Madeline Petrow is the Co-Founder and Head of Content and Strategy at Mamoq, an e-commerce marketplace for sustainable and ethical fashion.
Mamoq offers a thoughtfully curated collection of clothing and accessories from over 25 vetted brands from across Europe.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role
My background is in the field of International Development, specifically focusing on Social Enterprises. I have always found the concept of using business as a force for good extremely powerful and knew that this is what I wanted to dedicate my life to.
When I started to learn more about the ugly underbelly of the fashion industry, I realised how much opportunity there was to create positive change, and what a huge impact this would have on the millions of lives directly connected to it. For those that don’t know, the fashion industry is considered one of the most polluting industries in the world, and is often rife with human rights violations.
There are, however, a lot of really incredible brands that are challenging the status quo of the fashion industry through their commitment to sustainable and ethical production. Unfortunately, it can be a little tricky to find them! This is ultimately what led me to launch Mamoq: an e-commerce platform offering a vetted selection of style-forward brands that are all working to provide a positive alternative to mainstream fashion.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
I think my career was planned in the sense that I pursued opportunities that got me closer to my goal of working with social enterprises. I moved to Cape Town to work at a social enterprise incubator and when I realised I needed more tangible business acumen, I moved back to London to work at an equity crowd-funding platform where I could gain first-hand knowledge of early stage ventures. After reading so many business plans, I started to get inspired to give it a shot myself! I teamed up with Lenny Leemann, who has a really complimentary skillset to myself, and together we founded Mamoq!
Have you faced any challenges along the way and if so, how did you deal with them?
One of the biggest challenges we face is accurately portraying the story behind each brand, and how it is specifically fighting to create positive change within the fashion industry.
Unfortunately, a lot of companies take advantage of consumers interested in sustainability, and ‘greenwash’ their businesses for marketing purposes. This is why it was really important to us to be as transparent and forthcoming as possible about the brands we partner with. We evaluate each brand across 12 standardised criteria, and give as much in-depth background information as we possible can. There are a lot of different ways to contribute to creating a fairer and more sustainable industry, so it is important that all information is there, and easily accessible to our visitors.
On a typical workday, how does you start your day and how does it end?
On a typical workday I wake up around 7am and start my day with some ‘easy admin’ work that I can do somewhat mindlessly while drinking a cup of tea and listening to the news. Right now our offices are based in Cambridge, which means that I get to cycle into work along the backs of all the colleges – which is such a beautiful treat!
I probably stay at the office later than I would like to admit, but whatever time I get home I make a point to unroll my yoga mat and spend a little time unwinding through my practice. Working all day with such high levels of intensity and stress, it is really important for me to find this time of calm before bed.
Do you have any advice for anybody looking to start their own business?
Make sure you are starting something that you are truly passionate about building. For the first few years, it will most likely consume a large portion of your life so it’s important that you are able to eat, sleep, breath it and never grow tired of the idea.
I also really recommend seeking support through a mentor or program, especially if you are a solo entrepreneur. It is important to bounce ideas off of people with different expertise, and hear opinions other than your own. Having someone challenge your ideas and offer a new perspective is invaluable.
How do you feel about mentoring? Have you ever had a mentor or do you mentor anyone?
As you can tell, I am a big fan of mentoring! Mamoq is a member of Cambridge Social Ventures, an entrepreneur support programme in the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School. Through this program, we benefit from the support and guidance of several business mentors who have truly helped us shape Mamoq into what it is today.
While I have never personally been a mentor, I would very much welcome this opportunity in the future. It is important to share your knowledge and skills (and failures) to help other people find success on their own journey.
If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?
I wish I could remove the gendered lenses, through which everyone views the behaviour of women in the workplace. I am in a unique situation of founding Mamoq with a male partner, and it is incredible to see how differently people respond to us exhibiting the same behaviour. Overall though, I would say that the Ethical Fashion industry is very progressive and that I am very fortunate to be working in a space that is heavily represented by women and embraces challenging the status quo.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
We are a very young company (we launched in December 2017), so everything feels like a huge achievement right now! Although a few weeks ago I got an email from an intern that had worked with us last summer. She was a master’s student of sociology at the University of Cambridge, and she wrote me several months after her internship ended to let me know that she was applying to jobs at the United Nations, and wanted to start a career focussing on sustainable consumption. It honestly gave me Goosebumps to think that we influenced her so much, and I am in awe about the ripple impact that her internship will have as she pursues a career focused on sustainability. It may seem little, but this was a really special moment for me.
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
We are really trying to increase awareness regarding the importance of being mindful of our consumption habits. It is not about being perfect, or only buying 100% eco/fair/sustainable all the time. It’s about being an empowered shopper, and making informed choices that we can feel good about.
Visit Mamoq, the online platform selling clothing and accessories thoughtfully made with sustainability and ethics in mind. Follow Mamoq on Twitter. Follow Mamoq on Instagram. Follow Mamoq on Facebook.
