Uniting Fashion and Faith: Heidi VanderWal’s Battle Against Human Trafficking with Crowned Free

In this inspiring episode, Heidi VanderWal shares her transformative journey from a career in radiology to founding Crowned Free, a socially driven fashion company dedicated to combating human trafficking. Heidi’s venture was born from a powerful realization of the human trafficking crisis in her community, ignited by her unwavering faith and desire to make a difference.

Heidi discusses how Crowned Free empowers survivors through ethically made clothing and accessories, highlighting her commitment to creating positive change on both local and global scales. We dive deep into the spiritual insights and challenges she faced while building a mission-driven business, illustrating her vibrant transformation from a life in black and white to one filled with vivid colors.

Discover how Heidi deepened her relationship with Holy Spirit and embraced the empowerment that comes from recognizing and following spiritual signs. This episode emphasizes the resilience of Crowned Free and its impactful collaborations with artisan groups worldwide, showcasing the significance of personal connections in uplifting survivors.

Heidi's story is a powerful testament to faith, creativity, and innovation in the fight against human trafficking. Join us as we explore how unexpected paths and divine inspirations weave together to create a meaningful venture dedicated to empowerment and hope.

Connect with Heidi:
Email - customerservice@crownedfree.com
Instagram
Facebook

Make a positive impact with your purchase! Discover Crowned Free’s products that empower survivors— click HERE to shop!

Chapters

• 0:16 Empowering Women to Fight Human Trafficking
• 13:55 Journey of Spiritual Awakening
• 25:32 Fashion Entrepreneurship and Empowering Survivors
• 34:14 Navigating Challenges as an Entrepreneur
• 45:53 Global Connections in Artisan Empowerment
• 56:40 Fashion and Faith

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:16

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm your host, kristen Kurtz, and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching. I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck, unlock their true purpose and potential, break free from limitations and thrive with confidence, courage and hope. If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me, head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further. Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode. So tune in and let's unlock hope together. Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host. I pray this episode is like a holy ivy of hope for your soul. Please help me. Welcome Heidi VanderWaal to the show. I am very excited to have her here. She is a powerhouse in the kingdom and I will not share what she does yet because I want her to first share a little bit about herself.

Speaker 2: 1:08

Amazing. Thank you, kristen, for having me. I am just grateful for the opportunity to be here. So I am the founder of Crown Free and we are a give back company, so we fight human trafficking through ethical fashion and goods. So like clothing, accessories, home decor, jewelry, we have lots of different items over 400 items and we make our products. Some are made here in the States, some are made here in the States, some are made overseas, but everything that we do make is ethically made with a give back attached. So, yes, it's just been really cool to see how God has used this business and this calling to empower survivors here, even locally in Grand Rapids, michigan, where I am from, and other places in the United States and also overseas. So, yeah, super passionate about the calling and what God's doing.

Speaker 1: 2:17

It's beautiful. Well, and as some of you may know, who've been listening, in this season's called Launching Pioneers, so I was very excited to get her on here to share her story because Crown Free is up and running. But I would love for you to share kind of the backstory. How did you come to, you know, found the company? What did the Lord lead you through to even get to this point? Because there's always a story behind everything, right?

Speaker 2: 2:43

Yeah, definitely, definitely a story. So a little bit about my background. So I went to school to be an x-ray technologist. So in radiology didn't like that at all, definitely not my jam. I like love to the patient care, but the rest of the job I just knew it wasn't what I was supposed to be doing and so then I started exploring just entrepreneurial life. I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and have something that I could do from home while raising my kids. So I kind of started looking, okay, what are some things I could do from home? And so that kind of began my journey with direct sales, home parties, that whole world.

Speaker 2: 3:30

And I had a very successful career for 15 years with a large sterling silver jewelry company based here in the US and I really I feel like I would say that God had me in school for those years. I didn't know that I was going to need that schooling for what he had for me next. But that's where I really learned about about the business model, about how to sell and how to lead and how to lead a team and how to run a business and coach, mentor, train, all of those things. And so I had a blast like loved, every minute of it was such a blessing. And then I, during that time, during those 15 years I don't remember what year it was, it was probably maybe year 10, maybe 11, 12 of being with that company, I always kind of thought, like human trafficking, sex trafficking happened, um, kind of like the movie taken. If you've seen the movie taken, like that was what I had in my mind. I did not realize that it was happening here in the States. Um, at least to the level that I learned, it was happening, that it was in my own community, in my schools, in our local malls, in our churches.

Speaker 2: 5:12

The statistic that they gave was that at any one time in just Grand Rapids, michigan, which is the you know pretty conservative church on every corner community, and but at, but at any one time, there's 2,400, um people for sale and I, I, I could not wrap my head around that number. And so that's where the Lord just really um planted a seed. I, I think, um, and you know I walked out of that, out of that event, wanting to do something but no idea what to do, like it's such a massive problem, like how, how can little me do anything to help? Right, and so, but that's where. That's where the journey began. And then, uh, so I just started, um, I started praying about it, and then over the next few years, I had several people I think it was four different people from my business that I was in all who did not know each other necessarily and were from different parts of the country.

Speaker 2: 6:22

They would say things like hey, heidi, I feel like God's going to give you an idea for a business of your own. Or hey, heidi, I see you on a platform, I see you speaking, I see you sharing it, and it was all like this similar message. I'm like what in the world's going on? And then I was at another church event and a pastor spoke a prophetic word over me, just blew my box right wide open, like I don't think I even knew where my box was after that word was spoken, but he, one of the well, they sent me home with the recording of it. So then I typed it all out and I still have it. But one thing he said was you, heidi, you have a jewelry design and a fashion design anointing.

