Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Birgit Sas-sundquest. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Birgit thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

Empress of Heels offers vegan high heels, hand crafted in Poland from sustainable vegan leather made with apple waste. Not only do we find it important to not harm animals for our fashion, but also support animal charities.

That’s why we donate € 1 of each pair sold to the Gouves Animal Shelter on the island of Crete in Greece.

We have 2 lovely dogs, one of them, Popeye, is from the Gouves Animal Shelter. A few years ago my husband and I went to that shelter to donate some money. As soon as we entered I started crying. It was heartbreaking to see. We talked a lot with the volunteers and while chatting to them we held a puppy. That small puppy fell in love with my husband and didn’t want to leave his side. So the decision was made then and there to adopt!

Unfortunately Popeye wasn’t the only puppy. A week before our visit the shelter picked up 10 puppies from the mountains on Crete. They were left there to die… A common way for the people to dispose of the unwanted dogs and cats. Leave them in the scorching hot mountains without food and water.

Adopting Popeye was life changing for us. And that’s when I knew which charity I wanted to support with Empress of Heels.

The Gouves animal shelter works so hard to provide a better life for animals, but they have very limited funds. So steady support for them is changing the lives of a lot of animals.

Birgit , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Empress of Heels was founded by me, Birgit Sas-Sundquest, I have a big love for shoes, particularly high heels. Decided that I had enough of corporate life, it was time to follow my dream and bring my own vegan heels brand to life.

In the world of Empress of Heels glamour meets sustainability. Our heels are crafted using vegan leather derived from apple waste, ensuring that a minimum of 25% of the material is repurposed. But that’s not all; our linings are thoughtfully fashioned from recycled plastic bottles and corn fiber. From head to toe, our vegan heels are sustainably produced and entirely recyclable. This includes the heels and soles, which are made from recyclable plastic and steel.

We’re not just committed to sustainable materials; we’re also dedicated to ethical manufacturing practices. That’s why we’ve partnered with a Polish shoemaker – a treasured family business located in a small village near Krakow. With nearly a century of expertise, they bring an unparalleled passion for shoes, resulting in the creation of exquisite, high-quality vegan shoes, using a variety of materials and designs.

Based in Dreumel, The Netherlands, Empress of Heels embodies the spirit of sustainability, elegance, and innovation. Join us in our journey to make a statement with every step, minimizing our fashion footprint without sacrificing style.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Empress of Heels does not sell on the major Ecommerce platforms. Of course it’s a great way to reach a big audience. But I don’t think it’s perse the right audience for Empress of Heels.

Our vegan heels are made to last, slow luxurious high heels. That’s why we have chosen only to sell on our own website and 2 platforms that only sell vegan products, clothes and shoes.

We want to limit our transport movements and returns and feel that selling on platforms that specifically offers vegan products is better as those customers have made a conscience choice for vegan heels.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I started Empress of Heels I had absolutely no idea how social media worked. I just posted on Instagram without any knowledge about hashtags, algorithm etc. So when I decided to launch my own vegan heels brand I first hired a marketing agency, they posted for me in the first half year. I watched what they did, how they did it and when. Slowly but surely I did more myself and now I know how it works.

Of course I still have some help, because social media is time consuming and I cannot do everything myself, but I find it important to know how everything works.

My advice to people that are just starting is; don’t be afraid to ask some help. Learn from the best if you can. Of course that will cost money, but money spend on learning is money well spent!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.empressofheels.com
• Instagram: @empress_of_heels
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empressofheels/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empressofheels/