texts from an unknown brand, so I need to have a concise structure and clear agenda. If someone doesn’t reply, follow up. I keep track of everything on a spreadsheet.

What is your favorite part about running Spirit Spritz?

I get to meet so many amazing people and always learn something new! Everyone I interviewed has been incredibly supportive, and a lot of people have been telling me how glad I started this and how helpful they found the website is. This is exactly what pushed me to keep going when I felt stressed. The whole process is a huge learning curve for me as well. For example, I never used Photoshop or Illustrator before, and I watched online videos and taught myself the skills, since I had to edit a lot of images and create graphic assets. I also experienced different advertising models such as Facebook Ads and Google Adwords and learned different analytics tools.

What is your least favorite part about running Spirit Spritz?

It’s so hard to do everything on my own, and sometimes it’s definitely frustrating when I didn’t see results right away and didn’t know what I should do. But I guess that’s part of the process right?

What is on the rise for Spirit Spritz?

I have so many exciting plans in the work that I can’t wait to introduce them. First, there will be events such as panel discussions and workshops. I’m also looking to do a few brand partnerships and provide consulting services. Eventually I want Spirit Spritz to become THE platform for people in the creative industry and build a strong community around it.

How do you spread the word about your company?

At first it was through promoting it on my own social media and spreading the words among friends. The people I interviewed also tell their circles and share on their social media as well, which helped drive traffic to their interviews. I also just talk to everyone about it anywhere I go. You meet people all the time whether it’s at a social setting with your friends and friends of friends or at a coffee where you can engage in a conversation with a stranger sitting next to you.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

Don’t be scared and discouraged because of you age or experience. Believe in what you are doing, and that confidence would come across as assertive and convincing. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people just because they appear to be more successful. Nobody knows everything, not even the CEOs of big conglomerates. You always have something to offer, and it’s a two-way street too: people learn from you as much as you learn from them.

 Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying?

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I always welcome feedback and love to connect with more people. Please feel free to email/DM me anytime! It would also mean the world to me if you could sign up for the email newsletter and follow Spirit Spritz on social media to stay updated on upcoming interviews and events.

www.spiritspritz.com

Instagram: @spiritspritz Instagram.com/spiritspritz

Facebook: Facebook.com/spiritspritz

Twitter: @spiritspritz Twitter.com/spiritspritz

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m Carla. I’m originally from Brazil and almost 4 years ago I decided to leave my country and try to do something different. I’m a fashion designer, I worked for 6 years in the fashion industry in Brazil, and I would like to use the skills I had not only to make money and build my own career, but to also help other people. I lived for over one year in California, learning English (I couldn’t speak English at all!), and thinking what I could do. So this is how I got to the idea of Project Três.

What exactly is Project Três?

Project Três is a women empowerment project taking place now in India and Kenya, where we teach women living in vulnerability or without job opportunities how to make handmade products. We don’t work with artisans, so sometimes we have women coming to us who never worked with handcraft products before and we teach them from scratch. I live in the places where we set up Project Três, and I teach them myself. Afterwards, they can do the same with new women joining us. They learn about quality control, how to make patterns, stitching, embroidery, how much we should charge for each product, carving, painting, how to make accessories, how to use recycled materials, and many other skills. Some of them have their own businesses and I also support them on that. Explaining how to handle costumers, how much they should charge, and how to handle their finances. We have 34 women working in the project at the moment, and we work with divorced, widowed, single mothers, acid attack survivors, housewives, refugees, and anyone else in need of an opportunity.

What inspired you to start Project Três?

I can say that my first inspiration was my mom. I suffered domestic violence as a child, and my mom too. My father was very abusive, alcoholic, and I saw everything my mom faced to overcome this. When a woman is suffering any sort of abuse, most of the time people can’t really understand them. It’s so easy to imagine that they are facing this because they want, or that you should just leave the aggressor. I know from experiencing this that the fear you feel is not just for yourself, but for what your society will think about you, what about your kids, or if you are strong enough to take this step. So what inspired me is to change this reality is to give strength and hope to women thinking they have no options anymore. And not just showing them that is possible, but empowering them to be independent, and help others facing the same issues.

How did you come up with the name?

“Três” is the number 3 in Portuguese, my native language. I chose this because of past, present and future. We always try to use recycled materials, or at least follow a zero waste production method. So this stands for:

The past – for what the material used to be

the present – for a unique design product, and the future – creating a greener and more sustainable environment for our generation and those to come.

Afterwards I realized that this was also for the women being supported, that was somehow without a place in their communities, and that now have a new beginning and we know the future will be even brighter for them.

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

We sell in a few shops around the world, in Brazil (Sao Paulo) we sell at Casa Jardim Secreto, in India (Goa) where the project is based – we sell in a few shops, in Germany (Berlin) and we are currently looking for more shops to sell our items, in other countries. We also sell our products in our online shop,  where ever I go I have some talk at events and also sell them.

What is your favorite part about running Project Três?

My favorite part is definitely experience the changes in our artisans and their families’ lives. To see how they first get to us without hope, without opportunities, many times thinking they can’t have a better life, and see they turning into transformation agents themselves in the future.  I don’t see them as “people being helped by us”, I see them as part of the whole and I know that afterwards they will help us, by making beautiful products, by making sure other women see their potential, and so far this just gets better.

