Today’s episode is a chat with Janaya Wilkins, who is from New Zealand and who has just last week, launched a kickstarter campaign for her very own eco-friendly luxury oceanwear brand called SLO active.
In this episode Janaya shares her story. She was born and raised a surfer, and spent the first years growing up on the shores of New Zealand until she moved to London to follow her master’s degree. Obviously the contrast between Castle Point and London is huge. But that didn’t stop Janaya from caring for the Ocean and having the SLO active project in mind. The business that launched on Kickstarter last week is an exciting new venture that involves philantropy, eco-friendly and ethical garments, luxury swimwear and activism.
In this episode we talk about social enterprises. Basically, SLO active is a social enterprise which manufactures luxury oceanwear and adds activism into the equation. Janaya walks us through what this involves. We talk about how she has become an expert in garment design, plastic pollution, slow fashion, compensating carbon emissions, creating cradle to cradle products and contributing to ocean-friendly charities.
It’s really exciting to find out how all the pieces of the puzzle join together and the process and the time it has taken Janaya to get to where she is today. In fact, we also find out how she dared to drop her day job and spend most of her time on this exciting new business.
SLO active’s kickstarter campaign started last week and is still on as this podcast drops. Early birds will get special prices on the elegant and super soft swimwear designed by Janaya herself.
I love the way Janaya used her former experience to freelance and bridge the financial gap between dropping the day job and going all in to Slo active. She’s put her life savings into this business.
I also love the whole slow movement that is attached to this project. It is definitely something to look into if you want to support meaningful and sustainable products and practices.
We didn’t get around to talking about this but on the SLO active’s Instagram account, Janaya encourages followers to pick up at least 5 pieces of trash on each nature encounter. It’s not too difficult to do, but, believe me, it does make you feel a tiny bit better about the planet.
You can look up SLO active’s kickstarter campaign on kickstarter.com.
Alternatively you can go to sloactive.com where the Kickstarter campaign is on the homepage. The campaign finishes on 29 June, so it’s worth making the most of the great offers before all the good deals run out! You can also follow SLO active on Instagram at @slo.active.
Thank you Janaya for being such a fabulous guest. And thank you guys for listening!
Until next week, take care have fun and enjoy the waves!
Ciao
Imi
The Oceanriders Podcast is a weekly podcast and I would like to thank you all regular listeners for your patience this past month. I’m stepping up my game now and have hired a podcast editor. So I’ll be doing more of what I love most (ie interviewing amazing guests) and less of what i loathe (i.e. editing podcasts). If you would like to support this initiative and help me pay for my editor, you can buy me a coffee here : https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oceanriders
If you enjoy listening, you can also help by telling your friends, your family or any fellow surfers about the podcast. I you would like to join me for an episode, or if you know anyone who would like to share their story please reach out to me on Instagram @theoceariderspodcast or via email at hello@theoceanriderspodcast.com. To get in touch with me, one link paves to all the rest: http://www.linktr.ee/theoceanriderspodcast
This week, I got to sit down for a chat with Lilly Woodbury who is and environmentalist and a media specialist making waves within the non profit organisation Surfrider in Tofino, which is off the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada.
Today’s conversation is taking us to Hawaii, on the island of Maui, where my guest was up before the chickens to talk to me, her name is Jenn Biestman.
Jenn’s story is truly uplifting.
At the age of 27, Jenn suffered a severe back injury that left her immobilized and in pain with no real prospect of recovery. Basically, the doctors had made it clear that her life as an adventurous human being was doomed…
In the turmoil of having to face this life-shattering news, she hobbled to the airport, and took off to Maui to try to figure things out.
In a week, “Winter is Coming” and I thought today would be pretty appropriate to take you to the cold waters of the North East of England. Today’s conversation is with Simon Day, the co-founder of a burgeoning surf brand in the UK called Fitzroy.
Donations will be used to pay for equipment, podcast editor and promotion of the podcast on social networks. The Oceanriders Podcast is a member of One Percent for The Planet, 1% of your proceeds will be donated to Surfrider Europe.