Speaker 1: 7:09

And.

Speaker 2: 7:09

I was like okay, well, I love fashion. I'm trying to figure it all out, right, I'm like, well, I've always loved fashion and I I sell jewelry, so maybe the company I'm with will have me help them design, jewelry or something you know.

Speaker 2: 7:23

So I'm trying to like my current situation, like I do not understand this, and I didn't really know at the time that sometimes prophetic words can take a lot of time to come to be. And so, anyways, I kind of sat on that, kept praying into that, kept running my other business while I was praying about it. Well then, in January of 2014, I woke up five days in a row at 5 55 AM and with this idea to start this clothing company. Like, he gave me an idea of a clothing item and I was like, lord, is this what you've been talking to me about? Like, is this the business idea that you said I was going to have? Is this the fashion design pieces? Is this how this is going to go? And he's like, yes, go.

Speaker 2: 8:16

And so I, um, at the first few months, I did not realize that it was going to be attached to the cause of human trafficking. But as I was driving through my town one day I think it was actually in May of 2014, I remember the intersection I was driving through and it was not the audible voice of the Lord, but it was as loud as it could be without it being audible In my head. It was so loud and I just heard the Lord say, out of nowhere attach your business to a cause. And I knew immediately what it was. I mean, I knew immediately it was to fight human trafficking, and so that is how that part of the journey began. But it was, um, really wild the first year, like the Lord was speaking so so much um, down to the smallest of details, and that was really just a really fun part of the journey because I learned how much God has to say about, obviously, the big things, but also the little things and the details are so important to him. And so our logo oh, my goodness, I mean I was having dreams and visions and waking up with songs crown him with many crowns, and I would see crowns, like everywhere. It was to the point of like I got it, god, I got it.

Speaker 2: 9:50

I am understanding our logo needs to be a crown, and so I often get asked okay, why the name crowned free? Well, how did you land on that name? Um? So originally the first OG name of um, the company was going to be boutique five 55, because I kept waking up at five, 55 and five um and Hebrew stands for grace and favor. So I'm like, well, that's cool, like, um, I love that.

Speaker 2: 10:16

And then figured out later no, that's actually not the name of your company, it's, it's going to be crowned free. But so, so how it came to be is there was a dream, and in this dream the Lord showed, like a Miss America type pageant, and in that dream, one, one girl gets the crown. And but God's like, in my kingdom, all my girls get their crown and they get it for free. All they have to do is receive it. It's freely given and it can't be taken away. You don't have to perform for it, it's a free gift.

Speaker 2: 10:57

And then we also found out, not long after the Lord kind of put that all together, um, that, uh, um, oftentimes human traffickers will tattoo their girls, they'll brand their girls, and the most common symbol that they like to use is a crown. And um, so it was like God was saying I'm going to redeem that crown, saying I'm going to redeem that crown, I'm taking that back, and um, so that was just a really um, yeah, powerful, the, the name, the logo, um, so our logo has nine points on it representing nine gifts and nine fruits of the Holy spirit. Um, and yeah, he, he was very intentional about, about those details as well. We're on version two of our crown, our original version. He had wanted my very young daughter at the time to write our logo, so the crowned and the free were handwritten by my daughter to start. So it's been revised one time since then.

Speaker 1: 12:07

So the crown that you see now is a little bit different than than the original, but um, into that like and she was part of the process.

Speaker 2: 12:13

Yeah, yeah, it's really it was. It was very, very cool. So that's kind of that's how we started and how, um the Lord's heart, to use a, a business like fashion, um to really start up conversation. So one thing that you know talking about human trafficking is tough. I mean, it's such a heavy, hard um thing to talk about, right. But what we have found is fashion is an amazing bridge to have some hard conversations, and so, like, women love to compliment one another on something I mean you could be standing in the grocery line, you could be, you know, at your kids sporting events and oh my gosh, I love your t-shirt or I love those earrings.

Speaker 2: 12:59

And and then whoever's wearing it like, oh, these are actually made by survivors of human trafficking. Have you heard of crowned free? And then it starts this amazing conversation, um, and so we have heard some awesome stories about um, how god has has used those conversations to even bring awareness that somebody's own child was being trafficked, like they. They didn't even know like the signs to look for. And once the conversation started, um, it found out like oh, my word, that sounds like my daughter, like she's got this guy messaging her on Facebook or Instagram or whatever. And um, come to find out that they're actually caught up in a trafficking ring and that all just stemmed from a conversation by wearing and your yes.

Speaker 2: 13:50

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 13:52

So amazing. What's really fascinating is, leading up until today, I've been waking up at 5.55 the last week. No way I was going to say I was going to stop you and be like hey, just just a moment here. Um, is there, is there another layer? Like, are you guys? Um, are you moving in? Like, are you in the Lord, moving into another? Like piece of this, is there more? Um, I don't know. I felt led to ask you that because of the 555.

Speaker 2: 14:26

Yeah, that's really fascinating. Oh yeah, there's more the words that have been spoken over over, crowned free and just some things that he has us diving into right now. There's absolutely more and I can't share everything right now, but yes, there is. So I love that.

Speaker 1: 14:45

I just released that grace over you. So love that you. You know listening, hearing, seeing, you know all of the things that you're. You know your eyes are open to see what he was showing you, but also your ears were open to hear him. I want to just kind of back up a little bit, because there might be somebody listening today that maybe they know that there's something that they're called into, but they're just not hearing him. They're not getting all those you know signs. I call them. You know little wonder, wonder, hugs, little God winks. Was there a moment like in your life, like have you always been able to hear him and see him in this way, like seeing him in the details? Um, or was this a kind of a unique um, like launching into that kind of relationship with him?

Speaker 2: 15:39

well, that's a great question. So I was born and raised in the church, went to Christian school, amazing family, have loved the Lord my whole life, but one thing that I did not learn about or know much about was hearing the voice of the Lord and walking in step with the Holy Spirit, and so that really I would say so I just turned 50. I think when I was young 30s was when I started to hear these amazing stories from a friend of mine who very clearly would hear from the Lord and have these prophetic words and dreams and visions, and I'm like, well, I want that. What am I missing out on, you know? And, uh, cause, again, it was just not something that I learned about or we talked about, and so I started just asking the Lord. I'm like, well, I want that. I started reading books just about the Holy Spirit and learning how God speaks and all the unique ways that he speaks. And so when I started asking, he started speaking and at first I didn't know it was him because I didn't understand that sometimes he speaks very uniquely and just for me, the way that he speaks pretty powerfully and has been speaking a long time this way, but is through dreams.

Speaker 2: 17:16

And then also I, physically, will feel things in my body. So the first time that I started, I got all of this heat in my left hand and I literally thought I had something wrong with my neck and that I needed to go see the chiropractor. I'm like, oh, I must have my, my neck must be out, because, like, what is happening with all this heat in my hand. But then I started to notice it would be very specific, um, and it was always something like I'd be thinking about something specific or I knew it was the Lord. I finally picked up on it, and so that was my first physical manifestation that he gave me. Now I have so many, I literally have a glossary in my journal because trying to keep track of all of them, and, um, he continues to add new ones all the time.

Speaker 2: 18:12

And so, um, but, yeah, so for me, when you started asking the question, I started feeling something like on my, my left arm. I'm not quite sure why, but I'm like, ooh, yeah, holy spirit, you were on this question. Quite sure why. But I'm like, ooh, yeah, holy Spirit, you are on this question. So, um, but I just started asking and then and I've just grown in those gifts and um, I have plugged myself into a lot of? Um opportunities to learn more and be around people who also hear from the Lord, um, having people pray over me, me, people who are further along in their journey, and just learning as much as I could. So that's how I have grown in those gifts. But no, it was not until I started asking and learning and when I saw a dramatic shift, I the how I'd like to describe it is that I, before I, was living life in black and white I didn't even know it, but now I'm living life in color.

Speaker 1: 19:14

Um, but that's that's how it felt once that shift happened yes, and it is so fun when the world opens up that he, he calls me a woman of wonder because I'm always like seeing everything. And, um, I, what would you say to that? Like, what is what does he call you? Like, in your walk these days, if you were to say, like, this is what he calls me.

Speaker 2: 19:41

Hmm, I always, I guess I just always feel just daughter is the word that comes to mind Um, and there's just such sweetness in that um, such intimacy in that Um, but yeah, that's. That was the first thing that that came, came to mind when you um asked that question. I love women of wonder it's awesome.

Speaker 1: 20:07

It's like wow, it's W-O-W, and I say that all the time because I'm always wowed. Yes, I have moments where I feel like I'm literally going to fall over sometimes because it's like you literally can't make this stuff up. But yeah, I wanted to really capture what you said. You know I'm all about keys and hanging on to keys, coming out with keys when you're listening to, you know, a testimony or a testimonial or story from somebody, and I wanted to really capture what Heidi said and you know one of the keys is to ask Hmm. So when you asked, like what did that look like for you? Was it? Was there a little timeframe of waiting for the, for the gifts to come about? I know it's different for everybody, like he moves in different paces for everybody. Do you? Do you agree?

Speaker 2: 21:03

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, it was. It's just been a progression, I would say. But when I started asking, I had one thing that the Lord did was I had such a hunger, like insatiable hunger, I would literally have to set my alarm clock to actually stop having my quiet time. I didn't. I don't even like to call it quiet time, cause it's like no, I want loud time, I do not want it to be quiet, I want to hear from the Lord. But but most people understand what you say when you're saying quiet time. So, but I did, I bought a, a little timer because I and I would get butterflies in my stomach when I knew I would get to go sit with the Lord. And it was such a powerful, powerful time.

Speaker 2: 21:59

And I received several gifts during that time powerful dreams and encounters with the Lord. On powerful dreams and encounters with the Lord, and I mean just some really like blow your hair back kind of things where like, oh my goodness, I just, you know, I just visited heaven in this dream and I talked to, I danced with Jesus in my room. I mean like things that after they happen, like you, my whole body would just be, like I could, my whole body would just be trembling violently because I was just in the presence of the Lord, right, in such a powerful way, and so just like very, very powerful encounters, in such a powerful way, and so just like very, very powerful encounters, um, but it was. It's. It's still just a continual learning. Um, you know, up until today, you know, I'm just continuing to learn and to build on what he is showing me and and the gifts that he's given and how he speaks and the confidence that I have to to move on those gifts and what he's saying.

Speaker 2: 23:09

Um, you know, it's, it's been just a, a journey for sure. But at the beginning it was me, like, I mean, I was so actively pursuing and and he was right there, like, um, I didn't have to wait very long because he was, he was right there.

Speaker 1: 23:28

So oh well, would you, would you say that there were any like? Obviously the Bible is, um you know, our our number one, but were there any books that really helped, um catapult you during that time? That might be recommended to somebody who's listening. That would help.

Speaker 2: 23:45

I'm trying to remember. I think the first book I read about the Holy Spirit was actually by Benny Hinn. There wasn't much out there at that time and then I just started reading a lot of Bill Johnson from Bethel Church. I love Bill Johnson. As far as specific names, names, I'm trying to remember what books in particular.