What is your least favorite part about running Project Três?

For me is very hard to manage a lot of things by myself. I have 2 of my best friends working as volunteers in the project for over a year (Amanda and Fabiana), and recently we added a few new volunteers from everywhere in the world, willing to support us. Still, I’m the only one working full time in the project, and at the same time we need more people, we can’t still afford to pay anyone. I have technically a “salary” as well to do my work, as I can’t get other jobs without compromising the work in the project, but obviously, when we don’t have enough money for everything we have to pay, I’m the first one to not get paid.

Is there a favorite product?

All of them. What makes the products really special in my opinion is that they are always a bit different from the other, that as much as possible we like to use discarded materials as well, and that we incorporate traditional techniques into modern design, so everything is just great. I really love the Elephant Chetan pillow, which is a piece for kids, and we use all the leftover materials to fill in the pillow, and I guess this gives such a powerful message to a child. I also love the bags made from recycled cement bags, they are more rough but so practical, waterproof.

Can you tell us how you give back?

We are not just a brand but also a social project. We have an NGO being opened in India, we are associated to a NGO in Kenya (Hai Africa) which is how we got to start developing Project Três there. We cover the school fees for the kids when the parents can’t afford, we support them with medical care in emergencies, legal support for divorce and other issues, and when they first join us, if they are facing problems related to food shortage, we always help them on that too, until they reach the point they have enough to sustain themselves. We don’t set a percentage to give back to them, but we have as a total priority to make sure more and more they overcome any sort of shortage they can have in life.

How do you spread the word about your company?

Mostly through social media, and we have many friends telling their friends about us, or people who already supported us somehow. Often I organize events whenever I am too, with local communities, where I give talks and explain about the project, in these cases people always contribute to us as well.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

Take the risk. It will not always be happy, easy and rewarding, but keep on going. There are so few people in the world really willing to make the effort to do good, to change things, that when you feel this call to make you try, just try it. Be ready to understand that at the end of the day, is just about learning how to control your feelings, and don’t worry about just being successful, do things with your whole heart, and everything will work out.

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? 🙂

I have a quote which I have a tattoo since I started the project, from Iyengar, a yoga guru: “If we are loyal to the path we are on, our lives will get better, and the light of distant perfection will come to illuminate our journeys.” I guess that’s all, be focused. Believe in your dream, and you will change the world, and make people help you along the way too.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

For more information, check our website, watch our videos, or don’t hesitate to get in touch over email or social media. This year we have a big dream to turn into reality (still a secret) and what I can say from now is that we will need an immense help from everyone who likes the work we do. So please, get involved, let others know, and be happy.

Love and light,

Carla.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a wife to Neil, and a mama to 3 (almost 4) kiddos.  I love to decorate my home, take pictures of my kids, and watch documentaries with my husband.

What exactly is Better Life Bags?

Better Life Bags creates custom, handmade bags that provide a fair, living wage for women in the heart of Detroit. Every bag is customizable on our website, and every step of the process is done by hand, from cutting the fabrics to sewing the bags to shipping them out.

What inspired you to start Better Life Bags?

Originally, it was just a fun hobby for me to have a creative outlet with when my first child was born. I didn’t know it would grow to be what it is today! Eventually, my workload was too much for one person to handle, so I approached my neighbor Nadia about helping me with the bags. After about 6 months, Nadia invited me into her home to see the bunk beds she had purchased for her children with the money she made from sewing the bags. This was when I realized Better Life Bags could make a difference in our community!

How did you come up with the name?

When I first started Better Life Bags, I used a portion of every sale to give a Kiva loan to a woman overseas, helping them create a better life through their education and business. As BLB grew, this mission shifted to helping women in our own community to create a better life for their families by employing them, and providing them with a fair, living wage.

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

We sell our products on our website at www.betterlifebags.com. We also have a brick and mortar shop in the front of our workshop that we open every Saturday for Retail Day!

What is your favorite part about running Better Life Bags?

I honestly love the flexibility that owning your own business gives.  Our family loves to camp and travel, and we don’t have to ask for time off to do that! I can often work on the road or at campsites, so my job is really mobile. I also love hearing from our customers and seeing their excitement when they get their bags in the mail.

What is your least favorite part about running Better Life Bags?

Sometimes, the responsibility I feel to keep the business running since so many lives and families depend on it for income!

Is there a favorite product?

The Clara and the Harper are our two best selling bags because of their versatility! The Clara is an every-day tote that is perfect for running to the library, carrying your work load, or as your go-to purse. The Harper is our larger backpack. With all the pocket options and the opportunity to add a cross-body strap, it is a great option for a diaper bag or for traveling!

Every purchase provides a job for a woman in Detroit, can you tell us about that?

We do all of our own manufacturing – from beginning to end, so every single order provides multiple jobs for women in our community.  Most of the women that work here are first generation immigrant women and have a barrier to traditional employment such as education or language.

How do you spread the word about your company?

We rely on our customers to be our ambassadors, sharing with their friends and family about our mission. We also use pop-ups around the country, shows, and online marketing to spread the word!

