Procrastinating Entrepreneur

I was introduced to Joy Apparel thanks to a Christmas gift I received from my sister last year and instantly thought – what a great idea!

Once I started the site, I knew that I wanted to profile Jeff and got in touch with him when he let me know my shirt was on it’s way. I haven’t talked about social entrepreneurship on the site but I really do believe that we should all be giving something back to our communities.

Enjoy the profile, and make sure that you check out the site and why not grab a t-shirt while you’re at it! I will be sending my image soon, so have a look on this site for my t-shirt!

PE: Could you tell us a little bit about Joy Apparel?
Jeff: Joy Apparel is an online T-shirt company and the website features hundreds of hand-drawn portraits of people from all over the world. Participants first begin by selecting a face of someone they don’t know, followed by a size, colour of cotton and style of T-shirt. Each face comes printed over the heart and when you wear your Joy T-shirt, you are encouraged to think about that person and how your everyday actions can affect others and the world we live in!

Each T-shirt comes with a little bio telling you about the person on your heart and after purchasing a shirt you may then submit a photo of your own visage via the website which will be drawn and posted on JoyTshirt.com for others to wear. It is a hip new concept in which people from all over the world are wearing one another on their hearts with 5% of the profits from each sale going to charity. All shirts are made from certified organic cotton and bamboo and are manufactured in Canada

PE: What was the inspiration behind the creation of such a unique business idea?
Jeff: The idea began with my passion of creating t-shirts. An amateur at best, I really enjoyed creating my own designs and then printing them on shirts using Iron on transfers. I drew a portrait of my friend Megumu, a real cool cat from Japan and decided it would make a wonderful T-shirt. Everyone who knew Megumu loved the shirt and wanted one, although I had decided that there would only be one Megumu shirt T-shirt made to honour this fantastic individual. When I would wear the shirt out in public it seemed to spark a lot of interest as people just generally assume that if you are wearing someone they must be famous. From there, the idea started to manifest and I thought it would be a wonderful idea to have everyday people, regardless or race, gender, age, religion, disability or sexual orientation wearing one another. You wear someone you don’t know and then someone on the other side of the world wears you, thus creating a global network of people from all over the world wearing one another on their hearts

PE: Could you tell us a little more about Frank Joy, and how he has affected your project?
Jeff: Frank Joy was a good friend of mine for years. While I was in high school I worked evening at Shoppers Drug Mart stocking the shelves. Frank was the floor cleaner and we developed a fantastic friendship that lasted many years. Frank was full of wisdom and kindness and told the most marvelous stories. The word Joy means many things to me but it I chose it partially because of Frank Joy who was an advocate for peace and equality and taught me the importance of living simply so that others may simply live.

(ED: I think Jeff’s story about Frank is just awesome! If we all think about it, I am sure that there is a person who made a big impression on you when you just got started in the working world)

PE: Would you mind telling us a little about your vision (or manifesto)?
Jeff: I thought it would be helpful to include both my Mission Statement and my Vision Statement:

Mission Statement:
To eliminate hatred and inspire people to love one another by promoting peace and equality on a global scale.

Vision Statement:
Joy Apparel will be internationally recognized as a universal symbol for peace and equality. While refusing to exploit children and sweatshop labor to manufacture its goods, Joy Apparel will be a world leader in ethical and environmental business practices. The website will be translated into several languages and with have numerous operations throughout the world. Joy Apparel will be accessible to everyone regardless of economic limitations, thus allowing anyone willing, the opportunity to participate in the project.

PE: Where do you see your company in say 3-5 years from now?
Jeff: As Joy grows it will continue it’s commitment to sustainability and running a business that places people first. Within the next two years the Joy Apparel website will be translated into a variety of different languages thus eliminating one factor that may prevent people from participating in the project. Within the next five years Joy Apparel would like to have several small studios operating in various countries throughout the world. By setting up operations globally, this will help to stimulate local economies by providing employment. Working locally also helps to make Joy Apparel more accessible to everyone and saves money on shipping which consequently helps to reduce Joy Apparels carbon footprint.