Speaker 2: 24:13

Um, yeah, there's a, there's a Holy Spirit book by Benny Hinn and I think that was that was the first one, and that was when I um, because it kind of leads you through some prayer there and um, I, I, after I read that book was when I started like the Lord opened my eyes and I started seeing things that I've never seen before and, um, like I didn't know how to to ask you know, invite the Holy spirit to you, know, just be a part of my daily walk, and and how to do that. So, um, I believe it was that book that had some just prayers that you could pray, um to give verbiage to that, because I didn't, I didn't know right how to what to even say, like, how do I, how do I pray to invite the Holy spirit into my life, and so it's very simple, but, um, but I, just that was, that was a I believe that was the book, that kind of really catapulted.

Speaker 1: 25:13

I'll look it up and maybe you know between you and I will figure out which book it is and then I can link it in the show notes for everybody If they wanted to go check it out um for those who are just ready to step into the more Perfect Love that Um.

Speaker 1: 25:32

So let's, let's get back to crown free a little bit. Um, what's beautiful is on Friday, the October 25th, um, my beautiful friend, anna front. Um, she actually shares her story on hope unlocked, about her trafficking journey. Here's her story on Hope Unlocked about her trafficking journey. And now she is. She's a beautiful artist and an amazing, amazing woman, but she has been given a go for the last year or so to now be one who does tattoos and coverups for those women who've been branded. Wow, wow. I love that. So I didn't even put the two and two together like the focus this week with having you on and her, but she is incredible, so hopefully you can check out her story. But so, coming coming back to the beginning of of launching crown free, what did that look like? Did you have other people that came alongside you? Um, did you tell people right away? Um, what did that look like for you to start kind of stepping out? As he said, go.

Speaker 2: 26:44

Yeah, so, um, the first year, so 2014, was all preparation to get ready. Um, and so it was like I. So one way that the um Lord often brings different design ideas for for us is I will see it in a dream or I'll see it in a vision. God will just like, just show me a snapshot picture of an item, and so he was starting to show some things and so, but we started with just simply some t-shirts and then we also started, okay, so there's a local organization in West Michigan called Wedgwood and they house survivors and at-risk teens, and so we approached them because felt like, felt a nudge to go approach them and see if we could somehow partner with them to have them make products for us that we would sell. So the first year was a lot of like understanding from the Lord. How do we set this business up? Um, what does our give back look like? What's your heart for this Lord, and how do we walk this out? Um, and so the Lord said you're going to give back 15% of your net profits and you're going to employ survivors wherever you can. Everything else I mean everything in our collections made ethically, but not everything is made by survivors. So, um, figuring that out it was. It was quite quite the journey to understand all of those pieces and parts. And and then you know, figuring out a website and what did the designs look like? Where do we get the clothing items made and all of those things? So it was just a lot of prayer and sitting with the Lord asking him to you know direct every step. And then Wedgwood did say yes, and they have a work program. So we designed some pillows and they started sewing pillows for us. So those were our first survivor made items. Was our pillow program right here in Grand Rapids, and the cool thing is is it's local right. And so I you know I'm up there still all the time because we have a lot more things made by them now, but to be able to go there, hear their stories, see the impact versus being you know everything overseas where we don't necessarily have that touch point, being, you know everything overseas where we don't necessarily have that touch point. So I that that's just been really powerful, but it's been a lot of um.

Speaker 2: 29:36

When we launched it was very um, definitely moments of frustration and you know like, oh, my goodness, this is big, this is, this is complicated. Um, we want to do this right? Um, we don't. So one thing that you have to be very careful about with um, with employing survivors, is you don't want to re-exploit them, right? So just kind of walking that out and making sure that, um, that doesn't happen in any way, shape or form. You know, no, no pictures and and things like that.

Speaker 2: 30:09

So just a lot of learning, learning about the fashion industry, liking clothes, making them are two separate things, and so, like, okay, diving in, how do you make clothes? How do you make a pattern? You, you know reading books, uh, you know listening to different things on YouTube and, um, just asking the Lord to connect you with, with the right people. And he miraculously did, and it was really fun just to be a part of having a front row seat, you know, to watching um, god make this all happen, right, so it was, it's his heart and his dream and we're just part of, uh, you know, the dream that he put in our heart, and so just been fun to, to, to, yeah, be a part of all of that and and watch him work.

Speaker 1: 31:06

Well, I have you heard of George Washington Carver? No, he's the guy who came up with like 300 uses for a peanut. Oh really, who would give him like dreams and visions of what he could make out of a peanut? And I can't help but think you have some like crossover here with George Washington Carver. He was very prophetic and I just I've always been very fascinated by him and the fact that he prayed and the Lord would give him different uses for a peanut. And we're still using them today.

Speaker 2: 31:47

Wow, that's amazing.

Speaker 1: 31:49

I need to go look him up yeah, but the fact that you, like you, didn't go to school for fashion, you went to school for x-ray. I want you guys to capture this here yeah, there's, yeah I.

Speaker 2: 32:05

I went to Jesus school for fashion.

Speaker 1: 32:10

So, like, if you look back to like growing up, can you, can you see, like how the I'm going to just no, no pun intended here the threads have all kind of been woven together to come to this point- come to this point.

Speaker 2: 32:31

Yeah, I definitely can Now my my two years of 4-H when I was in fourth grade that doesn't really count too much because I didn't, you know, do so great at that. I did save my one skirt I made and I still have it. I'm so glad I did. But I grew up in an entrepreneurial home.

Speaker 2: 32:43

Like my dad was an entrepreneur and my grandfather was, and, um, I, it's just in my blood, right, and I have always loved fashion.

Speaker 2: 32:57

I have, I've always been the one to wear, like the pink tool skirt, and I really don't care, like, what other people think of my funky fashion a little bit, you know.

