Hey starter!

Here’s what’s inside Issue #88…

01. Irish chef Beth O’Brien, senior sous at London’s Michelin-listed Fat Badger, spent years in unisex kitchen gear that wasn’t cut for her. So in typical starter fashion, she’s now making her own: a workwear line designed for female chefs called Roster. It took a survey of female chefs and 25 prototypes to get here. The first 500 pairs of trousers – straight leg, reinforced knees, six pockets – drop soon. Grab ’em while you can!

02. Meanwhile, Andrea Ferko and Christopher Manzione’s secret thrifting spots stopped being so secret. So in Newburgh, New York, the pair opened up Lost & Found – a bin-style vintage shop “inspired by the traditional rag house approach to shopping for used clothing.” Everything’s sorted into 150+ categories and placed in cardboard boxes for thrifters to dig through. Oh, and nothing costs more than $38…

03. And directionally similar but in smaller sizes: Mosey, co-founded by Philly-based eBay employee Leslie Jacoby Hack, sells parents a $25 bag they can stuff with clothes their kids have outgrown. After mailing it back, Mosey then lists those items to sell online. In return, the parents get at least $30 in credit (and up to $50 if they send back premium brands/items) to buy other families’ hand-me-downs. Pretty cool idea! Great piece on her journey in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In partnership with Faire

For the last two weeks, we’ve been daydreaming about opening a shop – with help from Faire. Now, the fun part: brand-picking!

Faire is a wholesale marketplace where 700K+ indie shops buy from 100K+ vetted brands. They’ve got great filters & collections to narrow it down: Top Shop badges flag top-rated brands, bestsellers show what other indie shops are reordering, trending edits serve up ready-made collections, and brand values let you filter for things like eco-friendly and women-owned.

So… what’ll go in our shop? Turns out, plenty of For Starters subscribers already sell on Faire. (A future official filter, perhaps?). Let’s stock them!

Ten subscribers’ brands going on our shelves:

How’s that for a shop? Remember, eligible new shops can buy their opening inventory with 60-day payment terms, interest-free.

Open your dream shop today with Faire →

Julia and Anastasia Vanderbyl run Mother the Mountain, a massively popular YouTube channel where millions of people follow their life “caring for animals, growing tropical fruit, planting trees, gardening, cooking, creating, building and learning to live with the land.”

They’ve recently added another project to the mix: they’re restoring a magnificent old building in the tiny Australian town of Stokers Siding (population 700-ish), and turning it into The Arts Commune.

They also want *you* to get involved. Any takers? Keep reading…

Well, I guess this story starts in the 1970s when a group of artists moved from the city and founded an arts commune in a tiny village near Byron Bay. They bought this old 1920s general store, lived communally, and for the last 50 years some of the most incredible, world-renowned artists have worked in this magical old building.

When it came up for sale, Julie (one of the founding members of the commune) didn’t want to sell it to just anyone. She turned down buyer after buyer, and wanted to find someone that would continue the incredible legacy that this place holds.

Our friend introduced us, and as we were looking around the building, telling stories and getting to know each other, a huge python emerged from under an armchair and joined the conversation. It lifted its head and even licked our friend’s leg! We all stayed calm and kept chatting but it was in that moment that Julie realised we were the right people to take on the care of the building. She now calls us the snake lickin’ ladies. I think she saw so many similarities in herself and her friends 50 years ago.

Growing up off-grid in the rainforest, I think we were both raised to understand money as not something that defines success, but as a tool. So we definitely have alternative ideas about what financial security and success look like. To me, true wealth is a 60-year-old avocado tree full of fruit and the ability to grow a garden and feed myself. True success is being able to spend my days amongst friends and family, making art, sharing skills and creating alongside each other. My hope is that this is what the Arts Commune will facilitate.

But in terms of how we made it work, we’ve gone all-in on this place. We started Mother the Mountain with $0 and a big dream and now – using funds earned by publishing our first book – we were able to secure a loan and start another big dream here. It’s perhaps wildly ambitious to create an arts commune in an old, wonky building but I think when a project is made with community in mind rather than financial gain, it always works out.

Okay, picture this: you’re driving through the rainforest and you come across an arts village. There are fruit trees all around and maybe a duck or two waddling past. There’s a magical old building that’s filled with art, murals and huge walls of stained glass. It’s a space for creatives to gather, connect, make art and dream up big ideas. There’s a gallery, makers’ shop, studios, events and workshops to attend. There are residencies upstairs in the old shopkeeper’s house and artists of all kinds sharing their skills. It’s all about connecting people to craft and the often overlooked importance of making things with our hands.

Always do it for the love. I honestly believe that businesses built with only financial viability in mind will never last. So find something, do it for the right reasons, and everything will follow.

We’re documenting the whole process over on YouTube and Instagram and let me tell you, it’s going to be a journey! We’re restoring the building using old skills and traditional building techniques, and (hopefully!) soon the space will be filled with bespoke furniture, handmade pieces, and art. Any makers or designers that want in, hit us up! We’re making a place for all the artists and dreamers of the world to get involved. Join the Arts Commune! ☼

BMO 🍞 → The Danish quest to perfect the BMO, i.e. the bolle med ost, i.e… a bun with cheese.

Treatonomics 🎃 → “Almost every retailer can now be a Halloween retailer in some capacity.”

‘Wallet, Hold On’ 🧧 → A Chinese app where strangers vote on whether you should buy something (or talk you out of spending money).

Backyard cafes 🏡 → An LA County program that makes it easy to sell food/drink from your home “has micro-cafés bubbling up like foam on a cappuccino.”

Moonshine dreams 🛁 → Speaking of: “Americans can legally brew beer or make wine at home, but making whiskey, vodka or other spirits can land them in federal prison.” The Supreme Court could soon change that…

Tiny Little Office → An office suite with no accounts and no server that holds your work.

Cypress → Interesting launch this week: “Cypress collaborates with you to understand how your business is doing and decide what to do next. It learns from your existing systems and the knowledge you share in conversation.”

The Locavore Guide to Shopping NYC 2027 → Grab the fab annual guide to NYC’s indie shops, from Caroline Weaver.

The shop behind your favorite shop → That cute corner store you love probably stocks up on Faire. It’s where 700K+ indie shops buy wholesale from vetted brands. Eligible new shops can get up to $20K in 60-day payment terms, interest-free. *In partnership with Faire

How to build and sustain a multidisciplinary DIY brand. BK Mag

20 extraordinary shops worth traveling for. CNTraveler

Everyone in the room thinks they’re the only one struggling. Big Think

The joy and agony of a snail mail newsletter. Buttondown

Does ice-cream have a future in the age of wellness fads and weight-loss drugs? Guardian

The power of beauty in communicating complex ideas. Doc

74% → Consumers who say the internet feels less human than 10 years ago.

Isometric NYC + Tiny London.

01. A river retreat. For 10 years, Debbie and Aschi have run Wairua Lodge, a gorgeous B&B tucked into the bush on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula. Now they’re passing it on – treetop bathhouse and all. (Spotted by OG For Starters supporter Cain Fleming, in Auckland.) → Make it yours

02. Keep the story going. And the folks behind Sunnyside Projects in Nashville have used an old storefront for photo shoots, exhibitions and book clubs. Life got busy, so now they’re selling the building to someone who’ll give it a second act. Your neighbors would be a vintage shop and a theatre company. → Make it yours

Some new readers on my radar doing awesome things:

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