The fashion trend of the future? Microbes. That’s if our latest featured guest has anything to say about it. In today’s conversation, you’ll hear from a multidisciplinary designer whose unconventional path has landed her at the intersection of fashion, sustainability and science in the most fascinating way.

Meet this week’s guest, Natsai Audrey Chieza, Founder of Faber Futures

A graduate of the forward-looking program in material futures at Central Saint Martins in London, Natsai is currently a designer-in-residence at Boston-based Ginkgo Bioworks. Her work using micro-organisms to devise new, more environmentally-friendly and efficient ways to dye textiles alongside scientists points to the collaborative future of fashion and brings hope to the notion that someday, apparel will leave a lighter foot print on the world without sacrificing style.

What you’ll learn

Did you know that it’s actually possible for bacteria to dye a textile? Learn about the next step in the ladder of possibilities for the future of fashion production and design as Natsai introduces us to concept of incorporating living systems into textile production.

How you’ll be inspired

Sometimes, outsider status and not being an expert is the very thing that gives you an edge and allows you to think differently. Natsai talks about how her non-designer and non-scientist status actually helps her see different ways to solve problems during her work and in her residency as Ginkgo Bioworks.

What you’ll tell your friends

While it sounds like it’s straight out of science fiction, there are actually academic courses for biodesign. Intrigued? Check out Natsai’s educational background for a road map detailing one way to break into this cutting-edge field.

Resource of the week

Little Black Book by Otegha Uwagba. From negotiating a pay raise to how to network effectively, this useful book is made specifically for the modern-day working woman.

Connect with Natsai Chieza

Website: faberfutures.com

Instagram: @faberfutures

Mentioned in this episode: 

Central Saint Martins

Ginkgo Bioworks

Autodesk

Little Black Book by Otegha Uwagba

Wired: Stylish Silk Scarves, Dyed With Bacteria

Mental Floss: Artist Screen-Prints Fabrics With Bacteria

T-shirt motto: Running on fumes.

Find more episodes featuring women at the forefront of FEST online at www.Spiritof608.com.

You don't need us to tell you that true beauty comes from far below the surface. With this week's podcast guest, we're seeing that old adage played out in business with a family-owned beauty brand whose entire structure is set up to deliver organic and eco-friendly products to consumers while fighting poverty, providing stable sources of income to rural farming communities, winning numerous eco awards and distinctions and changing the way global consumers think about what it means to be made in the Philippines.

Meet this week's guest, Camille Meloto, co-founder of Human Nature.

When Camille and her sister, Anna, realized that many of the eco-friendly and organic cosmetic and personal care products found at U.S. retailers were either made using ingredients sourced from their native Philippines or could be grown there, they saw more than a business opportunity. They saw a chance to continue and support the work of their father, Tony Meloto, founder of the Gawad Kalinga poverty-alleviating and nation-building movement that seeks to create change in the poorest Filipino communities. By partnering with farmers living in Gawad Kalinga communities in the Philippines for their ingredients, committing to paying fair wages and providing stable employment where employees work without the threat of being fired (which, it turns out, are pretty revolutionary employment practices in their home country), Camille and her founding team have grown the company from three people to nearly 450 today. Along with 34 retail stores across the Philippines, their award-winning products are available internationally from Singapore to Canada - and they're currently setting their sights on the U.S. market.

[tweetshare tweet="🎧 @spiritof608: Don't dig up in doubt what you planted in faith." username="spiritof608"]   What you'll learn

How Human Nature has built a business that is not only environmentally friendly, but also able to contribute to a more positive and inclusive take on beauty while giving sustainable employment opportunities to impoverished communities. Oh and one more thing: the company also helps lift up other startup brands by giving them retail space in their stores.

How you'll be inspired

If Camille's story of how Human Nature went from a three-person team to a socially responsible global brand with hundreds of employees in less than a decade doesn't make your inner entrepreneur a little giddy, then nothing will.

What you'll tell your friends

Ever heard of a "no firing" policy? Seriously. Like no one who works for Human Nature gets fired. Ever. Find out how that works out for Human Nature.

Resource of the week

Viber: A simple communication app that a whole company, like Human Nature, can run on.

 

Connect with Human Nature

Website: humanheartnature.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humannatureusa

Instagram: @humannatureus

Twitter: @humanheartnature

Mentioned in this episode: 

Gawad Kalinga

The Human Nature Story

Human Nature Co-founder Dylan Wilk's story

Natural Products Association of America

Whole Foods

Trader Joe's

Rags to Riches

Viber

T-shirt motto: Don't dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.