Speaker 2: 33:06

I mean, it's not that out there, but so often people come up to me and they're like, oh, heidi, I was shopping the other day and I saw this, you know skirt or dress. It totally is a Heidi dress or, you know, I would get that all the time, just because I like things that are a little more um, I just like unique and I'm, I like little glitz and a little glam, so, um, but I've been that way my whole life. But I think probably the biggest thing is just the entrepreneurial um, life was very much modeled to me and, um, you know, taking risk is just something that I was surrounded with as far as, like you know what my dad did and, um, he wasn't afraid of that, and so I think that was very formative for me, um, and I think a big reason why that I was willing to just jump in without knowing what I was doing, you know, and being willing to to do that.

Speaker 1: 34:14

Well, and do you have siblings? I do, I have two siblings. Okay, and are they entrepreneurs as well?

Speaker 2: 34:21

One of them is my sister is a high school counselor, which she is perfect for.

Speaker 1: 34:28

And are you the oldest or where are you? I am, I'm the oldest. I'm the oldest too. I come from a family of entrepreneurs and I left the corporate world in 2021. And I know that I am not an employee. I can't ever be again, unless and I say never but I couldn't, I cannot see. I say it's like going back to Egypt.

Speaker 2: 34:58

Yeah, I can't imagine doing that either. I really can't imagine being employed by anybody else at this point. I mean, I've been an entrepreneur, minus my one year of after graduation, of being an x-ray tech. I've, you know, done my own thing that whole time. So, yeah, I can't imagine going back either.

Speaker 1: 35:15

I just like I have a. I have a cage with a dove coming out of it on my arm as a reminder that it was a prophetic reminder that I'd be cage free. So not only am I cage free, but I'm crown free as well. So all the freedom. So, along this journey you know you said that the beginning he was just putting the pieces together what would you say has been maybe one of the challenging. You know, maybe a challenging time in this journey If you're open to sharing.

Speaker 2: 35:47

Yeah for sure. Oh yeah, I'm an open book. Um, so, covid, that was rough. Um, because our whole business model is based on home parties and so trying to navigate and pivot when nobody's having home parties Um, you know, that was, that was a really interesting time. Um, the Lord gave this super cool idea back. Let's see, it would have been in 2019 to allow our reps to sell wholesale, um, which, as far as we know, we don't know any other direct sales companies that allow reps to also sell to stores, and so, like, the Lord just gave this whole kind of new business model that we were going to roll out and we rolled it out two weeks before COVID hit to roll out, and we rolled it out two weeks before COVID hit.

Speaker 2: 36:57

But that has been huge in our business is is, yes, being able to be available in stores. So, even though girls aren't having parties anymore like they used to, they're doing a lot of online parties, but in person is a little bit more rare. You know, now our products can be found in boutiques, in stores, and it's given us a unique opportunity to be in front of people wherever they're shopping. So, whether it's online, in person, at a store, at an event, you know, a church event or something like that, so whether it's online, in person at a store, um, at an event, at you know a church event or something like that. So that's been, that's been really, really amazing and um, but that was, that was definitely a challenge. And you know, kind of having to look at our whole business and like really, um, you know kind of figure out, okay, how do we, how do we move forward, how do we pay our bills and um, and keep this, keep this business moving. And so I'm so grateful that the Lord um gave us that new business model, um, so that we could keep, keep going.

Speaker 2: 38:05

So, um, what was also super challenging is that a lot of our manufacturers closed during that time and trying to find new ethical clothing manufacturers and artisan groups, uh, that is a struggle and we spent years working on that to find these groups and like the way the Lord, you know, brought some of these people to us was so amazing. But then to have them close and try to do it all over again in a post-COVID world was a struggle. So, you know, shipping was um, shipping was hard. Getting supplies, you know, some some of our candle supplies like, just they were just weren't even available.

Speaker 2: 38:59

Um, the cost of some of our products doubled, um, like our candle wax, the price doubled um once COVID hit and so, but then trying to not pass along all these, you know, extra costs to all of our customers and yeah, so there were a lot of things that came with COVID that were challenging and knowing that these artisans rely on the work and, um, you know, trying to really hustle to to keep the business in front of people, so that, you know, because if we don't sell products, we don't, we don't employ people and those that's just really um essential work for for people.

Speaker 2: 39:43

I mean people are, for people, I mean people are. Are Peru group, I mean desperate, I would get emails from them on the weekly and they're like children are dying and um, they just didn't have funds, you know. So we would just like prepay on some orders just so that they would have have money to feed kids, um, and so like seeing how essential these orders are and um, the impact in these in some of these groups, um, like literally, is life-saving. So that's a lot of pressure, right so the pressure like how?

Speaker 1: 40:30

because when I'm talking to you you like exude peace.

Speaker 2: 40:35

Yeah, so, because we pray about everything we do with this business, we would just put it back on the Lord, like, ok, lord, you know their circumstance, you know our circumstance and what we can do. What's your solution? What piece do you want us to to fill in this puzzle? Us to to fill in this puzzle, um, and so we would just ask the Lord okay, what dollar amount do you want us to send them? Or what order do you want us to place? And we, and then that brings so much peace. Right, like, um, if you know that the Lord has spoken, we're just trusting that he's going to, you know, take care of what needs to be taken care of, because you know we can only do so much, but if he has spoken about it, that that brings a lot of peace.

Speaker 2: 41:27

And that has been my whole journey with crown free, because you can get so caught up in in all of the, the, the, the weight of it, um, but knowing that the Lord has spoken and he's like nope, I want you to order from this group, I want you to order on this date and I want you to order this quantity in this color. Um, you know? Okay, all right, you said it, lord, so I'm going with it and trusting you're going to take care of the rest. So that's been a massive blessing and bringing about peace.

