Fancy ice, uncool basics and yoga in Gambia

Plus, what small brands need to know when it comes to deinfluencing and user-generated content. Friday 31 March 2023 [View in browser]( / [Sign up]( Welcome to Courier Weekly, packed with everything we've seen this week to help you start something and build a life on your terms. We've got our eye on luxury ice, the opportunity in the dusty products in your medicine cabinet and a wellbeing retreat that centers the African diaspora. Let's get into it… 🤿 🍦 Tapiwa Guzha left behind a career in molecular biology to start [Tapi Tapi]( an ice cream shop in Cape Town focused on nostalgic African flavors: one's inspired by spiced pilau rice, while another combines rooibos tea and okra. ‘If you come here and you don't even blink at the flavors, I haven't done something right,’ [he says](. 🍇 Pisco is following in mezcal's high-growth footsteps. After strict lockdowns severely limited Peru's exports, sales of the grape-based spirit are [growing steadily](. But with high demand for agave hurting mezcal supply, pisco brands are taking a different approach to growth. ‘Other industries have experienced too much growth too fast and I believe it's negatively impacted quality,’ says Alex Hildebrandt, the Peruvian-American co-founder of [SUYO](. ‘If we continue to invest in the vineyards, agricultural practices and the people – the producers – we will be successful as an industry.’ 🌱 Also keep an eye on sotol – a spirit made from the desert spoon plant, a spiky succulent native to northern Mexico and the southern US. [Los Magos]( and [Desert Door]( are two to watch. 🧊 Speaking of cocktails, fancy ice cubes are having a moment. Here are four brands taking frozen water to the next level. - [Disco Cubes]( designs luxury ice cubes with herbs, fruits and flowers frozen inside. - [La Buena]( makes clear ice with no air bubbles or impurities. - [Navy Strength Ice Co]( hand-cuts cubes from 140kg blocks of ice. - [Siligrams]( makes custom silicone ice-cube trays. 🖼️ Creative director Adrián Rodd renovated his family's old garage near the beach, turning it into an [accommodation and studio space]( aimed at creatives visiting Lanzarote, Spain. 🛠️ [Fynn]( is a financing platform for people who need help paying for training to get into hands-on trades like mechanics or carpentry. 🧘🏽‍♀️ DJ, yogi and doctor Rebekah Jade started wellbeing community [Pana]( after volunteering at yoga classes and often being the only person of color. Now she's running yoga retreats that center the African diaspora – Pana's [first retreat in Gambia]( was booked out in 24 hours. But, as a solo founder, she's built in ways to make sure she stays afloat: ‘I haven't got loads in the bank to just be like: oh, if it doesn't work out, it's fine,’ she says. ‘So, what I did was start registering interest before I paid the deposit.’ FUND YOURSELF Bootstrapping – starting a business without outside investment – is a big topic (bigger than we can fit in this email). Here's [our guide]( to get started. 👗 Sample sales are all over social media as demand for luxury meets the cost-of-living crisis. But it's not just for the big players – small businesses can also tap into the hype, one sample-sale events manager [told us](. ‘As long as you can translate that feeling of being at a yard sale – where there are a limited number of things that are gone when they're gone – people will engage.’ 🧴 Cool brands are overhauling very uncool basics. Take [Topicals]( which treats skin flare-ups like ingrown hairs and acne scars. [Revenue is up]( 675% year over year and it's the fastest growing skincare brand at Sephora. 🪞 This [relaxation brand]( is inspired by the growing practice of mirror work, a therapeutic technique focused on affirmations you say to your reflection. 🌌 Emerging astrology companies are turning [old frameworks into new tools]( for personal exploration. 🧾 Deinfluencing videos on TikTok have left some worried about the future of retail on a platform that's boosted sales for a ton of small brands. Lucy Sambrook from membership community [PR for the People]( says it's about going the extra step. ‘You need to show how your product works, not tell – so your customers feel like they're making their own decisions on purchasing.’ TIP! Still not sure about working with traditional influencers? Try user-generated content, where you pay someone for their organic content. We get into [all things UGC]( here. 🛍️ [This app]( lets you keep track of everything you own – and announce to the community when you're planning on buying something new. 🎧 Headphones from Danish brand AIAIAI are modular, meaning you can [customize them]( based on sound preferences (and get replacement parts if something wears out). ⚱️ Travel photographer [Marianna Jamadi]( just launched a line of ceramic commemorative urns called [KUNOKAIKU](. When both her parents died, she found the options for urns disappointing, so she was inspired to create something rooted in ritual. 👩🏻‍💻 Kuwait-based psychologist Latifah AlEssa built [Ayadi]( an online therapy platform tailored to the Middle East. In addition to qualifications, therapists must be [bilingual and culturally competent](. 🧈 His butter-soaked recipes led to [1.9 million TikTok followers]( and a buzzy London [restaurant]( and now chef Thomas Straker is launching a [butter brand](. We love a full circle. 🧑🏼‍🌾 You can become a farmer without owning land ([Heritage Graziers]( is doing it). 📸 Singapore-based friends Jasper Phua and Marcus Chong started renting out a couple of drones from a bedroom. But [the biz]( (and their drone stockpile) grew fast, so they quit their day jobs as police to rent out cameras, video equipment, drones and related accessories full-time. LEARN: Renting your stuff could be a profitable side hustle – or a big business. Check out our guide on how you can [rent out your stuff]( to bring in passive $$$. Elsewhere in Courier: 🤳 On TikTok: How [old is too old]( to start a business? ▶️ On YouTube: Welcome to the [little treats economy](. 💻 Online: [Your supply chain]( needs to be transparent. 📰 In print: Feeling inspired? [Our magbook]( will get you started. Drop us a line any time at [hello@couriermedia.com](mailto:hello@couriermedia.co). Update your preferences [here](. Unsubscribe [here](