Today we’d like to introduce you to Emina Pelja.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Emina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Like most great businesses, Balkan Bred happened by complete accident. At the end of 2017, I was going through the Notes app on my iPhone and came across a note I’d written nearly two years prior. All it said was “Shirts with Bosnian cities and sayings.” That was it. I almost deleted it, just like I’d been doing with all of my useless grocery lists and assignment due dates, but for some reason, I didn’t.
A few days passed, but I still couldn’t get it out of my mind. I’m not sure if it’s the entrepreneurship class I’d taken that semester or what, but I started to explore it some more. “Maybe there’s something here, just maybe,” is all I said to myself as I created what would become the very first designs in Photoshop. “This is so silly, nobody is going to wear this,” was probably my biggest concern, but after sharing them with my mom and best friend, I realized that maybe this wasn’t so silly, after all. Maybe there really was something there, after all.
And oh boy, there was. There was a lot more than I could have ever imagined.
After creating designs, I ordered the first few prototypes. I knew we were going to need photos, so I enlisted the help of my friends Elma and Minela, and we went out and had our first photo shoot. We only had two sweatshirts, but hey, at least we had something.
I decided it’d be smart to post the photos in correlation with the launch of our Etsy store and even host a giveaway — I guess my marketing degree taught me something, after all. Thirty minutes after posting, we had already received five orders. I was completely shocked. Despite all of the encouraging words from friends and family, I really didn’t believe that people would actually buy anything, let alone people who had just been following my journey on social media.
This was back in March 2018, and since then, we’ve grown more than I could’ve ever imagined. We’ve transitioned from using Etsy as our primary platform to our own e-commerce website, established an ambassador program, and even started a podcast that has become a voice for the diaspora.
It’s all so surreal to me. The support, the connections, the whole ‘look at what I freaking made’ feeling. Let me tell you — it’s one of the best feelings and this is only the beginning.
Has it been a smooth road?
Two months after starting Balkan Bred, my dad passed away unexpectedly. It was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to go through — nobody can prepare you for it. I won’t go into too much detail, we actually have a podcast episode and blog post all about it, but I will share how it affected my business.
I never intended for my personal life to become so intertwined with my career, but it kind of just happened. I definitely don’t regret it one bit. Balkan Bred is all about stories and my parents’ story is a huge part of who I am. I’m also a take-action-kind-of-person, so I immediately began thinking of ways I could utilize my platform to not only commemorate my dad but to also connect diaspora who’d also gone through similar experiences.
With the help of my sweet friends, we decided to create the “Zbog Tebe” collection which translates to “Because of you.” It’s dedicated to all of the people in our lives who have made us stronger, my dad being one of them.
When I was looking for collaborators to help with the release of the collection, I stumbled upon this girl named Zerina on Instagram. I didn’t know anything about her, besides the fact that she was Bosnian, lived in Michigan, and we had mutual followers. I really liked her feed, so I decided to reach out and see if she’d be interested in helping out.
I will never forget her response after sending out the mass email that explained the meaning behind the collection. Come to find out she’d also lost her dad, too, and was more than happy to help. I just think it’s crazy that out of all the people I’d reached out to, I managed to find someone who’d also gone through something so scarily similar. Last March, I flew out to Detroit to meet her for the first time and to this day, she is one of my best friends.
She isn’t the only one — right before the launch, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and came across a photo from another Bosnian girl named Selma. I’d never met her before, but we’d been following each other for a while and I knew her dad had been in the hospital. The caption broke my heart, and even though I really didn’t know her, I couldn’t help but reach out. I felt her pain, her anger, her frustration. When I brought up the Zbog Tebe launch, she agreed to share her story and became the last one of our collaborators.
When the big day, October 11th, 2018, finally arrived, I was absolutely blown away. Our website was up, the stories were there, the clothes were there. I was suddenly getting messages from people saying they were crying and I immediately thought, “Oh my god, I’m making people cry. What have I done?” I mean, I knew the stories were heartfelt, but I did not expect them to touch people in the way that they did. For me, vulnerability is huge, and the fact that I could tap into people’s deepest emotions through a computer screen was wild.
Needless to say, we sold a lot of shirts that day. I’m sure my dad was smiling.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Balkan Bred is a clothing line dedicated to preserving the Balkan culture through the diaspora worldwide. The Balkans are a region in Eastern Europe that is typically associated with war and corruption, but for most of us diaspora, it’s just the place we call home. While many of us go back and visit every summer, we constantly feel like there’s a part of us that’s missing. I don’t believe that feeling will ever go away, but we can at least make something to help remedy that feeling, right?
That’s where Balkan Bred comes in — a little piece of home wherever you go. We’re most known for our comfy sweatshirts but have expanded to include everything from tank tops to baseball caps. Our most popular collection is the Coordinates Collection, which features the latitude and longitude coordinates for over 80 different Balkan cities.
As much as I fell in love with the idea of selling clothes, one thing I always kept in the back of my mind was, “Remember, it’s not just about the clothes. It’s about the people wearing them. It’s about their stories.” I think that’s what sets us apart from everyone else — we believe that your stories matter and we’re here to share them — in the trendiest way possible, of course.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Since I’m in the e-commerce space and without any brick-and-mortar stores, the physical location isn’t a huge factor for my business. However, I have met some amazing people in Atlanta who have provided me with helpful insights and connections that have ultimately led to substantial business growth. Being born and raised here, I would say, “Yes, absolutely. Come to Atlanta!” and then immediately regret it because God knows we don’t need any more traffic.
Pricing:
- Sweatshirts — $48
- V-Neck Shirts — $38
- Jewelry — $36-$38
- Hats — $35
- Crewneck T-Shirts — $34
- Phone Cases — $25
- Coffee Mugs — $16
Contact Info:
- Website: www.balkanbred.com
- Email: hello@balkanbred.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balkanbred/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balkanbred/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/balkanbred
Image Credit:
Minela Sejdin, Zerina Mulaosmanovic, Zerina Ramovic
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
