TRFE 185: What's Gone Wrong + What it Really Takes to Run a Subscription Box Company with Liza Moiseeva

”Your product has to stand on its own. It has to compete with the most expensive, the most mainstream product. The quality has to be top-notch. And then, your mission is the cherry on top.”   SPONSORED BY DUBSADO Dubsado is a client mangement system for creative entrepreneurs, and it helps you do everything from sending contracts, invoices, and questionnaires, to managing all things your biz in one place - with a few clicks of the button. Use code TRFE at checkout for 30% off your first month or year: http://bit.ly/dubsadotrfe   WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE? Sourcing products from artisans all around the world and leading the only subscription box company to achieve official Fair Trade designation for its work supporting artisans from around the world. It’s all in a day's work. But what’s really interesting is hearing from Liza Moisseva, one of the co-founders of GlobeIn, about what it really takes, what’s gone wrong, and how a childhood in Russia and swimming led her to a life here in the United States. We talk about… Beginning her career in microfinancing (and what that is!) Totally shifting your business model The roller-coaster of retail business An important lesson for social entrepreneurs about their product What fair trade actually means The challenges of sourcing (and quality control) thousands of products from multiple countries   WHO IS LIZA MOISEEVA? Liza is a founder at the helm of GlobeIn, the leading social enterprise subscription box company - and the only subscription box company to achieve official Fair Trade designation for its work supporting artisans from around the world and in developing countries where, after agriculture, artisan goods are the second largest source of employment. Through her work, GlobeIn has invested more than $2 million in fair wages into artisan communities over the last two years alone. Liza was recruited from her native Russia to swim at the college level for Old Dominion University, where she began her social impact work before graduating. She went on to found the first online community for social entrepreneurs in Russia before joining the GlobeIn team as co-founder. She has a tenacity of spirit and a notable mix of strength and empathy that have made her a rising star in the social good space, leading her to speak at such industry events as the groundbreaking 2017 Haiti Tech Summit, among others. Both her personal journey and her professional work make her an inspiring founder to watch.   LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE: www.globein.com Globein on Instagram and Facebook Liza on Instagram Email: [email protected] "Start Something That Matters" by Blake Mycoskie True Cost Poverty Inc. The Sisterhood