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24 June 2022
Courier Weekly provides inspiration and tools to help you work better and live smarter.
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Your weekly round-up of briefings, trends and news.
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Building a brand that gives back
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Starting a business can take years of preparation, from product development and setting up a supply chain to testing designs and building up the courage to launch the thing. But for social impact founders, time is of the essence. When a product isn't selling, it means less money going toward a cause – but, on the flip side, a brand that isn't fully fleshed out won't have staying power to make a difference in the long term.
Urgency was top of mind for Yasha Estraikh when the war in Ukraine broke out. He's of Ukrainian heritage, with family living in eastern Ukraine, and he wanted to use his skills to help relief efforts. As an associate partner at Piper, a private equity firm focused on consumer brands, he decided to launch a social impact vodka brand – inspired by Ukraine's roots with the spirit, due to the country's plentiful wheat supply. His goal is to raise £1 million for War Child, a charity supporting child refugees.
Three months from inception, Solovey (the Ukrainian word for nightingale, the country's national bird) hit shelves, and it'll soon be on the menu at London cocktail bars and restaurants such as Hawksmoor, Pergola and Mr Fogg's. Here's how he got the brand off the ground in record time.
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Know what to outsource
Yasha had plenty of experience launching and advising consumer brands, but less experience with developing ingredients, managing a supply chain and dealing with product regulations. So, instead of setting up a distillery himself, he entered into a partnership agreement with alcohol brand East London Liquor Co. It produces, stores and distributes the vodka, while Yasha pays for the labeling. A licensing fee from each bottle is donated to War Child – this was a special arrangement due to Solovey's mission. For Yasha, this meant he could focus on other parts of the business, while ensuring he'd have a quality product and access to warehouses and distributors.
‘Creating partnerships with people who are really good at what they do is really important - don't try to do everything yourself,’ he says. ‘I stuck with doing what I know best, which is the sales and marketing bit.’
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Know your creative vision
Coming up with the design of the brand is crucial to catching customers' eyes, as well as portraying the mission of the company – but the back and forth with an agency can eat up time when a product could be selling. When Yasha approached branding agency Ragged Edge, who he'd worked with on previous projects, he'd already put together a brief and approached a Ukrainian illustrator.
‘My brief wasn't: “let's create this brand.” It was: “I've already got the brand name. I wrote the brand deck,”’ he says. ‘I said to them: “Look, I've written this little fable for you. This is your brand world.” That really sped it up.’
Having a mission also helped keep the launch at pace – Ragged Edge agreed to do the work for free, working it into its busy schedule.
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Know your end customer
While Yasha has long-term plans to stock Solovey in grocery stores and other retailers, he realized that it's difficult to differentiate a vodka brand compared with other alcohols – in the UK, where the brand is based, vodka is more of a base spirit than one that people sip straight. So, he decided to start selling to hospitality, asking bartenders to create cocktails using his vodka, and honed a pitch that would make sense for their businesses.
‘It's a purpose-led cocktail that has a really nice story behind it and makes a real difference,’ he says. ‘All you have to do is add around 30 pence to the cost of the cocktail and you still make the same cash margin.’
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Our top five stories online
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Inspiration for the home, plus things to eat, drink and wear.
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A Thing or Two to check out
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Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo (co-founders of online retail site Of a Kind, which was sold to home goods giant Bed Bath & Beyond in 2015) turned their great recommendations into a successful business: they run A Thing or Two, a product recommendation newsletter, podcast and membership program. Here, they share what they've had their eye on lately.
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Claire: ‘Not every natural counter spray needs to reek of vinegar — [fragrance brand] Saint Olio's cleaning spray smells so good that I'm constantly fielding questions about it from guests. Same thing goes for its hand sanitizer.’ |
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Erica: ‘Oui the People's razor is the chicest – and most sustainable – way to shave, if you ask me. My husband and I share this beauty, and we both appreciate its precision and its heft.’ |
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Claire: ‘These tortilla chips. Chicas is a fully family-owned and operated business, with a product so good that even fresh restaurant tortilla chips end up feeling like a disappointment, because they're not as perfect as these.’ |
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Erica: ‘The two women who started [flower-seed brand] Plantgem wanted to grow the sort of specialty flowers that cool florists use, and the ombre sunflowers and spotted Frittilaria they've sourced sure do deliver.’ |
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Is there a brand you love that you want to share?
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Tips and tools to become better at life and work.
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How to quit your job
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University College London professor Anthony Klotz – who coined the phrase ‘the great resignation’ – says quitting your job is like splitting up with a romantic partner: it's emotional. Here are some steps to avoid a bad breakup.
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01. Have a job lined up – or your finances in order.
The standard advice is don't quit your job until you've secured another opportunity. But there are situations – especially involving physical or mental wellbeing – when leaving cold turkey is the best option. If so, have a clear plan and the money to cover three to six months' expenses.
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02. Resign with decorum.
Keep quiet until the day you resign – your boss should hear the news from you, and not via water-cooler gossip. Resigning in person is best – email is impersonal but, if you really can't do it face to face, deliver the news over video or a phone call. Keep your explanation clear and express gratitude for the opportunities you've had – keep the emotion and grievances out of the conversation. Be sure to know what you're going to say if your boss makes a counteroffer.
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03. Prepare to share some advice.
When you resign, you might find other employees want your advice or to simply share their workplace woes. Listen and be courteous, but don't bad-mouth the company or other colleagues.
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04. Strengthen those bridges – don't burn them.
Take time to solidify your relationships with anyone you want to keep in touch with, operating on the assumption that you might be a ‘boomerang’ employee and return to the company later on.
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05. The handover.
Two weeks' notice is the norm in the US (in other countries, a month is more common), but many contracts may stipulate longer. During your notice period, continue to work as normal. This is the last thing your colleagues will remember about you, so leave with the reputation you want to be known for. If you're heading to a competitor, however, don't be surprised if you're told to pack up immediately.
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06. Take time to reflect and rest.
Whether you're preparing to join another company or for an uncertain, unemployed future, quitting a job is stressful. After you've left, think about your reasons for leaving and what you liked and disliked about the role – then use that understanding to make the next step in your career a good one.
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Want more tips and tools on working effectively and living smarter?
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Other great stuff we loved this week.
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