Episodes
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Welcome! Come along with me on my journey into the metaverse and what's next. Kicking off the first season of the Making it in the Metaverse, here's How to Start Making it in the Metaverse without Spending Anything At All. Consider this your toe-dip into the landscape from a journalist-turned-ethical-fashion-advocate who got crypto curious in '18 but didn't fall all the way down the rabbit hole until mid-2021.
Let me make your journey easier, more fun, less scary.
Special bonus: Couples & Crypto.
None of this is financial advice y'all.
Just a girl with a complicated life in a complicated world aiming to make it on the path to what's next.
Connect with me here:
Twitter: @lorrainesanders
Instagram: @spiritof608
Web: lorrainesanders.com
Web: spiritof608.com
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Missing episodes?
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Welcome! Come along with me on my journey into the metaverse and what's next. Kicking off the first season of the Making it in the Metaverse, here are 6 Ways Regular Folks Can Start Making it in the Metaverse. Consider this your toe-dip into the landscape from a journalist-turned-ethical-fashion-advocate who got crypto curious in '18 but didn't fall all the way down the rabbit hole until mid-2021.
Let me make your journey easier, more fun, less scary.
Special bonus: Couples & Crypto.
None of this is financial advice y'all.
Just a girl with a complicated life in a complicated world aiming to make it on the path to what's next.
Connect with me here:
Twitter: @lorrainesanders
Instagram: @spiritof608
Web: lorrainesanders.com
Web: spiritof608.com
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Welcome! Come along with me on my journey into the metaverse and what's next.
Kicking off the first season of the Making it in the Metaverse, here are 5 Things I Want You to Know About Crypto Culture.
Consider this your toe-dip into the landscape from a journalist-turned-ethical-fashion-advocate who got crypto curious in '18 but didn't fall all the way down the rabbit hole until mid-2021.
Let me make your journey easier, more fun, less scary.
None of this is financial advice y'all.
Just a girl with a complicated life in a complicated world aiming to make it on the path to what's next.
Connect with me here:
Twitter: @lorrainesanders
Instagram: @spiritof608
Web: lorrainesanders.com
Web: spiritof608.com
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Oh hey we have a brand new series coming out this spring (and beyond). A head’s up on what’s happening is waiting for you in today’s episode. More to come so soon.
The TLDR: come with me on my journey into web3, blockchain, crypto and all things metaverse-y. There’s so much happening. Let’s figure it out together.
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Mentioned in the show:
Thanks to our episode sponsor Magic Mind! Boost your productivity and get 20% off your next order with code SPIRIT at checkout.
Ethical Fashion Insiders' Response and Proposed Amendments
New York State Senate Bill S.7428
Why A Beloved Ethical Fashion Startup Closed Up Shop To Embrace An Entirely Different Future in FEST with Helpsy's Rachel Kibbe
The Mavericks Repairing & Revamping Patagonia, Prana & Other Ethical Apparel Brands with Nicole Bassett of The Renewal Workshop
Fashion Advocates Believe ‘Fashion Act’ Lacks Key Elements
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In this episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast, we dive into web3 and why ethical fashion should be paying attention to the possibilities in this rapidly unfolding space.
If you’ve wondered how web3 technology and everything under that umbrella (cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and the Metaverse for a start) could be relevant, useful and game-changing for fashion brand and entrepreneurs seeking to create positive change in the space.
You’ll hear how web3 is not to be ignored — and how you can get started in this new reality.
Mentioned in the show:
Thanks to our episode sponsor Magic Mind! Boost your productivity and get 20% off your next order with code SPIRIT at checkout.
Making it in the Metaverse podcast — COMING SOON
Near Foundation
Near Marketing DAO
The Sandbox Game
Decentraland
NFTs For Newbies Podcast
OpenSea
Rarible
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Our lives are not lived in linear paths. The zigs and the zags are often what allows the most magical, unexpected and impactful moments to bubble up and become a reality. Such is the case with this week’s guest, Danielle Salinas, co-founder of popular sustainable fashion brand Maison de Papillon and, most recently, New York-based retail store and — as you’ll hear — a whole lot more: Project Gaia.