Joy Apparel would like to provide employment opportunities for people in developing countries and would also like to implement a sliding price scale on all of its t-shirts so that everyone regardless of socio economic background can participate in the project. Joy Apparel is constantly evolving and looking for ways to improve business.

PE: If you were able to give one single piece of advice to a young entrepreneur what would it be?
Jeff: I suppose my one piece of advice would be an old little saying that Frank told me: Where there’s a Will, there’s a Way. I think this holds true for most things in life. If you want something bad enough you can do it will a little dedication and perseverance. I started this company with very small budget and this often forces you to be more creative and work that much harder. Today Joy Apparel is still quite a modest company and every day is challenging but you also have to be patient as starting your own business takes time. I am also never afraid to ask for help. If there is something I don’t know, I don’t pretend, I simply just ask someone who does. I think it is very important to be open to what people have to say and take constructive criticism as a positive tool that can really help to cultivate your business.

PE: What did you find to be the most difficult part in starting Joy Apparel?
Jeff: The most difficult part about starting the business was working within my limits.

You have to understand that there are limits and it is important to know what those limits are. When I first left my job to start this company I had no idea how to build a website, so I went to the book store and bought a book. It took me 3 months to build my own website but I did it and I stayed within my budget. The website was not amazing but it worked and six months later the company had grown and I was able to hire a web developer. Working on a tight budget can be tricky but I believe for every problem there is a solution and the challenge is finding that solution.

PE: If you were able to go back in time and change one thing that you did while starting up your company what would it be?
Jeff: I don’t know if there is anything I would change. Joy Apparel has only been around for a year and a half now so things are still very fresh. I just hope that as things continue to grow I never loose sight of my vision and never have to sacrifice the values of Joy Apparel.

PE: Marketing is typically the largest expense facing small business. What type of marketing have you found to be the most effective without breaking the bank?
Jeff: I generate the majority of my marketing and advertising through my media kit. I spent a lot of time putting together a really fantastic package that I am very proud of. I try to send out 5 media kits a week to candidates on my “A” list and often times it never gets picked up but once and awhile you catch a big fish and it makes all of the difference. We are also in the process of making a few short funny commercials that will be posted on our website as well as on YouTube. At the end of the day the best form of advertising is just word of mouth and I think that viral marketing has had a huge impact on my business. Thanks to everyone who has helped to spread the Joy!

(ED: Joy Apparel was featured on CBC’s the Hour on November 2007 – watch the video)

PE: How has the Internet affected your business plan?
Jeff: E-commerce is still a relatively new industry and there are some aspects of operating an on-line store that require special attention. First off, you need to make sure that your site is secure. I feel it is very important to use a reputable company that specializes in secure transactions. I feel it is best to align yourself with a company that the general public is aware of, such as PayPal. Secondly, I made a lot of changes to my website by getting feedback from my customers. You need to make things very clear, simple and easy to read. I rely a lot on feedback and I take the time to answer each email personally. I also take advantage of the internet by sending my gift certificates and invoices electronically. This helps to save on shipping and you also save paper!

PE: I noticed that on your website you have monthly charities. Can you tell us why you feel that social entrepreneurism is so important nowadays?
Jeff: I personally just feel it is important to give back. My donations are still quite modest but I also help promote the various charities by putting up a link on my website. The whole premise behind the Joy T-shirt project is to think of others, so having a charity of the month is just a very natural fit. As the company grows, I really want the charity aspect to have a much larger focus and eventually be the the driving force behind the company.

PE: Outside of Joy Apparel how do you like to spend your time?
Jeff: I like to keep very active. I usually go for a run before I start work and this gives me a little time to just clear my mind. I dabble in a plethora of activities including disc golf, longboarding, ultimate Frisbee and yoga. In the evenings I enjoy making dinner, good conversation watching documentaries and going to concerts. Toronto is so rich with culture and diversity there is always something delightful to do.

PE: Are their any business related books that you feel our readers should have on their bookshelves?
Jeff: I subscribe to Entrepreneur Magazine and I also love reading the Globe and Mail’s Report on Small business. They are both filled with many wonderful articles, stories, tips and trends. Whether it is a story about owning a franchise or tapping into the global market, every article is relevant in some capacity.

Tags:   business profile · jeff woodrow · joy apparel1 Comment

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