About

My guest today is Lisa Jaspers, a passionate social entrepreneur that inspires me so much! She ditched her secure job at one of the worlds biggest charity organizations to follow her heart and start her own ethical brand, FOLKDAYS. FOLKDAYS is a Berlin-based fashion label that empowers artisans from some of the remotest corners in the world to make a living through their handmade crafts. Each time I walk into the store here in Kreuzberg, it’s like going on a little journey to far away lands and cultures. It’s spreading a very positive, colorful, dreamy vibe and takes me to places like Turkey, Cambodia, Nepal, India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Palestine, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru - in total there are 26 artisans from 18 countries involved. Every team member of FOLKDAYS is happy to share the unique stories behind each piece. Lisa even knows all artisans in person, as she travels out to those hidden corners, searching for the most talented craftspeople - and gives them a reason to believe into themselves and their incredible talent. Apart from sharing the story of how this beautiful label was born and the “what, “how” & of course, especially the “why” behind FOLKDAYS, we also touched into some very personal topics. You'll learn about: How to get noticed as a social brand in an overloaded market like fashion What it means to be a female entrepreneur - and why we need more of them Why we need to learn to believe in ourselves & our skills (no matter if in Bangladesh or Europe) Stories of travelling on the surface vs. travelling deep What moved Lisa to the point where she wanted to stop travelling Why you’ll never be a good entrepreneur if you’re a perfectionist What’s so important about surrounding yourself with the right people Why we are often our own worst enemy & How to keep up your energy as a small business owner The importance of visual communication and storytelling for green brands What are the next steps in the FOLKDAYS story The advantages - and the challenges - of starting a sustainable brand in Berlin What makes Berlin “Berlin” & the effects of living in peaceful chaos You see, there’s a whole lot to get out of this! I had a blast talking to this inspiring woman and left the store full of motivation and new ideas - and I’m pretty sure you’ll feel the same. Make sure to swing by at the store in Manteuffelstraße in Kreuzberg as soon as you can. And until then, soothe your curiosity and wanderlust by checking out the beautiful journal on www.folkdays.com Check out the full interview including pictures and show notes on: www.greenmeberlin.com/podcast-folkdays If you enjoyed this episode, share it out with your friends - and I ALWAYS love to hear from you too. So send me any thoughts, questions or feedback. Either as a comment on www.greenmeberlin.com/podcast-folkdays, or message me on Facebook, Twitter, send me an Email, whichever you feel most comfortable with. BEFORE YOU GO, I got a little secret to announce already: I’m teaming up again with my friend Ari from the Green Fashion Tours and we’ll be hosting our 2nd Circular Economy Tour + Zero Waste Dinner, this time in Wedding. It’s happening on the 17th August here in Berlin. If you’re interested in joining, watch out on www.greenmeberlin.com/events, as we’ll put all the details live over the weekend. If you wanna stay up to date with the latest interviews, green events and fresh content from me and my explorations through Berlin’s green scene, sign up for my monthly newsletter. I got a little thank you if you do so, I’ll send you my little best-of guide to 7 of my favorite eco-minded places in the city. To get it, just go over to www.greenmeberlin.com/newsletter Last quick shout out: As always, it would be a huge help for me if you could hop over to iTunes and leave me a short review... It’s what keeps me and the show going. Thank YOU! Now, go out & have an amazing day. And remember to keep it green!