We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jasmin Suayan Baykal. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jasmin below.
Hi Jasmin, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
The idea for Do Good Swimwear was born after going on a surf trip with my surf sister and noticing just how much trash was going into the ocean. Our boat guide would take us around the water after we surfed to pick up trash and it got me thinking about what other ways recycleables and waste materials can be used and how we can help with cleaning up the water.
I did some research and found that the fashion industry is one of the biggest culprits in waste and pollution. Because I spend so much time in the water, I decided to focus my efforts on creating a sustainable swimwear line, and (at the time) there weren’t many sustainable options for it.
I have always loved learning about sustainability, being less wasteful, and contributing positively for communities and the environment. My parents raised me to be that way and to live consciously, knowing how my actions affect others and the Earth so this played a big part in my way of thinking. Because of that I decided that a portion of profits from my business would always go towards organizations that helped underserved communities and environmental causes, which not every business does.
I think for many surfers (and most outdoor enthusiasts), we naturally become stewards of the Earth. It is our biggest playground and we are so lucky to be able to escape to it, but if we don’t work on cleaning things up and sustainable business practices, this resource won’t be available for long and this business idea was created to be part of the solution.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a nurse practitioner by trade, but a lover of learning. You can always find me trying to learn some new craft or hobby, and trying my hand at different things just to see how things work.
After I had the idea for a swim line, I took up sewing at a local crafts store and watched a ton of YouTube videos to learn how to make swimwear. I also consulted with my friend’s mom who used to be a top seamstress and designer for major swim brands, so I had a great mentor to turn to. From there, I was able to make samples and work with local manufacturers to create a swim brand that is sustainable, surf-ready and one that I can be proud of.
Starting your own business is no easy feat. You wear so many hats, and there is a huge learning curve. You are the owner, the admin, the idea person, the accountant, the web designer, the photographer, the swim designer, customer service, the PR person, etc. Learning to outsource what I wasn’t good at was one of the biggest things for me.
I am proud to say that the brand is still true to what the original intent was, which is a beautiful, sustainable line made for every body and gives back to communities in need and environmental nonprofit organizations. We will never sacrifice quality for quantity or price and operate ethically and sustainably.
Do Good has also been featured in major publications, is worn by thousands of happy customers, has evolved so much and is still growing every day. I am proud of the direction Do Good Swimwear has gone and where we are headed.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Since the inception of Do Good, I’ve gone full speed ahead with it. I am passionate about it and love working on it, but I realized over the last year that I’ve been burning the candle at both ends. With the growth of a business, there are so many sacrifices that are made with time, energy, and efforts.
However, I recently had a baby, and since she was born, I’ve had to re-evaluate my priorities. She is a joy in my life, and so is the business, but I know that I need to make more time for my family and my health, and so have had to pivot and scale back on growing the business as much over the last year or so. While I am still loving the small business owner life, it’s been great to pivot more into my role as a mom and a partner. I know that spending more time with loved ones and working on my physical and mental health will never be something I regret. The business will still be there when my child is grown, but these are years with my family that I’ll never get back, so it’s something that was initially hard for me but I am happy to be doing it.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
To put together my initial capital, I pretty much boot strapped it and scrimped and saved on my own with my 9-5 job so that I could afford to invest in inventory and materials, making a website, etc. I learned to do so much on my own just to save money for it.
Later on, I joined a women’s business cohort program for free and won a scholarship with it that I was able to use for office supplies and materials, which was also helpful. For anyone starting out, if you can’t save money on your own, always look for free resources, apply for grants, find free business seminars and programs, and consider crowd-funding! You never know what help you’ll get until you try.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dogoodswimwear.com
- Instagram: @dogoodsurfclub
- Facebook: @dogoodswimwear
Image Credits
Megan Youngblood, Sienna Morales, Sarah Petrarca