For anyone building a brand today, one of the biggest questions you're likely to face is: what do my customers really want? There are umpteen million ways to get at this with digital tools. And yes, there is valuable data to be gleaned from A/B testing your heart out, surveying customers and experimenting with different marketing tactics online.

But there's a tried-and-true way to learn what customers think that's often overlooked in our hectic world: sitting down in person and asking them. This week, we're doing just that by heading to the University of Virginia campus, where journalist (and our fabulous spring intern) Melissa Angell interviews eight students about how and where they shop, what they care about when it comes to clothing, the brands that make them open their wallets and whether they care even one little bit about ethical and sustainable apparel choices.

Whether or not you're aiming to reach college kids with your merch, these are not only the customers of today - they're the big spenders of tomorrow. So let's get to know them - think of it like your own personal, FEST-ive focus group courtesy of the Spirit of 608.

This week, we're going back to school. Listen in for our visit to the University of Virginia campus.

What you'll learn

Never underestimate the power of a simple, solid color t-shirt. Learn just how much the average college student will pay for a cotton t-shirt and why convenience, comfort and price are the biggest factors brands need to keep in mind when reaching the student population.

How you'll be inspired

You might think there's high pressure to look good and stay stylish in school, but our interviewees had all kinds of opinions. From the very functional and pragmatic views of fashion to more expressive and artistic motivations, you might be surprised at how different fashion looks through eight different pairs of eyes.

What you'll tell your friends

You may think ethical, sustainable and tech-enabled apparel brands are gaining ground, but they've hardly hit the mainstream. According to these students, brands like Nike and J.Crew are still the go-to choices, while thrift stores are popular not so much for being havens of throwback style, but because they're practical and cheaper than retail clothing stores.

Resource of the week

West Coast clothing company Ably Apparel, makers of eco-friendly shirts that repel liquids, odors, stains thanks to a seemingly magical substance called Filium.

And don't forget the ever-present, eco-friendly fashion choice: thrift shops. These students talk about the best bargains they've had shopping at thrift shops.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Nike Jackets

Zara

Alton Lane

Vineyard Vines

Lilly Pulitzer

Tobi

Forever 21

H&M

American Apparel

The Elephant Pants

J.Crew

Nike

Apple Watch

WVR

Hotline

17th Street

American Eagle

Brooks Brothers

Ably Apparel

Franco Sarto

L.L. Bean

Costco

Neff

Hanes

TOMS

Project for Awesome

Casey Neistat

Zebra 350

Adidas

Wholesale can feel like a gamble for emerging, independent and startup brands today. With all the talk of direct-to-consumer companies capturing the hearts of fashion fans, how's a FEST founder to decide whether to pursue the old-school route (one that incidentally, is crucial to many successful brands' bottom lines)?

To get to the bottom of the wholesale vs. direct debate, we needed an expert with a 360-degree window into wholesale's role in today fashion and apparel landscape - and what changes we can expect ahead. Good thing for us, we found a badass entrepreneur who helps brands grow through wholesale today and hails from roles at influential fash tech successes such as TechStyle and Rent the Runway.

Meet this week's guest, Amy Zhou, COO of Brandboom.

What you'll learn

How a new type of consumer is changing the game and turning the spotlight towards independent designs and brands, over larger and more established enterprises.

How you'll be inspired

How your "why" is the driving force behind every decision you'll make in your business, from the type of pictures you'll be taking to the type of stores you want to be associated with.

What you'll tell your friends

It could be the best time ever for an independent fashion brand or fashion startup to get into the wholesale business. Amy Zhou talks about the ways new technology and shifting brand-to-consumer practices are making wholesale an attractive choice.

Resource of the week

Yourself. No joke. Learn how Amy Zhou turned herself into the sharpest tool in her shed.

Connect with Amy Zhou

Website: brandboom.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandboom/

Twitter: @brandboom

Mentioned in this episode: 

Dope

Pink Dolphin

The Hundreds

Young and Reckless

TechStyle

Rent the Runway

JustFab

Shoedazzle

Fabletics

FabKids

Steve Madden

How Retailers Are Evolving with Technology to Keep Up With Amazon

T-shirt motto: Take risks and keep hustling.

