Outdoor collectives, social search and Parisian saké

Plus, the electrician who biked into work – then made it his business. Friday 12 May 2023 [View in browser]( / [Sign up]( We go all in on the outdoors, from female-focused hiking collectives and forest waste to Indigenous-owned resorts. Plus, we've got the story of an electrician who turned his daily commute into his business. 1. Aaron Fleming-Saheed bought a bike to avoid his frustrating commute to his job as an electrician. But he enjoyed the freedom it gave him so much, he quit his job and [built a business]( around it – [Cycling Sparks]( a mobile electrician service run on e-cargo bikes. ‘The biggest challenge [was] when it was just me on my own with the backpack full of tools and materials thinking: is this going to work? That was probably the hardest bit, but that didn't last that long.’ TIP. Take some of the guesswork out of ‘Will this work?’ with our eight-step guide to [assessing the market](. 2. Besides, you can make a business out of [anything]( – even large-scale latex balloon installations. 3. Our eyes on the ground in Bangkok spotted a store called [Elementseden]( which curates functional, high-quality industrial hardware geared toward those living in apartments and condos – think foldable containers and stackable storage. 4. Finnish company [Montinutra]( is turning forest waste, like sawdust and bark, into personal care products. Its [first product]( is made of wood sugars and helps with wrinkles and skin hydration (and Montinutra is looking for more industry partners 🌲). 5. [Oddity]( is a Hong Kong perfume house born out of a design collective. Fragrances come with a playlist and a made-to-order detailed wood and resin bottle. 6. Our Manila contributor [Sai Versailles]( has got her eye on these Filipino brands and people to know 🇵🇭. - ‘[Ave Maldea]( is a custom bike builder who, for 25 years, has been creating chromoly steel frames and forks out of his workshop in Cainta, Rizal – an hour's drive from Metro Manila. He's a household name in Manila's bicycle scene.’ - ‘[ITO]( calls itself a slow bar – it's unfussed about turning customers over fast. Instead, it stresses the quality of experience by offering a varied alcohol, non-alcohol, coffee, and tea program throughout the day.’ - ‘Social enterprise [Rural Rising PH]( focuses on rescuing produce from areas with an overproduction of vegetables, paying farmers above farm-gate prices.’ - ‘[Cropital]( is a financing platform focused on smallholder farmers from the Philippines, assuring a market for their produce with access to affordable capital.’ - ‘[Penny Pairs]( is a jewelry brand that promises affordability and ethical sourcing practices, assuring “conflict-free” crystals, gems and pearls. With only 18% of the world's silver being recycled, Penny Pairs avoids further mining by creating a base layer of recycled silver on all its products. Penny Pairs' manufacturer also guarantees no child labor, no discrimination, decent working hours, a living wage and occupational health and safety in its factory.’ GO DEEPER. Sai also gave us a tour of Manila's nightlife neighborhood Poblacion – including a stick-and-poke tattoo parlor and a shop making ice cream from water-buffalo milk. [Check it out here](. 7. [Le Collectionist]( specializes in luxury vacation rentals, but a fancy house alone won't necessarily cut it any more, says co-founder Max Aniort. ‘While our main destinations are still the popular, expected locations like Ibiza, St Tropez, Mykonos, etc, a growing handful of people are seeking out off-the-beaten-track, bespoke experiences – ones that'll weave stories that kill at dinner parties.’ 8. But it's not just a luxury thing – affordable accommodation is popping up near US national parks for nature explorers who don't want to bother pitching a tent (fair). Check out [The Pad]( in Silverthorne, Colorado; [Field Station]( in Moab, Utah; and [Terramor Outdoor Resort]( in Bar Harbor, Maine. 9. In Canada, keep an eye on Indigenous-owned resorts, which combine jaw-dropping locations (you can only get to [Klahoose Wilderness Resort]( off-grid lodge via boat or seaplane) with culturally sensitive tourism. TREND WATCH. Interest in the outdoors isn't slowing down and access is opening up. We [caught up with]( outdoor collectives focused on women and marginalized communities to hear how they're changing the landscape 🥾. 10. For 50 years, Osman Terzi dreamed of returning to his hometown in Turkey's Black Sea region to build a house. In 2017, he finally did it – and turned that dream into [Hakoni House]( a 12-room lodge that serves local food and provides excursions into the nearby mountains. 