Hello there, thank you for tuning in. This is Dhruti Shah and welcome to the Resilient Entrepreneur podcast, where every month I bring to you the story of an entrepreneur who has proven to be unstoppable because they are resilient. This podcast is a culmination of my own story of resilience.
As someone who taught herself early on to be mentally tough, I came to realize that success stories are great to remain motivated, but true learning happens when you fail, you stumble, you reflect, and you rise. This podcast is an attempt to bring to you, to my listeners, the situations that test your nerves, your grit, and your resilience. If you listen closely, you will hear the entrepreneurs reflect, and who knows, you may have some light bulb moments yourself.
The Resilient Entrepreneur is brought to you by C2COD, a firm that specializes in bringing people and strategy together. And welcome to the brand new season of the Resilient Entrepreneur podcast with today's episode. This new season is dedicated to social entrepreneurs who are not just grappling the challenges of a new startup, but are also in the business of changing mindsets and impacting lives.
They've taken the concept of big, hairy, audacious goals to a whole new level. So let's kick off this season with our first episode coming right up. Welcome back listeners.
My guests today are joining me all the way from the beautiful town of Ladakh in northern India. They are the co-founders of Ladakh Basket, a community-driven social enterprise that works with farmers, producers, and craftspeople. My guests today are Stanzin Jordan and Thinles norbhoo.
The third co-founder who could not join us today on the podcast is Sonam Stanzin. A little bit about Jordan and Thinlay before I bring them on. Born and raised in Leh, Ladakh, Jordan's inspiration for Ladakh Basket is rooted in his family's own legacy in farming.
Jordan's grandfather was one of the first to introduce chamomile cultivation in the Ladakh Valley, and his mother continues to grow it even today. Thinlay, who is happiest working with others and creating new opportunities, is the connector in the team and was the natural choice to head the company as its chief marketing officer. With that, let's find out more from the boys themselves.
Here's Jordan and Thinle. Welcome Thinle, welcome Jordan. It is so good to have you here and we are super excited to discover your story of Ladakh Basket and you as entrepreneurs, of course.
So, you know, Thinlay, if you could get started and just tell us a little bit more about your journey since 2020 when you started Ladakh Basket. So I just want to say thank you very much. First of all, this is a wonderful opportunity for both of us.
So we have started Ladakh Basket in 2020. Yeah, before that, we had the idea that we have to do something for the Ladakh. So that's how we have started in 2019.
We have done a fellowship called Naropa Fellowship, which is a one-year entrepreneurship, how to say, entrepreneurship learning experience for all of us. And then we have started Ladakh Basket. Ladakh Basket is an online and offline platform where we can sell Ladakhi indigenous produce throughout the world.
By doing so, we try to empower the local producers. Yeah. So there is a very clear purpose that you had over here, right? You said that you wanted to do something for Ladakh.
So Jordan, how has that experience been for you? So we met during the Naropa Fellowship Program, which Thinlay has also mentioned. And I didn't have any entrepreneurial idea or something which I wanted to start during the program as such. But because most of us, after our high school, go outside of Ladakh for our higher education, but also wanted to come back to Ladakh.
But I'm not sure what kind of opportunities there would be in terms of jobs or businesses also. But one thing was that my mother at my home, we have a small kind of garden where she grows this camomile teas, peppermint teas. So I somewhat wanted to help her to scale those products and maybe market those products.
There was some kind of initial thought I had. But later on, when I joined with my two other co-founders, then we brainstormed about what kind of problems or market opportunities are there in the market. And similarly, why there is a huge shift from agri-based, sustainable kind of living we had earlier to more right now tourism-based sector where people are leaving villages and coming to lay city for other opportunities.
So, yeah, so we, I think, had some kind of connection with the land or with the farming because all of our families are into farming. So that's how I think we started with Ladakh Basket. Amazing.
And just out of curiosity, right? You mentioned you have two co-founders. We have Thinlayer, of course. And how did you go about identifying that these are the right co-founders for you? Jordan, we'll start with you and then maybe Thinlay, you can chime in as well.
I think initially within the fellowship program, we were encouraged to have co-founders because I think most of the failure in entrepreneurship is not because of the ideas. It's more because of the team you have. Yes.
Because ideas, you can pivot and change and you can incorporate according to the market needs also. But co-founder, I think it's one of the essential things. So initially, we look for people with some kind of interest or passion about the land, farming in general.
That's how I think we came together as a team. Nice. That's fantastic because you're absolutely right.
It's the people that make or break a startup sometimes, right? The ideas you can pivot for sure. Thinlay, I would love to hear your thoughts around this. Yeah.
We all came together because we all came up from the same background. Our parents have been doing farmers for many years. So we all came together to build this leather basket.
