We recently connected with Tracey Wei and have shared our conversation below.

Tracey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

One sunny afternoon during the Covid pandemic, I was on the phone with my friend, geeking out on the topics of designing with circularity in mind and building purpose-driven businesses. We both felt so tiny and exhausted trying to do what we love in this giant world of unchecked consumption. In a moment of frustration, I blurted out “We are like salmons swimming against the current! I’m so tired…” Luckily, my frustration has turned into a source of inspiration, and this is how Little Salmon was born.

Little Salmon is a mindset, a way of life that consciously reduces the negative impact that our human behaviors inevitably put in our world. We help our customers live this principle by offering products that are made from ethical and renewable sources, designed within the circular model, and ultimately give back to the community. However tired we may grow going against the current of the mainstream, we will stay resilient, committed, and persistent, just like the salmon.

My partner and I decided to open up our zero-waste refill shop because there isn’t one in Buffalo, and we had an inkling that there’s gotta be a whole community of people who would be into it.

This is our way of protesting the mainstream linear economy, by voting with our dollars, and we are so grateful that we found our people to come along in this form of protest.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a champion of the circular economy. I firmly believe that the linear economy that’s dominating our current system is not the answer for an enduring future. The resources we (as in our current economic system) are extracting from are finite, and the waste and pollution we’re putting into the environment are choking the planet, the exploitation of cheap labor forces around the globe should be against our values, yet we are hooked on all of these practices misguided by the illusion of exponential growth. So we really need an overhaul for our economic system ASAP.

There are more responsible ways and more equitable ways to run a business, and I’m here to be part of it. I will raise my hands and wave them in the air, along with other responsible businesses, and yell ” Hey! Look over here, come join us!”
Even though my business is tiny, I build it on the mighty pillars of the circular economy as much as I can. From researching the crap out of the products I carry in the shop, to reusing my shipping and packaging materials. From paying a fair living wage to my employees, to educating my customers about the importance of the circular economy. I try to be intentional and thoughtful with everything I bring in my life and put in the world.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

So before I decided to start my own business, I had a career in the fashion industry for 15 years in New York City. Lasting this long in the fashion industry in itself is resilience in my opinion. There is no “job stability” in the fashion industry. As Heidi Klum loves to say in Project Runway “one day you are in and the next day you are out”.

When I lost my job due to the financial melt down of 2008, no one was hiring for almost a year. I had to do so many odd jobs to survive in NYC. When I finally found a fashion job, it was in LA, so I had to move there and learn how to drive and adopt a new lifestyle. I origamied my car within the first week, almost hit a biker, and lost a patch of hair due to stress.

Fast forward to the Covid Pandemic, I lost my job again, but this time I was really tired of the fashion industry. I felt like I couldn’t make the changes I wanted to see from within, so I decided to leave and start my own business and this is how Little Salmon was born.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I initially tried applying for grants and business loans for funding. But quickly realized that is a full time job on top of the million other things I had to do to start a business. And the likelihood of getting a grant or a business loan approved is very low for a first time business owner. So I decided to save time and use my savings and borrowed some money interest free from family.

Luckily, I was able to get my business on track the first year, and pay back my family. But I’m still working on getting my savings back…

Contact Info:

• Website: littlesalmon.co
• Instagram: littlesalmon.co