Starting your own company may seem daunting, but with the right tools, resources and mentality, you might be surprised at how achievable it can be. Just ask the founders of Bathen, a women-owned fashion brand that creates ethically handmade “after-bath wear.” Their line of colorful bathrobes, which in a variety of vivid striped colors, is aimed at making you feel glamorous post-bath (or shower).

The brand launched in November 2019 by three friends—Hannah Zisman, Emily Painter, and Elisiana Diaz-Martin—who noticed a gap in the marketplace for non-traditional, colorful robes that not only bring a new level of style to bathwear, but do so in a socially responsible way.

Bathen’s mission to create a socially conscious brand with ethically made products stemmed from Diaz-Martin’s experience at Maya Traditions Foundation in Guatemala. She spent two years working with a variety of women weavers, bringing their products to large-scale partners in the U.S. She was moved by the impact this had on the women involved, who may otherwise not have had many opportunities.

“She really saw the change that they were able to create for themselves, their families and their communities,” Zisman says. “Her time there is really what inspired us to follow an ethical model.”

After a little over one year, Bathen has developed a reputation for itself, producing coveted products that consumers can feel good about flaunting. Here, co-founder Hannah Zisman reflects on her experience launching a socially conscious brand and the key lessons she learned along the way.

  1. Don’t give up on making your company socially responsible.
  2. Take advantage of your resources.
  3. Make mistakes.
  4. Don’t doubt your qualifications.
  5. Running your own business is both freeing and fulfilling.

Read the full article about building a socially conscious brand by Jenny Sands at Causeartist.