11. Darkness retreats – a practice based in Buddhism and other spiritual practices, where participants are in complete darkness for several days – are the talk of the wellness space (they went viral after American football player Aaron Rodgers did one at Oregon's [Sky Cave Retreats](. 12. Oaxacan bakery [Boulenc Pan Artesano]( also runs [Boulenc Bed & Bread]( – a boutique hotel that includes breakfast at the cafe, bread in the afternoon and homemade ferments and preserves from its [shop]( 🥐. (Our editor-at-large [Danny Giacopelli]( recently stayed there and swears by the place. ‘An oasis,’ he says.) 13. [Wakaze]( is a brewery in Paris that uses centuries-old knowledge, French ingredients and innovative techniques to make quality saké – and it's not the only one brewing outside of Japan. See [KANPAI]( in London and [Arizona Sake](. 14. [Kalchē Wine Co]( is a black- and queer-led regenerative winemaking cooperative, focused on diversity, sustainability and the decolonization of the wine industry. 15. Sweden doesn't have the ideal climate to grow grapes for wine. But it does grow a lot of other fruit, like apples, pears and berries. Enter [Brutes]( – a company making wild fermented fruit pét-nats and ciders, which the founders say are similar to the funky flavors of natural wine. 16. Also in Sweden, our Stockholm-based editorial assistant [Bhavini Patadia]( let us in on the need-to-know openings around town 🇸🇪. - ‘[Dåndimpen's]( is the smorgas shop that the city's been waiting for. In an industrial area of Årsta, founder [Petrus Jakobsson]( serves baked goods from outside Scandi culture (think bagels, hot cross buns, focaccia) and supplies to independent restaurants.’ - ‘[Hosoi]( Stockholm's first listening bar, just launched inside a 120-year-old former slaughterhouse, [Slakthuset]( - ‘[Solen]( another restaurant by Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman, head chefs at fine-dining site [Adam/Albin]( has also just opened in Slakthuset.’ - ‘[UNNA]( a cool Swedish running brand, just opened a physical space.’ - ‘I spoke to the owners of [Broadway & Sons]( the other day – it's a family-run vintage business that's been selling classic American menswear and military surplus for more than 40 years. Launched by David Asseraf, the brand's just opened a second shop in Stockholm (the first is in Gothenburg).’ 17. [XBloom Coffee]( makes whole-bean coffee capsules and an accompanying machine that brews pour-overs from pods. 18. Natural food brand [A Dozen Cousins]( makes ready-to-eat products ‘influenced by traditional Creole, Caribbean and Latin American recipes’ – like [Trini Chickpea Curry]( and [Creole Red Beans](. 19. International shipping can be expensive and typically isn't great for the environment. [Both&]( – a clothing label focused on transmasculine, gender-non-conforming, non-binary apparel – came up with [a solution]( a country-based group order. TRY IT. Going global is a big step for any company, but it's also a big challenge. The founder of Bombas let us in on his playbook for [going overseas](. 20. This new drag-and-drop website [builder]( wants you to make a website about [literally anything](. 21. [Diem]( is creating a social search engine inspired by how women share information. Ask it a question and its AI scrapes its forums (and the internet) to retrieve an answer and anecdotes from its real-life community. 22. Marty Bell, an [internet radio]( creator turned [sunscreen]( and Web3 brand founder, [made us a playlist]( that, as he describes, makes him feel like he's on holiday 🌴. ‘[It's] the mood I need to be in to get my best work done. At least, that's what I tell myself.’ 23. Finally, [Omsom]( co-founder Kim Pham shared this quote with us for our recent magazine that we found inspiring – and hope you will, too ❤️. ‘For me, living and working on your own terms means trying to create a world where your “personal” and “professional” selves aren't separate, individual beings – but one person who creates space to be seen in their wholeness. As a founder, it's been a hard-earned but deeply enriching journey of finding myself and embracing the multitudes that exist within me. I really hope for a future where that's not stigmatized or silenced, but actively encouraged and welcomed.’ Elsewhere in Courier: 🤳 On TikTok: [Ever wonder]( what a kangaroo sandwich tastes like? 💻 Online: We dive into how the sleep industry [woke up](. 📰 In print: Tooth gems, men's fashion and more. Get our latest [print issue]( here. Drop us a line any time at [hello@couriermedia.com](mailto:hello@couriermedia.co). Update your preferences [here](. Unsubscribe [here](