Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Harris.
Lindsey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a child, my favorite pastimes were sketching, dressing up my Barbie, and running lemonade stands. I appreciated art and entrepreneurship right out of the gate. Many hours of adolescence were spent playing The Sims video game but, rather than playing God, I would play stylist, architect and interior designer, dressing my virtual character up in cute outfits, building the house of her dreams, and then moving on to the next avatar once I deemed her life aesthetically complete. I stopped eating meat a few years ago for moral reasons unrelated to health. After watching a couple of the well-known anti-meat industry documentaries, I couldn’t even imagine eating meat without being consumed with guilt and emotional angst. So I stopped. I cut out dairy shortly after.
Fast forward to summer 2018. I was working for a local wellness clinic feeling seen and valued and really enjoying my work until the illusory nature of the company slowly bubbled to the surface. This job was my first experience working for someone who was abusive and inauthentic. When I left, I knew that my next role would be one of leadership. One from which I could influence positive and healthy change. One where I could empower others and provide jobs out of which creativity, pride, and fulfillment could be drawn. Most importantly, one that was not only driven by but analogous to, integrity.
Around this time, I received a tee shirt as a gift that read “Eating Animals is Weird.” It was SO me but I couldn’t help but notice how uncomfy the fabric was. And the typeface was just not aesthetically pleasing. So I thought, “I wonder what goes into making a tee shirt?” and down the hole, I fell, first into manufacturing practices and then into sustainability.
Not too long after, I watched A True Cost on Netflix and, just like my decision to transition to a plant-based diet, this decision was obvious and immediate: I would no longer consume goods that caused harm to animals, fellow humans, or our environment. The more I learned about conscious consumerism, ethical goods and sustainable fashion, the more deeply I resonated with the values of the industry: aesthetics and ethics, transparency amongst the supply chain, circularity, animal welfare, and environmental preservation. I searched for local brick and mortar shops that carried sustainable clothing and ethical goods, but I couldn’t find anything that resonated with my personal style. This was it for me. I would create what I felt was missing. And so THRIVAL was born.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve never been scared of taking a chance or jumping into a new project. With that said, I had NO idea what I was doing when I started THRIVAL and I am still learning every single day about both running a shop and living a sustainable life.
One of the ethical challenges I encountered when I made the obvious choice of selling animal cruelty-free goods was whether or not to sell thrifted leather. The leather industry is SO harmful to not only the animals and environment but to the health of the people who work in the industry. But vegan leathers are more often than not made from plastics, which literally NEVER entirely break down. At the end of their lifecycle, plastics can sit in landfills for up to a THOUSAND years before breaking down into microplastics, which find their way into our water supply and eventually into our bodies. Research is still too new to fully understand how harmful these microplastics are on human health. Technically, second-hand items are the most sustainable option because no new resources are being used in production but I decided against carrying even thrifted leather and opted to keep animal products out of the shop entirely. I’m constantly searching for the most sustainable vegan leather goods, whether thrifted or new (we just got in beautiful minimalist watches with bands made from pineapple leather!)
Please tell us about THRIVAL Ethical Goods.
THRIVAL is your one-stop-shop for ethical and sustainable fashion and lifestyle goods. THRIVAL’s core values are design, integrity, and intentional living for the benefit of humanity, Mama Earth and animal welfare. Everything we carry must reflect these values and consistently influence positive change within the previously mentioned three arenas. THRIVAL is currently an e-commerce store with the hopes of showcasing beautiful goods to people like you who reside all over the world.
One of the pillars of THRIVAL that I am the most passionate and excited about is education. Through educational and creative workshops, we can work together to create a more conscious tribe. Stay tuned for exciting events!
I’m also working on streamlining our Thrifted x THRIVAL program, which will allow you to send back anything you’ve purchased from THRIVAL for a shop credit based on the condition of the piece. Exciting things ahead!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing! This is the beginning of THRIVAL’s journey 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: Shopthrival.com
- Phone: 6195388150
- Email: hello@shopthrival.com
- Instagram: @thrivalgoods
- Facebook: Facebook.com/shopthrival
Image Credit:
@flaxandflora
@lindsay.mamet
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