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

Jasmin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea of Do Good Swimwear was incepted in 2017 after going on a surf trip with one of my surf sisters and realizing just how much waste was actually floating around in the ocean. Our boat guide would actually take us to different surf breaks and have us scoop out trash and litter from the water as we went along, which was eye opening. We would see fish and dolphins and other sea life swimming and playing all around us, but we’d also see empty soda cans, plastic bags, straws, boat trash, and other miscellaneous waste floating around too. And we all know that trash and pollution happens, but to actually see it, swim in it, and surf in it, etc. is another story. All of these beautiful locations, towns, and surf breaks were absolutely trashed with litter sometimes, and not just from tourists or locals, but also from bigger businesses and industrial waste.

During that same trip, my surf sister and I got to talking about creative ways ocean waste and plastics could be used, and after doing some research, found that it could be recycled and regenerated into different materials, including swim fabric. Naturally, due to a somewhat unhealthy obsession with surfing, being more environmentally conscientious, and a desire for cute bikinis and swim that would fit well and stay on in the surf (which was somewhat rare at the time), I came up with Do Good Swimwear.

Jasmin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Growing up in California, I’ve always loved being outdoors, whether it be hiking, surfing, swimming in the ocean, or just enjoying the view, I wanted to find a way to help preserve these natural playgrounds that I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy for generations to come,

In addition to being an outdoors enthusiast, I was also used to finding ways to be less wasteful because I grew up in a household where we would reuse things until they were completely worn down before tossing them, and have always loved being creative. These interests naturally came together for the creation of my sustainable swim brand, Do Good Swimwear, and I realized it could be a way to create a product and brand that fused my love for the ocean, sustainability, and giving back to the community.

With a predisposition for stewardship, I decided I wanted to create a brand that would do more than just sell cute bikinis, but one that could also give back to the planet in more ways than just materials. I wanted to make sure that it was made ethically, sustainably, and responsibly, inclusive, and gave back to organizations that are contributing to conservation and helping people in need.

What I am most proud of about this business is that it does not compromise its values for anything. I know that the materials and quality are up to par, and I love knowing some of the profits are going directly to organizations that help benefit conserving the Earth and helping communities in need. Though profit margins could be bigger if I worked with manufacturers in other countries with lower socioeconomic status, I want to ensure that anyone involved in the business has good quality working conditions, is paid fair wages, benefits, etc. and materials are all up to standard. I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve been able to work with other minority female artists and models that may not have otherwise had the chance to be featured in this way, and I love being able to change the narrative and expectations in images for a business like this. I believe that every body and ethnicity is to be celebrated, and I believe that shows through our products, our website and social media presence. We may be a small brand but we are hoping to make a big impact!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Our social media started off as just a fun surf page, primarily focused on UGC. It was mainly a way to just build the stoke for women in surf, which was underrepresented at the time. With that, our community began to grow, as more and more people sent in photos and videos to get featured on our social channel. We then transitioned it to include more educational content as well, like ideas on incorporating more sustainable tips into your daily life, exercises for better surfing techniques, and mental health tips, as well as more product content, which was a natural transition as well, since a lot of our products were made for surfers and active women.

The main tips for growing and building a social media presence that have worked well for us is to be consistent with posting, engage with your audience, and provide content that is valuable and not disingenuous. Also, to roll with the punches. Every post won’t be a hit, and just when you think you’ve got the algorithm on lock, it will change up on you (i.e., Instagram focusing more on reels now). But just try your best, be yourself, and create a community, and the rest will follow.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Keeping in touch with clients is primarily done through social media, whether it be posting about new products coming out or events, and responding to messages from them or sharing their content. It also comes through emails and email marketing. We try to foster brand loyalty by offering small rewards and discounts to repeat customers, and maintaining relationships, being trustworthy and taking their ideas and feedback into consideration (we run polls on Instagram and Facebook every so often to see what kinds of products they’d like to see for our next collections, which has been really informative and a positive for both the clients and our brand).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dogoodswimwear.com
• Instagram: @dogoodsurfclub
• Facebook: @dogoodswimwear
• Other: TikTok: @dogoodsurfclub

Image Credits
Megan Youngblood, Caroline Carniel, Bri Chu, Sienna Morales, Zia Suarez, Sarah Petrarca