Starting out in advertising and moving on to build a thriving dental practice with her then-husband, Danielle eventually followed her instincts toward her true calling and landed at Parson’s School of Design. That’s where she met co-founder Shriya Mistra. The two launched Maison de Papillon in 2013 and have become known for elevated, luxurious basics that fit in just as well during a day of meetings as they might lazing around with an afternoon tea. During the pandemic, Project Gaia became the co-founders’ somewhat unlikely bet on the power of retail during an unprecedented time. More than just a store, the Manhattan space is evolving into an incubator and accelerator for the next generation of sustainable and ethical brands.
Listen in for Danielle’s story, get inspired by how she lives her life and runs her businesses on her own terms and learn why taking the unexpected route to open a retail space at a time when so many businesses were closing was ultimately the right move.
Learn more below:
Meet Danielle:
Danielle Salinas is the Co-Founder and Co-Designer of Maison de Papillon, a luxury ready-to-wear clothing brand for women. Maison de Papillon’s collection of elevated essentials is designed for the modern woman who desires chicness without sacrificing ease and versatility.Raised in South Texas, Danielle’s career path was certainly unconventional. Her strong entrepreneurial spirit motivated her from a young, single mother of humble beginnings and served as the catalyst for her first career step into the world of advertising. As she launched herself into this industry, she found her passion for business in working with entrepreneurs. Soon, she gained the confidence that allowed her to build a successful dental practice with her then-husband.
As a woman on-the-go who craves simplicity and ease, Danielle noticed a void in the loungewear, ready-to-wear segment of the fashion industry. Ambitiously, she applied to Parson School of Design where Danielle met her now business partner Shriya Misra. Sharing a passion for luxury and versatility, these two women created Maison De Papillon. Today, you can find Maison de Papillon in over 200 of the best hotels and luxury boutiques in the world.
You can learn more about Danielle and her company at www.maisondepapillon.com.
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Ethical and sustainable fashion has become a conversation with global reach and proportions with entrepreneurs around the world building businesses seeking to create positive social impact through carefully-made clothing. One such founder is this week’s guest, Shahd AlShehail, whose Abadia clothing brand delivers sweeping, feminine silhouettes inspired by the traditional artisan craftsmanship of the Saudi Arabian peninsula and made in partnership with female makers across Saudi and the UAE.
Listen to her story for her journey from the business world to social and environmental justice and how those two areas ultimately led her to fashion.
More below:
Meet Shahd:
Shahd AlShehail is an award-winning social entrepreneur focusing on areas of sustainability, women's economic development, and cultural preservation.
After completing her MBA at Johns Hopkins University in 2012, she went on to secure a fellowship with Acumen which exposed her to the power of entrepreneurship in addressing social and environmental issues. In 2013, Shahd co-founded Project JUST, a fashion-tech start-up focused on creating transparency and accountability in fashion supply chains. Continuing on with this theme, Shahd co-founded Abadia, an ethical luxury brand dedicated to preserving the craftsmanship of her region through timeless contemporary products. Abadia works with female artisans across Saudi and the UAE to celebrate their heritage and provide them with a sustainable source of income.
You can learn more about Shahd and her company at www.abadia.me.
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Need inspiration for your evolution as an entrepreneur? Well that’s coming to your ears in this week’s episode, which features a conversation with Arkansas-based designer and maker Alyssa Bird. Well-known in the indie design scene that’s bubbled up online in recent years, Alyssa has garnered fans with her brightly-colored, upbeat accessories and jewelry — not to mention her fun, authentic personality that comes through in her regular Instagram videos and social media.
When you’re entrenched in one business, it can be easy to stay there even when you foresee challenges to growth and scale. Earlier this year, facing some of those challenges, Alyssa made the bold move to launch a new business that carries her commitment to upcycling and making forward in a form that has the potential to reach many more people through ingeniously cute wall art kits that pair deadstock fabric with wood cut frames anyone at any age can use to craft their own eco-friendly art.
Listen in for her story and how she’s building a new company that continues her path in a whole new way.
More below:
Meet Alyssa:
Pictokits founder Alyssa Bird spent 3 years in the Los Angeles fashion industry and saw a desperate need to reduce the waste from clothing production. Her innovation, mission for upcycling, and love for learning reached a turning point when she developed a new mixed-media art concept by merging the rescued textiles with laser cut wood.