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

Just start!  So many times I get emails from potential entrepreneurs who are trying to get all their questions answered before they start. Just go!  Start small and be faithful with it as small thing. If it’s the right time and the right product, it will grow!

—

Rebecca Smith

Founder and CEO / Steward of what God has done

www.BetterLifeBags.com

Business Mentor / Intentional City Dweller

www.RebeccaSmithOnline.com / Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebeccasmithonline

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Taiwan and grew up on the Gold Coast, Australia when my family immigrated there.  I moved to Sydney when I was 21 and there I found yoga. From my first class in 2003, I was in love and knew that I was going to teach yoga for the rest of my life.  I moved overseas in 2005 to do my first 500 hour yoga teaching training.  I planned to stay overseas for a year, teach travel and experience life, that turned into 10 years, living and teaching in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and India.  I moved back home to the Gold Coast end of 2014, after some life events and needed to be home with family to help me heal.

What exactly is Sahaja Yoga Mats?

We are a social enterprise  that was created to give to others and to be more than ourselves. You could say we are a yoga mat company that gives back, but we are so much more then the products.  There is a lot of depth and care in everything we do and the products all have a deeper purpose and meaning. Right now as a small business we only have one product, our amazing yoga mats, but as we grow so will our range and every product will give. So that we are, giving all ways.  We are currently working on new products and connecting with other charities to support them.  Sahaja is about thinking globally but also acting locally.  Supporting where we can around the world and also supporting at home, from the grassroots.  Sahaja is also about to unity, our community, being more than I or me. Its about love, kindness and creating a ripple effect to the world from the giving.  There are so many ways to give to others and hopefully Sahaja will inspire everyone to give in their own way.

What inspired you to start Sahaja Yoga Mats?

I use to have a thin travel yoga mat & towel in one, which was great for rooms that had carpet.  But when I started practicing a different styles of yoga and the studios had wooden or concrete floors,  I realized my old mat didn’t suffice anymore, it was to thin..  So I tried a few different mats and found that 1) the mats wouldn’t last, your hands and feet would wear the mat out and leave bits of the mat around in the studio, 2) the mats would move during my practice  3) when I started to sweat the mat would become slippery so I needed a towel, but then the towel would move on my mat and lastly, they would smell over time. So I  thought why not source my previous yoga mat towel in one, as I didn’t have any of those above issues but make it thicker and so I did.  I am a product of my own products.  I trial each sample and design and used the sample yoga mats for a nearly a year before I decided to go ahead with production.  I leave the yoga mats in my car as well for long periods of time, to test the rubber.  I leave them out in the sun to dry for a few days, front and back, thrown them in the washing machine, camping, yoga festivals, beaches, to test all the different environments to see how the mats would hold up.  The Australian sun is harsh and I can say, that the Sahaja Yoga mats haven’t cracked under the heat yet 😉 .  I also haven’t tested it in the snow yet, so that’s one I still need to do 🙂

Since 2009 I’ve always wanted a yoga studio and a business that gave back to the community like TOMs and who knows I might still one day open a yoga studio, but right now my focus is on spreading the Sahaja love.  But the deeper reason behind how Sahaja came to be, was from own yoga journey.  It lead me to a very dark place and into therapy but yoga is also what helped heal me from the trauma.  I received a lot of love, support during my darkest days and Sahaja is my way of paying forward all the love and light that I received during those times.  The seeds for Sahaja were also planted during my Prana Vinyasa Yoga teacher trainings with Shiva Rea. A part of the requirements are book reports and a seva project .  The original mat designs are my book reports and the giving of light  is my lifetime Seva project, which I feel very blessed to be able to do.  A lot of people ask me about why I chose to give light.  The light is symbolic.  We give physical light but its about bringing light into peoples lives, about lighting each other up.  The receivers and the givers.

How did you come up with the name?

My yoga teacher, Shiva Rea inspired the name. 🙂  When I first started on the yoga path, I came from a lineage that was very hard, militant and unfortunately turned out to be very abusive.   The first time I heard the word Sahaja was in August 2014 in my training when I first met Shiva and it was completely foreign to me.  I was like Sa ha what?  Lol

Saa Haa Jaa means effortless, spontaneous, in the flow, inherently natural, who you are at your inner being.   I was so controlled by my last yoga teacher and always told what to do, when to move, that when I was given this moment of listening to myself and moving how I wanted to or how my body needed to move, I was lost. During our Prana Vinyasa classes there are many magical moments where Sahaja comes in to play, a time of free form movement of moving how you want to move at that present moment, to explore your own truths and it melts my heart seeing students or people move in Sahaja.  You see their heart, you see them, you see pure love and joy.   I incorporated a lot of Sahaja into my practices, during my darkest days and it was very healing for me. So Sahaja was borrn fom a place or darkness to bring light to others 🙂

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

Our products are mostly sold online at www.sahajayogamats.com, but we do have stockiest through Australia and they will soon be sold in the USA:

You can find them at Life Synergy Acupuncture in Burleigh Heads, Freedom Float Centre, Blockout Robina, Essence of Living Mermaid beach, heat wave hot yoga studios- Cabarita, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah and now in Byron Bay at Space Foundation Yoga Studio.

