IZABELA SOKOLOVSKA

Artisan Game Changer, on a Mission to Shape the Future of Artisan’s

Interview by Jasmina Siderovski

Izabela Sokolovska

Founder at ESNAF

To be happy is when you make someone else happy it makes you happy as well.

Can you please tell our readers about your background and life growing up?

I was born and raised in Skopje Macedonia. Before I started to go to school, my mum taught me how to do knitting and embroidery. I loved it and always have been keen on handcrafting. I grew up in Skopje, where I studied the French language and literature and right after that I started to work on a cruise ship and yacht. I have visited a lot of countries and exotic places. I had an opening of my spirit seeing all the different cultures and meeting wonderful people. One of the things I loved most were the products made by the local artisans. For example, in Bali, the wood carving and knitted bags were some of my favourites. After I came home ten years ago, in one of the most boring periods of my life, I started doing quilling. It is a craft really contagious and once you start it you cannot stop it.

At that time, there were no tools or materials in Macedonia neither a workshop where I couldn't learn everything. That is when it all started. I have faced many challenges and struggles. This was ten years ago. I started to develop my artisan’s skill and I found myself wanting to make it my way of life, as an artisan. I wanted to turn this work into my livelihood but unfortunately, hand-made products here are not that highly rated and it is difficult to survive by making them. You need to work another career and create handmade products as a hobby. But I wanted to turn this work into my profession. I visited many bazaars at the time and depending on the time of year the bazaars sometimes were already full or were very expensive to take part in. So, I decided to organise one of my own and rented a hall in a big hotel and accepted everyone who wanted to participate and sell their products.

Esnaf

Is there any particular moment or memory that stands out for you?

I have many that defined the course of my life. I would choose now the first bazaar that I have organized. The first time about 60 people wanted to participate, which is quite a lot as normally the biggest bazaars here have up to 30 artisans. It was like Christmas magic – it was in the month of December.

After that, it had been several months, and I quit my day job and dedicated myself to continue in this direction. I founded a non-profit Creative Macedonia, and I organised many bazaars after that. At the Bazar, there were a group of artisans who contacted me and asked me if I could help a woman who makes candles join the Bazar. This woman was a mother of two children with disabilities. I agreed to help her and let her join the Bazar without charging her, so I gave her a free table. Now the word spread about this and there were lots of people with disabilities such as Down Syndrome who were vulnerable and were not able to join the existing Bazar's. And I welcomed them free of charge and promoted them. I felt that this was something that needed to be done – how to support this group of people – artisans and especially this group of disadvantaged people.

What was your key driving force to become a social enterprise entrepreneur?

When I started to organize the bazaars, I received many applications from artisans. Amongst them were a group of people that had more challenges than the others, people who fought cancer, single parents, people with disabilities, with Down syndrome. I knew how hard it was for me to start and develop and I could not imagine how these people were able to create such amazing work. I supported their participation in the bazaars and the happiness and the help to showcase their products was something that really was necessary for them, and it made them happy and something that they needed really much. The social model developed naturally. Being an artisan is quite a challenge. It takes a lot of courage and a lot to invest in it. Macedonia is a really small country, and the craftsmanship is not at its best to be able to live on it.

I formed the social model in a way that all the profit from Esnaf, goes back to developing the disadvantaged people. They will be able to learn new crafts, develop new products and designs and at last, they will have a place to sell the work and provide income.

I started the social enterprise to be able to do what I love – quilling – and make a living out of this. Of course, now that I am running the social enterprise, I actually have very little time to do any quilling as I am very busy I am looking forward to being able to do more of that again once we become sustainable.

Now for me working with these people, and the happiness and support they receive and their gratefulness for being for instance able to pay for things like therapy for family members with disabilities, this is what makes you feel that you are doing 100% the right thing. I quit a highly paid job and haven’t made any income for the last two years doing this. I am financing this, but the happiness and the fulfilment are on another level. No money can buy that. So that is why I wanted to create this social enterprise. To be happy. When you make someone else happy it makes you happy as well.

How did you come up with the name for your company - Esnaf?

It is quite an interesting story I have been brainstorming and exploring and finding the best word to describe what it is all about for about three months. Esnaf means Guild. It is a community of artisans. Unfortunately, the domain esnaf.com was not available (it is on sale for 10 000 USD), and I was sad not to be able to build it under that name. My mentor, Blaze Arizanov, who is a successful entrepreneur, find out that the domain esnaf.eu was available and the moment I found out, I went straight to buy it! I was jumping with happiness on street Macedonia when this was happening. There is no better way to describe a community of artisans who present themselves under one brand.

What was the most important lesson you learned building a brand?

It is all about the people. I am lucky now to be surrounded by amazing successful women and men who are familiar with what I do, and they are always here when I am having difficulties. The most important lesson is to do something that you believe in and be surrounded by the right people. This is the only way to be successful and be able to be the change and make the change you want to see in society.

What motivates you?

Every day life, every detail I am surrounded. It became my instinct and passion in my daily life to find inspiration in nature when I play with my son when I travel to a different place. I really love every single artisan’s story. Many of them have started to create because they have fought different battles in their life. They find joy and healing through creating handmade stuff. Providing a solution for them to have it as a way of life and to be happy is the most important thing.

When I see a person’s way of going through difficulties that are eased by being part of Esnaf, it is a pleasure of the soul and true satisfaction in my work.

