[Translated by Haegwan Kim]
Haegwan Kim
At first can you tell me about your definition of success?
Eriko Yamaguchi
Doing what you want to do!
HK
Then what would be "what you want to do"?
EY
For me, it's enjoying life.
HK
You're helping developing countries through producing bags, was that "what you wanted to do"? Or you realized "what you want to do" during the process?
EY
It's the former.
HK
I'm just wondering whether you're happiness links to other's happiness. In your case, does contributing to developing countries mean to increase your own happiness?
EY
Well… I hope both connect one another, but we sometimes work for projects, which are not necessarily for others. So our primary is not others, it's ourself.
HK
So working needs personal incentive first?
EY
Yes, I think so.
HK
Today, many social entrepreneurs appear on various areas and saying that their motivations come from "other's happiness". You disagree with them?
By the way, I agree with you in many ways. Through my projects, I realized that I would fail if I seek incentive from others. So I always look for the reason from my inside.
EY
…otherwise people can't keep on, I think. If you work on just projects for others, I doubt that they can be sustainable.
HK
What is the biggest lesson you learn from Motherhouse's activities?
EY
When I founded the company, I have some sort of certainty to make my ideas happen- even that's invisible - and I made it real. Our company is still a venture, but having 6 stores, making tens of thousands of bags in a year, I feel there's nothing we can't do. That's my biggest lesson.
HK
When you founded the company, you could overcome uncertainty, concern and stigma which Japanese female entrepreneurs often have. Why?
EY
The imagination of success surpassed my all concerns.
HK
[Laughter] I see. Since your working links to developing countries, would you tell me your vision on their future.
EY
Wow, big question.
HK
[Laughter] Surely.
EY
I can't think of anything but expanding our projects at the moment.
HK
Don't you link your activities and developing countries?
EY
Of course yes, but that's long term view. We're now just focusing on creating better products 120%. It's not time to talk about the big picture yet.
HK
Bringing developing countries' products to developed countries - this model is now proliferated in many countries but when you started the company it wasn't. What was the reason you chose this model?
EY
I didn't think about the model at all. I even didn't consider selling. I just started to create great bags.
HK
Wow, you're brave! Then the beginning was a tiny challenge…
EY
Yes, through selling and making bags, we've been thinking thinking thinking then we found our model. We created website, we failed, then we went to wholetrade, we failed and finally we had our own store.
HK
Let's get back to our first topic, success. I always ask this question, which is what would be your advice to achieve success? You told me "do what you want to do" at first, but there's plenty of people who even don't know what they'd like to do. Do you have advice for them?
EY
I think you have to keep on working. Continuing your works - I wrote about this in my book, which is "keep walking" - is the key.
Whether you fail or succeed totally depends on whether you keep on the work or not. If I stop working at the first year, I would fail. But since I tried to continue our projects, now we can see success.
"If I'd keep on a little bit more" - many people think like this. But it's difficult. The last thing that drove you to do is attitude of challenge. You better to challenge if there's even few percentage of opportunities.
HK
I see, then you never failed? I mean, you can keep on everything until they will succeed?
EY
So what I'm most afraid of is the time when I can't keep on working. For example breaking my body, having accidents, anything like that. But as long as I can keep on my challenges, I'd like to do it.
HK
What is your motive power to work on so many stuffs?
EY
It's my habit.
HK
Habit? [Laughter]
EY
In sports you can't do anything if you didn't practice well before the match. Same thing for the company. So I make bags constantly to keep on the attitude. It's really like a habit. [Laughter]
HK
Wow, habit. I've heard you did Judo. Did it help you to have the habit? Or did any child education help to have the attitude?
EY
Of course Judo did, but education after you become adults is also important. For instance, improving customer service always and make it link with the number of selling - these experience would be your nourishment and they are practicable, mentally. Hard working and hard working, then you made it - then you can experience like "oh this works well". What' the important is continuing those experiences, earnestly.
Eriko Yamaguchi is the founder of Motherhouse.
