Meet Trailblazer Caitlin Halberstadt

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Halberstadt.

Caitlin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am originally from Johannesburg, South Africa – where I was lucky enough to be surrounded by incredible African innovation and creativity. I was always a right brained, out-of-the-box kid and loved creating complex miniature worlds, paintings, and writing wild stories.

When we moved to the U.S. at age nine, I had a great deal of cultural assimilation to do – and art was my safest and happiest place. I retreated weekly into drawings and paintings that helped me find my place on a new side of the world. I eventually wound up studying painting and drawing at University and graduated with a BFA.

During school, I worked for the family business – a group of running shoe stores called Boulder Running Company. I started out on the sales floor and eventually got promoted to running the online retail side of the business with my older brother. This was by far the best customer service and business education I could have asked for. Learning how to operate an online retail store in an industry that is incredibly personalized was a fantastic experience. Still, I had no idea how to connect the things I loved (art, design, travel, and creative endeavors) with the things that I knew I was good at (storytelling, connecting people, and customer service). While still working full time at the running store, I started a company sewing custom pillows on Etsy. I did this for about five years, and eventually sold several thousand pillows to customers all over the world. I loved it, but it still wasn’t quite the right thing for me, and I knew that.

Zeal Living started with a simple conversation with my father after he retired. He pitched the concept to me – and I have to admit, I was far too intimidated and afraid to say yes at first. But eventually I saw how a brand of curated, handmade home decor and jewelry from talented artisan groups in Africa was the intersection of everything I love, and I decided to jump in headfirst.

Now, four years in, I am even more in love with my work than ever. It is a tremendous honor to champion the work of my talented artisan partners, especially knowing the impact that buying from them is making on their lives and communities. It brings me so much joy to be able to share that and to help my customers find beautiful new things that create the kind of world we want to live in – one in which women and families lift themselves out of poverty and thrive.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think any endeavor that involves risk comes on a smooth road, and Zeal Living is no different. Every step of setting up, launching, and growing the company has challenged me in some serious way. I have reached the limits of my knowledge, experience, creativity, self-confidence, courage, and budget more times than I can count. But that really is the best part – because it has pushed me to trust in the bigger picture and to overcome the limits of what I believe I am capable of.

I have noticed that the more I lean into uncertainty and trust that exactly what I need will be provided at exactly the right time, the more it does. When I am open-handed, putting myself and my ego in the right perspective, remembering that the point of the business is not about me but about serving my customers and artisans well – everything falls into place smoothly. When I contract in fear, worry about money, worry about what others think, or what will happen if x, y, or z imaginary scenario occurs – things dry up. It has been a real gift to be able to practice open-handedness with such a short feedback loop.

My advice to anyone with a vision for something that lights them up so much it scares them is this: say yes. Say yes with an open and service-oriented heart, a teachable mind, a flexible plan, and let the river of life’s best possible outcome for you (and those around you) take you where you need to go.

We’d love to hear more about Zeal Living.
Zeal Living is about elevating and celebrating the work of African artisans. Thanks to my childhood, I know firsthand how rich the continent is in design and craft, and how life-changing it is for many of the communities I work with to have access to job training and sustainable income. I see my role as a conduit to connect American customers with African makers. In this way, Zeal is really not about me at all – and that’s how I like it. The artisans are the stars.

Another crucial part of my job is to ensure that every step of design, sourcing, production, and sales is as ethical and respectful of the maker and environment as possible. As a result, I am incredibly proud of every single item I stock, and I can trace its origins and tell my customers all about its maker. This kind of knowledge about the impact of the things we buy is gaining strength in retail, and I am very proud to be part of that.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Ask for help. Send the email. Invite the person you admire out for coffee and ask her for advice. Don’t be so afraid of no that you never ask – in my experience, it’s almost always a yes.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.zeal-living.com
• Email: caitlin@zeal-living.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/zealliving
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zealiving

Image Credit:
Alicia Lewin Photography, Rachael Hope Photography, Kelli Kroneberger Photography

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