Ashley Janson is the owner of Light & Be, a bracelet company that donates $5 for every piece sold to help fight human trafficking around the world. Today she talks with Christine about her artistic background and passion for creating, the decision to start her own jewelry company during the pandemic, and the devastating statistics that led her to chose human trafficking as her cause. Ashley explains how her social media community has influenced the design of her bracelets, how she has adapted to her growing popularity, and her plans for new products and events moving forward. She also shares the significance behind her company name, Light & Be, and encourages us all to be a light in this world.

 Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry, and the United States leads all other nations in consumption. There is an estimated 40 million people trapped by human trafficking today. If you are a human trafficking victim, or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733. You can learn more about Ashley’s mission to raise donations and spread awareness for this important cause at ShopLightBe.com.

 For more information, and other episodes on companies and entrepreneurs who give back, please visit www.TheGiveBackModel.com. That’s where you can also let Christine know about companies you’ve found that give back. Thanks for listening!

 Episode Highlights:

• What led Ashley to start her entrepreneurial journey and spread awareness about human trafficking
• Her creative background and interest in creating jewelry
• Deciding to take the leap and launch her company during the pandemic
• The logistics of getting her business up and running, and how quickly it took off
• Using her Instagram page as a platform to facilitate conversations with customers and generate feedback for future designs
• Her growing popularity and Give Back Model of $5 per bracelet sold
• Why Ashley chose human trafficking as her charitable cause
• The heartbreaking statistics of human trafficking and how to raise awareness
• Victims can be of any age, race, gender, nationality, or socioeconomic status
• New products and designs to come
• Including flyers at in-person events that will include information and statistics about the cause
• The importance of talking about human trafficking, educationg ourselves, and spreading awareness
• Operation Underground Railroad Rescue started in 2013 and has since rescued over 4,000 victims of human trafficking (www.ourrescue.org)
• The inspiration behind the name “Light & Be,” and Ashley’s mission for us all to spread light and do good in this world

Quotes:

“In a world where you can be anything, be a light.” 

“In 2020, during the pandemic, me and my husband were talking about it, and doing some more research, getting statistics, watching videos. We were like, We need to do something. Something needs to be done. And I’ve always wanted to create something... I didn’t know what it was going to be.”

“There was a lot of trial and error. I was ordering samples and seeing the quality of everything, and then as far as shipping, I had issues with shipping delays due to COVID… There were some setbacks.”

“In the beginning, when I put out my first collection of bracelets, it was very diverse. I feel like it wasn’t very cohesive. And so I really wanted to hear from the listeners what they liked.”

“We give back $5 for every single bracelet that is sold - [it] goes to Operation Underground Railroad. In the beginning, I knew that I wanted it to be a significant amount per bracelet, so we could make a bigger difference.”

“We have, as of today, raised over $1000 for our rescue, which I’m very excited about!”

“Currently there is an estimated over 40 million people who are in human trafficking today… 1 in 4 of those is a child. And 70% of that 40 million are women and girls.”

“Human trafficking actually generates an estimated $150 billion annually.”

“We’re selling people. We’re selling human beings for profit. It’s the third most profitable business for organized crime behind drugs and arms.”

“Another reason why I chose human trafficking is because people think about this topic and they think about how sickening and evil it is, and so they don’t want to talk about it… But if we do not talk about these things, then nothing changes.”

“I think that it’s important for everyone to know that there’s not a certain box that is put around people who are involved in human trafficking or predators. It’s happening right here in the United States of America.”

“The United States leads all other nations in consumption.”

“As parents, I think it’s important for us to be educated on that as well, to protect our children from being victims of human trafficking.”

Links:

The Give Back Model website www.TheGiveBackModel.com

Follow The Give Back Model on Instagram @thegivebackmodel

Shop Light & Be website www.shoplightbe.com

National Human Trafficking Resource Centre website 

Phone number 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733

Operation Underground Railroad website www.OurRescue.org