What is your favorite part about running Sahaja Yoga Mats?

Meeting and speaking with the light givers.  I am still sometime in disbelief that others also love the designs and the visions.  So I feel very blessed and grateful.  I love the deep connections that come from the heart.  They light up my life so much.  Hearing them share and seeing them, brings so much joy to me. They all have soooo much heart and care deeply about living life from an authentic place and making life more than about themselves.  That is what makes Sahaja so special. Oh and as Sahaja was created to give, so many of our sales are people buying the mats to give to others or they were gifted a sahaja yoga mat and now want to on forward that too.  I love that!!  I love hearing the feedback to about how we can keep refining and improving the mat as well.  So interesting to hear others pserpectives and thoughts.

What is your least favorite part about running Sahaja Yoga Mats?

The business side and taking care of the production.  Being heart based, it’s also very challenging for me to be business and analytically. My coaches and friends, always have to remind me to put on my business hat. Lol I’d rather keep creating the design concepts and cultivate deeper heart connections with people lol

Is there a favorite product?

Oh this is hard question.  There are so many beautiful designs, but I do love the Sri Yatri and the Fibonnaci designs.  I love sacred geometry and how intelligent nature and life is.  The designs are all heart with a purpose & so much meaning. The unique designs form organic alignment cues for the mover on the mat. So not only are the yoga mats beautiful, they are also functional.  They also become conversation starters and from there, they’ve lead into eleveated converstaions, which is so beautiful. Raising our vibrations.

You give back with each purchase, can you tell us about that?

One mat = One light.  We buy the solar lights from another Australian business who does a lot of humanitarian aid relief.  They introduced us to Mega Marine Fauna Foundation, a non-profit, based in Mozambique who distribute the lights through their education programs for kids and the lights are given to families who don’t have electricity.   The light drops happen in 500 lots, so fingers crossed we will have our first light drop very soon, we are under 400 lights now.

 How do you spread the word about your company?

We’re very blessed a lot of our business has come from word of mouth and happy light givers.  We also have a lot of referrals through Instagram.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

If you have that spark, follow it and keep it alight.  Listen to your heart.  Trust in life, in yourself and stay kind, be patient and humble as you watch everything slowly unfold and bloom. Enjoy the peaks and growth but also embrace when things don’t go to planned, as that’s where so much of the beauty and real growth is.  Start ups can be trial and error.  You don’t know unless you try it and get your answer.  Also have compassion for yourself and for others who are starting too.  For me when I was speaking to long term business owners, I felt they forgot what it was like to learn a new skill, to work in another field and expected you to just get it.  So always have compassion and understanding and know it can take time. What comes easy for some, might not necessarily be the same for others.

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? 🙂

Gosh so many lol but definitely a favorite is and that aligns for Sahaja is, “Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.” By Yogi Bhajan

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Thank you for the opportunity to share with you and your readers about Sahaja.  Thank you for all you do for others. xx

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure! My name is Lizzy and I’m the founder of Freely Project, a social enterprise that I begin in April 2017. I graduated from CSU Dominguez Hills in 2011 and from Pepperdine University in 2014. I have a background in psychology and social work, and currently work as a youth therapist in Los Angeles County. I enjoy dabbling in writing in my spare time (a blog is in the works) and I love quality time with my favorite people.

What exactly is the Freely Project?

Freely Project is a social enterprise; a business that also addresses a social concern. I make jewelry and tees and donate 35% of each purchase to organizations that directly work with helping young people transition out of homelessness.

What inspired you to start the Freely Project?

When I graduated from high school, I had the same aspirations as anyone does- to help people. I spent my junior college years bouncing from major to major, trying to figure out exactly what that meant. After taking a sociology class centered around social problems, I gained some direction and pursued an undergraduate degree in sociology. But even after graduation I was just floating from idea to idea until I enrolled in a twelve-week internship that was funded by LA County Department of Mental Health. I had the opportunity to intern for an agency that worked with transitional-aged youth, particularly those that had recently aged out of foster care. The agency worked to help these young adults find stabilized housing and enroll in school and/or full-time work. My job was to simply check in with them weekly and through these conversations I learned so much about the need that exists. I wasn’t wealthy growing up, but my parents always went above and beyond to ensure that I had what a needed to create a solid foundation for the rest of my life. But these young people did not- it was here that my desire to help this particular population really began.

How did you come up with the name?

Pepperdine University has a mantra on their school crest- “Freely you have received; freely give.” I sat with this idea and I knew that I wanted my project to give back somehow. I imagined what our communities would look like if people lived a life centered around people giving freely, and the name evolved from there.

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

Currently we are only online, and one of the easiest ways to access our site is through Instagram. We aren’t sold in stores (yet!), but every couple of months we join pop ups in different cities. We just had one this past April 27-28 at Pinners Conference in Atlanta!

What is your favorite part about running the Freely Project?

My favorite part has got to be connecting to new people. Whether it’s the young people, or customers at the pop ups, I’m always so encouraged whenever people have a positive response to Freely Project. I also like planning for it, if that makes sense. I like coming up with new designs and thinking about the potential that this project can have.

