Welcome to another episode of HempAware Radio, where we explore the vibrant world of hemp innovation and sustainability.

Today, host Tyler Hemp sits down with the lifelong friends behind Jacaranda Hemp—Billy, Harrison, Henry, and Milo—a Southern California-based company that’s redefining what it means to create eco-friendly, stylish, and affordable merchandise.

Born out of a shared love for the environment and a desire to bring hemp into the mainstream, Jacaranda Hemp crafts custom, high-quality apparel for everyone from local coffee shops and nonprofits to surf shops and restaurants.

The team shares how their early experiences with conservation work and a serendipitous Uber conversation led them to the world of sustainable fashion.

Together, they discuss the pitfalls of fast fashion, the unmatched benefits of hemp, and the unique hands-on approach they bring to both B2B and consumer merchandise solutions.

Get ready to hear inspiring stories of entrepreneurship, creative problem-solving, and a mission to help brands walk their talk while caring for their customers—and our planet.

Whether you’re a sustainable brand, an outdoor enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of hemp, this episode is packed with insight, passion, and the promise of real change.

Here’s a comprehensive sequence of the topics covered in this HempAware Radio Podcast episode featuring Jacaranda Hemp, along with sub-topics for each main area:

1. Introduction to the Episode and Guests

• Host welcome and introduction
• Overview of Jacaranda Hemp and its founding team: Billy Harrison Milo, and Henry
• Company mission: redefining sustainable merchandise with style and affordability

2. Origins and Inspiration Behind Jacaranda Hemp

• The founders’ shared history and valley upbringing
• Early exposure to sustainability via Tree People nature conservancy
• Pivotal moment: Uber driver questions the sustainability of a cotton shirt
• Realization about hemp’s newly legal status and potential
• Initial business vision: casual clothing line featuring friend’s art
• Shift from retail to B2B merchandising for larger impact

3. Meaning and Choice of the Name “Jacaranda”

• Harrison
• explains the local significance of Jacaranda trees in LA
• Inspiration drawn from the beauty and impact of the Jacaranda tree

4. The Problem with Fast Fashion

• Rise of fashion consciousness and sustainability post-COVID
• Critique of mass-produced, low-quality “fast fashion”
• Environmental and ethical issues (e.g., carbon emissions, landfill waste)
• Disposable clothing culture and planned obsolescence

5. Jacaranda Hemp’s Approach to Sustainable Solutions

• Education on alternatives to fast fashion
• Emphasis on hemp’s durability and break-in over time
• Hemp clothing as compostable, recyclable, and environmentally beneficial
• All-in-one, hands-on, local production process in Los Angeles
• Focus on custom, quality, accessible hemp merchandise

6. Market Gap and B2B Focus

• Lack of scalable, custom hemp merchandise options in the market
• Locally sourced materials and manufacturing as a differentiator
• Personalized, full-service client approach
• Making hemp apparel accessible in both B2B and direct-to-consumer channels

7. Range of Products and Customization Capabilities

• Bread-and-butter products: T-shirts, tote bags, crop tops
• Expansion to custom aprons for restaurants and specialty wine tote bags
• The learning curve: Founders learned to sew to prototype new items
• Willingness and flexibility to create unique, client-driven solutions

8. Ideal Clients and Market Segments

• Focus on local nonprofits, sustainable creators, farm-to-table restaurants (B2B)
• Outdoor enthusiasts: climbers, surfers, skaters, campers (consumer)
• Brands and individuals seeking alignment between values and merchandise
• Partnership approach to help brands live up to sustainability ethos

9. The Client Experience and Supply Chain

• Step-by-step: initial consult, prototyping, design collaboration, local production, delivery
• Personalized service depending on needs, complexity, and inventory
• Typical turnaround: 2–6 weeks (often 2–4 weeks)

10. Guiding Values and Principles

• Creating the kind of company and products the founders would support themselves
• Commitment to sustainability, environmentalism, and authenticity
• Selective client alignment on values for greater impact
• The “triple bottom line”: benefiting people, profit, and the planet

11. Challenges Faced as Young Entrepreneurs

• Lack of initial experience in the apparel industry
• Ongoing trial, error, and pivoting strategy
• Challenges with supply chain, marketing, and breaking industry norms
• Competing with established fast fashion systems and changing consumer habits

12. Vision for the Future

• Aspiring to become trailblazers like Patagonia, but exclusively with sustainable materials
• Industry influence: shifting large-scale apparel to sustainability
• Expanding product lines (e.g., button-ups, suits)
• Becoming advisors and partners to other brands interested in sustainability

13. How to Connect With Jacaranda Hemp

• Website, Instagram, phone number
• Emphasis on approachable, friendly connection and collaboration

14. Fun Facts About Hemp vs. Cotton & Polyester

• Lower water and land usage compared to cotton
• Strong, carbon-sequestering, antimicrobial, UV-resistant
• Compostable, no need for pesticides/herbicides
• Gets softer with each wash and absorbs odors

15. Final Messages and Ethical Choices

• Founders reflect on shifting mindsets regarding quality and sustainability
• Encouragement to make conscious choices, align moral compass with action
• Wearing Jacaranda as a step towards living more ethically and sustainably

This outline covers the main flow and all key sub-themes discussed in the episode, highlighting Jacaranda Hemp’s story, mission, approach, and vision for a better fashion future.