If you’ve wondered how to build a fair-trade business, Rob Oliver’s interview with Rikki Quintana on this episode of the Learning from Smart People Podcast is what you’re looking for. She is working with the Hoon Artisans of Tajikistan. Her organization works with the artists in Tajikistan to market their creations in the North American market. Also, they strive to ensure that the artisans are being paid a fair, equitable and livable wage.

Here are some of the topics covered in this discussion of how to build a fair-trade business with Rikki Quintana and Rob Oliver:

· Rikki’s beginning as a language major and then becoming an attorney
· Her first introduction to an international delegation of businesspeople
· The logistics of the who, what and how of international delegations
· Why she wanted to support the Tajikistan delegation
· How she discovered the opportunity to market handicrafts from Tajikistan
· Her business is built as a partnership of mutual respect and dignity
· The definition of fair-trade – the 3 P’s
· Guidelines for elements of a fair-trade business
· How she leveraged her pre-existing relationship to build connections
· Raising awareness of what is available is the key marketing goal
· Bridging the gap between the artist’s creative self-expression and the buyer’s desired aesthetic
· Goodwill only takes your marketing so far, you have to have quality products
· The American market is unfamiliar with the Central Asian patterns
· The communist regime in Russia was actively trying to squelch cultural arts
· Part of Rikki’s strategy is to preserve the authenticity while appealing to the American market
· Suggestions for what you should know before you get started
· Where to meet or connect with international businesspeople

You can find out more about Rikki Quintana through her website and social media links:

Website: https://www.hoonarts.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hoonarts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoonartsfairtrade/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikki-quintana-15277366/

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