Hello everyone!
This time I interviewed a young female entrepreneur from Bangkok about her passion and her vision for eco-business.
We’re so excited to hear her story!!
Why did she decide to become an entrepreneur?
I also asked her about her way of life and her views on environmental protection.
本記事は『地球の歩き方 バンコク2特派員ブログ』でアップしたインタビュー記事の英語版です。
バンコク出身の若き女性起業家で、私の友人でもあるGipさんに、起業するまでの経緯やエコビジネスにおけるビジョンについて語ってもらいました。
日本語が分からない彼女にも読んでもらえるように、今回個人ブログでもアップしました。
- The book had changed her life, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”
- ――To start, could you introduce yourself briefly?
- ――When and why did you decide to start your own business?
- ――Which specific part of the book “Rich dad Poor dad” has influenced you the most?
- ――You said that you decided to become an entrepreneur after reading a book when you were in college. Does that mean you had kept this ambition in mind even when you were working as an English teacher?
- Encounter with Eco-Straw led to Eco-Business
- Reducing the use of single-use plastics save the world
- Future vision in eco-business
The book had changed her life, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”
――To start, could you introduce yourself briefly?
My name’s Gip. I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand.
I’m 25 years old. I graduated from Assumption university, majored in Business English.
Now I run an online shop, selling eco-friendly products in Thailand. The store is ‘EarthTeam‘.
▲Eco-friendly products sold by EarthTeam
――When and why did you decide to start your own business?
First let me tell you that my family doesn’t have any business. I never thought to do a business as well. I had that path of graduating, finding a job, being a hard-working employee, and get promoted etc.
But, when I was in university, I read a book named, “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. It encouraged me to be an entrepreneur.
▲Gip’s life-changing book, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”
Besides, in university I befriended with those who want to do their own business, so we help each other building an entrepreneur mindset.
After all, about 2-3 years ago I quit my first job as an English teacher in school, and I decided to start a business.
――Which specific part of the book “Rich dad Poor dad” has influenced you the most?
The part that inspired me the most is to not let emotion leads my life. If I feel insecure, I’d jump to a job, get hired, just to feel safe. I’d never do or try the other ways of living.
So, I need to stop the fear, don’t let it lead my life, and start thinking about what I can do or what I really want to do.
▲There are many markings on the pages of the book
This book lets me know about ‘rat race’ cycle. After thinking, if the answer is like I want to be employed, then it’s totally good.
The point is that some people never question or think about the other ways of living. This book just made me stop emotion and start thinking.
――You said that you decided to become an entrepreneur after reading a book when you were in college. Does that mean you had kept this ambition in mind even when you were working as an English teacher?
Yes. After I read the book, I didn’t plan step 1, 2, 3 to reach the goal of making a business. I just had that strong inspiration kept inside, hope to do a business someday.
That’s why after I graduated, I went for teaching first as it had been what I wanted to do for a long time.
▲EarthTeam’s product “SuperBee Wax Wrap”
Then, I just got that opportunity to try making my business. It’s all just because I found eco-friendly products interesting.
It is like you want to give other people something, so you build a business to reach more people, it’s not like you build a business in order to make money as your first thought.
Encounter with Eco-Straw led to Eco-Business
▲EarthTeam’s product “Glass-Straw”
――Could you describe shortly how you started your business?
One day after I quit teaching, my Taiwanese friend came to Thailand and she gave me a set of eco-friendly straws (reusable straws) as her souvenir from Taiwan.
I was very happy to get those straws and realized that we individually can save the world in our everyday lives. I almost cried.
I studied why there are these products, how they help the environment, and how important we should care of the environment. It’s like a set of reusable straws changed me to become an environmentalist and be aware of environmental issues.
▲EarthTeam’s product “Foldable Cup”
So, I started EarthTeam in December 2019 with this vision that I want people to see my eco-friendly products and they go back to study about environmental issues or take some action to save the world.
And importantly, I hope that they feel happy like I was when they received the eco-friendly products.
――Where are your products manufactured?
They’re all made in Thailand. Some products are designed by myself.
――Could you tell us about your main sales promotion strategies?
My main sales promotion strategy is story-telling.
As the value of my products is the idea of preserving environment, not the actual product it is that if people only see my products on a street, they can’t understand the reason how they help the environment or my passion behind them.
So, I only sell them online as these online platforms provide a space for the content and story-telling. Thai people mostly use Facebook and Instagram.
▲EarthTeam’s product “Book cover”
Reducing the use of single-use plastics save the world
――Your company has established a fund for injured turtles. What made you decide to do it?
Since the beginning that I studied about environmental issues, I found that plastics extremely have an impact on turtles.
100% of sea turtles are found with plastics in their bellies. There is 50% chance of dying if they eat 14 pieces of plastic, and 22% chance of dying if they eat just one piece of plastic.
In 2019, A baby turtle in Florida died after was found with 104 pieces of plastic in its stomach.
▲EarthTeam’s fund for injured turtles
From these statistics, I think I need to take some action to help. So, some of the profits from EarthTeam store is donated to rescue the turtles in Thailand.
■BBC ‘A single piece of plastic’ can kill sea turtles, says study’
■CNN ‘A baby turtle was found with 104 pieces of plastic in its belly’
――I guess there are many people who want to take action for environmental issues but don’t know exactly how to start. Do you have any advice for such people?
We as an individual can easily take an action to help the environment by reducing single-use plastics.
Future vision in eco-business
――Is there anything you want to accomplish through your business in the future?
The goal of my company is to make people to be aware of environmental issue, so what I always want to accomplish is to make more and more people recognizing EarthTeam.
It’s this simple but always have many things to accomplish and it seems never end.
――Do you have any message for people who are interested in becoming an entrepreneur？
No one is confident enough or ready enough to do a business, so why focus at ourselves that we’ll fail or succeed, why not focus at what you can give to other people or the world, that’s a good start.
There’re values, there’re people buying you.
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful story, Gip!
Indeed…
I’m deeply moved by her way of life!
I asked Gip for an interview because I was impressed by her way of life and her passion for business.
She is not only a successful entrepreneur, but also a very kind, modest, friendly, and charming woman. I look forward to her continued success in the future.
We’re planning to interview attractive Bangkokian on a regular basis!
Don’t miss it♪