What is your least favorite part about running the Freely Project?

Being a one-woman show has been hard, but as hard as this season is I have learned so much about building my confidence. I guess, technically speaking, I do lean heavily on the support of my family who very willingly help me out at pop ups without expecting anything in return. I’m confident this will change over the years, but for now it’s been quite the learning experience.

Is there a favorite product?

This evolves often- but I would say my favorites are the original bar (cable chain) in gold, or the petite circle necklace in silver. My soon-to-be favorite tee is launching in the shop soon- it’s a simple white tee with the words ‘freely give.’ embroidered in the front. You just can’t go wrong with a simple white tee!

Your purchases help young people transition out of homelessness, can you tell us about that?

The 35% donation portion is already worked into the price of every product in the store. At the end of every quarter (January, April, July, and October), the donation portions are split evenly and sent to each of our partners. Currently, we have a partner in Los Angeles (the Dream Center’s Freedom House), Seattle (ROOTS Young Adult Shelter), and Las Vegas (Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth). We also support a hospice home in Tijuana, Mexico which houses over 120 people with various medical and mental conditions. We refer to this partnership as a ‘Spotlight Project’ because it is not directly related to youth homelessness but it is a cause that we deeply care for.

How do you spread the word about your company?

Social media has been so helpful in spreading the word. It’s allowed me to easily connect with potential customers and I have been linked to pop ups through it.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

There will never be a “right” time for anything, so go for it! We all have talents, gifts, knowledge, and the ability to create something meaningful. Start with what you have, and trust your heart in the process. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have a group of people that believe in you and cheer you on when things get hard.

 Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? 🙂

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” J.R. R. Tolkien. I believe we all were put on this earth for a purpose. None of us is born knowing how much time we have, so why not decide how you can best make use of it?

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

April 7 marked Freely Project’s one-year birthday! With new designs in the works, new potential partnerships, and pop ups in new cities, I believe year two is going to bring forward new opportunities, new adventures, and new memories. I invite you all to follow us on Instagram (@freelyproject) to stay up-to-date with all of the latest news.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Firstly, I am a wife and a mother who has been fortunate to work all of my adventures around my family. I started as a window designer and jewelry buyer for a small family run business while I was in college. I had my son very young and tried to figure out how to have a business and still be home. That turned into doing candle parties at night. From there it turned into a retail store. I guess you would say I have a brain that is always going and loves to create. I have owned two candles businesses, a fortune holder business and now an Aromatherapy business. It all comes back to helping people feel good through scent and giving them a catalyst with a talisman to feel confident in themselves and give them something beautiful to look at.

What exactly is Vented in Brooklyn?

Vented In Brooklyn™ is a fairly traded copper aromatherapy bracelet that gives back to cancer with every purchase. Pick your Power Word for inspiration and simply drop your favorite essential oil between the two plates of copper on your bracelet. During the day learn to Vent. Close your eyes, inhale deeply for 3 seconds and exhale for Repeat 3x every half hour to relax and invigorate!

What inspired you to start Vented in Brooklyn?

I had closed my FortuneKeeper business and taken a part time job in the big retail world. I realized I did not like someone telling me what to do and also I was not able to be creative, rules had to be followed. I did a lot of praying and soul searching and asked for an idea that I could help others, use my talent and be successful. Then an idea came back to me that I had back in 5th grade. As an allergy sufferer I carried scent in a tissue to help alleviate my stuffed sinuses. I wanted to take it and create it into something beautiful and inspirational to help others feel good. I have always loved aromatherapy as scents make me so happy. My favorite memory is holding my Dads hand in the Blind Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. He would have me close my eyes and smell all the different herbs and spices. It would stir all different feelings and emotions. Essential oils are wonderful in that way. So my brother and I started playing with designs with a piece of copper from my Dad from 30 years ago. As we lost him 15 years ago to cancer that was pretty special to us!

How did you come up with the name?

The name came from that it is a Ventilated and scented piece of copper and that it was Invented in Brooklyn!

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

Our products are sold on our website www.ventedinbrooklyn.com, and on Etsy. We have just started selling wholesale to a few locations. One of them being the Brooklyn Botanic gift store!

What is your favorite part about running Vented in Brooklyn?

That is an easy question! My favorite part is giving away bracelets to cancer patients and charities! I love bringing joy to others!

What is your least favorite part about running Vented in Brooklyn?

My least favorite part is paperwork and taxes!

Is there a favorite product?

My favorite product is the F#@! It bracelet! That all stemmed from being fearful to start another business. I asked my brother to make me one that said so I could wear it around to remind to go for it. It was my encouragement but we found out a lot of other people wanted the same kick so to say!

Your bracelets give back, can you tell us about that?

We decided from the very beginning that we wanted to give back to cancer patients. Our Dad died of lung cancer and it was just a long horrible death. We also have so many family members who have lost their battle or who are survivors. With that we decided we wanted to give away one with every purchase. Every time we sell a bracelet we give away a bracelet with peppermint oil to help alleviate nausea from chemo. We save a month or so worth and pick hospital or charity to give to. We have donated to Sloan, Share Cancer, Maimonides, Nelitt Canter, Hope Lodge and individuals at small events. We are happy to be part of Taste Of Hope, American Cancer Society’s big food event this May in NY. We are giving away 400 bracelets!!!

