TFB 027: How an ethical bag business became fashionable

Our guest today is James Munro Boon, founder of awesome social enterprise Elephant Branded, a business on a mission to make the world a better place. They sell bags and accessories made from recycled cement and rice sacks – each one sold in turn means Elephant Branded provides school kits or bags to children in areas of the world where these resources are scarce.James’ life changed forever, when on a university project in his first year studying architecture, he helped to build a school in South Africa. When the school opened, he realised that filling schools with much-needed equipment would be a better use of his time and funds. From this moment, James was set on a path to do good and inspire others. Through more of his travels, James encountered his now business partners in Cambodia. What started out as a sideline soon became a passion and a way of benefitting local communities and businesses through giving back. Their mission was spurred on when in 2012 Elephant Branded won ‘Google’s ‘Zeitgeist Young Minds’ competition and from there the business went to the next level with A-list names like Bill Clinton and Gwyneth Paltrow endorsing their products. I’m really excited to welcome James to the show because not only does he have an inspiring story about how you can turn a mission to help others into a business, but also how you can build a rep-network through fans of your product to really sell the story of your brand and help the business grow through word of mouth. James shares some fantastic advice on how you must put yourself out there into the digital world to get noticed and network – to gain credibility and get the breaks you need to grow your business.And what are James’ top tips? Having a simple story and putting trust in those who love your brand and want to share your ideals.