Take a step into the unknown and great things will happen
If you are thinking of ways to be more conscious of the amount of waste you produce, how to live and consume more mindfully so that your purchases are in line with sustainable practices, all while still remaining fashionable and comfortable, you have to check out Silfir’s new Soft Workwear Uniform. Inspired by the evergreen silver fir tree, with healing essential oil properties that promote mental clarity, balance, oneness and peace, the brand’s goal to make sustainable clothing the obvious ‘go-to option’ for fashionistas makes a lot of sense.
Silfir is a startup that was founded by Hannah Kromminga in June 2018 and her admirable journey into entrepreneurship is one that ‘exerts a powerful calming influence’ much like the aromatic effect of her company’s namesake. A woman fascinated by new experiences and how new ideas come to life, she let her creative passion and instincts guide her in pursuing the daunting path of becoming a solo-founder. Listening to her speak about the fact that many of the big turning points in her life arrived, not out of careful strategic planning, but because she had no other option other than to step into the unknown, will hopefully ease the perfectionist’s mind.
Starting out in London studying business and finance, Hannah soon realized that the generally accepted ‘path to success’ didn’t feel right for her. A chance encounter with a founder of a new startup launched her into the world of sales as an intern where she experienced a lot of growth and business achievements. This unexpected opportunity in the world of startups helped build her confidence and put her studies to test in the real world, but ultimately she wanted to do something different on her own terms.
Stepping into the unknown once more Hannah made the decision to leave her successful position and spend three months at a startup school in London. It was here that her idea for Silfir first emerged, but it still took almost a year and a half before the direction of her idea was clear and she was able to open the first version of her online store. During this time she worked part-time three days a week for six months, made the move back home to Berlin and waited for the approval of government support to set up her business. As risky as this may all sound, Hannah explains how she was fueled by the freedom of working for herself, doing something that excites her and that she believes in.
“I think I’m just someone who keeps going… you’re walking away from something you don’t want to be in, so you just keep walking.”
Staying true to her personal mission statement interestingly, something unrelated to her product, really sustained her energy and efforts during these months. To this day she says that her product is ever evolving, despite the misconception that once some success is achieved people believe you have it all figured out. Even after the launch of her shop Hannah spent a lot of time testing different ideas out and worked to find the right partners with similar ideals as part of the circular fashion concept. While acknowledging the loneliness that many solo-founders feel, Hannah also came to realize that it suited her far more to rather find partners to complement her skills instead of trying to create space for a co-founder. Once more though, she accredits this decision more with going with what felt right for herself and doesn’t believe that there is any right or wrong way, except working with what life offers you and showing up for opportunities as and when they present themselves.
“The best solutions have happened when I couldn’t make plans for them. I have this experience that if I let go into what is happening and just allow it, amazing things come from it. I’ve had that repetitive feeling that’s, like, built my trust.”
From then to now Hannah has embraced the security and freedom of a different kind of work schedule setup. Embracing full ownership of her work and life built on trust makes her love everything she does from a place of authenticity. This personal authenticity combined with being able to prioritize the things that matter most each day and that have the most impact for her business has been a huge relief. Making and trusting her decisions based on what she believed was right and not to please others has freed her.
“The way to feel relaxed while you are doing it, is to not be so hard on yourself”.
This mental clarity and oneness, together with cultivating a daily routine have helped her develop a more peaceful mindset of not judging herself for the way she feels on different days.
“You need to do the things that have impact, instead of just doing lots of things. Because if you work on something big, there’s an endless list of things to do, and you will never get it done. So what you need to focus on is moving the things that would take the bigger picture to the next level.”
She does encourage other women and entrepreneurs to accept support and offers of help from different people, both men and women, on their journeys and not to try and do everything on their own. Her success is due in many ways to the helpers and people who have taken her under their wings and who wanted to see her succeed. We are all people first, not just men and women, and being able to approach our interactions with others as one human to another creates more room for possibilities and broadens our perspectives. In the words of Maya Angelou,
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it”
and that seems to be one of the defining features of what makes Hannah’s vision and Silfir’s product so compelling and inspiring. Her successful summer crowdfunding campaign was selected by Kickstarter as a #ProjectWeLove so be sure to order your own sustainable fashion uniform — it’s an obvious choice.
Tune in to Season Two’s first inspiring episode with Hannah and define your own measure of success.
FemGems features rising female entrepreneurs from all over the world. Listen here. Read more there. Get our MuseLetter!
Show me your love and support by following and leaving a review!
P.S. Oh, and if you’d love daily motivation to keep you pumped and on track, you will find it on the FemGems Instagram channel.