So we never have a second thought that we have to find another co-founder or all these things. We, yeah, directly we have decided that we all three come together to build leather basket. Yeah, that's what I think.
Yeah. Amazing. So shared passion is what brought you together.
And both of you mentioned about having that clear vision, about having a dream. But as we are all aware, right, it's one thing to dream about something and it's a completely different ballgame to be able to achieve the dreams that you have. So, and I'm sure it was, it had its own set of challenges.
So what kind of challenges did you face? Maybe Thinles, you can go first. Yeah. Basically, when we have started leather basket, we were the first generation entrepreneurs here in Ladakh.
So we have faced a lot of challenges, especially when we started leather basket, people are not aware about the organic farming and all. Our ancestors have been doing this organic farming for many years. But just because of the green revolution, people have forgotten that organic farming and they adopt using the chemical fertilizers, urea and all.
But when we have started, people are so reluctant to start with organic farming. And when COVID-19 hit, yeah, COVID-19 hit to all over the world, that was the great opportunity for us to say that, yeah, the organic farming is the way of life. And then we have started with the leather basket.
We have started organizing awareness camp in our village only. We have started with small, but we make sure that that awareness should be very impactful for all the villagers. And we have adopted one village called Lidze village.
And we have aware the people about the organic farming, how much importance to have that organic farming as well as that how that chemical fertilizer has impact to our health. Yeah, that's how we have started. And initially, people are very reluctant to adopt organic farming.
But slowly, it's been four years that Lidze village is now purely doing organic farming. So that's kind of challenges we were facing. And then we have overcome all these challenges.
Now we have adopted three villages. And we are working with more than 100 farmers who are doing only organic farming. That's how we have overcome.
Yeah, that is so inspiring to hear because you started with one, it was like a pilot for you. You did what you had to do. And I think creating that awareness and bringing that buy-in would have had its own set of challenges.
And I would love to hear a little bit around that, Jordan. How did you go about convincing people to give up on what is not good for us, the chemicals, right? It impacts the topsoil. It impacts our health.
We are intaking it, consuming it. So how did you go about convincing them? What were the challenges you faced over there? In this case, particularly, I think one was with the workshops and awareness games, where we also called people from like, say, agriculture department, and also doctors who talk about the effects of long term effects of using of chemicals, fertilizers, urea on your health and how it is degrading your health overall. So, and also like through these experts of soil, they are talking about how your soil each year, you have to use more urea, more fertilizer to get the same amount of production each year.
So that's how I think we, and also Timless is from the same village where we initially started, his home village. So that's how we kind of mobilize them and make sure that, because in this thing, if any one of the farmer uses chemical fertilizers, then it also affects all the others. So we have to make sure that none of the farmers in the village uses chemical fertilizers.
So that's how I think with Timless and then through these workshops and others, we have kind of make sure that going forward, there wouldn't be any chemical fertilizer which will be used. And also, we initially told them also that production will be very less because there's a shift and the soil doesn't have those kind of nutrients anymore left in the soil. So there would be less production.
But and also we mostly, we ensure them whatever they produce through Ladakh Basket, we were able to provide them with the platform to sell those products, the extra, whatever they can generate through the land. Right, because I think one of the biggest questions the farmers would have had would be, how would it impact my livelihood if I move to organic farming, right? Am I going to do it for the better or is it going to make me worse? So I think that financial impact is real on the families as well, right? So that would have taken some convincing on your part. Yeah, in the long run, it's going to work out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's great. Fantastic.
You know, whenever I talk to entrepreneurs, I do realize increasingly so that a lot of it is around your mindset, the way you look at challenges. And I love the fact that, you know, for COVID, where most of the people said it was a challenge, it was a trying time, you know, we had to almost fold, but we made it through. I heard the word opportunity that you use.
So COVID turned out to be an opportunity for you folks. And I think it has really helped in that sense to expand, to build, to connect with the community and to mobilize, as you said, right? So when you think about it from a mindset perspective, and Tinle, this question goes to you, what would you say are some of the things that you've done in order to remain resilient, in order to continue going and say, I'm not going to give up, not today? So basically, the whole idea of Ladakh Basket is for our community, yeah. So that's always keep in our mind that, yeah, we are, whatever we are doing, it's for our community.
So that was the only thing that we have been moving forward. That's what I think, yeah. Right.
Thank you so much, Jordan. Any thoughts on that? I think COVID had a huge kind of impact. I see maybe all over the world, but particularly in Ladakh, because like us, there were many other entrepreneurs who started many other things in Ladakh also.