For a lesson in taking risks, going with your gut, standing by your vision and how to turn a very bad, no good bummer of a day into the biggest aha moment of your young life, pull out your earbuds and settle in for a conversation that will make you laugh - and get you inspired to do work on even the most challenging days.

Meet this week's guest, Jordan Jones, Founder of Packed Party.

In this episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, twenty-something founder Jordan tells us how one of her earliest media moments (um, which I, cough, wrote) ended up getting her fired from her job - and why that turned out to be the best thing that could have happened (even though it hardly felt like that at the time). After starting her company in a tiny San Francisco apartment during a phase of her life when she felt lonely in a new town and frustrated with a blah job, Jordan has grown her lifestyle gifting brand into one that counts famous fans such as Reese Witherspoon and stockists that include Nordstrom, Paper Source and Neiman Marcus.

What you'll learn

Sometimes, you don't need much for that eye-catching Instagram spread. Learn how Packed Party's Instagram account has grown legions of fans with few frills and a whole lot of planning.

How you'll be inspired

The worst night of your life could be just the thing to kick off the breakthrough you need. Check out how Jordan Jones turned "the crappiest night of her life" into the next phase of her booming career.

What you'll tell your friends

There's absolutely no shame in starting out of your bedroom, on your living room floor or in your parents' garage. Jordan Jones talks about Packed Party's humble beginnings and their journey from one-woman show to a sought-after brand you'll spot in Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and others.

Resource of the week

Headspace: If you need a mental break to stay on point, you're going to want to hear how Jordan Jones uses this app to keep her busy mind in check.

Connect with Packed Party

Website: Packed Party

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/packedparty

Twitter: @packedparty

Instagram: @packedparty

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanfjones/

Youtube

iTunes Podcast

Mentioned in this episode: 

The San Francisco Chronicle story that got Jordan fired

GoDaddy

Nordstrom

Neiman Marcus

Paper Source

Francesca's

The camera Jordan's team uses for Instagram: Canon Rebel

Headspace

NPR's How I Built This podcast

T-shirt motto: Every damn day.

Natalie Chanin didn't set out to build one of the most recognizable and beloved (not to mention multi-faceted) sustainable fashion brands out there today. In the beginning, all she wanted to do was produce 200 handsewn t-shirts. Soon, the longtime stylist was orchestrating a multimedia project that led her away from her career in New York and back home to Florence, Alabama to create the 2001 documentary Stitch and, next, her eponymous brand Alabama Chanin - and she's been there ever since.

What began largely as an experiment in handmade clothing became a establishment-busting reaction to modern apparel production. Starting first with her supply chain, Natalie has built a company from the ground up that has gained respect for its US cotton sourcing and ethical employment practices in an industry nearly wiped out during the 1980's. But she didn't stop there. Today Alabama Chanin not only turns heads with its apparel, but draws fans to its Southern home base with its industrial-meets-ethereal retail showroom, maker workshops, factory tours and an organic cafe.

Listen to this week's show for Natalie's story, and I'm sure you'll be as enamored of what she's built as I am.

What you'll learn

• How Natalie Chanin went from small town Alabama to build an international career in fashion and what brought her back again
• Why this slow fashion pioneer has decided machine made clothing isn't the enemy after all
• What on earth possessed her to launch a restaurant (one of the toughest businesses to sustain) alongside a sustainable, independent fashion brand (not exactly known as a risk-free entrepreneurship path)

 Why you'll be inspired

Natalie has charted a path that came without a blueprint to create a business that is not only widely respected by fashion industry insiders (she was the winner of the 2013 CFDA/Lexus Eco-Fashion Challenge), but also operates with its own sustainable and transparent supply chain that is bringing jobs back to a community that was once considered the "t-shirt capitol of the world" for its role in textile production. Plus she's done it all with the creativity and heart of an artist.

The thing you'll tell your friends

Alabama Chanin isn't just a place to shop. Visit the company's Florence, Alabama compound to explore the retail showroom, factory tours, DIY textile workshops and a cafe whose slow food ethos mirrors the values of the brand.

Resource of the week

99% Invisible: Hosted by Roman Mars, Natalie's favorite podcast is a must-listen for anyone fascinated with design and the untold stories of how it fits into our everyday lives.

