MARCH 2021 | VOL. 11
THE BUCCANEER'S HERALD The Recycled Pirate's official newsletter
Photography by Moerdijk & Palm
More great reads inside this issue:
Reaching out to you IT'S BEEN A WHILE
What have I been up to? We get as far as we reach Brand ambassadors
It's been a while... There is still a pandemic. Curaçao is back into a lockdown, And I am getting ready to make another fair trade order from India. Nothing has changed you could say, but then again, everything has changed. This is the first Buccaneer's Herald of 2021, which means you are now receiving them quarterly instead of monthly. That is the first notable change, and it comes with transparency. What else has changed? I will try to go in depth in these quarterly newsletters to keep you informed and also engaged. Without you there wouldn't be a Buccaneer's Herald and probably not even a The Recycled Pirate, so your engagement is like fuel to the success of this dream that I am living. On the cover this time, Shalini Iyengar, my partner and lovely assistant at times when I need a model to promote my merch or services. Did you know that she and the fair trade organic cotton tank top she is wearing were both "made" in the same country, India? Read more about this past month's adventures.
MARCH 2021 | VOL. 11
So what have I been up to? An update for the patrons and private backers
Where do I begin, and how much do I share? What is it that people want to know and what is important to share? These are the questions I asked myself last year with every newsletter or update I send out. This time I figured, I would send you the numbers. That way you can see what has come in, what went out and how... Financial transparency gives you a look in how an organization functions and what it stands for. As I was receiving funds from private backers, patrons, donations, grants and sales of merchandise and services, I realized a whole new way of business was opening up for me. I would like to share the numbers with you while the picture on the left gives you a visual look of what I'm about to share. In total The Recycled Pirate received 2910.59 US dollars, I had to use some calculations on that, as it was received in Netherlands Antilles Guilders, Euros, US Dollars and cryptocurrency. Let me break it down in numbers. The Active Chance grant was in guilders and was granted to develop the website and for educational purposes online. The CuraDAO grant was granted in CuraDAI, a local cryptocurrency, for the "Everyone a Postcard" where I will elaborate more on later. The Patreon are crowdfunding supporters (12) who donate a small amount of choice every month. The Patreon donations come from Australia, Canada, Curaçao, the Netherlands and the USA. The Donations came through supporters from Curaçao, the Netherlands and the USA and were donated in Euros, US Dollars and the Netherlands Antillean Guilder. I am not sure if I had expected this, nor did I know how to handle this responsibility, but I made sure to handle it with care. Especially the grant of Active Chance was a huge breakthrough. I had some moral issues spending (re-investing) the grant. The guilt that came with spending the money on equipment and on a website while we are in the middle of a pandemic was interesting. It caused some ethical issues within myself. Looking back, I'm glad about the lessons learned. I thought it to be important to share that with you as well. In the end I'm educating myself just as much as I'm educating my followers. As you can see on The Recycled Pirate website a large portion went to the development of the web shop. Now it can become financially sustainable and launch more projects in the future. Another large investment went to the Content Studio where the above picture was taken. It's from where the daily sparks of emotional intelligence come from and where hopefully many more creative projects can sprout. I can already share with you that it has helped co-create content with, and for, Innovation Ç, CuraDAO and Herbology Native Healing and many more. If you would like to know more, contact hi@therecycledpirate.com We're also available for collaborations.
Click here to see what we have in the Content Studio
MARCH 2021 | VOL. 11
We get as far as we reach It feels like a fairy tale to see someone smile
4,576 miles from you
There are 7,364 km (4,576 miles) between Curaçao and England, and that's not the furthest we've reached, that honor goes to Australia. The Recycled Pirate does have a brand ambassador in England, and that is why it's worth to mention. Meet Katie Bishop, here on your right. She is displaying the cards she received, but she has also been sending a few out herself. The numbers I am about to show you below, are just the cards that were sent out through The Recycled Pirate. There are however many more stories like Kate, she just happened to have the cutest picture.
Postcards shipped since November 2019:
Considering the postcards that were given away on various occasions on Curaçao, we surpassed well over 1200 recycled paper postcards. The postcards are also being sold at Mensing's Caminada, Pakaya Society, Bruna Zuikertuin mall, Cpost Punda and Lokale Concept Store. Those would count for an additional 800 postcards give and take. The "Everyone a Postcard" has received 288,46 US Dollars from CuraDAO (paid in CuraDAI) which has paid for about 96 postcards and counting. These have or are being shipped to the ABC-islands and to islanders living abroad. The income from Patreon has paid for most of the other shipments, however this is not fully sustainable yet. The aim is to increase visibility and popularity by working with brand ambassadors, like Katie, worldwide and gain more patrons.
Mindful in business As I said before, to change the business you need to be in business. With the postcards traveling around the world, I took the next step to create a print on demand merchandise line with the same quotes. Some work better on a shirt, others on a mug, but not only do I reach the people with a message, I can negotiate packaging and shipping options as we grow. There is no excess product and as the cherry on the pie, Katie now knows where Curaçao is and that makes a big difference for a small island. The power of doing this business from the island is a journey that needs to be read as an experiment with many opportunities. As the business grows, so will the impact that The Recycled Pirate can facilitate locally and abroad, being mindful of your choices, physically and emotionally. Personal and professional.
MARCH 2021 | VOL. 11
Brand ambassadors Together we travel further and reach farther.
1. Clayton (NL/CUR)
4. Rose (USA)
7. Kimberley (NL/CUR)
2. Ladana (USA)
5. Joela (CUR/NL)
8. Jason & Rachel (USA)
Stay tuned in on: www.therecycledpirate.com
3. KayBee (NL)
6. Arshanti CUR)
9. Candice (CAN)