#CommunityHigh - Mikayla Wujec
#CommunityHigh
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#CommunityHigh 〰️
Meet Mikayla Wujec, storyteller, National Geographic Explorer, and co-founder of inclusive outdoor clothing brand, alder apparel.
After traveling and working around the world leading marine conservation research, Mikayla launched alder to create sustainable and stylish apparel that inspires women to take part in the outdoors.
We chatted with Mikayla about sustainability, her work with alder, and their exciting new ‘ReCreate Market’ project.
Tell us about yourself and your work with alder apparel (and other entrepreneurial endeavours!) What led you to work in the outdoor apparel industry?
The idea for alder came when I was living in New Zealand with my husband in 2018. I worked as a National Geographic Explorer doing marine conservation research after studying Environmental Science and Biology at university. I’d long been frustrated with women's outdoor apparel (why did we have to wear leggings or some ugly low-rise swishy monstrosity!?) as I’d been working in the outdoor space for years. Like many of us, I’d always loved being outside and was curious about how the natural systems around us worked and followed that interest through school and ended up working outdoors.
What is your best piece of advice for someone who wants to start a clothing brand?
Surround yourself with smart, honest and capable problem solvers who share your goal. Like all businesses, running an apparel company comes with many unique challenges. It’s expensive to buy inventory, the apparel space is crowded from a brand perspective, and it takes a very, very long time to make good, sustainable products. I would recommend starting something from a place of deep interest or wanting to solve a problem. I’ve found having a broader goal or mission incredibly important to keep me focused when inevitably thrown off course by the challenges of business.
Tell us about alder’s new Recreate Market.
The ReCreate Market is something we’ve wanted to do since starting alder. In essence, it’s a preloved marketplace. We asked our community to send back any alder pieces they were no longer using or that were damaged and gave them store credit for sending the items. We worked with local tailors and cleaners in Toronto to repair, rework and upcycle everything we received and created a marketplace so our community could shop all the repaired pieces at a significantly discounted price. When 85% of clothing ends up in landfills, one of the best things we can do for the planet is cut down on consumption and wear + use the stuff we already own. The alder Recreate program extends the life of our products, and really represents our participation in a circular economy.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?
Two things come to mind:
1) There is no perfect time to do anything. Kill the idea that an idea has to be fully formed, or a plan completely developed before you try something. It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of perfection and most of the time you just need to start doing, testing and learning especially when you are starting something new.
2) Persistence is one of the most important qualities of entrepreneurship. If entrepreneurship is of interest to you, cultivate your persistence as best as you can.
What is your best way to decompress from a long day?
Mentally separating my identity from my work is really important to put some necessary distance from the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Taking my dog for a long walk, listening to music and reading are all wonderful ways for me to transition my headspace away from work! I also love to cook (or eat) a big tasty meal and hang out with my husband, friends and family.
What’s next for alder apparel in 2023 and beyond?
We have many exciting products launching this year! By very popular demand, we’re launching our swim collection this spring, revealing a very exciting collaboration in May and working on a workwear collection for our community. We also have lots of fun IRL events planned to connect with our alder community.
Share a photo of you in your happy place!
Stay on point, and get in touch with our team to learn more.
