#WIB – Q&A With Kate Brim-Senekal Founder Of Sparrow Society
1. Can you please tell us more about your business?
Sparrow Society is a women’s empowerment brand focused on creating economic empowerment opportunities for women in order to subvert gender-based violence and other social inequalities that women face. We do this through a range of industries, most notably through the making of custom branded tote bags and cosmetic bags for beauty brands and corporates all over the world, made by our network of over 150 home based sewing businesses.
2. When, how and why did you start your business?
Sparrow Society was initially started 10 years ago as a response to growing unemployment, particularly among women. The more we worked in the economic empowerment space, the more we realised how important that financial stability part of women’s empowerment really is – because while women are being economically empowered themselves and able to support themselves and rebuild their lives free from their abuser, it is also subversively shifting mindsets around women and what we are capable of — and that further reduces the vulnerabilities and power differentials that create a breeding ground for abuse.
3. What is your role in the business?
I am the Managing Director and founder.
4. Where did you study and what did you study?
I studied at an art school in the USA and then got a BTh in Community Development through UNISA.
5. How did you finance your business?
I started small -really really small – and it grew slowly from there. As I sold product, I invested the money back into more product. At about year 3, it all finally started to snowball and I started seeing real returns and impact. We have gone from empowering 1 woman 1 day a week to impacting over 200 women. By the end of this year, we will also have made over 1 Million products!
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
Every day is so different- as a social enterprise we have all the normal business things like accounting, planing, strategy and production – but then we also have GBV interventions and call outs and safe house support programs and psycho-social support groups. Some days I am focused on financial planning and data and other days I get to sit with other suvrivors and dream up new programs and interventions. Last week we had a Period Party to celebrate women’s bodies and learn about menstrual health, while spreading awareness around Period Poverty and the shame and stigma attached to menstruation. It really does change ever day -and I love it.
7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?
Working in the GBV space can be emotionally and mentally overwhelming, but really hard to put down at the end of the day. I was doing the normal work during the day and then research and strategy at home. I burnt out at the end of last year and realised that I really needed to create restful and healing spaces for myself to be able to continue doing this work in the long term. So I told my team this year that I would be trying to step away from the day to day running of some projects and start building in that research and strategy into my normal work day schedule.
When I get home, I put my phone away (much to my husbands dismay as he can never get ahold of me!). I refuse to answer work calls or emails after hours, unless it is an emergency situation. I have 2 teenage kids who will be leaving me in the next few years and that time with them is incredibly precious and I won’t be able to get that back. There will always be more work to do, more to plan and more impact to be had – but most of the time it can wait until the next day.
So outside of work hours you will find me either with my kids, in my garden, snorkeling in the sea, or running on a trail with my dogs. I have found that this new rhythm actually gives me more energy and helps keep my head clearer for the next day ahead and I am much more productive (and happier!) at work as a result.
8. What drives you and inspires you?
The women I work with inspire and keep me going. We all have hard things going on, but when we come together, we can face those challenges with even greater strength and confidence. I have seen this work in so many different ways over the years, so I can tell you that it isn’t just a nice saying, it is one of the most beautifully true things I have ever experienced.
9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
In my car. It’s the only place where I can sit in silence for a bit and allow everything from the day to process. My phone is full of voicenotes of ideas that I have sent to myself from these little car epiphanies!
10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?
Most of our marketing is on social media, but we get most of our business through word of mouth from other clients, or from people seeing our brand name on product from one of our brand partnerships in store.
11. What is next for your business?
This year we are focusing on Period Power – we will distribute 100,000 free washable sanitary pads to menstruators in need alongside fun resources and events centered around Menstrual Health Management and spreading awareness around Period Poverty.
12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?
Just start. It doesn’t need to be big or impressive. Most cannot go straight into their dream full time and that’s ok. Start small and build it as you are able and take note of lessons learned along the way. For the first 3 years I hardly saw any growth in my business and I was tempted thinking I was wasting my time. But then all the hard work started paying off and we experienced exponential growth every year from then onwards. I still can’t believe it – we have grown so much more than I ever thought was possible.
SPARROW SOCIETY
Website: https://sparrowsociety.co.za/
+27 066 242 5698
hello(at) sparrowsociety.co.za
Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SparrowSociety/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparrowsociety/