Jul 10, 2019
Do you realize how much power you
have as a consumer? I’m serious. There’s that famous quote that I
use all the time which is “You vote every single day by the way you
spend your money.” and over the last couple of years, I’ve found
that this is truer than ever… your beliefs drive how you purchase
goods and services and companies that don’t adhere to your personal
values or beliefs, more often than not, don’t get your money. And
money talks. But… that doesn’t mean that you just buy a product
SIMPLY because you believe in the values behind it… there’s a whole
lot more to it and it’s something that my guest today has spent
nearly 20 years working to study...
5:10 - The Llenay 101
- Llenay’s Ferretti’s success as a
fashion designer gave her a robust knowledge of international
sourcing as well as access to iconic industry mentors. It also
paved the way for her future in fair-trade.
- Fair-trade found Llenay after she
met women basket weavers on a 2001 volunteer trip to Uganda with
10,000 Villages.
- Llenay’s skills in pattern, color,
and textile helped the women reimagine their beautiful patterns for
capturing market.
- After working as the Executive
Director for 10,000 Villages, Llenay started her own organization
in 2007 called Bahavana World Project. Bahavana World Project
brings technical skills and services to women’s organizations in
the developing world.
- In 2016, Llenay joined the 10,000
Villages board and is currently the acting CEO while the
organization searches for a permanent CEO.
10:05 - Our Purchases Are
Powerful
- When people have access to growth
and fairly paid work, their lives can change significantly by
giving them the tools to sustain themselves.
- Consumers have the power to shape
the market in the ways they chose to invest their dollars. This is
as true in the fashion industry as it is in fair-trade, and
purchasing decisions affect everyone in the global
community.
- These days, consumers are much
more aware of the impact they have on the global community with
conscious and ethical participation in fair-trade
purchases.
- Consumers who are not involved in
fair-trade purchases sometimes ask: “Isn’t that job better than no
job?” This idea does not apply to vulnerable communities working in
unsafe conditions for unfair wages. Working for fair wages
eliminates the vulnerability of being stuck in a cycle of
exploitation.
- Control should be in the hands of
both the maker and the buyer. 10,000 Villages gives interest
advances and pays artists in full for products, creating a
risk-free financial environment where artists don’t have to wait an
unreasonable amount of time to be paid.
20:40 - The Demand For
Transparency
- All businesses need to be
transparent, and consumers should know how workers are treated and
how they are paid.
- The April 24th, 2013 Rana Plaza Complex
Disaster in Bangladesh started a global demand for transparency and
for workers to be treated with dignity and respect. A campaign was started by the
Fashion Revolution organization that asked companies “Who made my
clothes?” instead of “Where were my clothes made?”
- 10,000 Villages has used a model
of transparency from day one. Having the artisan tell their stories
for 70 years has built sustainability and trust with both artisans
and consumers.
- The addition of fair-trade
practices by large fashion brands like J.Crew, Athleta (Gap),
Target, etc., has created more accountability in the industry: In
the past, companies would simply pass off stories of artisans as
checking the fair-trade box, but if it’s not well made, on trend,
and functional, it’s just creates a one-time pity
purchase.
- Fair-trade organizations work
toward proving that women are being educated, children are going to
school, people’s medical needs are being fulfilled, housing is
available, and college education is accessible. Transparency should
reveal an equal respect in a trading relationship, and build a
long-term commitment between makers and markets.
32:40 - Connecting Makers To
Markets
- The mission of 10,000 Villages is
to link makers to markets through fair-trade, sustainable,
long-term relationships. A personal connection in every step of the
transaction is key.
- The voice of the consumer matters;
you actually can shop your values!
- 10,000 Villages refreshed their
brand by inviting the consumer into maker stories even
more. Now the goal
is to establish a value chain that communicates everything from
maker to the market, encouraging the consumer to join the
movement.
- Industries need to base their
practices on consumer needs in order to keep up with a changing
market.
- Women around the world want the
same things for their children and their communities. Llenay’s
inspiration moving forward is to be able to demonstrate her values
not only through her career, but also as a
consumer.
48:23 - Getting to Know Our
Guest:
Find out Llenay’s Fav TV Shows
(think old school Saturday mornings), recent kitchen successes, and
what’s on her reading list.
47:34 - New Question
Time!
Llenay answers it first: “What Does
It Mean To You To Run A Business With Purpose?”
“It means to have my personal values
and my outward expression in the world aligned and it means that I
am living my personal best life and hopefully helping others by
doing that.”
5:58 A Memorable Moment
[spp-tweet tweet="Safe working
conditions and a fair wage is a human right and the dignity of work
should embrace that, not exploit people for how they can benefit a
corporation or a capitalist system." - Llenay Ferretti]
Meet Your Guest:
As the founder and CEO of Bhavana
World Project, since 2007, Llenay has worked to bridge the gap
between fair trade artisans and U.S. companies to create successful
and sustainable market access through partnerships within the
public and private sectors. She has consulted for East Africa Trade
Hub; focusing on business development and training programs for
more than 200 fair trade groups in Asia and Africa.
Llenay has also been working with
Ten Thousand Villages for many years, as the Executive Director, a
national board member, and now, as the organization’s Acting CEO.
As a global maker-to-market movement, Ten Thousand Villages
connects artisans in developing countries with conscious shoppers
in the U.S. offering ethically sourced gifts, home wares and
fashion accessories crafted by hand. Every product generates
sustainable income — and impact — for 20,000 makers in 30 countries
who earn a fair, living wage in safe working conditions.
Through her leadership at Ten
Thousand Villages and Bhavana World Project, Llenay has more than
twenty years of experience in international business development,
product design, business management, and fair trade standards and
certification.
“I believe that by providing
artisans with the tools to grow their businesses creates the
driving force behind projects in developing economies. This has
been the driving force behind the development of Ten Thousand
Villages and Bhavana World Project. Working with each of the
artisan groups that I have had the privilege to connect with has
shown me that equality in development can affect both individual
and collective transformation, which has direct impact on artisan
processes, product outcomes, and their market
sustainability.”
Llenay’s educational background
includes an Executive Masters of International Service from
American University in Washington D.C. and certifications in USAID
Economic Evaluation Basics, USAID Monitoring and Evaluation, and
USAID M&E Fundamentals from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health. As well as a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Moore
College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA. And from 2015-2017,
she served on the United States Trade Representative Advisory
Committee on Africa, a Presidential appointment during the Obama
Administration.
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