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Talking Purpose: The Purpose and Profit Business Podcast
Welcome to Talking Purpose, the podcast. I'm your host, Katie Boothby-Kung, a sustainability expert who has worked with thousands of brands to help them find sustainable and profitable solutions for their company. Talking Purpose is a podcast for small and medium sized businesses looking to build sustainable brands that make an impact. But branding isn't just about some key messages and a flashy logo. Brand runs deep and if you are creating a sustainable business, these values should be ingrained in every part of your company. From operations, culture and hiring through to how you communicate and tell your story. In some of the teasers, you heard from from experts who join me to share their tips, tricks and hot takes on sustainable brand building so you can create a business that’s good for people, the planet and your profits too! Check it out!
Talking Purpose: The Purpose and Profit Business Podcast
She Turned Fashion's Biggest Problem Into a Thriving Business
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What do you do when an entire industry is drowning in waste — and nobody's talking about it?
In this episode, I sit down with Irina McKenzie, founder of FABCYCLE and Sewjo, to unpack how she built a purpose-driven business around one of fashion's most ignored problems: textile waste. From community repair events to a thriving fabric rescue shop, to building two tech products from scratch — Irina's story is one of the most compelling entrepreneurship journeys I've had on the show.
What we cover:
✅ How a pop-up shop with people lining up outside validated the FABCYCLE concept before launch
✅ Building Sewjo — a free sewing app that helps makers use what they already have instead of buying more
✅ Why community events became FABCYCLE's most powerful growth and retention tool
✅ The real challenges of building a tech product as a non-tech creative founder
✅ How FABCYCLE manages 50–300 new product listings per week with constantly changing stock
✅ What circular fashion actually means for small brands and independent makers
✅ Why exploring your values first is the real foundation of building a business that lasts
Connect with Irina & FABCYCLE:
- 🌐 fabcycle.shop
- 📸 Instagram: @fabcyclevan
- 🎵 TikTok: @fabcyclevan
Download Sewjo for free:
- 🤖 Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sewjoappmobile
- 🍎 iOS: apps.apple.com/ca/app/sewjo/id6737978613
- 🌐 sewjo.app
Learn more about starting and scaling a for-purpose business at www.talkingpurpose.ca
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