Beautybeads.id
Meet Wulan
Like many other young entrepreneurs who set their sights on creating a name for themselves, Wulan (pronounced Woo-luh-ah-nnn) had a dream of starting her brand here in Bali. Coming from a town located in West Java, she was approached by an Indonesian family who helped her achieve her early dreams of completing her degree in tourism management, along with having early exposure to different work environments. Wulan explains how she had so many different feelings about taking help from someone and admittedly, I understand. There’s a sense of vulnerability from letting someone help you — like the feeling of trusting someone new or starting a new chapter. Like most new things, it can feel really uncomfortable!
At first, I was really hesitant to take any help from anyone. Out of all the people here, why did they help me? Honestly, at first, I felt so guilty but then my Mom took me aside and told me that this was my chance — so I took it.
BeautyBeads.id
Wulan then set off to create Beautybeads.id, which she launched early last year, in 2022. Anyone that’s seen her outfits knows she’s got a natural eye for fashion and always manages to pair it with some great jewelry. Diving deeper into doing what she loved, she first started looking for local manufacturers and materials to source her beauty beads, then launched her first line of rings. Now, she has several different lines of colorful rings, necklaces, and chains that she sells in a variety of locations like vendor markets, her online store, and local thrift shops in the Canggu/Berawa area.
We’re a sustainable, stylish jewelry company without a high price tag; crafted with love and the Earth in mind.
Writer’s sidenote: I personally love her line of beaded rings, especially for surfing. I find they’re perfect for couples who want to keep their engagement rings on but don’t want to flash that much bling in the water! My fiance is a fan of black rings and having a beaded black ring that’s adjustable is quite nice.
What Makes Her Awesome
Being a small business owner is no easy feat. Although many outsiders looking in may think oh you get to choose your work hours and it must be nice to be your own boss — the grass always looks greener when you’re on the other side of the pond! In reality, small business owners that have no angel investors (or individuals that loan them money, to begin with) pull themselves up by their bootstraps, working 50+ hours per week, for months, before seeing a return on investment. So what makes Wulan keep going? The answer is simply - sustainability (with a beautifying twist!)
I’ve always had a love for jewelry and fashion — no outfit feels complete without a little jewelry, you know what I mean?
Wulan explains that she noticed there’s a large number of jewelry brands here in Bali but not many that are affordable and sustainable options for the average, middle-class consumer. Within the younger market of Millennials, Gen X, and Gen Z consumers there’s been a drastic market shift into making products that are both ethically and sustainably sourced.
Wulan goes on to say:
everyone wants to look and feel good about what they’re wearing — but in so many peoples’ minds, sustainable = expensive — it really shouldn’t be like that.
I would have to agree with her and I know I’m not the only one. If we want individuals to start thinking collectively about our Earth and how to better care for our planet, we first have to make it accessible for individuals to do so. One way we can do this is by breaking down the idea that sustainability is a luxury, it’s not. Instead, it should be seen as a positive and common practice — a small lifestyle adjustment that people can consistently stick to.
What’s Next?
Wulan wants to continue to focus on creating a sustainable closed-loop system surrounding all the products she sells and is actively trying to have all products be locally sourced and manufactured. Along with working hand-and-hand with manufacturers, Wulan is also considering a “buy-back” or “trade-in” program so customers can keep trying new pieces, walk into the store if something breaks, and reduce the chance that her product ends up as waste, somewhere on the island.
I want to be responsible for the products I put into the world. More often than not, once a product leaves the store it’s out of the owner’s mind, but why is that? If a product breaks or there’s an issue, I want customers to come back to the store instead of it ending up in the trash. We have enough of a waste management problem on Earth, as it is.
Along with her continued focus on eco-friendly production, Wulan has goals to expand her online presence by launching an Etsy store in the next several months, although she currently has a Shoppee account for those looking to purchase online. She’s also considering a second location somewhere in France.
Check out Beautybeads.id
Beautybeads.id proudly a woman-owned and Indonesian-owned business.
If you’re interested in collaborating with Wulan and want to see more of her work, view her Instagram @beautybeads.id or contact her via gmail at beautybeads.id@gmail.com
If you’re interested in collaborating with Wulan and want to see more of her work, view her Instagram @beautybeads.id, her Shoppee, and contact info, below!
Listen to Wulan's Episode on RSS Feed or Spotify Below:
