Q&A with Chrissie Lam, CEO of Love Is Project

Home Business Magazine Online

Question (Q): Chrissie, you made a drastic change by leaving your company job and starting Love Is Project. How did this decision come about?

Answer (A): I lived in NYC and worked on concept design for big brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters for 12 years. I was interested in merging design and international development and I wanted to use my knowledge and network to work with artisans and connect them with brands for market access. So in 2012 I decided to quit my job in the fashion industry and move to Kenya. There I got to know the women of the Maasai tribe who made these very lively, colorful bracelets with intricate beadwork, which I found inspiring. With the simple hope of creating jobs for their community, I designed (our first) “LOVE” bracelet.

Later, on a flight to Russia with that single bracelet in hand, I asked two strangers what “love” meant to them. I profiled her on Instagram and it suddenly became this viral social media campaign, and it was in that moment that I realized there was potential to turn the concept into a brand on its own. That’s why I started in 2017 Love is a project with the mission of creating employment opportunities for women in underdeveloped areas through craftsmanship – which really translates into economic and social agency.

Photo credit: love is a project

Q: What do you think were some of the challenges in transitioning from corporate job structure to being an entrepreneur?

A: On the one hand, it was, of course, frightening to leave the stability of a traditional job and career. Also, over the past four years, I’ve had to learn more than I ever thought possible, as I’m now involved in every aspect of my business rather than a specific role that falls under a single job description. I really had to take responsibility and instead of trying to change an industry from the inside out, I was able to take responsibility and drive my brand based on my own vision.

Q: Were there certain qualities that you felt prepared to start your own business?

A: Of course, my background in fashion was important – be it my knowledge of trend forecasting or creating visual displays for trade shows – as I still work in the same area, albeit with a different structure and mission. I definitely believe that my extensive travels prepared me for entrepreneurship; I’ve visited 104 countries! Not only did I find my inspiration here, but it also made me resourceful, adaptable and curious – all qualities that I believe are essential to a successful businessman.

Q: It sounds like a lot of your home business is street based! But Love Is Project does Work From Home (WFH) have a social impact?

A: Yes indeed! It’s ironic because while so much of my business is both rooted in travel and requires travel on my part, a large part of our business model, which also supports our sustainability, depends on all of the artisans we work with that are from home working out. They all receive fair and ethical wages and can take care of family and community at the same time. You have no commute time and we can maintain a diversified supply chain. We avoid large factory space, and our supply chain is flexible and scalable, and not constrained by physical factory capacity.

Photo credit: love is a project

Furthermore, these benefits couldn’t have been more apparent during COVID-19. When we work in underdeveloped countries where our artisans rely on every purchase as a means of financial independence from water and food security to educational opportunities and access to health care – the ability to relieve the situation is of vital importance to them and is in the The core of the Love Is Project mission.

Q: What do you see in the future for Love Is Project?

A: Ultimately, our mission will always remain the same: to harness the meaning of LOVE to create economic opportunity for thousands and empower millions around the world. From the introduction with just one bracelet, we have already developed into an independent one Jewelry brand which offers the opportunity to trade over 2000 artisans in underdeveloped countries while creating an accessible, trendy brand. Every day we prove that brands that have been developed in a sustainable and socially responsible manner can still be mainstream and profitable today.

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