How do you generate new ideas?

It happens while doing everyday work. My brain is constantly working, and it can have happened while having a regular conversation, sharing a thought and just like that. Being surrounded by all the artworks from more than 100 people is really inspiring and it is a way to learn and grow every day. Different combinations and products are a true inspiration. The ideas are limitless. Every day a new customer joining is a new idea for a product. I am really happy and satisfied when I imagine something and the next thing is a reality.

One example of that is the initiative, Unstoppable”. While talking on the phone with the mother of Elizabeta Petkovska, an amazing and creative lady who has Down Syndrome and is doing crocheted works, she told me that Beti is at home for a year and all she does is knitting nonstop. That she needs a direction or anything that will change her daily routines. At that moment I started searching online for something that she could do and that Esnaf would buy from her, and I decided for it to be a bracelet, and the name Unstoppable. Then what to do with the bracelet, I wanted to share her story and the way she supports her therapy by crocheting and selling her stuff.

The bracelets we give to successful women who make a real change in the society so they can promote Unstoppable. The initiative took huge success and people started to respond and recognise Beti’s work and her story. We had many women taking part like Tamara Kotevska - Co-Director of Honeyland, Elizabeta Gjorgjievska – the First Lady, Biliana Angelova - Bulgarian Ambassadors wife, Rachel Galloway -Great Britain’s Ambassador, Danela Arsovska - President of Macedonian Chambers of Commerce, Ida Manton - International Negotiations Trainer at Teaching International Negotiations, and also a mother of a beautiful girl with Down Syndrome, Biljana Markovikj Stamenova - Founder and Managing Partner at PrimePoint Partners Macedonia, Stefani Taskova Miteva - Global Co-Chair, Generation M young Maceodnian Leaders. This initiative is something I am really proud of.

You can check the video of Beti on this link: https://www.facebook.com/ vidivakamedia/videos/2556517971324486

What are your ideals?

My ideals are really something I hold on to when I make everyday decisions. I believe that we can succeed in anything we can imagine, be led by true moral values against doing unjust things. I have a difficult time promoting the non-profit since it is fully self-sustainable and my private personal investment to start my dream. I am struggling to position myself on a different level as a personal story amongst the highly funded grant and project organisations that haven’t done any change over the years. I believe and am driven that Esnaf can be self-sustainable and bring a lot to improve people’s lives and drive the local economy at its own pace. Every project and grant after it finishes, their story has a due date. I believe that Esnaf is a story that will last a lifetime and truly change people’s life.

How do you define success?

On one side is the accomplishment of the thing I set to do. I have always followed my instinct and feelings. On the other side, success for me is to find your own way of being happy, without having to comply with the standards set by society. It takes a lot of courage and determination while making a progress. Surpassing the problems and challenges that come along every day without giving up. True success with a meaning that will impact positively my life and also the life of others.

The greatest success is when I see smiles and joy in people because of what I do. When I receive a call that they make it thanks to Esnaf. When I see, people being inspired to start crafting and open a store themselves. It means that we grow. It means that what I believe is something that is true and that it can be real. I believe in Esnaf. I live Esnaf. I am proud that people believe in Esnaf!

If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything that I have been through has led to another and that is why I am here where I am. It is not something that happens overnight. It has been growing and maturing until it was the time for It to happened. Well, maybe I would invest differently right before the pandemic happens. When I founded Creative Macedonia, I was driven by passion and enthusiasm without having a reality check on how to do things better and calculate the risks. After opening Esnaf, we had only 3 months of existence and we had to shut down because of Covid.

I am grateful for every happy experience and every lesson that I have learned along the way. It has a deep meaning and reflects on the plans for the future. I have learned to find the good in every kind of thing that happens.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

The people I work with every day. My inspiration is the amazing women I am happy to work with and develop Esnaf. Every single one of them is my true inspiration and motivation. Marijana, Biljana, Suzana, Stefani, different designers and artisans. I see their everyday stories and how they do and manage everything. I know what I have been through a lot, and I wish that I can solve everything and bring more creativity and happiness to them. I hope to show you what we can do it here in Macedonia.

If you had a magic stick, which are the three things you would change in the world?

Stop the pandemic! Stop the pollution! I want to have everything produced environmentally friendly. Third, what I would love to change is the mindset of people. I want them to believe in themselves and believe that they can change the world for the better.

Stop the online hatred and having them look inside and be better persons. Our life in this world is short and we should spend it wisely and be happy. Not to share hatred and negative but positive thoughts and encouraging others.

What do you consider to be some of your greatest achievements?

Bringing Esnaf to life. If I had a penny for every single time I heard, that will not work”, I would be having Esnaf stores around the globe by now. I truly believe that by developing Esnaf I will be able to bring more artisans onboard, develop more successful stories of people finding their way of a happy life. It is a lot of hard work to educate the artisans, to understand the business model and promote it as such.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

I wish I could do have more spare time. I am balancing between my work, I work three days a week, the rest I am home and be with my family. I love to do walks in nature, visit different places. I have inspirations and creations that are building up in me over the years that I hope one they will see the light of the day.

Links

https://www.esnaf.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/esnafeu/ https://www.instagram.com/esnaf_eu/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/esnafeu/

“To be happy. When you make someone else happy it makes you happy as well.” – Izabela Sokolovska