Samantha Hoddinott

Trevor Bessette is a social entrepreneur and Memorial University Business student. In 2017, Trevor started his social enterprise, Seaside Apparel - a local, ethical clothing brand. And in 2018, Trevor received the second-place award in the Social Innovation Challenge for this initiative. That opportunity awarded him $1,000 and other valuable resources to help grow his company. Trevor then further pushed his passion for giving used materials new life by beginning a second social venture, Seaside Reclaimed, a textile management project that will prevent used Seaside Apparel (as well as other textiles) from entering landfills. Through these social enterprises, Trevor hopes to create a more socially and environmentally conscious Newfoundland and Labrador.

Interview

Q1: Can you share your first experience as an entrepreneur and explain Seaside Apparel?

Seaside apparel is a local clothing brand that I created essentially to get people thinking about where their stuff goes and where it comes from. All of our products are made of recycled plastic bottles and salvaged cotton scraps. We make sure that they are ethically manufactured, which happens in Haiti and Guatemala. We make products that improve the lives of people and then use these products to start conversations with Newfoundlanders. To get the brand out there, I often set up a table somewhere with our products. People are usually blown away that we can make clothing, especially quality clothing, from recycled materials, specifically out of plastic bottles. Through setting up tables and talking to people, it allows them to start questioning if the things they treat as garbage could be recycled.

Q2: After having established Seaside Apparel, why did you start Seaside Reclaimed? Could you explain what Seaside Reclaimed does?

Seaside Reclaimed was something I had been thinking of at the start. If I am honest, I think it came first, the idea of Reclaimed. When I started, I had fallen in love with the idea of giving new life to old materials. When I learned about fast fashion and the enormous amounts of textile waste there was, I figured there was a better way. That people, if they were creative, could think about ways to reuse the textiles once they finished their first life cycle. So, making the product eco-friendly and ethical was a way to start a system in which I could put out clothing that mattered. And by taking them back later, they could be upcycled to prevent textile waste.

Q3: Through Seaside Apparel and Seaside Reclaimed, who is your target audience - who are you trying to reach, as customers, partners, etc.?

We are currently targeting people in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is the start. I hope that someday we will move into other Atlantic and Maritime Provinces. The customers are people who are already on board with the ideas. Let's say I am set up at a table or booth; there are two kinds of people that approach me. The first is interested in the idea or are already on board with recycling, and who have maybe done some research themselves. Other times people are just there to support morally, which is always nice. Then, there are people who do not understand what Seaside is trying to accomplish, like me three years ago. Then you get to really have some nice dialogue with them about recycling, get them thinking about where stuff comes from and where it goes. You can always tell when someone is receptive to the information, and then you are hopeful that maybe you planted a seed that may grow into something different.

Q4: Do you consider yourself a social entrepreneur? Why or why not?

I do, I definitely do. Having learned more about social enterprise, I do not know if my business fits into the box. What I consider social enterprise, my definition is a little bit different. To me, it is all about intent. If you intend to solve social issues, and I always include environmental issues as well, as the environment has a massive impact on social well-being. It is creating businesses for the purpose to yes, generate profits, but so you can have an effect on people and the planet. It is the intent or core premise of why you are in business. Ultimately, yes, I do consider myself a social entrepreneur.

Q5: How important are partnerships/collaborations when starting a social enterprise/social business?

I think they are super important. I believe that partnerships are huge, and if you want to tackle problems because you have partners, collaborators, and the community that are there to help. I believe it makes sense to have different people with different skillsets using those skills. I seek out collaborations whenever I can. For example, Seaside Reclaimed will be collaborating with Choices for Youth, which helps to amplify the good that can be done. So, I will be taking back the clothing, and then I will need to upcycle them. I can go to a local organization, Choices for Youth, that helps so many young at-risk youths and potentially have some of them develop a passion for textile manufacturing. I think this is more impactful and is only possible through partnerships and collaboration.

Q6: What has been the most challenging thing about running Seaside Apparel and Seaside Reclaimed? What do you think the biggest issue facing your ventures is now?

I think it has probably been on a personal level, not being as organized, as I need to be. I am always thinking about different things, so when it comes to getting certain things done in a timeframe, it is not as organized as it could be. Although I have grown up in the digital era, I have never really used social media for myself. As a result, the instinct of “'Oh, I need to post this for my business” does not come naturally to me. Overall, I am trying to be as organized as I can be, while trying to use social media more.

Q7: What has been the most rewarding aspect of running Seaside Apparel and Seaside Reclaimed?

I think it is when someone stops by, give kudos, and say “Hey thanks for doing this”. That, and when the next person is a little bit harder to get to, or more reluctant to see the value in what we are doing. Occasionally, you can get through to them and really make them think about recycling and the planet. To me, that is valuable, because the clothing is great and the process is great. However, if I can get somebody to change their attitude, especially someone older who may teach their children, it is crucial. As a result, they can have a positive and significant impact on the planet by teaching others. Changing people's behavior is the most important thing I am trying to do. Therefore, whenever I can see that perhaps I have started that process, that is the most rewarding aspect for sure.

Q8: What kind of support have you received through the Centre for Social Enterprise?

How has this been beneficial to Seaside Apparel and Seaside Reclaimed? When I started, I did not know about social enterprise. I considered myself a social entrepreneur without knowing there was a term for it. I knew I was doing business differently, and that I wanted to do business differently. It was nice to see there was a whole community of people who were thinking the same way as me. It was also a relief to discover that there was a social enterprise path I could follow. The Centre for Social Enterprise allowed me to see there were people I could kind of measure myself to, compare, and ask questions. There are just unbelievable resources at the Centre for Social Enterprise in terms of the people who work there; they are great. Whenever you have questions, you can always ask them. And just knowing that there are people who are doing similar things as you with similar projects is resourceful. If I never became exposed to this, I would not have understood that there is a normal, alternative route possible to take within a business.

Q9: What does success look like for Seaside Apparel and Seaside Reclaimed?

I have actually been thinking about that a little bit recently. I would have to start first that it is sustainable in terms of myself being able to do this for a long time, in a comfortable manner. If I am unable to run my business and put my all into it, full time, then I cannot get the kinds of benefits I want from it. For example, generating revenue or making a living wage for myself. Another way in which success would come would be in seeing how people respond to it. The whole point is to build a community of environmentally engaged Newfoundlanders. Once I start hosting cleanups, if I could get a crowd, or at least some people to help, while getting the brand out there, that would be a success. It is hard to know if you have succeeded. You can say, well, recycling rates increased, but you cannot correlate that directly to Seaside Apparel and Reclaimed. It can be hard to measure success in terms of those aspects. However, knowing I am supporting fair living wages, sound working conditions, and seeing plastic consumption decease, would all make this work successful.

For more information about Seaside Apparel and Seaside Reclaimed visit: https://seasideapparel.ca/