Business
Spotlight
Did you know there are Healthy Home Professionals in your area helping people live in a less-toxic, more comfortable and joyful living environment?
HealthyHOME™ PRO is a community of forward-thinking real estate agents and healthy home experts who provide unique and incredible products and services that help their clients achieve more well-being.
We are thrilled to be able to share their stories with you in our Business Spotlight Series.
Featuring:
Linda Alexanian
Organic Weave Shop
Founder
Serving Residents in
North America
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Certified Organic Area Rugs
(833) 723-3784
An Interview with
Linda
Q1 - Hey! Thanks for taking the time to be here. Can you start by sharing a little bit about yourself and your business?
Thanks for having me!
I'm pretty sure that no one grows up saying "my dream is to sell rugs"
I'm a third generation rug merchant - so rugs are in my blood,.
Q2 - Everyone has a creation story to share. What was the inspiration or reason you decided to do what you do?
We started Organic Weave wanting to make luxurious rugs. Period.
And then we asked ourselves: WHAT IS A TRULY LUXURIOUS RUG?
We decided that it would start with our weavers earning a living wage.
And then we thought: why not use the very finest, all natural, organic materials - from farm to floor?
Q3 - What services do you offer? And why did you choose to offer those particular services?
Our focus is on making non toxic area rugs - there was a gap in the market.
There are loads of "natural rugs" on the market, but the way they are marketed may be misleading.
Our rugs are made according to a strict non toxic protocol.
Q4 - Can you recall a challenging client or situation that you were able to fix or overcome? How did you fix it?
Our biggest challenge was getting the organic certification from GOTS (the Global Organic Textile Standard).
It took us 3 years to source organic raw materials including organic wool and organic cotton, and to create all natural dyes.
We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into; naturally, the certification is an onerous one, but we had no idea how difficult it would be to make all natural rugs.
Q5 - What have you learned about yourself and your business over the years? How has your business changed to adapt to changing consumer needs?
I've learned that we do better when we know better.
Before starting Organic Weave, I had no idea about the link between conventional cotton farming and cancer in India.
I had no idea that people were reacting to products in their homes, and suffering from allergies and asthma and worse.
Our customers truly care about the products the buy - in our case - our customers care about the principles behind organic farming, and they care that our rugs are made without child labor and they care that our rugs are GOTS certified.
Our customers are educated.
I do my best to keep up with them - I'm learning more every day.
Q6 - Running a business is not always easy. If you could go back in time what advice would you give yourself?
I think I would tell myself that it's OK to pause, and take the necessary time before reacting to any situation.
I used to think that I had to make the right decision in record time.
Now I say: "I will get back to you tomorrow".
Tomorrow is always good enough.
Q7- We've all had amazing clients or stories to share that make it all worth it. Can you share a story about a teammate, vendor or client that really impacted you and touched your heart?
When I launched Organic Weave, my first sales call was to a renowned NYC rug company.
The buyer asked a lot of questions, including:
"Are all your weavers friends .... because I don't want to see any fighting in the rugs"
Like us, this buyer believed that the rugs carry the"energy"of the weaver, and a happy weaver makes happy rugs.
I've thought back to this meeting a million times - we are thrilled to work with customers who care about the same things that we do!
Q8 - If a potential client were reading this article, what would you tell them about you, your team or your business that would convince them to choose you?
We are the only company in the world dedicated to making CERTIFIED organic rugs, and our rugs are soft. Super soft. Your feet will thank you.
Q9 - Fun fact about yourself that people may not know.
My first word was rug (or so my older brothers and sisters say!)
Q10 - Where do you see your business going in the next 5 to 10 years?
We are looking to expand into other certified organic home furnishing products.
We enjoyed learning so much about you and your business. How can people learn more or get in touch with you?
We sell directly to the public - http://www.organicweaveshop.com
Toll free (833) 723-3784
Thank you so much for being a part of the HealthyHOME™ Business Spotlight!
Thank you so much for the work that you do - sharing information with your healthminded community!