Speaker 1: 42:08

Down to like to the fine details.

Speaker 2: 42:10

Yes, oh, yes, oh my, sometimes I get I'm not going to lie Sometimes I get a little annoyed because it's like I want. Can I just make a decision, lord? Can I just like what seems like it should, it should be right, like, okay, um, but there's protection and provision in all of that and I'm so grateful. You know I might be going to place this. This happens on the daily, this almost happens like on the hourly, but as I'm working on something, maybe I'm going to place an order and I do like, okay, lord, is everything okay? And as I'm looking through through something, I'll get like nausea on one specific thing. So then it's like, okay, this number is wrong. Okay, try again. Is this the right number? Nope, still wrong, you know.

Speaker 2: 42:57

So that is a continual.

Speaker 2: 42:59

It's almost like a conversation with the Lord all day long through how he speaks to me, and so I'm so grateful because I know there is protection in the pause, right In the.

Speaker 2: 43:10

It's kind of like I feel like it's just my Holy Spirit GPS and and I've I've so many stories of how he he works in this business, just in the daily decisions that are made all day long. So even like praying for artists in groups. Like sometimes he will show me something that's going on with the group itself, me something that's going on with the group itself. Sometimes they'll show, like, a picture of inside of like one of our manufacturing warehouses over in Vietnam and like, okay, you need to pray for the owners right now, um, and then he'll give a word about what's going on there. Um, and that has happened many times Um, sometimes we don't fully understand, like, what he's saying, but we know that he's using those prayers in a powerful way. So, um, it's, uh, it's, by the end of the day my brain is a little tired because it's, it's, there's a lot going on.

Speaker 1: 44:17

Yeah, yeah. Well, and being an intercessor and a bridge, you know, ultimately you're interceding between. It's so much more than meets the eye with what you're doing.

Speaker 2: 44:28

Yeah, for sure I did not, and yeah, I did not understand that all when I first got started, but he has just so beautifully taught me so much and just it's been really an honor and privilege to be a part of that Well.

Speaker 1: 44:45

I know you mentioned a little while ago that you had maybe some fun stories of being connected to some artisans. Would you be open to sharing maybe one of the connections Cause I I mean Peru like how do, how do you find? Like obviously you said he, he brings them to you, but would you be open to kind of sharing a testimony, if that's something that's available oh, yeah for sure.

Speaker 2: 45:08

So, um, like the Peru artisan group that, um, yeah, each, each, each artisan group that we find is is has a little bit of a story to it. So that Peru group was a woman who knew about us I think she had ordered Crown Free before and then, if I'm remembering right, I think she emailed me and said, hey, I have this connection with this Peru group. They are really in need of work. And she had personal connections with them, and so I checked them out and then started communicating back and forth with them. Um, and that's how that connection happened.

Speaker 2: 45:53

Um, our South Africa group, um, my husband and I went to a trade show in New York City and it was all like fair trade artisan groups, and so I met this mom and this daughter at that event and they shared it was, I think, the last booth we went to and it was totally worth it just for that one, this mom and daughter. They started a farm in South Africa and brought in survivors, like they would rescue women and they would bring them to the farm and they would teach them how to make beaded jewelry, and so that's how that connection was made, and we have quite a few pieces that are made in South Africa and that group has been such a blessing to us as well because she has connections in like Indonesia and they love the Lord and we have amazing videos of them like praying and dancing and just there's just full of the full of the joy of the Lord, which is just beautiful. But so they have connected me with, like our hat company in South Africa and several groups, artisan groups in Indonesia that she personally knows and she goes to Indonesia often and so, let's see, I'm trying to think there's, yeah, there's just there's, so there's so many. It's just very unique to see how the Lord, like our first group in Vietnam, he was a missionary connection, so it was this missionary who made bridal dresses for David's bridal and somebody from Texas knew about him and connected us with him over in Vietnam and so he was part-time missionary and part-time made wedding gowns for David's bridal and so he was our first overseas manufacturer and so, yeah, it's like it's kind of a small world.

Speaker 2: 48:12

So once you start talking to people or putting it out there, like people will just approach you. You know I will get just emails too sometimes or I will send an email to maybe one of our groups and say, hey, I know you don't make this, but do you know of any group local to you? Um, that does make this particular item and, um, a lot of times it will just be, you know, a personal connection like that, which is really fun because we want to have that personal connection. We want to know, um, we want to know who's making our products, since we can't be there, you know, in person. We want to ensure that that this is um, that they're being treated, while that, um, this is a legit business, right? So, um, it's a legit business right.

Speaker 1: 49:03

So it's. It's been all through those kinds of personal connections. Well, there's another key for everybody. It's connections Like so good, like I had a vision today.

Speaker 1: 49:13

I was just like connect the dots. Did connect the dots when you were younger, but I love connect the dots and I'm a like I would say I'm a kingdom connector as well. We're constantly connecting people to resources and to people and it's been really fun throughout the years to do that because you know like today, having you on this is going to make another connection so that people can hear more about what you're doing. But it's through those connections that, like you said, there is a deeper level of trust with the person, right Like a referral. Have you had any? You know I don't want to like kind of sour it, but have you had any connections that maybe weren't what you thought that they were?

Speaker 2: 49:56

We praise the Lord. We have not. We've been really wildly blessed with amazing connections and artists and groups. Um, we've had several that we've had to, um, just just continue because they can no longer make the product, or you know, something happened with COVID or something like that, but we have not had any. Thankfully. We haven't had any stories like that.

Speaker 1: 50:19

It's incredible, um, so could you share I know you you have um survivors who are, you know, artisans as well Like, do you have any stories that you could share? That would be kind of like open to share with the public, with the audience of um, like a restoration story that you, that you know of, that have come.

