S4 E3: Spreading Love Around the World with CEO Chrissie Lam

Episode Overview: It can be easy to feel discouraged in a world that can be filled with strife, prejudice, and hardship. But our next guest refuses to give in to that and instead uses fashion to spread her message of love because love is a basic human right and is the one common thread that connects us all throughout the globe. Chrissie Lam, CEO and Founder of the Love Is Project, joins me to discuss how her dedication to improving people’s lives through sustainable fashion led to the founding of her business and how she uses it as an opportunity to promote and empower female artisans in developing countries and provide support to communities who need them. Join us to learn how Chrissie impacts thousands of lives for the better - one bracelet at a time!   Episode Highlights: How the Love Is Project started The advantages and challenges of being a woman leader Pivoting and learning to see windows of opportunities in failure Carrying her childhood creativity with her to adulthood and to her business How she found meaning in her work and how others can do the same What it means to “have it all” The constant pressure to present yourself a certain way  Chrissie’s lifehacks to boost productivity Her advice for women to look up to her   About the Guest: Chrissie Lam is an American entrepreneur and proud founder of the Love Is Project. She started her journey in the fashion industry when she was hired as a trend forecaster for Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters. After 12 successful years of working with them, she desired to do more and quit corporate life. In 2012, she moved to Kenya where she met a group of women in the Maasai tribe and learned their craft of creating beautiful and vibrant beaded bracelets. Inspired by their work, this led to the creation of the Love Is Project in 2017 which are known for their iconic bracelets emblazoned with the word “LOVE.” The Love Is Project is based on her philosophy that love is the common thread that connects us all and allows us to thrive. She invites everyone to ask: What does love mean to YOU? As more people felt compelled to share their stories and get involved, what was initially a passion project turned into a global movement. The Love Is Project now works with over 2000 women artisans in 10 countries and empowers them through fair wages, healthcare, education, and more. They also make sure to give back to the community by donating proceeds of their profits to movements such as Stop Asian Hate, Black Lives Matter, Green School Bali, and the It Gets Better Project.   Connect with Chrissie: Website: loveisproject.com  Twitter: @L0VEISPROJECT Instagram: @loveisproject Facebook: Love Is Project LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chrissielam   Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please click here to leave a review for The 6%, with NancyMD. Be sure to subscribe to your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out!   Do you know someone who might enjoy this episode? Share this episode to inspire and empower!   Let's get social! Instagram: @_nancymd Facebook: @nancymdpdx Twitter: @_nancymd LinkedIn: @nancyyenshipleymd Website: www.nancymd.com   Subscribe to The 6%, with NancyMD ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Google Podcasts

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The 6% with NancyMD is dedicated to women thriving in traditionally male-dominated fields. As a female orthopaedic surgeon, I belong to the 6% that are women in this field - and thus the inspiration for the title. The birth of The 6% came about when I was at an airport and saw a female commercial airline captain. Though I didn't know her, I wanted to talk to her and ask her all about her life and path - and I wanted to hug her, knowing she likely experienced many of the same challenges that I had. I realized that across disciplines and careers, we have parallel experiences and struggles in following our passions. I hope that by sharing these stories, we will inspire the next generation of women surgeons, scientists, firefighters, engineers, CEOs. In The 6%, I talk to women about how they arrived at their careers, and the facets of their lives that brought them there. We talk about imposter syndrome, microagressions, barriers to entry, pay gap, mentoring, obstacles and failures - more importantly, how we get up from those failures. If you love stories grit, perseverence, resiliency, then The 6% is for you!