Namaste Friends!
I’m soooo excited to share one of my favorite people in the world, my college friend Stephanie Bordiarto who recently started a small business with 2 other co-founders named Collective Teak.
Collective Teak is a nature inspired a minimalist raw approach to home + life decor that strives to promote better living and prioritizing what is truly important. All with tasteful moderation. And all their suppliers feel the same way. All of their products are made by real artisans with every item being individually created with its own personality.
They want to create an authentic and genuine feeling with prices that are fair and reasonable to their customers.
I got a chance to sit with her and discuss her business and brand. Let’s get started:
R: What is Collective Teak’s mission:
S: Collective Teak’s mission is to bring both a cultural and universal element of design. We all want to feel safe, happy, and peaceful in our own spaces. We believe in bringing the outside inside, resulting in connectivity with nature and self. Our timeless, nature-inspired pieces bridge wellness to our indoor environments.
R: Why did you start this business?
S: After an eye-opening journey across the United States for five months where we documented our journey on @projectkod, it gave me time to discover that I wanted to pursue my dream of starting my own business. Since I have always been intrigued by the crafts made in my birth country of Indonesia, I thought now would be the perfect opportunity to start this business venture. We want to share the unique creations from Artisans that come from different regions of the islands, at a fair price.
R: What are the difficulties you have faced while starting this business?
S: Some of the difficulties we have faced so far is understanding the overall logistics of doing business internationally such as shipping time, customs and quality assurance. Establishing brand awareness as an online retail store is also a challenge for us. We have been utilizing local farmers markets, which has been helpful.
R: Why is your brand so different than others?
S: We hope that everyone who purchases our items will feel more connected to nature and to themselves. We want to provide people with nature-inspired designs that are timeless and classic.
R: If you had to give a piece of advice to someone starting a new business what would it be?
S: It is important to put yourself out there. Connect with people and get to know your customers. It is important to ask for feedback and find ways to improve. Most importantly, don’t give up.
R: What are your top favorite pieces from your collection?
1. Tri, raw edge bowl, I’m always excited to see how each one looks.
2. Putra Side Table It’s fun and eclectic, a great statement piece.
3. Kayangan, seashell lined bowl, The colors of the shells just radiate
R: Where do you hope to see your business go in the next 5 years?
In the next 5 years, I would like to see the business expand in all the states, have distributions in multiple channels such as retail stores or boutique shops and build a team to help us grow.
Business partners: Gideon Goei and Gavin Goei
I love hearing stories of people going for what they want and that’s exactly what Stephanie and her business partners have done. Wish you all the best Steph and as well as your business partners! Please follow their IG account @collectiveteak and show them some love!
If you are interested in ANY of the pieces, I have a special coupon code rushmehome20 that will give you 20% off your entire order from now through August 18th! Happy Shopping!!
Until next time,
xo
RushMeHome