How do you spread the word about your company?

We spread the word about Vented In Brooklyn™ through social channels like Instagram and Facebook, some influencers on YouTube, interviews and events that we attend.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

Follow your dreams but realize its going to be an emotional roller coaster with lots of sleepless nights. Reach out to the support of other entrepreneurs. I have made some great friends through networking this past year that have encouraged and supported me. We have to help each other succeed!

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? ☺

The answer is always no if you dont ask so you might as well ask!!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I love what you guys are doing at She’s Fit To Lead! We have to encourage and support our girls! There will be no stopping them!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am an entrepreneur for the last 5+ years that focuses on social media marketing and ways to grow small brands.  I enjoy helping people and to give back as often as I can.  I helped grow social media accounts from 0-hundreds of thousands of followers.

What exactly is Aqua Pura Bracelets?

We sell handmade unisex accessories and donate a portion of the proceeds to water.org to show charitable acts in a business, as we feel it is something that’s very important and should be shown more often.

What inspired you to start Aqua Pura Bracelets?

I wanted to create accessories with top styles for anyone to enjoy.  I wanted a brand that has meaning behind it, and felt that our message we have today is a big part in our strive to continue growing everyday.  We want everyone to always look on the bright side in life and to always cherish every moment and I think that is something that we show in each of our bracelets.

How did you come up with the name?

I wanted to give back to help supply clean water, and that is what Aqua Pura means – “Pure Water”.

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

Right now we are online only at AquaPuraBracelets.com

What is your favorite part about running Aqua Pura Bracelets?

I love seeing customers get so excited to receive their orders and the fact that together we can make a big impact in the world.

What is your least favorite part about running Aqua Pura Bracelets?

Every business has ups and downs, but overall I love every aspect of it!

Is there a favorite product?

Our most popular is our “His & Her Stack”, my favorite is probably our Yin & Yang stack.

Your purchases help supply clean water, can you tell us about that?

We donate portions from our net profits to water.org so together, we can try to supply more clean water and sanitation to those in need, across the world.

How do you spread the word about your company?

We use the power of social media to spread our brand to anyone that we can.  Also word of mouth is huge to get customers that really love the brand!

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

Don’t give up.  You will find yourself down at many times, but just remember the place you want to be. Put the effort in and you will get there.  Hustle beats anything.

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? ☺

“Hustle beats talent, when talent doesn’t hustle”

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Use the code “AQUA25” to save on your first order at AquaPuraBracelets.com

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Before Leilani Accessories was even an idea, two of us were classmates that attended a small, but growing private school in Florida. We instantly became friends and were heavily involved in each others lives. At the begining of high school the both of us made a bond with a new student, and we became known as the three musketeers. All three of us became a family and we pretty much live at eachothers houses. We love making memories with each other and are involved in many extracurricular activities.

What exactly is Leilani Accessories?

Leilani Accessories is a company that focuses on giving back to the world. We wanted to create a brand that represented the unity and kindness of the world that most people do not look for. In order to do so, so we decided to have an Urban

Collection, Classic Collection and an International Collection. The Urban Collection focuses on a boho, fun style, while the Classic Collection is more formal and elegant. The International Collection however, includes beads and stones all the way from Mexico and the Czech Republic. Since all three of us all have different taste and style in jewelry and are from Mexico, the Czech Republic, and Thailand, we wanted the brand to represent that the world may be full of different ethnicities, however, we are all one.

What inspired you to start Leilani Accessories?

Although it may seem cheesy, we’re just three girls that want to make our mark on the world. We have been given so many opportunities in life to grow and succeed, and we want to thank the world by giving back. The beginning of our idea all started on November 14, 2017, in a small assembly at our school. During the assembly, the speaker, Matthew Scanlan, covered the basics of how he began his multi-million dollar company, Naadam, with a silly decision. All three of us fell in love with the idea of a business. It did not matter how educated an individual was, or where one came from, all that mattered was his or her determination. With our new found determination, we decided to make our future instead of waiting for it to come to us.

How did you come up with the name?

Coming up with the name was quite a process. We not only wanted to choose a catchy name, but also a name that held meaning and purpose to us. At first we focused on names that were very traditional, however, we would not be able to stand out with a common business name. Instead we took a different route until we found the name, Leilani. Leilani is a hawaiian word that means “inner beauty”. This word describes exactly what are company represents, unity, kindness, giving back, and beauty. With the perfect word picked out, we finally decided to name our company Leilani Accessories.

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

Our products are sold purely online on www.leilani.life, but we are hoping to sell them in stores in the future.

What is your favorite part about running Leilani Accessories?

Hands down our favorite part would have to be supporting charities and giving back to the world. It makes Leilani Accessories purposeful and meaningful.

What is your least favorite part about running Leilani Accessories?

Sometimes the marketing and advertisements can get quite stressful and overwhelming, but seeing the feedback from others about our products makes it all meaningful and worthwhile.

Is there a favorite product?