 

Connect with Alabama Chanin

Website: Alabama Chanin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisitAlabamaChanin/

Twitter: @alabamachanin

Instagram: @alabamachaninlife

Also mentioned in this episode: 

The lowdown on Alabama Chanin's supply chain

The beautiful Bitter Southerner essay you need to reach to know Chanin better

The role Vogue played in Chanin's success

Third Space

What's Patagonia got to do with it

Tommy Hilfiger

Ralph Lauren

Disney Corporation

Salvation Army

Eighth Avenue

Goodwill

Women's Wear Daily

Fashion Week

How Squarespace helps make fashion entrepreneurship easier

99% Invisible

Invisibilia

Krista Tippett

The Moth

If This Then That

Zapier

Slack

Narro

T-shirt motto: Air and Love

Wouldn't you love to have more time? Not having enough time is the most common challenge for any entrepreneur - and when it comes to carving out time for DIY PR and media relations, well, it's often even more difficult. That's because reaching out to the press about your brand involves far less instant gratification than social media, where you're likely to power through the annoyances, FOMO and irritating pics you love to hate amid a positive feedback loop of likes, follows, comments and new connections.

Even though DIY PR and media relations can leave you feeling like a lone woman shouting in a windy prairie, sticking with it will absolutely help your brand by extending the reach of your message, drawing in new audiences and customers, establishing social proof and providing amazing content you can leverage for future digital marketing efforts. Simply put, you're leaving a huge array of possibilities on the table when you don't fold PR and media relations into your regular business operations.

So how to find more time when you truly feel you're coasting on fumes as it is?

In this PressDope by Spirit of 608 minisode, I'll walk through strategies, tools and resources you can start putting to work today to get more media attention in the future.

Listen in for:

- Two time-creating strategies that are all mindset and will allow you to get more time immediately

- Why understanding how much time you actually have is crucial to effective DIY PR

- More than 6 tools and multiple strategies for automating, streamlining and extending the reach of your marketing efforts that are great for DIY PR and media relations, not to mention your business as a whole.

A few links from the show:

Assistant.to

Google Calendar

Calendly

Pocket

If This Then That

Zapier

Slack

Narro

Still Growing Podcast

Missinglettr

Meet Edgar

RecurPost

Upwork

Collaborating with media - whether through "earned" press coverage or paid sponsorships and advertisements - is crucial to brand-building today. I'm hellbent on helping FEST brands do that well. One thing that's key to building great relationships with the media: really understanding who you're talking to when you reach out. For this week's show, the last regular episode before our summer hiatus, we'll be hearing from one of the most FEST-ive journalists around, one who's not only cultivated a genuine interest and expertise in ethical brands and what they mean for the fashion industry's future, but a woman who has also gone out of her way to bring coverage of these brands into the day-to-day at a well-known national digital fashion news site.

Meet this week's guest, Whitney Bauck, Assistant Editor at Fashionista.com.

Listen in on my conversation with Whitney to learn how - and why - she came to journalism and eventually ended up at Fashionista.com after seeing her work appear in publications such as Vogue and the New York Times. Hear how she connects her own personal faith to coverage of an industry that's more likely to be associated with exclusion and elitism than spirituality and ethical values. And of course, because I know you'd kill me if I didn't ask, hear how she likes to be pitched and her advice for FEST brands who want to build solid relationships with journalists, bloggers and members of the media.

This episode brought to by PressDope, the affordable alternative to traditional PR and media relations made with care for socially-responsible fashion brands by the Spirit of 608.

<3 <3 <3 Oh hey there! Please help the podcast out and leave us a rating and review on iTunes.

This stuff is key to the show's success, and I appreciate you helping me play the game. <3 <3 <3

HOW TO LISTEN:

Listen online: Just press play above or subscribe via RSS to receive all new episodes.

iOS, iPhone, iPad: Subscribe via iTunes or download the Apple Podcast app and subscribe by searching for Spirit of 608 in the app.

Android: Download the free Stitcher app and search for Spirit of 608 in the app.

Linkage:

Fashionista: fashionista.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FashionistaOfficial

Twitter: @Fashionista_com

Instagram: @fashionista_com

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/fashionistacom/

Vogue

Unwrinkling

Fine Jewelry Brand Tara Does Customization Like You've Never Seen It

Dave Ramsey’s Lessons in EntreLeadership

Factory 45

Praxis

 

T-shirt motto: Vote with your dollar.