Because I think during COVID, they got this time to introspect and connect more with the land and people and the community. So we have seen quite a lot of entrepreneurs coming out during COVID times, and then we are very happy that, and sometimes people ask them, there are new competition in the market for you guys, but we feel like the market is quite large and it's more collaboration rather than competition, because whomever is able to market Ladakh to the world, I think it's great for the people, for the community and overall for the Ladakh. Right.
So that is very clear from what Tinle said. There was a very clear purpose in that sense that we're doing this for our community. And what I hear from you, it's about having the right mindset, having the mindset that you know, there is ample, there is more than enough for all of us to collaborate and to thrive in that sense.
Right? Absolutely. Are there any practices or rituals that you have that keep you going as resilient entrepreneurs in that sense? Personally, for me, I think one of the things is like some kind of passion towards agriculture or interest, I say, because other than having a deep sense of giving back to the community, but that should also align with something which you are passionate about. So I think for both of us, it was about agriculture and some part education also.
So that's how we try to figure out a business around it, where the local farmers, artisans, the local producers, how we can make sure that they get good value for their produce. So and then I think it's a long journey. We see, I think, because right now it may be four years in the process of making it, but it still feels like it's completely new.
Like we just started yesterday and then new challenges come up and then we overcome and then we go ahead. And yeah, it's a journey and I feel like it's a roller coaster kind of ride now and then. Yeah.
That's right. Absolutely. Tinle, how about you? Yeah.
For me, especially, I'm very, since I was born and brought up in the village, I've been connected with the farming very much and I'm very passionate about the farming. So that's how keep me going with this venture. So whatever we are doing, whatever, everything, whatever we are coming with a new product is very exciting for me, especially because when we are launching new product, it means we are creating opportunities for the people around us and as well as for the customer who are very, very keen to have this kind of exotic products.
So I'm every year, yeah, we are launching new products and I'm very excited about it as well as I'm very passionate about the farming with the farmers. I've been doing farming every year, every season from ploughing to harvesting and then to threshing, everything I've been doing. So I'm very much into the farming.
So that's why keep me going with this venture. Yeah. Yeah.
And such a deep sense of passion. Like I can hear that, right? It's all about that. It's all about how you're feeling connected to the community, to the land, to, you know, and doing good, doing good.
Think about it from an entire community perspective. It's not just about you growing, but it's about the community growing with you in that sense. And you're clearly working towards that.
So what is the vision that you have for Ladakh Baskets? What do the next four years or maybe eight years or 15 years look like for you? Yeah, especially our vision is to, Ladakh Basket vision is to support local farmers and preserve indigenous culture and promote organic farming. That's our main motive. And in this coming four to 10 years, we have been working with, yeah, I'm just looking forward that we have been working with more than a thousand farmers around Ladakh.
We are, we are not saying that completely we are empowering and we are giving livelihood to these people and community, but we are adding some value to their livelihood. That's what we believe. And we want to create more opportunities for the farmer so that they can, yeah, sustain themselves in the villages.
Otherwise, we can see that just because of globalization that people are migrating to better facilities and better opportunities, but they are not creating opportunities in the villages. That's what we are worried about. And we want to create opportunities in the villages so that they can sustain themselves in the villages, sustain with their glaciers and their nature and their beautiful ecosystem.
Yeah, that's what we want to create. Otherwise, we are slowly losing out on our culture, our rituals, traditions as people migrate to different cities. Not everybody is able to cope up and, you know, keep that alive within them, right? So being connected to your hometown, where your ancestors were, I think that plays a huge role in taking the torch forward in that sense, right? Absolutely.
And so good to see that, you know, you're playing some role in terms of enabling that. That's important. We all believe that why should only the cities grow, right? I think as the entire country is developing and growing, every single part of the country needs to grow with it, whether it's a village, a town or a city.
So good to hear that. And hence, you know, social entrepreneurship is so important to our ecosystem because you are the folks who keep it going, who keep this alive. So, you know, we are so grateful for that.
Thank you. Jordan, what are your thoughts around this? Anything that you want to add to what Kinlay said? Hmm. One thing I want to add from the platform wise, I think there are a lot of products still which were not listed on our website.
So we wanted to make our platform as a go-to marketplace for anything that is produced in Ladakh. So whatever the farmers, the artisans, the producers are producing in Ladakh, our platform can enable those and add values to them and then connect to the market. So we wanted in next, I think, five, six years that we will be able to list all these products and so that the customer can see the whole kind of picture of Ladakh and how people are living there and how.
Also, one thing is that through these products, what we are trying to do is to share stories. So whatever you buy from us, we have a little story about the producer, how they have produced those products over the season and a little about how the whole process goes on, which is very sustainable and natural also. Through that also, customers get to know more about a particular region.