So far, our best seller would be The Hamsa and Customize It (where you can customize a bracelet to your liking).

You give back with each purchase, can you tell us about that?

The whole reason we started Leilani Accessories was for charity. We want to give back to others who are less fortunate and help clean up the world. We aspire to cooperate with many charities that give back to the world. We are mainly focusing on establishing a connection with Make A Wish Foundation, Charity Water, Breast Cancer Awareness, Shelterbox, Childfund International, and many other charities that our school is associated with. With the help She’s Fit To Lead, we hope that we can expand as a company allowing us to donate and establish more connections with many more charities.

How do you spread the word about your company?

Since we are students, we mostly tell people in person about Leilani Accessories. Social media is also very influential in advertising and marketing for us as well as posters. However, with your help, we hope that your article will contribute to our advertisement.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

If you have a passion for something, just go for it. No matter if people say you are incapable or unqualified of pursuing whatever it is you want to pursue, just go for it. Of course it is going to be hard, but if you truly want something, an individual will always get it no matter what. In fact many of our classmates told us we could not do it, but we did it anyways and our determination payed off.

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying?

All three of us go by the quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

― Bernard M. Baruch

This quote truly speaks to us because some people didn’t like the idea of us creating and starting a business. It is another reason why we began Leilani Accessories… to be ourselves and express our passion for charity and business.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

We are a company who only wants to help others, and are full of love, passion, and friendliness. So go support others in need!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Taylor Smith and I live in Greenville, South Carolina with my husband. I was born & raised in South Carolina and attended the University of South Carolina where I got my bachelor’s degree in Social Work. My husband and I love spending our free time with friends and family and walking around our cute little town! I have a special place in my heart for dark chocolate, vanilla lattes, and a good book on a rainy day.

What exactly is Milk & Honey Market?

Milk & Honey Market is an online fair trade boutique. We partner with brands across the globe and carry goods that fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, sustainable employment, and fight child labor, human trafficking, and cyclical poverty.

What inspired you to start Milk & Honey Market?

I learned about human trafficking in college, when I heard Christine Caine from The A21 Campaign speak. I had very little knowledge of human trafficking at that point, and it hit me that I was completely oblivious to the MAJOR social injustice that was a global problem. I graduated with my degree in social work and began to research, learn, and volunteer as much as possible. Fast forward a few years later to 2016, I learned about fair trade goods and how purchasing them demanded a better world. I knew human trafficking was often linked to cyclical poverty and a lack of dignified, sustainable jobs but I had no idea how much of an impact I could have with how I spent my money. I discovered so many beautiful brands that were providing dignified jobs all over the world, and decided to build a platform to pull them all together. The store was born.

How did you come up with the name?

Once my husband and I had talked through what we wanted the store to look like, I knew I wanted the name to represent & be connected to what we were fighting for: abolishing slavery. At the time, I was doing a study on the book Joshua in the Bible and learning in depth about the Israelites. Joshua tells the story of the fulfillment of a promise made by God to Moses in Exodus. He promised to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and to bring them to the Promised Land, the land flowing with Milk & Honey.  

Our hope is that the name Milk & Honey Market will create conversations about modern day slavery. We hope that it will encourage individuals to fight for those who cannot use their own voice, to reach the Promised Land: freedom. We hope individuals feel the weight of their purchase and the difference they are making. Every purchase directly affects artisans of the brands we partner with, and it empowers them so their tables can overflow with Milk & Honey.  

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

At the moment our products are mostly sold online through our store! We also do private Pop-Up Marketplace events in people’s homes in South Carolina as well as public vendor events.

What is your favorite part about running Milk & Honey Market?

My favorite part of running Milk & Honey Market is the impact that our customers have on individuals around the world. As we grow, we get to place bigger orders with our brand partners and fight for sustainability, empowerment, and opportunity across the globe. I also love the conversations that are a product of customers purchasing fair trade goods; it is so important to spread awareness about human trafficking and the lack of dignified jobs.

What is your least favorite part about running Milk & Honey Market?

I wouldn’t say I have a least favorite part of running Milk & Honey Market! Being an entrepreneur can be an emotional rollercoaster, so having a support system around me to encourage me through the hard times and celebrate the exciting times is crucial to running a business.

Is there a favorite product?

That is so hard to pick, I love every piece and think all the artisans are beyond talented! I am all about simplicity when it comes to jewelry, so my staple pieces that I wear all the time are our Edna Earrings, Diamond in the Rough studs, Honeycomb necklace, and On the Horizon Necklace. But honestly, I rotate through every piece often!

Every purchase creates opportunity across the globe, can you tell us about that?

You fight for the world you want with your money! When you spend your money with big retailers, it very often continues the problem of unsafe factories, low wages, and often times child labor. When you purchase fair trade goods, you are choosing to contribute to dignity, sustainability, and freedom.

How do you spread the word about your company?

We mainly spread the word through social media! Social media has been an incredible tool to meet & connect with other small businesses and individuals all over the country!