Ethics in fashion is about more than how clothing is made. It's also about who it's made for. I've always thought the disparity in clothing options for women outside of the 4-12 size range was ridiculous - an injustice even. It's both economically baffling considering the average size of women today, as well as head-numbingly disappointing to watch fashion brand after fashion brand bypass a customer population based on outdated aesthetic perspectives - and all too often using manufacturing challenges and lack of interest from plus-size customers as an excuse. Today's guest is proving that women over size 12 will eagerly embrace on point style made with them in mind.

Meet this week's guest, Nadia Boujarwah, CEO of Dia&Co.

Listen in on my conversation with Nadia to hear how she was initially rejected by investors - for nearly a year - only to raise $20M last fall. Today she and her team are growing what is often called the StitchFix for plus-size women and bringing a new, body positive shopping alternative to a customer population that has been overlooked by the apparel industry for far too long.

This episode brought to by PressDope, the affordable alternative to traditional PR and media relations made with care for socially-responsible fashion brands by the Spirit of 608.

<3 <3 <3 Oh hey there! Please help the podcast out and leave us a rating and review on iTunes.

This stuff is key to the show's success, and I appreciate you helping me play the game. <3 <3 <3

HOW TO LISTEN:

Listen online: Just press play above or subscribe via RSS to receive all new episodes.

iOS, iPhone, iPad: Subscribe via iTunes or download the Apple Podcast app and subscribe by searching for Spirit of 608 in the app.

Android: Download the free Stitcher app and search for Spirit of 608 in the app.

Linkage:

Dia&Co: www.dia.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diaandco

Twitter: @diaandco

Instagram: @diaandco

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/diaandco/

ShopTalk

Dia&Co's Move Fashion Forward Campaign

Fashion Weeks

Evernote

DocSend

MyIntent bracelet

T-shirt motto: Unwavering.

Are you confident that more digital marketing would help grow your audience and expand your FEST brand, but you're not quite sure where to start? Then this Knowledge Drop episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast is oh so for you. Today's conversation brings a FEST founder onto the show to talk not only the inspiring story behind the badass ethical subscription box company she and her co-founders are building to show off artisan wares from around the globe, but also to dig into her digital marketing knowledge in hopes of helping ethical brands reach new audiences.

Meet this week's guest, Liza Moiseeva, co-founder of GlobeIn.

When Liza said she'd be willing to not only come on the show and offer digital marketing advice, but actually delve into the real strategy and approaches she's used to build GlobeIn's audience from the ground up, I was thrilled - and blown away. As I personally become more and more interested in digital marketing - and especially how it can amplify and extend the value of earned media coverage in the press - I am realizing how difficult it is for a busy founder to find trustworthy information and advice that's tailored for startups and early stage entrepreneurs. Liza brings that to the show this week - as well as her story building a subscription box brand that introduces conscious consumers to new products ethically sourced from makers around the world.

Listen in my conversation with Liza to for insight and actionable advice you can use in your own business to amp up your digital marketing, affiliate marketing, Facebook advertising, Facebook retargeting and influencer marketing strategy. Plus, hear Liza's take on the difficult job of quantifying social impact when you're building a brand committed to creating change through better business practices.

This episode brought to by PressDope, the affordable alternative to traditional PR and media relations made with care for socially-responsible fashion brands by the Spirit of 608.

<3 <3 <3 Oh hey there! Please help the podcast out and leave us a rating and review on iTunes.

This stuff is key to the show's success, and I appreciate you helping me play the game. <3 <3 <3

HOW TO LISTEN:

Listen online: Just press play above or subscribe via RSS to receive all new episodes.

iOS, iPhone, iPad: Subscribe via iTunes or download the Apple Podcast app and subscribe by searching for Spirit of 608 in the app.

Android: Download the free Stitcher app and search for Spirit of 608 in the app.

Linkage:

GlobeIn: globein.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlobeIN/

Twitter: @globein_world

Instagram: @globein_world

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/globein/

Birchbox

Stitch Fix

Video: Meet Marina of GlobeIn and see the impact

Old Dominion University

The SEEP Network

Creating A World Without Poverty by Muhammad Yunus

Kiva

Sharesale

Impact Radius

Buzzfeed

Oprah magazine

Travel and Leisure magazine

Alexa

Etsy

Adespresso

Calendly

Rapportive

Rocksbox

Le Tote

Madison Reed

T-shirt motto: Do good fearlessly.