Speaker 2: 50:43

So we um, I don't know, I don't know all of her story, but we have a um, we have a girl this is just recent. So we have a girl um, in our wedges program. That was that was a teen artisan in our program and she just was hired by Wedgwood to now be an employee, and so now she is teaching kids that are in the same program, that she are in the same program that she was in, which is like the coolest thing and she is just a bright light. Oh, my goodness, like if you saw her and saw her smile. It's really um, powerful, captivating and beautiful Um, and so like that, that's the kind of stuff we love. We love and it's local, right Like I. You know, I get to see her all the time. She's working and teaching how to, how to make bracelets and how to make candles and um, you know it's working on all of our products and is super proud of of that. So that's just a really cool success story of that program. And um, we have other other um kids that have graduated out of that program that would love to like come back Um, so we're working on some things with with that because they they love working in the program.

Speaker 2: 52:16

So, um, I don't know all of their stories. I know some of them, um, but just for confidentiality, um reasons, um, I mean, I know, like very often, just a generalized story from one of the teens is um, you know, was was trafficked by their own family, you know, while living at home, and it's such a common story. Unfortunately, um, it's really really devastating, but that is a very common theme with with, um, with survivors here that I've heard. So, um, it's very tragic but, um, but the Lord is working and moving and restoring and redeeming. So we love to be a part of that, that part of the process.

Speaker 1: 53:10

Well, I just love that. You know they're getting restoration and then coming back. It's almost that Isaiah 61 of setting the captives free, like you're going back. It's almost that Isaiah 61 of setting the captives free, like you're going back.

Speaker 2: 53:21

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 53:22

Others right. I don't know if you've seen the movie Harriet that came out back in 2019, I believe it was.

Speaker 2: 53:30

Yes, I think I did, but it's been a long time. I don't always have a great memory for those kinds of things, but I believe I did see that one, yeah.

Speaker 1: 53:37

I mean, she was freed from slavery, she ran away, but and she ended up in a place that was comfortable, but she went back to rescue and could have been killed, and I think of you know people who are willing to go back.

Speaker 2: 53:52

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 53:53

Like, go back and here's a hand, and it can be in many spheres, right, but the way that you've, you know, opened up this opportunity for so many people, um, to do that, I don't even know. Do you know the brevity of it, like? Do you realize the brevity of it? Um, because sometimes I wonder, like when I see, you know, we all have this opportunity, we're all doing, you know, making a difference every day.

Speaker 2: 54:24

Yes, but when?

Speaker 1: 54:25

you see something like this, that is, you know you're. You're seeing the impact tangibly. Do you ever just go wow?

Speaker 2: 54:35

Yeah, you know, I think I need to take more time to do that, just because I'm always head down just working right. But just recently we were running some statistics and I was talking to Jackie, our program director, over at Wedgwood, and I asked her the question I'm like how many artisans like like have gone through this program since we started? And so we figured out that there have been over 400 teams that have gone through our um the work program and like worked on our products since we started, and I was like, oh, my word, I had no idea that there were that many.

Speaker 2: 55:20

Like I didn didn't, I just didn't didn't realize that over the you know 10 years of doing this, that there were that many, and that's just in that program, right? So, um, I, I mean, I know there's, there's, you know, potentially thousands of artisans that have been impacted and been given work, dignified work through, through Crown Free.

Speaker 1: 55:47

And it came through a willing yes.

Speaker 2: 55:52

Yep, it was a. It was a. Definitely through a obedient yes, so he's he's in the yes through a obedient yes, so he's he's in the yes. My yes was on the table.

Speaker 1: 56:00

Yes, I love it. Well, this might sound like a really random question, but I know you mentioned you the first. You, the first product line was t-shirts. Right, I love t-shirts. You were talking about this before we got started, cause I'm I'm an affiliate with um crown free and when I came on, I bought a bunch of t-shirts and sweatshirts. I have a world changer sweatshirt, but the t-shirt that I'm wearing today, which is one of my favorites, she's a dreamer, world changer, difference maker. And do you remember the very first tee? So that he gave you, and has continued to give you, like visions and dreams about what the products are. But what was the first tea?

Speaker 2: 56:42

Yeah, so it was. I actually saved it because the Lord said to put put together a little um, museum box is what he called it. Um, but it's a. It was a tea of our crown with lace on the bottom of the shirt, and so it was called our lace extended graphic tee and that was made over in Vietnam with the missionary that I was talking about earlier from David's Bridal, and so that was our. That was our first t-shirt.

Speaker 1: 57:16

So was the lace in essence kind of brought over from the bridal dresses.

Speaker 2: 57:23

I'm sure that made the sourcing easier Back then. So the original idea that the Lord had given me was a. It was called the lace extender, and so it would have been, and we had a bunch of samples made. The funny thing is is we never did make, we never did come out with it. But I have a bunch of samples and I saved those too. But it was like, think of it like a really tiny mini skirt, and it's just made of lace so you could pull it on over like your leggings or your jeans, so that it would, you know, cover your backside and you could wear underneath a t-shirt to make it longer, basically, or a top to make it a little fancier. And so that was the first. That was the, the fashion idea that got this whole thing started, and so, instead of coming out with that, we just put lace on the bottom of a of a wider t-shirt, basically Um is is, so that it was kind of a blend of the of the two.

Speaker 1: 58:28

So fun. I love you have a museum box.

Speaker 2: 58:31

I do. Yes, yep, he said to put that together probably five years ago or so and I had saved some original things, um, but yeah, I just kind of keep adding to it. So I've got all my originals in there.