Picto Kits is an elevated hands-on experience of art and education that requires no previous training and delivers a playful adventure inspiring individuals of any age.
You can learn more about Alyssa and her company at www.pictokits.com.
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Curious how to use community and events to generate buzz and reach new audiences for your sustainable fashion brand? On this week’s show, I am excited to bring you Costa Rica and L.A.-based designer Diana Ganem for a conversation that’s one-part story and one-part live media strategy coaching. Like many professional designers who’ve worked in the fashion industry for years, Diana left the corporate world to launch Nightswim, a company that aligns with her values and devotion to sustainable and ethical practices.
Now that she’s established her brand and built a foundation for her breezy leisurewear, this sustainable fashion designer is ready to take her business to the next level. Already successful with using events and community to grow, she’s wondering how to balance time and budget to better connect to members of the media so she can reach new audiences.
Listen in for her story and what I advise her to do with her brand right now in order to build stronger relationships with the media that will last.
More below:
Meet Diana:
Diana Ganem’s early life saw her moving from Mexico, to the American Southwest, and ultimately to Los Angeles, where, discovering her life’s passion, she attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). After over a decade in various roles in the fashion industry, she decided to become her own boss, and began work on developing a socially responsible fashion brand that aligned with her values in sustainability and ethical practice.
Now based in both Los Angeles and Costa Rica, Nightswim, launched in 2018, is a conscious leisurewear brand rooted in respecting the planet and its people. The brand strives to empower consumers in making wiser shopping decisions, while at the same time providing high quality pieces that make women feel confident and comfortable.
You can learn more about Diana and her company at www.nightswimbrand.com.
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If there’s one thing I truly believe about getting visible through DIY PR and earned media (i.e. media you didn’t have to pay for, a.k.a. advertising), it’s this: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. There just isn’t. Yes, there are a ton of best practices and standard strategies, and they are great, but there are always questions that come up about people’s individual businesses. That’s, in fact, exactly why I created the PressDope DIY PR course program and set it up the way it is. The goal is to give entrepreneurs the training and materials they need to do their own media outreach, but also get an opportunity for individual feedback and guidance when they need it.
On today’s episode, we’re diving into a question from one PressDope DIY PR Course program member, an ethical designer who is wondering how to use a new partnership as part of her marketing — but doing it in an authentic way that feels right for her and her brand.
Listen in for my tips and advice on leveraging a non-profit partnership in your ethical fashion business’s marketing.
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Launching a magazine is not for the faint of heart. Sure, content is crucial for most businesses right now (especially those in the sustainable fashion arena). But consistently creating high-quality, thought-provoking, change-making content? It’s a hugely intensive endeavor, one that this week’s guest on the Spirit of 608 podcast knows well.
During our conversation, ESJ magazine (a.k.a. Ethical Style Journal) founder Katie talks frankly about the complexities of building a media business in the sustainable and ethical fashion arena and how her approach has changed — and is poised to change again soon — and why. We talked about the media, the need for creatives to make money and questions that come up in sustainable fashion marketing and messaging today amid a backdrop of brands, influencers, thought leaders and activists who are all part of an increasingly important, but noisy landscape.
But most of all, listen in for her story and advice for creating sustainable fashion conversations that matter while also building a brand that stays firmly rooted in authenticity and longevity.
Meet Katie:
Katie is the founder and editor-in-chief of ESJ Magazine. She has been working to make sure representation exists within the sustainable fashion space, and that real conversations that lead to accountability and action are happening in fashion.
Over the past year and a half, her work with the magazine has expanded to create a bigger platform for Black women and femmes to show up and take up space in ethical and sustainable fashion.
You can learn more about Katie and her company at www.ethicalstylejournal.com.
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Sometimes you fall in love with vintage, and sometimes you fall so hard you start a business. The latter is the case for this week’s guest, who launched a line of jewelry born out of her love for antique lockets and went on to grow the company into a mixed collection of modern fine jewelry pieces and unique antique jewelry from her network of sources.
In this week’s episode, we get the inside story of Suzanne’s journey from the corporate world (she’s an alum of J.Crew, RedEnvelope, Victoria’s Secret and Bally) to launching her collection and growing it for more than a decade. Along the way, she’s learned a lot — including how to get featured in major media from the Today Show to the New York Times.