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

My biggest piece of advice is to never be the smartest person in the room and to always push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Always surround yourself with people that challenge you, help you grow, and teach you new things. Take every chance you get to buy someone coffee or a meal, to pick their brain and ask for their opinion or knowledge. If you ever start to feel too comfortable, you’re doing something wrong 🙂

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? ☺

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky – Michael Scott (For The Office fans of the world)

But one of my real favorite quotes surrounding fair trade/ethical goods is: “It’s a small miracle that we as consumers can participate in a process that is keeping skills and communities alive and helping them to prosper.” – Emma Watson

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

We hope that as the fair trade/ethical goods movement grows, more people examine who is making their goods and how they are made.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

My name is Breanne but you can call me Bree. All my close friends do. I am 26 years old and a local grown Texan. As of April, we are officially Waco residents. It is a city I have loved since I was a little girl but now, thanks to Chip & Joanna Gaines, there are actually things to do. 😉

I value heart-to-hearts over coffee, spontaneous visits with friends, community over competition, trips to the beach, and most of all the people in my home that call me wife & mama.

I’m a visionary. Always have been and always will be but life became so much sweeter when I finally embraced that. I gave myself permission to dream big, fail, & pursue hard things. If you asked 10 year old me what I wanted to be when I grow up my answer would’ve been “I don’t know but I want to change the world.” Here I am, 16 years later and my answer is still the same but now I have a better idea of how I can be apart of that and how you can be a part of that too.

What exactly is Salt & Light Trading Co? 

Salt & Light Trading Co. is a clothing brand established on my desire and passion to give back and create a change in the world. It’s mission is to provide products that our thoughtfully made in the USA and ethically made in other countries such as India, Nepal, Haiti, and beyond. I believe we are all meant to do more than survive.

What inspired you to start Salt & Light Trading Co? 

My husband and I were once missionaries in the Amazon Jungle. It was a place we love dearly and ever since we moved back to the states three years ago to have our son, we have dreamed of owning our own business that would help support various organizations we worked with there. I had to work through years of bitterness and disappointment after our move. Living overseas had been my dream since I was 10 and while I loved motherhood I still missed it. I left a piece of my heart there. I finally decided that physical geographic borders are no reason to stop me being a part of my Amazon family. In the middle of all this, I also became passionate about where our clothes are made & how they are made. I began to realize the importance in purchasing ethically made & fair trade fashion products.  I spent the three weeks leading up to my 26th birthday last year brainstorming different businesses and then the idea of online clothing boutique finally came to me along with the name.

By my birthday, May 11, we were officially an LLC.

How did you come up with the name?

I was dreaming up all kinds of name that had meaning to me but I was reading a verse in the Bible called Matthew 5:13-16 about being Salt & Light to the world. We felt like it was fitting since 1)we want to be a light into this world and 2)Salty air & sun are two words that come to mind when we think of the beach & we wanted to create a beachy boho vibe for our brand.  We added Trading Co. since we plan to work with people all over the world to create a global marketplace right here in the USA.

Where are your products sold? Are they sold in stores?

Currently, our products are only available online and sold in person during pop up shops & vendor events.

What is your favorite part about running Salt & Light Trading Co?

I LOVE the people we have met through starting this business and the community behind it. The people who just “get it” the ones that catch our vision, run with it, and become world shakers with us. They become more than customers, they become friends.  I feel so at home and in my element when we are doing vendor events and interacting with our customers. It isn’t easy but I love that this is my “get to”.

What is your least favorite part about running Salt & Light Trading Co?

Ironically enough, shopping for products. A lot of time & research goes into it and I can quickly lose a day. It obviously has to happen but I can get discouraged when I come up short and feel like I wasted a day of work. Staring at a screen can exhaust me and the options overwhelm me.

Is there a favorite product?

I’m currently loving our dress made by our artisans in India. The quality is incomparable to anything I have seen. They fabrics are hand printed and/or hand embroidered which means each piece is one of a kind. I call them our unicorn dresses because they flatter any body type.

You give back a portion of your proceeds, can you tell us about that? 

We give back 10% of sales to a children’s home we visited in the Amazon called Grace House Amazon located in Brazil. It is run by a local woman with the purest heart, most giving spirit, & selfless person I have ever met. We saw it in the beginning stages with just a few kids but It is the only children’s home for 1,000 miles so you can only imagine how much it has grown! Our goal is to fully provide monthly operating costs by the end of the year. We want to see them thrive, grow, & flourish so they can hire more local women to work as well as take in more children.

How do you spread the word about your company?

Online and by word of mouth! You can mostly find us on Instagram and our website. I just started doing live videos more often on my instagram and interacting with people there is almost as good as a vendor event.

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

It’s easy to be afraid of failing BUT quit thinking about the things that could go wrong and starting thinking about the things that could go RIGHT. I think its time to stop thinking about the things that do go wrong as failures but as steps to success. I found so much freedom  when I realized the other ventures I have done in the past weren’t failures like I originally thought but steps to get me to where I am today. They were just pieces of the puzzle.

Also, stay in your lane. Don’t define your success or compare all the amazing things you’ve accomplished to what someone else is doing. Keep running your race & using your voice. The world needs more of you and only you can be you.

Do you have a favorite quote or go to saying? 

“I am that girl. You are that girl. Together, we change the world.”