33 min
81. Jonathan Salfield, Afends // The Steps To Taking A Small Business In Byron Bay To An Internationally Recognised Brand Pioneering The Sustainable Fashion Movement The Make It Happen Show
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- Entrepreneurship
From a regional town in Australia to an internationally recognised clothing brand, Afends' journey is the epitome of the small business dream. Co-founders Jonathan Salfield and Declan Wise started Afends in the back of a van in Byron Bay before blowing up across the world and being adopted by major retailers, making massive progress with the growth of their company. But 10 years down the track, they decided to update their brand values and business practices to add the additional focus of sustainability, especially with hemp, and Afends is now known as one of the biggest brands pioneering the hemp and sustainability fashion movement in Australia.
Jono joined us on this week's episode of The Make It Happen Show to talk about everything from his business journey from the van to being an industry leader including how he's balancing commercial outcomes with sustainability, the differences of running a business in a regional town compared to in a big city, how they market sustainable products to teenagers (hint: tell them it's made of weed!), and even how they face off with 'keyboard warriors'. This is a great ep for any business owner looking to change the world. Check it out.
Timestamps:
2:06 - How to make sustainable fashion relevant to a younger audience
3:27 - How Afends began its journey in sustainability
6:48 - The struggle in finding manufacturers producing hemp, and the strategies Afends has used to avoid produce wastage
12:07 - Expanding internationally, and how to start producing your own hemp
14:46 - How Byron Bay has progressed as a hub in regional NSW
18:50 - The balance between sustainability and creating sellable products, and how being carbon-neutral plays an integral role
21:18 - The considerations businesses need to take before going sustainable
22:55 - Dealing with difficult conversations as a sustainable fashion company
25:00 - The advantage of regional business owners over those in major cities
29:19 - How to align your business goals and values with personal growth
From a regional town in Australia to an internationally recognised clothing brand, Afends' journey is the epitome of the small business dream. Co-founders Jonathan Salfield and Declan Wise started Afends in the back of a van in Byron Bay before blowing up across the world and being adopted by major retailers, making massive progress with the growth of their company. But 10 years down the track, they decided to update their brand values and business practices to add the additional focus of sustainability, especially with hemp, and Afends is now known as one of the biggest brands pioneering the hemp and sustainability fashion movement in Australia.
Jono joined us on this week's episode of The Make It Happen Show to talk about everything from his business journey from the van to being an industry leader including how he's balancing commercial outcomes with sustainability, the differences of running a business in a regional town compared to in a big city, how they market sustainable products to teenagers (hint: tell them it's made of weed!), and even how they face off with 'keyboard warriors'. This is a great ep for any business owner looking to change the world. Check it out.
Timestamps:
2:06 - How to make sustainable fashion relevant to a younger audience
3:27 - How Afends began its journey in sustainability
6:48 - The struggle in finding manufacturers producing hemp, and the strategies Afends has used to avoid produce wastage
12:07 - Expanding internationally, and how to start producing your own hemp
14:46 - How Byron Bay has progressed as a hub in regional NSW
18:50 - The balance between sustainability and creating sellable products, and how being carbon-neutral plays an integral role
21:18 - The considerations businesses need to take before going sustainable
22:55 - Dealing with difficult conversations as a sustainable fashion company
25:00 - The advantage of regional business owners over those in major cities
29:19 - How to align your business goals and values with personal growth
33 min