I think because Ladakh is quite diverse and geographically also very different within villages also. So different places in Ladakh have different products which are very exotic to their places also. So that's how people get to know about these different places of Ladakh and then I think more towards sustainable tourism and everything.
For that purpose, I think we wanted to move forward in that direction. Yeah. So you're looking at a holistic development, not just for the community of farmers, but also artisans, right? Yes, yes, yes.
Right. All types of artisans in that sense, right? So for sure, absolutely. And we will definitely put your website link.
If there is anything else that you would want to share with us, we'd love to put that in the show notes. So our listeners can go and refer to that. That's a call out to all our listeners.
Please go visit Ladakh Basket's website. I think they have some fantastic products over there. So thank you so much for that.
And just to bring this to a beautiful end, we'd love to hear, being an entrepreneur, you've gone through the ups and downs. You've said it feels like a roller coaster ride, rightly so. If there is one message that you want to give to maybe some aspiring entrepreneurs, people like you who are thinking of starting their own venture, but are hesitating somehow and not quite sure, what is the one message that you would want to give them? Thinle, what do you think? Yeah
For me, if I want to give one message to all aspiring entrepreneurs of Ladakh and around the world, what I think is, yeah, the entrepreneurs give you opportunity to learn something new every time, every day, every week, every month. So that's a nice opportunity. Just take this opportunity and bring prosperity to the region, India, and all over the world.
That's what I want to say. Thank you. You are so right.
Because as an entrepreneur, we are constantly learning. We are constantly evolving. And if taken in the right spirit, it can definitely take us far.
So yes, it's all about constant learning in that sense. Yes. Thank you so much, Thinle.
Jordan, over to you. What is the one message that you would want to give to the aspiring entrepreneurs? So yeah, one thing, one message I would like to give to the entrepreneurs is that you should believe in yourself. And if you have a passion about doing something, you should keep on doing it.
Because the result, I think, more or less is not in our hands. But the passion to create some impact and to do something for yourself or to the community or the people around you, I think it takes you to a longer journey. So in entrepreneurship also, through these three, four years.
So initially, when we started, we thought there would be a huge impact wise. But I think within these three, four years where we were still working, maybe the impact wise, we don't able to achieve that kind of expectation of us. But I think whatever impact we are creating around us and the people around us, I think it's a huge thing.
Also, I think more and more entrepreneurs are looking at us because we were the first of the entrepreneurs from the region. So you see a lot of new entrepreneurs coming up and it gives us immense happiness that people look at us as some kind of role models and they are starting something for Ladakh and something for their community, for themselves, for people around them. So I think if you wanted to create some change, I can start with you first, I think.
So keep going on. There will be many challenges. I think it's a huge, difficult kind of job, you can say.
But yeah, it's a quite fulfilling one. Absolutely, Jordan. You know, I completely agree with you.
It can get a little tiring at times, you know, when you're thinking about it. But I think the key is to hang in there, to have the belief, not just in yourself, but in what you're doing. And you never know, like you guys, you never know who you are inspiring, right? So you are creating this entire community of entrepreneurs indirectly and you're building that momentum.
It may not be a conscious effort, but you are. And so absolutely kudos to you guys on that. Really, really admire the courage that you've shown.
Thank you so much. Thank you, Thinle. Thank you, Jordan, for joining us today.
It's been a fantastic conversation and I'm inspired. So thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. Thanks, Thinle.
Thanks, Jordan. Wow, that's an incredible, fascinating story of social entrepreneurship. I mean, I have goosebumps every time I listen to these entrepreneurs share their story, their struggles, their journey.
It's truly humbling. So let's bring in my producer Remuna and let's ask her, what did she think about this? Hey, Riddhi. Wow, really, what a conversation, right? The story of Ladakh Bathkit, for me, really resonated, even at a personal level, and perhaps even my own heritage of being from another similar state with its own history and legacy in organic farming, Sikkim.
Hold on, that's right. Remuna, you're from Sikkim, right? And I think Sikkim became the first organic state in the world. I mean, that is something.
Yeah. Yeah, and like you said, could really feel that sense of purpose, feel the passion come through what they do. What a story, yeah.
Yeah, and you know, what I loved was both Jordan and Himlay, and I'm sure Sonam as well, right? They are united by their passion, right? It's about, they know that certain damage has been done to the soil and to the way we even eat or we consume our food, right? So it's about undoing that damage caused by the actions of the past, right? And I always say this, you know, you always have choice. One of the choices they could have gone with was to stay stuck in the past and, you know, cry over it. And the other choice was to do something about it, and which is what the trio did by launching the Dark Past Hit.
So I really feel it's about the mindset of ample and not scarcity in that sense, right?
