Maaike has been inspired to start a business by having a child, she began her sustainable journey thanks to her sister and found much support from her husband. She is doing an amazing job, showing that with family everything is possible, even with a small child at home.
“I learned it from my sister.” Maaike says, her voice full of sincerity. She didn’t support fair trade or a sustainable way of living from an early age. It was her sister who opened her eyes to a different way of living. “She taught me how crucial our behavior is for the planet and how badly things are evolving. I started watching more documentaries and reading about it, and I started thinking about my own life, my habits, the choices that I made, and how I could make my lifestyle more sustainable.”
Maaike, already supporting fair trade, a sustainable way of living and taking care of our planet, wanted to show these values to her newborn daughter from the beginning. So even before she faced the mountain of diapers and clothes, she realized that the wastefulness of new items won’t align with her newfound principles. Determined to find a solution, she started by making a second-hand baby list. It was the best possible solution before the baby was even born. Collecting clothes for her little girl and reusable cloth diapers were the next steps. However, as we all know - kids are growing, and it’s happening quite fast. As a mother of a newborn, you don’t have much time to go to second-hand clothes shops to, without stress, try to find something good for your baby. And yet, going to fast fashion shops felt like a betrayal of Maaike’s values. What can you do, when you see a problem? Solve it! Maaike realized that she could also help others facing the same challenge. And so, Terra Cotta was born.
“When I started, our daughter was one and a half years old. I already started having the idea when she was small, but I’ve never had the trigger point to actually do it. Then, during the beginning of COVID-19, I was at home a few weeks. That was the time when I thought: Ok, now I have time, and now I should jump.”
Maaike drew inspiration from her own daughter and her needs. Challenges, she faced: the lack of time for shopping and the desire to stay true to her values, lead her to different way. The idea of an online shop seemed feasible, something she was able to do. Even though it took a lot of time, it was possible. She stuffed a study room with clothes, with no proper place to store them, driven by the need to do something better for others. Was it crazy, hard, messy, or even impossible? Maybe, but she felt encouraged and happy about doing, which made it seem all the more possible.
“It was something I’ve loved doing, and it was giving me the energy to do it. I was working until midnight, and it was nice to work on it.”
She built a platform, to help other parents find second-hand baby clothes, the exact solution she had needed earlier for herself. Maaike knows how fast kids grow and how often you need to buy new things. A T-shirt worn once or twice is still in perfect condition - why not use it again? Why do parents still buy new, more expensive clothes for kids if they can get good quality pre-loved ones? The real problem was a lack of time or difficulty finding something, but these excuses can’t be used in Ghent anymore. Terra Cotta made life easier for everyone. Soon, Maaike decided to take her business a step further, aiming to reach even more people. As with everything else in her story, this decision was deeply connected to her personal and family life.
“We were already looking for another house because I was pregnant with our second child, Gust, and we saw this home. There was a former pharmacy downstairs, and I thought: oh it would be nice to have my own little shop, where I'll be able to put the clothes. I did it. I made the physical shop, and then we started doing pop-up evening events, so people could see the clothes physically. It's nice to see what you are buying, especially with second-hand items, people appreciate seeing them beforehand. We received a lot of very positive reactions.“
Maaike built a business that was deeply intertwined with her kids and family - and that is the most beautiful fact in this story. All parents want to create a better future for their children. Thanks to Ona, Maaike’s daughter, Terra Cotta was born. Thanks to Gust, Maaike’s son, Terra Cotta became an actual brick-and-mortar shop! These kids had a huge impact on society even before they were aware of its needs. Thanks to Maaike’s husband, this project was possible, even with small kids. Thanks to Maaike’s sister, Maaike’s values transformed. And also, thanks to Maikee’s parents and grandparents, she was raised with the knowledge of how to be an entrepreneur. It all grew with the family’s support.
Maaike's journey with Terra Cotta is far from over; it’s only 5 years old. What is her goal for the future? “I want to reach out to as many people as I can and also to make it economically viable. I would like to make Terra Cotta into a real, professional company and reach as many people as possible.”
