Have you ever wondered how to make your business a better reflection of your beliefs and passions? Or even if there’s any space for this in your business? What about how to link your passions and beliefs to your business? Well, you’re going to love this podcast! In this episode I talk to Zoe Kiff, the lady behind Honest Riders, about how she did just that and created an ethical brand that has a number of amazing USPs that reflect Zoe’s beliefs… and that of her customers too.
How to link your passions and beliefs to your business…
In this episode, we talk about how Honest Riders came to exist, but how the ground work was actually in place years before. We discuss the value of USPs, not going after the masses, staying true to your values, and balancing this with your desire to deliver a high end, luxury experience. Here are the show notes for episode 25 of the Small & Supercharged Podcast – how to link your passions and beliefs to your business with Zoe Kiff. In this episode we…
- Talk about ‘ethicalness’ and how and why Zoe decided that having ethical credentials was so important to her.
- Discuss how Zoe found out that not only are cosmetics still tested on animals, but also household products and even dog shampoo. She also became very aware of the chemicals that are included in the products we used in our home and on our animals.
- Chat about how the lack of a one stop shop where Zoe could shop for natural products for her animals started the Honest Riders idea.
- Explain what the ‘hidden gems’ range is and why Zoe felt it was important to sell tried and tested products rather than just products from catalogues. All the products available on Honest Riders have been tried and used by Zoe herself.
- Discuss how human beauty is becoming more and more aware of the chemicals and ingredients in cosmetics. And how Zoe is using this information and filtering this into horses.
- Talk about the Honest Riders collection and how the ethical credentials filter into this range too.
- Explain how Zoe used her interest in fashion, her life long love of horses, and her desire to have clothing to go from yard to pub combined with ethical awareness and started Honest Riders.
- Look at why Zoe picked the organic cotton, and a Fair Wear factory, to produce the Honest Riders collection.
- Talk about why Honest Riders give back to charities as part of their business model.
- Discuss Pablo’s Horse Sanctuary, Retraining Of Racehorses, and World Horse Welfare; the charities Honest Riders supports.
- Talk through the range of five slogans t-shirts and sweatshirts and how Zoe came up with the slogans.
- Debate how USPs can make it much easier to market a brand or product. And how Zoe worked these all into Honest Riders (and it wasn’t all deliberate!)
- Discuss how niching down can feel like you’re going to alienate people, but how it actually makes your tribe more loyal and your customers more passionate.
- Explain how Zoe uses her USPs in her business to help promote and market it.
- Talk about how Zoe is using social media and content to help build a tribe of fans and followers who have a connection to the brand and the work that they do. This involves engaging with followers, sharing behind the scenes, and showing where the funds that are raised through the sales are going.
- Discuss the benefits of talking to your customers and how this can help to ensure that customers actually want to buy products when they hit the market.
- Talk about how Zoe came up with the name, where she took inspiration from and more.
- Explain how Zoe worked with a graphic designer on the elements of the brand from the colours to the iconography.
- Talk about how Honest Riders is using less plastic and how Zoe has managed to combine quality packaging, green credentials, luxury and branding.
- Share Zoe’s top tips on how to make your business more ethically sound and what little changes to make. Even how to build a more ethical business from the ground up.
- Talk about the possible benefits of working with a charity from an altruistic point of view as well as a marketing point of view. The key being that everyone wins.
- Talk about the best bits of Honest Riders, and the worst things too. We talk about inspiration, juggling, the highs and the lows
Where can you find more about Honest Riders?
