The skate economy and #CleanTok

Plus, when a Grindr date turned into a business.

6 October 2023 View online  /  Sign up Skateboarding, cleaning supplies, tattoo artistry – there are opportunities anywhere and everywhere to start something. Often a good business idea comes from the most unexpected place, or the place right in front of you that you somehow manage to ignore. So today we spotlight founders we hope inspire you to follow your own path no matter the industry or where your interests lie. Enjoy. 01. Now even professional cleaners are influencers – #CleanTok recently hit 84 billion views on TikTok, making it the platform's most popular hashtag. Here are three cleaning brands that don't sound cool but are cleaning up:  Hold On makes heavy-duty compostable trash bags from plant-based materials. Guests on Earth makes scented refillable cleaning products.  Biom makes compostable and refillable multi-purpose wipes.  02. Tattoo artist Arty Dick is known for her hand poke technique and thorny styles, like this one on grillz artist Clova Rae-Smith, as well as white ink tattoos. She's from Amsterdam but takes part in residencies around the world.  03. Korean tattoo artists are also in high demand, like Woojin Choi (aka Oozy). While previously you had to travel to Seoul to get a piece done by him, recently he opened a studio in LA called Vism, along with a collective of other Korean artists. BRAND PARTNERSHIP Sustainability, technology, community At the Concave Summit, improve your skills to create a better climate future. Attend a sustainability leadership masterclass led by pioneering Swedish agency The New Division focused on mindset, culture, and sustainable development while addressing business challenges. Engage with talks on climate storytelling and the future of waste, and meet impact-led brands like streaming platform Waterbear. Get your tickets here. 04. Another way to get into the tattoo world, without actually doing the ink yourself: Encré is a clothing store in Brussels, Belgium, that hosts tattoo artists on site, as well as organizes festivals with artists from around the world. Expect queues around the block. On the fashion front, Encré's collaboration with ACC has been spotted on some pretty well-known faces. 05. New York City-based Sundae Sauuce has also blown up through events: it hosts parties and ice cream socials around Brooklyn, boosting local musicians and ice cream brands (tickets come with a free scoop).🍦 06. CJ Hendry is a Brooklyn-based Australian artist who is blowing up for her hyper-realistic drawings of luxury goods. Her usual clients range from high-end designers to celebrities, and she recently went viral for placing off-cuts from a drippy silver sculpture project around the city for anyone to help themselves to. 07. Another example of letting people in on the process: Oddli is a clothing company best-known for its boxer shorts, but often had questions from customers asking why its prices are higher than other brands. Now when a new product drops, founder Ellie Chen posts about what it takes to make an item and how the money is spent. TRY IT. The rise of the founder-influencer has been a hot topic for small brands. Here's a good look at balancing personal posting with growing a business. 08. Kurkku Fields started 15 years ago on the outskirts of Tokyo as an organic restaurant. Launched by the music producer of a popular Japanese band, it is now a full farm devoted to art and self-sustained living, with an on-site solar field, edible garden, hotel and installations by the likes of Yayoi Kusama. An underground library just opened, complete with a grass roof that looks like a good hangout spot. 09. Another farm worth the trek: D'Une Île is countryside outpost for the restaurateur and chef behind the hyped Paris-based restaurants Septime and Clamato. Set in a 'micro-village' in Normandy, guests stay in cottages and the restaurant serves produce grown on site. 10. The idea for Carne Bollente was sparked by a bad Grindr date which somehow turned into a creative partnership between its three co-founders Hijiri Endo, Théodore Famery and Agoston Palinko. The resulting garments provoke a double take – an embroidered vulva here, a penis there – as well as explicit illustrations and slogans. 'We believed that openly and honestly talking about sex and sexuality is a good thing and fashion was the perfect platform to express our thoughts,' says Hijiri. Mission accomplished. BRAND PARTNERSHIP The smartest use of screen time yet Get out of mindless scrolling and into a world of knowledge and growth. With Brilliant, you can transform idle moments into opportunities for learning and career development. Dive into their captivating lessons in math, data science, and CS, and watch as your understanding expands and your skills flourish.  Make your free time count. Join over 10 million learners worldwide and get a 30-day free trial. Get started. 11. While pleasure-enhancing supplements and serums have been around for a while, drinks that make you horny are a fairly new trend. G-Spot's Arouse is made with aphrodisiacs butterfly pea (a plant known for its bright blue flowers) and l-arginine (an amino acid). 12. Also keep an eye on blackcurrants. While the fruit is popular in the UK and Europe, it was commonly illegal to grow the berry-producing bushes in the US (due to being a carrier of a fungus) until the early 2000s. Now there's a US supply chain re-emerging. C. Cassis is a low-ABV beverage brand sourcing from one of the first farms to regrow the berries in New York – and it just opened a tasting room.  13. Luxury brands have found an unlikely ally in skateboarding over the past handful of years. But for skate brands old and new, some things never change: authenticity and understanding community remain key to success. Our deep dive features Bianca Chandon, WKND, Labor and some of the other most culturally relevant skate brands around today. 'We're on the ground seeing trends first, and we know what looks good and what looks bad,' says Alex Olson. 'Nowadays, if you're even a mildly good-looking skater, you'll end up on a runway.' Check out what else he says in the full feature here.  14. Our new book is called Dream Businesses: Live And Work On Your Own Terms. In a parallel universe we might have called it Why It's Time To Spend More Time Doing What You Love (And How To Make It Happen). Featuring flower farmers, surf schools, roadside coffee roasters, concept tea rooms and plenty more. Order your copy here.  15. Hopefully you like the topic – dream businesses – because on October 17 we're launching a new email newsletter on the very same topic. 👀 More from us (and elsewhere) 🎂  How birthdays became week-long blowouts. 📚  The broken book blurb industry. ✈️  Gen Z recreates the European 'grand tour'. 💿  Would you wear a CD player handbag? 🧠  Stuck? Try this website with ideas for websites. Advertise with us Drop us a line any time at hello@couriermedia.com. Update your preferences here. Unsubscribe here