We were lucky to catch up with Argon Vancouver recently and have shared our conversation below.
Argon, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
My creativity is tied to my ethos and my ethos, which has me creating every day, is this:
I believe that collectively and individually, our lives are positive and worthwhile when we create more than we destroy.
Humans are inherently creative. Sometimes it’s how we dress, how we talk, or how we see the world. Sometimes it’s just putting food on the table for our children, or taking a breath.
Of course, as humans in the 21st century, just living our lives extracts a steep environmental cost.
If we can create enough beauty, laughter, love, gratitude, inspiration, etc…our existence may be a worthwhile exchange.
This ethos, has kept me creating, increasingly, throughout my life.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
More than once, I’ve replaced a leather wallet because I found the stitching to be failing.
In 2019, as a leather worker in need of another wallet, I sought and found a simple folded leather solution that makes a stronger and more sustainable wallet.
This started the journey that would become AVFolds Origami Wallets.
Because they were popular with friends and then clients, I folded hundreds of wallets from lambskin, goatskin and cowhide. Then, three years ago, I discovered a vastly more sustainable leather comes from the kangaroo of Australia.
Kangaroo leather is lighter, thinner and far stronger than any other leather. This superior leather is also more compassionately sourced than farmed leathers. Allow me to explain.
Because kangaroos are incredibly resilient and well adapted to their environment, their overpopulation has become severe. At least 40 million kangaroos overgraze their grassland habitat which threatens all of the species that live there.
The Australian government has been managing their numbers with a well regulated hunting program that actually benefits the health of the kangaroo mobs and their habitat.
The side benefit is an actually sustainable meat and leather industry with none of the environmental degradation associated with farming cattle.
Recently, I’ve seen disposable plastic wallets that claim to be eco-friendly. I know we’re bombarded with the “greenwashing” of low quality products.
AVFolds, however, is an actually eco-positive luxury item with lifetime satisfaction guaranteed. And unlike 99% of leather wallets, you’ll find no plastic in our products or packaging.
Currently, AVFolds Origami Wallets offers The ForeverFold bi-fold and two different card carriers at AVfolds.com.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When I switched from being a freelance photo editor to being self employed, I didn’t realize how much it would change me.
I knew I would be editing pictures of wallets, instead of furniture and footwear.
I knew I would be taking the pictures and, I knew I would be making the product.
What surprised me is that these roles would comprise about a third of the job I was taking on.
For me, another third of the job was video editing, traveling sales rep, accounting, marketing, copywriting, talking in front of a camera, and mail room duties.
I didn’t know how to do any of these jobs. Through learning them I found that growing a business, requires growing yourself, in many unforeseen ways.
To this end, I recommend having, or developing, three traits that you’re going to need.
1) Passion, to grow yourself as you grow your business.
2) Perseverance, to keep going until these jobs become second nature.
3) Pliability. Let yourself change. Be hungry for it so you can better fit your new roles.
Don’t be daunted by any of this. We rise to our challenges and personal growth is not only the price, it’s also the reward.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Currently, I’m excited about collaborating with illustrators, brand managers and graphic artists to make our amazing wallets even more compelling.
The ForeverFold bifold and our card carriers are each folded from a single piece of leather with no seams or stitching. This makes a uniquely wonderful portable canvas because lasered art can wrap, front to back, around each and every surface of the wallet.
Most of our customers choose a wallet with laser engraved graphics that reflect their interests and make it immediately recognizable as their own.
We’ve been building an inventory of custom patterns, illustrations and graphics including mountains, trees, horses, tentacles, turtles, honeybees and company branding. We’ve found that clean, clear and iconic line art, designed to fit the format, works best.
When illustrators and artists develop a design, they get a custom built kangaroo leather wallet featuring their art, plus we cross promote, profit share on the sales we generate, and offer wholesale prices, as well.
Artists and brand managers that might be interested, please find the contact page on the AVFolds Origami Wallets website at AVFolds.com, and reach out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AVFolds.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avfolds_origami_wallets
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/avfoldsorigamiwallets
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
