Mar

International Women’s Day: Interview with The Sustainability Project’s Jo

This International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate women all over the world and their achievements! We’re thrilled to share an exclusive interview with Jo, the driving force behind The Sustainability Project. Join us as we delve into her inspiring journey of entrepreneurship and her insights into starting a business as a woman 💖

Hi Jo, please tell us about yourself 😊

J: Hi my name is Jo! I have been passionate about sustainability and the conservation of the environment since 2011.

My passion inspired me to create a blog that aims to share tips related to sustainable living. It later developed into a shop that focuses on selling a range of zero-waste products to promote the vision of “Sustainable Living Made Easy” in Singapore.

The Sustainability Project was further developed to assist corporations to integrate sustainability into their strategy, inspire others and build the community. I continue to grow my passion towards the environment and strive to inspire those around me to take a step towards sustainable living.

On the topic of The Sustainability Project (TSP), tell us more about what your team does!

J: At The Sustainability Project, we believe that everyone can be an advocate for a better planet. We aim to transform everyone to be an advocate for a better planet by

Educating what sustainability truly means
Inspiring you to take small steps
Doing good and being changemakers in the community

What inspired you to start TSP?

J: It was during my second internship that I started TSP as a blog in 2017. I love writing and I wanted to share with people more about sustainability and spread awareness through my own experience. Never did I plan to start a business from TSP actually.

I wrote articles whenever I had the passion to share about a topic and I am so happy that people were actually reading it.

Fun fact: Why the name The Sustainability Project? Because the nature of a project is that it occurs in many phases. Like how I transited into a sustainable lifestyle, I saw the adoption of sustainable living as a step-by-step process, very similar to a project.

In August 2017, I went to Norway for my university exchange program. Norway is a beautiful country and I really miss the amount of free time I had over there 😉 The free time I had on hand propelled me to start the retail arm of TSP.

I knew that the zero-waste movement was starting in other parts of the world and it was slightly slower in Singapore. I was also thinking about what my life would be like after graduation. So I took a leap of faith, incorporated TSP, did up my website, and purchased some essential zero-waste products. I planned everything before coming back to Singapore because I wanted to launch TSP at the start of 2018.

Check out Dashers-exclusive perks for The Sustainability Project here

Were there any challenges to starting a business as a woman entrepreneur?

J: Fortunately for me, I didn’t face any challenges starting the business as a woman entrepreneur. The only resistance I had was more of my age (around 23) or because I started TSP while I was still studying, people did question my ability and wondered how long I could sustain TSP.

Do you think it’s getting easier these days for ladies to spearhead a business?

J: Definitely! I think as a woman in Singapore, we are quite fortunate as compared to other countries where gender inequality is stronger. Also, I do see that there is an increasing number of women starting their own businesses and getting support from other woman-owned businesses as well!

[In Singapore] It is easy for ladies to spearhead a business and the regulations of our country are not gender biased, making it easy to start a business as long as you process the administration details and, of course, have a good business plan! ☺️

Any advice for all the strong women out there thinking of taking that first big step into being a business entrepreneur?

J: Be confident and have faith 💚 Always adopt a growth mindset and see every challenge as an opportunity. You will grow and learn so much through this experience, no matter your success or failure!

Lastly, “Stay fab live well” is the quote we use in Dash Living. What’s one quote you live by and that has gotten you through the tough times of starting a business?

J: The quote that I stand by for the past 6 years: Never underestimate the power you have to make a change for Mother Earth 🌍

Co-living is also a great way to share resources and help save the earth, explore co-living options here!