Speaker 1: 58:46

Fun. Well, what like? What is your favorite product that's come out over the years? Oh, that's a great question.

Speaker 2: 58:53

Oh man, um, we had a tool skirt kind of towards the beginning. I loved that tool skirt. Um, and because again I'm, I like to be a little fancy, and so I love that tool skirt, I um, one of our current products that I really love is our denim jean jacket, our courage to your heart denim jean jacket. It took years to make and so it's been a labor of love, but I just love the phrase Courage to your Heart and and I am a big jean jacket wearer and so that's a favorite we have a new baseball hat that came out this summer. It's called God is. It just says God is good on it, and I love wearing it. I love watching people read it. I love the conversations that start because of it. Um, that's yeah, so that's a. That's a favorite. Um, oh man, I have to think back 10 years. We've had a lot of products in 10 years.

Speaker 1: 1:00:04

A non-apparel product? How about what would be one of your favorite items?

Speaker 2: 1:00:19

Non-apparel, I would say. Currently, I'm a big fan of our radiance candle. I love that candle, um, and I, um, uh. So we have a program at Wedgwood with a wood shop, so there's, uh, we have all these amazing items that are made by kids, um, in a wood shop and we, um, have an item over Easter that we rolled out, have an item over Easter that we rolled out, rolled out, um, but it's an empty tomb and it's got like the um, the stone, um that was rolled away, attached to it as well. But I, I keep it out year round and that's just a favorite, a favorite piece of mine. It's not on our website currently. We'll bring it back around for Easter again, but, um, just a powerful, a powerful piece tells an amazing story on so many levels. So how?

Speaker 1: 1:01:06

about a bestseller of theirs.

Speaker 2: 1:01:09

Bestseller would be um, so our radiance candle is one of our top sellers. Um, our uh, let's see, our lip balms are huge seller. Um, our, uh, let's see, our lip balms are huge seller. Um, our candles are one of our top top sellers. And what's um, we have a lot of different scents, but radiance, oh, happy day Difference maker are our right now. And um, see what else is on that list Our hallelujah hat and our God is good hat. Those are also um top sellers right now. And then, mess on a mission. Decal mess on a mission is just a phrase that resonates with so many of us.

Speaker 1: 1:01:58

Um, blue sweatshirt. What's that? Have that blue sweatshirt.

Speaker 2: 1:02:03

Yep, yep, yep, that's a good fits me well. Yep, most of us can relate to that one Right. So, um, yeah, those are. Those, I would say, are some of our our top best sellers right now. So, exciting.

Speaker 1: 1:02:20

Well, thank you so much for sharing everything you've shared today. Um, I know that there's more to come, so, as you are heading into this next season, one of the things that, um, you know part of why I launched this podcast was because he said it was for the one. So, as we're sitting here and I know that you catch visions as well, but if you could just imagine, it's often women that are listening to this. There's one woman who is listening to your voice right now. Is there anything else that you would want to say to her, and would you be able to pray over her as well today?

Speaker 2: 1:02:59

Yeah, I would say, if you're hearing something from the Lord, don't delay, because there is so much blessing and favor from the Lord on the obedience, um, I can't imagine if, if I would have said no, like looking back at what, um, what would have been missed and the blessing of, like, pieces of the puzzle that you don't even understand are attached to your obedience, right. So, lord, would you just give your daughter, um, who's listening to this, would you just give her just a brave heart, lord, would you give her courage? Would you give her, um, lord, would her, yes, be on the table? Lord, would she, um, do it scared, do it afraid, but, lord, would her, yes, be on the table? Would she be willing to move, even not understanding or knowing exactly what the next steps are? But, lord, knowing that you will meet her, all she has to do is take the next step and then you will show her the next step.

Speaker 2: 1:04:17

But, lord, would you just give her a bold faith? And, lord, would you affirm, and, lord, would you bring even other people into her life and surround her, lord, to encourage her, to cheer her on? Would she know that heaven is cheering her on? And, lord, would she hear from you, lord, I just ask that you would open up her ears to hear, open up her eyes to see. Lord, would you speak to her in dreams and visions and signs and wonders. Lord, would you just increase your voice in her life. And, lord, would she have so much fun. Lord, as she walks this out with you, as she says yes to you, lord, would you be glorified in it. Would you receive all the glory Because it is all for you. Lord, in your mighty name we pray Amen.

Speaker 1: 1:05:10

Amen. Thank you Heidi. Oh my gosh, such a joy to have you on today. Probably have to have you back when the more comes out, when we can share more.

Speaker 2: 1:05:26

Yeah, that sounds amazing. Thank you for having me. That was um so fun to just look back and, um yeah, just be reminded of all that god has done and is doing absolutely.

Speaker 1: 1:05:31

I I love you know, even with some of my clients I have a phrase that I use. It's reminded to remember and then even last night I just had this word pop out of my mouth. It was um, the so far's like documenting the so far's isn't that kind of fun like huh, but um, yeah. So thank you so much. I will link, uh, heidi's contact information, the show notes. She also has a podcast, so I'll link that in there as well. I'll also link the book that she had mentioned when I find the name, and then I'll also link my affiliate link to crown free. You can go check out all of the products and it's amazing stuff. I love, like I said, my t-shirt today I'm wearing. It's so fun. Is it still available? Yes, it is.

Speaker 2: 1:06:19

One of our top sellers for t-shirts favorite so thank you again.

Speaker 1: 1:06:26

Thank you for being a brave voice who's setting others free. I'm going to close with our anchoring verse over hope, unlocked it's. May the god of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that, by the power of the holy spirit, you may abound in hope. And that's Romans 15, 13. So I'll be back with another episode next week. Thanks, heidi. Thanks so much.