We recently connected with Leah Harper Cohen and have shared our conversation below.
Leah Harper, appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
Conscious Market is a collective of environmentally-friendly small businesses popping up on Third Street Promenade and a vintage market every Sunday at The Hollywood Roosevelt with a luxury eco store inside the 1Hotel West Hollywood. The idea evolved from hosting community fitness events with Fit Girl Club LA and started with one table supporting a friend who started a business growing to 40+ tents in Downtown Santa Monica. All of these locations took years of pitching my ideas, but finally the persistence paid off and Conscious Market has become a great event and resource for shopping sustainably without losing style!
Leah Harper, 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?
It all started in 2008 when I met Linda Loudermilk; she is a luxury eco fashion designer that I met while styling a shoot and writing an article about style in sustainability. I ended up working for her for years and learned so much about fabric science. She was ahead of her time and ended up closing the atelier while I left to open a Pilates studio. After 8 years, I had two Pilates studios in Long Beach, CA and Scottsdale, AZ and a yoga studio inside Fred Segal Santa Monica. I am now back in sustainable fashion loving every local brand that I meet. Blending both of my worlds, I combine my events and pop ups with wellness & fitness activations. I am so proud of the Conscious Market Co-Op and partnership with 1Hotel. I would love everyone to visit the property and shop the store for gifts and fashion events.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
I produce fitness events and pop up markets to support and offer a space where women can connect through an organization I founded called Fit Girl Club. It has been a labor love for 8 years and at some point evolved into adding the Conscious Market. Initially it started with a local business or two setting up a table after a fitness class to encourage shopping small while also a reason to stay or have a conversation after class.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Consistency has helped us build a reputation, though I have taken breaks from Fit Girl Club at time. I consider the community a big part of the Conscious Market success and many of our members continue to shop local and support our businesses.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/consciousmarketla