Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Baxter.
Hi Teresa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am currently the curator and operations coordinator of the Fair Trade Long Beach Retail Collective, celebrating our fourth year of business in our progressive city.
Collectively working with 20 partners within our location, the Fair Trade Long Beach Retail Collective is a mindful collection of beautiful handcrafted artisan wares from our international community. From home accents to fashion accessories, each piece gives back to the empowerment of mostly women entrepreneurs who create our global goods.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been quite the journey of navigating through a global pandemic after our first year in business. There were a few months when small businesses were shut down that challenged me to keep our business relevant and solvent. Of the 20 partners at our store, we only lost 3 of them in that time, for understandable reasons. So that became our silver lining in these unpredictable times. Through it all, we are all in this together, and we’re still here!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
To understand my progression toward owning a brick-and-mortar specializing in offering ethically sourced, sustainable and socially conscious products, I can briefly highlight the origins of the mission and passion that led me to this point.
I returned to school in my 40s, earning my AA in journalism and public relations at Pasadena City College in 2009. In that time, I earned service hours by volunteering at a fair trade store called Ten Thousand Villages.
Based on my education and international perspective, I was then actively pursued by Columbia University at an event on our campus. Waiving my application fee, I was quickly accepted there, moving to New York City that year.
I then began a dream position with an international non-governmental organization called HandCrafting Justice, a project of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. As their publicity coordinator, I featured our work in 40 different countries, empowering women and communities through fair trade business practices.
After completing my degree in international trade and relations in 2016, I moved back to Southern California and fell in love with Long Beach, and I have lived there since then.
So that’s my origin story leading to the Fair Trade Long Beach Retail Collective becoming a rewarding manifestation of my life history.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
It’s not so much luck of any kind that has propelled our successes as a collective retail business. I believe in the power of optimism and positivity in any life situation for desired outcomes. Any partnerships that try to deflate this optimism is quickly separated from. It’s the proverbial “Good Vibes Only” mantra.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fairtradelongbeach.com
- Instagram: @fairtradelongbeach
- Facebook: @fairtradelongbeach
