Anji Desai
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Summary
On this episode of the podcast, I talk with Anji Desai the co-founder of Dezen, a planet-friendly fashion brand that’s championing the idea that fashion can be sustainable. Anji has been at a wide variety of startups -- all of which had nothing to do with fashion. That wide variety of experiences has made the challenge of learning fashion a lot easier.
I first met Anji at Founders Network which is a peer mentoring network that I have been part of since 2017. It’s a great group of founders that help each other through the good and the challenging times. Anji and I talk about a wide variety of topics including what she does daily to be successful as well as the Indian art of mind-body connection.
What I loved about this conversation is how Anji embraced being uncomfortable about her lack of knowledge in fashion and how she and her co-founder work together to complement each others strengths.
Now, let’s get better together.
Actions to Try or Advice to Take
- Side Hustles: They are a great way to learn and expand your experiences with little risk.
- Fashion is the #2 contributor to global pollution so find out where your fashion comes from.
- Your mind and body are connected. Both need to be taken care of.
- Breath daily + Yoga at least once a week
- Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a week and even in a day. Focus on the one thing that needs to be accomplished.
- Learn how to deal with people by figuring out their physical traits and their personality so you have reasonable expectations for what to expect.
- Creativity is not 9 to 5: You have to be accommodating to creatives since creatives work at all different hours and inspiration strikes when it strikes.
Links to Explore Further
- Dezen -- Planet Friendly Fashion
- Ayurveda -- Mind and Body Connection
- Anji on LinkedIn
- Dana Thomas’ book Deluxe
- Founders Network
- Dezen won two Silver Awards from the 2021 International Design Awards (IDA) in the Fashion Discipline and Sustainable Design.
- We’ve also created a Snapchat filter using our awarded style. Snap a picture in our Juicy Grapefruit Grand Signature Hoop Earrings and tag us on social media!
