iAM Stories » Bonnie Siefers, Eco-designer and Owner of Jonäno

Purpose and Philosophy

“When I wake up in the morning I say a mantra, if I can stay in the moment and do the best that I can, I cannot fail.”

Bonnie was a approaching a “pretty big birthday” when she started thinking about how her “life could be meaningful.” One of the questions she asked herself was, “who made me who I am - people who shaped my fibers, my morals, and talents.” Her reflections centered on her mother who passed on creativity to her “through nature and nurture.” “Raised in a family that placed high value in honesty, work, frugality and all things natural/ long-lasting/creative, I developed an enduring belief that clean hard and honest work that also celebrates creative talents can ultimately bring true joy to my daily life and also give long-term satisfaction that life has been a meaningful journey.”  Bonnie lost her mother when she was 19. When starting a new business, she decided to dedicate it to “doing something to honor her (mother), her journey, and what she gave me, which was talent, a love for environment, and a desire to give back.”

As an eco-designer, Bonnie is “inspired by a love for the environment, Scandinavian Modern styling and timeless fashion.” “The concept of Sami Designs evolved out of this personal inner exploration and a company that strives to be innovative and forward thinking in terms of fabrics, style and business ethics became my personal passion.” The Sami are the indigenous people of Scandinavia, with roots stretching back thousands of years, to the first people who settled along the Northern Arctic. For thousands of years the Sami People have been using the land in harmony with nature. In her company they “strongly feel that the Sami tradition of living a symbiotic relationship with the world is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s the content of the heart that defines the Sami philosophy of life. The Jonäno name is derived from the ancient Sami language and translates as ‘live well.’”
Bonnie summarizes her purpose, “To really share with the world what I have been given so graciously and do my best every day. When I wake up in the morning I say a mantra, if I can stay in the moment and do the best that I can, I cannot fail.”

Mindfulness practice

Bonnie discovered mindfulness and meditation 15 years ago. The concept of “metta” is important to Bonnie and she tries to work it into her daily life. Bonnie is candid, “Its not always possible, just like when you meditate and you get the monkey mind, its very difficult to stay in the moment and practice mindfulness all the time but that’s why it is called a practice.”

When asked what metta means to her, Bonnie replies, “Metta means to me a giving of love for others and a giving of a prayer for others; just like a mother loves her child I hope to feel that kind of compassion and love for others. It really warms me inside and makes me feel fulfilled. It is not a religious thing, its all about the spirit and energy, which I try to give back because I have been given so much.”

Dealing with challenges

When asked what her biggest challenges have been considering the innovative nature of her business, Bonnie replies, “My biggest challenge was in learning the apparel market. I have been a business owner and an artist, but learning how to enter into a brand new textile market was challenging; I had to learn what trade shows to go to, how to create catalogs and more - learning these new skills was exciting and fulfilling.”

“I asked a lot of questions, and made sure that I reached out for help when I needed it.” Bonnie acknowledges the local talent and non-profit organizations that extend their expertise to small businesses and helped her avoid costly mistakes. Bonnie emphasizes the energy she gets from following her purpose and most importantly from her customers. When she gets “emails and phone calls” from customers telling her how her products are making a difference in their lives, she feels “the good energy coming from them” and likes to know that she has been able to help someone.

One of the challenges that eco-boutiques face is that their prices are unaffordable by many and when Bonnie is asked how she deals with that, she describes herself as a “risk taker and having a lot of faith,” which allows her to run her business in unconventional ways that save her a lot of money. Bonnie also attributes her success to her “wonderful team” at work and hard work.

The new business model in garment industry

When asked what she thinks is going to be the new business model in the garment industry, Bonnie spoke about the increasing use of the internet, which she sees as an effective means of communication and is going to continue to evolve. She described how new technologies like “video and teleconferencing” will allow sales representatives to present product offerings effectively, while “minimizing the carbon footprint.”

She also sees that “more and more clothing will be organic” as there is “definitely a push for it.” Bonnie feels that “once people try the natural clothing its very hard to go back.” “Eco is not just a buzz word anymore. Eco design is mainstream and growing.”

Meaning of innovation in business

Innovation in business means “creativity in a nutshell” and that’s what she loves to do - “to create and come up with ideas,” which can be challenging because she comes up with so many ideas that she has to “streamline and keep focused.” Bonnie feels that “a lot of entrepreneurs have a large part of their creative brain always thinking of what is new and what is possible.” Bonnie’s creativity is evident in her innovative collections of eco designs and fabrics. In less than three years, she has become a principal force in the green community and is involved in the introduction of new sustainable fabric collections, such as ecoKashmere and eColorgrown and coming next fall, Begonia Silk and Energy Satin. All of the fabrics carefully chosen are certified organically grown, renewable, biodegradable and sustainable.

In addition to her apparel collection, Bonnie adds, “There are additional ways that I have been able to make conscious and innovative choices. When I was looking for a fulfillment center I searched around and I found a LEED certified facility that employs and houses handicapped people and even takes them on vacation.” Bonnie reiterates, “if you look around you can find solutions that fit your mission.”

Meaning of authenticity in business

Authenticity to Bonnie means “transparency.” It means “being who you are and not hiding parts of you.” She believes that when “trying to work on a character defect” she needs to work on it with people. “This is also true in business. Communicating in an honest and open way encourages greater trust, support and can lead to a true partnerships and ultimately success.” “So to be authentic is to show who you really are.” And Bonnie is authentic in translating her inner purpose and mindfulness practice in all her dealings at work. In an example she gives for authenticity at work, she says, “Running a business can be very demanding and I feel that its demanding on everybody that I work with and so I really look to my work partners and try to see what they are seeing and remove myself from my body and imagine what their challenges are and try and figure out how I can support them in their journey.

Meaning of mindfulness in business

“In a nutshell I think the best adjective that describes the uniqueness
of the Jonäno brand and lifestyle would be mindful.”

In response to the question, what does mindfulness mean to her, Bonnie says, “Really mindfulness to me comes from staying in the moment – it is noticing things,  thinking about my choices, my decisions, my actions and their ramifications. Just as a drop of water in a pool will show ripples, my choices will have a ripple effect – which is why I choose organic, and sweatshop free both in my business as well as my personal life. There are so many choices we all have day to day.  Do we want to purchase foods that are processed? Or do we choose raw foods that are organic and perhaps locally grown?” At Jonäno we strive to make thoughtful and ethical choices everyday. From the material elements that we select to create Jonäno eco chic collections to the recycled tissue paper and reusable zip packaging we protect garments in for shipping, we strive to make mindful choices everyday.