Listen in for her advice on the business of building a business and so much more.
Featured in this episode:Suzanne Wernevi
Linkedin: Suzanne Ellis Wernevi
Meet Suzanne Wernevi:
Suzanne Wernevi is the founder of Luna & Stella, a Providence-based jewelry business that blends their own contemporary heirlooms with one-of-a-kind antiques.
Luna & Stella was born out of the 2008 recession. At the time, she was leading merchandising for a venture-backed e-commerce company that went bankrupt. Employees lost their livelihoods and health insurance overnight. The next day, it was her job to call the vendors, many of them small business owners, to tell them their invoices would not be paid. She saw firsthand the human impact of what can happen when a company prioritizes rapid growth over financial sustainability. And she knew there had to be a better way.
Throughout her career in corporate fashion, she had worked with many product categories -- but jewelry resonated with her for its timeless quality and emotional significance.
In 2009, she launched Luna & Stella in New York with the idea of creating fine jewelry symbolic of one’s closet relationships – the treasured “moon and stars” in our lives. It gained early traction, but by 2011, she and her husband were looking for a more livable city. They saw the potential for a great quality of life in Providence -- a university town with great food, culture, diversity, affordable homes, and access to the outdoors. From a business perspective, she was drawn to Rhode Island’s history as the jewelry capital of the world and hoped to manufacture lockets based on ones that were made there over a century ago. But she found that modern tooling and techniques could not replicate the craftsmanship of Rhode Island’s past.
Instead, she discovered that people were drawn to the history and one-of-a-kind nature of the antique pieces themselves. At the same time, she was becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of jewelry production -- and vintage jewelry, which does not further deplete natural resources, fit perfectly into a growing movement for sustainable fashion.
You can learn more about Suzanne and her company at www.lunaandstella.com.
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What happens when your product unexpectedly lands in the hands of a Hollywood costume pro who happens to be working on the sets of a film destined to become the next big thing. Ask this week’s guest on the Spirit of 608 podcast, whose fashion business career spans decades and six different companies — some of which she ran at the same time.
A multi-hyphenate creative and serial entrepreneur, Sarah Shaw lets us in on her journey from her early days in Los Angeles as an almost accidental handbag designer who went on to see her products in featured in major news outlets, in A-list films and in celebrity coverage of all kinds.
Today a business coach who works with brands to help them reach new audiences and grow, Shaw is both inspiring and full of advice for entrepreneurs out there today navigating the fashion and accessories landscape.
Featured in this episode:Sarah Shaw
Instagram: @sarahshawconsulting
Linkedin: Sarah Shaw
Meet Sarah Shaw:
Sarah is the Founder & CEO of Sarah Shaw Consulting, where she teaches product designers and fashion entrepreneurs how to launch, market and sell their products into boutiques, get media placements and gift celebrities.
Sarah Shaw is a fashion entrepreneur, product designer and business coach. With her 20 years of experience - and 6 companies under her belt - Sarah has built a treasure trove of secrets for launching fashion lines, getting products into stores and boutiques, getting products to A-List celebrities, and getting massive publicity in order to grow her companies quickly.
Sarah’s products have been in over 1,200 stores and boutiques across the country, including Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Barney’s, Henri Bendel, Fred Segal, Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue and Bloomingdales.
She’s also appeared in the pages of almost every major fashion and lifestyle magazine, including InStyle, People, US Weekly, Lucky, ELLE, WWD, Marie Claire and the O-List. She’s been on TV shows like Access Hollywood, Extra and the E! network. Her handbags were in the movies Legally Blonde, America’s Sweetheart and Ocean’s 11. And she’s been interviewed for Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, INC, and American Express’ OPEN Forum.
You can learn more about Sarah and her company at www.sarahshawconsulting.com
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The future of secondhand fashion is unfolding in front of our eyes. For many of us who’ve thrifted for years and loved vintage and new-with-tags treasures long before they became big business, it’s easy to wonder: what’s next? How will the rise of billion dollar companies slinging secondhand style affect not just the mainstream fashion landscape, but the legions of local shops and sellers who see secondhand as so much more than the latest trend.
To get some answers, our fabulous summer intern Evelyn hit the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, where we have numerous consignment, secondhand and thrift retailers who are go-to destinations for locals looking to buy, sell and donate clothes and accessories with a previous life.
Listen in to this week’s episode for an honest, real and open look at why three very different business women in the space do what they do and what they see ahead for the future of secondhand and its ties to our local communities.
A big thanks to Evelyn for the field work and reporting for this special episode.
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If you’ve ever stressed about live video — or any video content for that matter — you need to listen to today’s episode with Alicia Henderson of Empirenista and the Video Visibility with Alicia Show. That’s because she’s bringing us her completely down-to-earth and no BS approach to video content and why it’s time to get over your fears and hesitations and use this ultra-powerful way of communicating to reach new audiences and grow today.
In her work with female entrepreneurs, Alicia helps women get comfortable using video in a way that highlights their expertise and grows their business. Oh and p.s. she is not about to let you drop the ball because “today’s not a day I feel like doing my make-up.” Oh no, just wait for her five-minute face tip. It’s gold!
Listen in for Alicia’s own journey to becoming a go-to expert for women in business who want to stand on video, as well as her tips and advice for showing up and feeling comfortable in videos so you can create the growth, impact and visibility you are here for.
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No matter what kind of content you’re creating for your business, I’m willing to bet one thing.
There are times you’re totally overwhelmed. And maybe those times are pretty much all of the time. And if that’s the case, it’s for good reason: given today’s marketing landscape and the realities of what’s required to get visible as you grow, almost every brand — whether you’re a product-based DTC ecommerce business like the many I’ve interviewed on the Spirit of 608 podcast or the founder of a tech platform or a service brand seeking better reach through thought expertise and community building — creating enough content to satisfy the number of platforms and opportunities out there right now will turn you into a mini publishing empire or, worse, make you feel like you should be one even though you hardly have time or bandwidth to run your own business.
Phew. That’s a lot.
It’s a circumstance so many entrepreneurs face today, one that leaves them saddled with a completely unsustainable system, one that’s sure to crumble or stall out over the long-term without an outsized investment of hours or hiring a number of team members to help (something that’s often difficult in the early stages even for revenue-generating businesses and funded startups).
But here’s the good news: we’re in the middle of a content shift. And it’s one that has the potential to make content creation, publishing and promotion easier and more feasible for small and medium sized businesses.
The wisdom, circa 2012-2015, used to be: create content tailored to each individual platform or you risk entirely turning off your audience. These days, the smartest marketers I know are masters at running content production like a supply chain and prioritizing repurposed content over everything. Yes, the inner English major and journalist in me cringes. But over time I have come to see that this approach doesn’t really devalue content. Instead, it values and in fact significantly elevates the value of your message, mission and thoughts. Because of that, viewing content in this lens actually stands to increase and broaden your impact.
With the clients I help and in my own business, I use a content framework and process to guide me so the content I’m creating is not only possible to generate with the resources I have, but also works for the business. I’m laying out this sustainable content publishing system on today’s episode of the Spirit of 608 podcast. It’s a four-part framework with a four-step content creation process focused on repurposing woven into its core.
Want the rest? You can use this episode as a step-by-step guide to creating a sustainable content publishing system fueled by repurposed content so you can get out of your own way and start reaching more of the minds and hearts of people who will love what you do and be thrilled they’ve discovered you.
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Designer, neuroscientist and community leader Sharmon Lebby is back with us on the Spirit of 608 podcast for a second episode updating us on how her journey building a an ethical fashion brand as a side-gig ultimately led her to become an activist and community leader pushing creating connections among ethical businesses and pushing for change in her native San Antonio and well beyond.
As president of the Ethical Network of San Antonio, Sharmon is dialed into the social and economic issues impacting owners of ethical small businesses in her region and is committed to bringing conversations about the intertwined nature of fashion, politics, social justice and environmentalism through the new Unpacking Ethical podcast she hosts alongside Ethical Style Journal’s founder and editor, Katie.
Listen to the episode for a dive into her choice to simplify her side gig so she could get more out of life and make a bigger impact in the wider ethical fashion realm. Once again, in so many ways, less is more.
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