Last month, you may recall we attended a not-so-little launch event for Vancouver-based designer and philanthropist Mark Holden at Kiss + Makeup in West Vancouver. While at the event, we had the opportunity to not only meet the man behind the stylish scarves, but also learn more about his design inspirations, influences and insight.
Rather than simply leave it at that, we opted to forage for a bit more career-related info we thought Notable readers might find interesting, especially given that Mark Holden has indeed led a life laden with valuable lessons and great success. Through all of this, he has maintained a steadfast awareness of the importance of community and sense of giving back, which we found refreshing.
N: First off, the obvious question: what inspires your work and collections? What future plans do you have to develop more accessories and items geared to men?
MH: I am inspired by making a difference. If wearing or seeing someone wear one of our scarves can guide someone to a peaceful place or give them a sense of comfort, this is a powerful and meaningful thing to me.
When it comes to design, I am very inspired by travelling and visiting the mills we work with in Italy; discovering new fabrics and textures sparks the process for me. Our new line that will be released for SS 2014 is very influenced by my time spent in Italy, particularly this latest trip.
N: What plans do you have for expansion across Canada; what is the timeline for this?
MH: We want to cover every corner of the world with our message, starting with Canada, as we continue to expand our network of retail partners worldwide.
N: What noteworthy charities (aside from the Vancouver Food Bank) has your Just Imagine Foundation actively supported recently? Are they mainly within Canada, or do they work with organizations internationally?
MH: Our plan as a company is to work not only with our foundation but also directly with numerous organizations here in Canada and internationally. We believe very much in the idea of micro-credit and providing small loans and mentoring to entrepreneurs and small business operators. Organizations such as KIVA have developed a brilliant model and have people on the ground all over the world working at a level that we could not possibly access and manage given the size of our company and our available resources. For me, the important thing is to generate as much income and deploy capital in the most efficient manner possible. Additionally, we plan to work directly with some of our suppliers by providing them with capital and mentoring those where necessary to allow them to grow their operations, fostering more of a partnership than a traditional brand/supplier relationship. Our goal is to make our suppliers partners that can share in future growth.
As an entrepreneur I have spent a lot of time operating on a shoestring with little capital and resources for an idea that in many cases started on the back of a napkin. So I am very sensitive on how challenging it is for the small businesses and artisans such as the ones that we work with.
N: The idea of incorporating a sense of ‘giving back’ within one’s work is very important to you; how does one find time to balance out all aspects (and challenges of life) when just starting out? How do you find time to give back to one’s community?
MH: I believe that success is not only measured by how well we do as a business, but how many lives we empower and the positive impact we make.
As a young entrepreneur, it is very important to establish this kind of mindset for yourself and everyone that works with you. It’s more than the money; it’s good work and making a difference. It is easy to forget the importance of giving back to the planet and to become completely obsessed with day-to-day business. There is no greater feeling than doing good and the rewards that come with that. It’s not something that you can put your finger on, but that feeling runs really deep. And in the words of Albert Einstein, “Nothing happens until something moves.”
I want to inspire everyone that works with us and giving back is part of that. We make it possible for people in our company to have time to volunteer or participate in the community. I think that more companies are doing that and this is a trend that I am happy to see evolving.
N: How do you see Just Imagine Foundation evolving in the next 5 years? How can young professionals become actively involved in supporting your foundation?
MH: I look very forward to partnering with likeminded companies, organizations and individuals (including young professionals) who share in our philosophy and beliefs. We welcome the opportunity to work with people that would like to join with us in making a difference.
Balance in life is something that we all struggle with. Life is like spokes on a wheel, and each spoke represents a part of our life: physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, giving. If one of those spokes is missing, the wheel will not be true, and if two spokes are missing, the wheel will start to really wobble.
This is a great analogy for life.