"BEYOUROWN" INTERVIEWS JOY VASILJEV

BEYOUROWN is a digital media and news company dedicated to inspiring women in business. Led by founder, CEO and contributing editor Samanah Duran, BEYOUROWN's growth and evolution comes down to continually delivering a fresh perspective from a broad community of today's most accomplished, influential and entrepreneurial women.

In December 2018 they interviewed Joy Vasiljev, founder, partner and designer at The Organic Company.

BYO: What does an ordinary day look like for you?

Joy: I always start my morning with breathing exercises and meditation. Then a little family time, helping my children out of the door, and then I cycle across Copenhagen to The Organic Company office. On Mondays we have mindfulness at 11. I guide it, as I am a trained mindfulness meditation teacher. It is there to support wellbeing at the office — and because I love it.

BYO: How is The Organic Company financed?

Joy: Self-financed. I started with my savings, my passion and a lot of hard work. Today there are three partners: Rikke, Peter and me. I love my partners and I love how we work together. We also start every board meeting with mindfulness and meditation. People tend to be amused by that, but it works so well, and when we begin the actual meeting we are focused and present. I can only recommend it. And the three of us love The Organic Company, our growing responsible business baby.

BYO: Can you tell us more about your brand DNA and ethos at The Organic Company?

Joy: Our DNA is bringing design, quality and organic cotton together. Organic, because conventional is not future-proof. We cannot keep destroying the soil, our water reserves and our wealth. The better the product is, the better people tend to look after it. That goes hand in hand with an organic way of thinking.

BYO: We love how you also support local Danish businesses by collaborating with them. What has been the best project work so far?

Joy: Helle Vibeke Jensen (hebiinu.com). She and I share the same passion for Japanese living and Danish design culture. We have developed a relaxed robe together. She is one of my favourite designers to work with.

BYO: Can you give us three useful tips for launching an organic textile business?

Joy:

• I recommend thinking beyond the products and considering the scale of the impact your business will have.
• Take responsibility, and make the coming generation proud of you and your company from a responsibility point of view.
• To give a concrete example, I will share The Organic Company's three launch principles: meet a need, solve a problem, lift a category.

We will never add another colour or product unless it meets one of those. Those principles should apply to every business, new or existing. The world does not need more rubbish, cheap products you cannot wait to throw out, and fast fashion. We need less and better. On top of that, I suggest going organic — it makes an enormous positive difference for people and the planet.

BYO: Who is involved in the team behind you at The Organic Company?

Joy: Day to day we are seven women running the office, plus some lovely student workers and freelancers. I love my team. I could not do it without them.

BYO: Where do you see yourself in the next 3-5 years?

Joy: A much larger company, much more positive impact and more conversations. We are on a mission here. We need attention on the largest, most polluting and most toxic crop in the world. It is all around us, and it is not helping us. Conventional cotton should be banned. It is so bad for the soil, for the workers and for our health. As in really bad.

BYO: What strategies do you have in place as you look at expanding The Organic Company?

Joy: More focus on the storytelling. More communication. More collaboration.

BYO: Can you tell us which areas you have struggled in professionally?

Joy: All of them. Being an entrepreneur is about learning, learning, learning. The first two, three, four, five, six years were chaotic, and yet I managed to build a brand. With passion you can reach the moon. One of my good friends, Soulaima Gourani, once told me that overnight success takes seven to ten years. She is so right.

BYO: Have you ever had a mentor? If so, how has that helped you grow?

Joy: Anne Skare Nielsen, who is a futurist, author and keynote speaker, has taught me so much — and perhaps most importantly, to trust my gut. I still use a lot of her lines, such as "the future is about less and better", and that "today you cannot reach any goal successfully on your own".

BYO: Which retailers do you use to market The Organic Company?

Joy: We work with mid-range to high-end, and we have two parameters to choose by: organic and design. In retail we are in design stores and department stores as well as eco shops.

BYO: What methods do you use to build your own support network?

Joy: I network a great deal. I attend important talks, networking meetings, workshops and seminars almost every week. It is a balance, because I also have to work — but networking is something you can hardly do too much of. You have to build your network and take care of it. And when you do, you have a lot of ambassadors and help within reach.

BYO: What do you think are the common misconceptions about the retail industry, and how do you use your platform and voice to educate people?

Joy: The biggest misconception is believing that your purchase does not matter. Your purchase is your vote. If you want a better world, start buying organic and cutting down in general. We use our communication as our opportunity to inspire, guide and share a lot of knowledge and ideas — on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

BYO: What would you like to see change for millennials in business?

Joy: A focus on responsibility for the planet we share. A focus on sustainability, and on getting our planet back into balance.

BYO: What is the best business advice you have received to date?

Joy: To stay focused.

BYO: What is the number one critical lesson you have learned in your career so far?

Joy: Not listening to my gut.

BYO: How do you create a steady and balanced work and personal life?

Joy: I made an agreement with myself from the start that I would not work all the time.

BYO: The highlight of your career so far?

Joy: What I have reached so far. We are a brand. We are a team on a mission. Our mission has been the same from the very beginning: to prove that a responsible business can be a good business. The bottom line is in the black, and in 2018, year to date, we are seeing sales growth of 29% compared with the whole of 2017. I know we have inspired and informed a lot of people towards less and better, which in this case means quality organic products.

BYO: What gives you the ultimate career satisfaction?

Joy: When people come for business advice, and for advice on how to become more responsible.

BYO: What challenges have you faced during the growth of The Organic Company?

Joy: Many. For example, when your company grows, you want to hire. And then you have to work out which area you need most, because you cannot hire many people even if you need many hands. That is a discipline in itself. And then, once it is decided, you start looking for your new colleague, which is also a discipline in itself. And finally, when you do hire, it may take six months or more before your new colleague is a real help. That is a challenge. It has been since the first hire, and it still is.

BYO: What is a good article or book you have read recently?

Joy: I have just read 'Kafka on the Shore' by the Japanese author Murakami for the second time. I rarely read the same thing twice, but most of Murakami's books are worth it. I love the way he writes and the depth of his books — philosophical in a readable way.

BYO: Which other leading entrepreneurs and trailblazers do you admire, and why?

Joy: Quite a few, actually. I meet a lot of entrepreneurs, and I am so impressed by all the good ideas and the passion. The people I admire most are visionary and good people — entrepreneurs or not.

BYO: Top three podcasts to listen to?

Joy: I am not much of a listener. When I walk, cycle or run I never have anything in my ears, no podcasts playing. I always listen to the city, to the silence or to the life around me. Every now and then I listen to a news channel, Zetland and their podcasts, and occasionally something mind-expanding like Simon Sinek. Otherwise I prefer silence or meditative music, such as singing bowls.

BYO: How do you measure success on your own terms?

Joy: When I can feel that people are listening, and hearing what I have to say about taking responsibility and doing better by our planet.

BYO: What does #BEYOUROWN mean to you?

Joy: To me it is freedom. When you have a cause or a passion, it means everything. Listen to yourself, dare to be different, stay true to your inner voice and your gut — and still be respectful towards other people, animals and our planet.

You can read the original article at www.beyourown.org