Turning Passion into a Business & Winning $10,000 in the Process
Hi there! I’m Reed Gallant, owner/operator of Roaming Republic LLC and this is my Storenvy story.
I began Roaming Republic as a passion project last year. If I’m honest, it has been in the works for well over 6 years, but finding the time and the right avenues was more a matter of timing for me than anything else.
I am an artist, a gypsy, and a lover of life. I’m unique and I’m eclectic. I’ve always tried to follow my heart and listen to my instincts, which have lead me down the path of art and culture while maintaining a strong desire for travel. Realizing my strengths, I combined them in a feasible manner to create a career path where I could not only be passionate about what I was doing, but could also see a future in doing it. My business allows me to travel to the farthest corners of the world, help support artisans abroad while allowing them another platform for exposure and artistic appreciation.
Being hard-working with a fierce business sense and even fiercer sales skills, I knew I could find success in opening my own business. Coming from a long line of self-starting businessmen, there was one thread they all had in common: They had a passion for what they did, and that passion made them successful. I knew my passions were art and travel. I went about devising a business plan that would allow me to combine my passions into a working, viable business structure.
Since leaving Australia, I’ve traveled over a half a dozen times to Europe. I visited Mexico, the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, and, most recently, Marrakech, Morocco. Their market culture inspired me to take that leap and get my business underway!
Roaming Republic is a platform for artists from all over the world. One look at my booth or online store and you can find hand-crafted textile earrings from Peru, hand-painted cow horn bracelets from Africa, and beautifully embroidered handbags and wallets from Northern Thailand.
My goal for the future is to be able to set up my own Fair-Trade Artisan communities abroad, allowing craftsmen and craftswomen the ability to be independent and support themselves and their families while creating products that combine their skills with their heritage. When I get to a point where I can establish these artisan collectives, I want to work with them to create a signature line of accessories that highlights all their country has to offer while staying relevant to the ever-changing retail markets, thus creating sustainability and financial security. In addition, one of the wholesalers I work with donates a portion of its jewelry sales to feed children in Africa and a portion of its soap sales to support rebuilding efforts in Haiti.
Since I began my business, I have never felt more confident that I am on the right path. The positive feedback I have received has been overwhelming, not to mention the assistance, love and support of so many family and friends.
Recently, I was chosen as a finalist in the Scion/Motivate contest, where I won 10k, a new Scion xB, and three months worth of mentorship from a business professional! While attending the Motivate contest, I had the opportunity to learn about several options in the e-commerce field, one of them being Storenvy.com. Storenvy has allowed me a great platform to get my business visible, viable and functioning on the online marketplace. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to work so closely with Storenvy!
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Check out everything that Roaming Republic has to offer here.
