Making a Statement with Sustainable Jewelry ft. Tonya Dickenson (Asymmetric by Design)

If you are a regular listener of The Resilience Report, you probably already know that I am a huge fan of all things responsible fashion. From vintage to innovative recycled materials, I really do love this space. And yet, I recently realized an important blind spot: accessories, and more specifically jewelry. Which is somewhat silly, as jewelry really does hold the potential to be something that you hang on to much longer, arguably even across generations. 

So, what was it that made me start thinking about the environmental and social impacts of jewelry? Well, one person was out next guest: Tonya Dickenson.

In 2021, Tonya founded and became the creative director of Asymmetric by Design, a bold and sustainable jewelry company that empowers women to express their personal brand and values and connect with others. Tonya designs and creates one-of-a-kind asymmetric necklaces using exclusively natural, upcycled, and recycled materials, while supporting traditional artisans in the developing world. Her jewelry has been featured on major Canadian news outlets including Global News and CBC, and worn on the Red Carpet in LA and on Dragon's Den and reflects her passion for environmental and social justice.

Before launching Asymmetric by Design, Tonya had a successful career in pharmaceuticals, mental health, and mask awareness, production and distribution, where she focused on making a difference and helping protect lives. Tonya has an Executive MBA from Smith School of Business at Queen's University, and a BAH in Pure Mathematics and Economics from the same institution. Tonya believes that we have won the lottery of life, and that we should use our talents and resources to combat climate change and reduce inequalities, making the world a greener and better place for all.

Tonya share a number of gems (pun totally intended) on this episode that I know you are going to love!

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[Host: Lauren Scott] Welcome to The Resilience Report, Tonya. I'm so happy to have you on today's episode.

[Guest: Tonya Dickenson] Thank you for having me. I'm delighted.

You have a really rich, interesting background. I would love if you could bring our listeners through what those different chapters have looked like and how you got to where you are today.

Great question. It's actually: there have been three chapters in my professional life, and my first chapter was probably the longest. It was 25 years spent in pharmaceuticals here in Montreal, mainly, in sales and marketing. My last role was actually managing and overseeing all the marketing plans for Novartis, as well as the full five-year strategic plan. So, I really honed my business skills during those 25 years.

Then the second chapter, we were fortunate to be able to live abroad. I lived abroad as a child, and I wanted to give that same experience to my children. So, I spent a magical eight years in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi when it was calm. There I worked on project-based roles. I ran the tennis arm for the Special Olympics; I love playing tennis, and that's probably the only sport I'd be qualified to run. I also did all kinds of international, huge international marketing campaigns, thinking of Emirates Airlines or Uber Eats. It was really fascinating to understand different cultures and gain a true global perspective on how to market to various markets, considering the differences even within the Middle East in terms of marketing campaigns – to really adapt that to the target audience.

Finally, the third chapter, which is probably the most surprising for me, is during the pandemic. Based on my anti-infective background, I realized that the only thing that could really stop the virus while we waited for a vaccine was masks. So, I sprung into action, launched Army of Masks, and we produced 80,000 disposable masks for free for doctors here in Montreal and all over North America. This experience gave me the confidence to launch my own business – if I could launch something in complete lock down with all the stores closed and we were isolated to our homes. About a year later, I launched Asymmetric by Design, and it's been a year that we've been in business, and I'm loving it.

Well, I would love to hear more about this new chapter for the past year. Before we started chatting, I said admittedly, I am very big into fashion and love vintage fashion, sustainable fashion, and I have just never really thought about jewelry. I love jewelry, but I've never really thought about the sustainability side. I would love to hear how you've incorporated this approach into your work, and maybe if we think about sustainability even more broadly, there's definitely both social and environmental considerations. So, if you could help share a little bit about those two sides.

Definitely. So, just a little parenthesis: I've been collecting antique components all my life. So fourt-five years, I've been collecting pieces from all my travels and wherever I've lived. When we think about sustainability and jewelry, there are two components - environmental and social.

Environmental considerations come into play when we think of mining, which has a huge carbon footprint leading to greenhouse emissions, along with water usage, production, and distribution. Mining also contributes to deforestation, with about 20% of global deforestation attributed to mining activities (and that could be of precious metal or stones).

On the social side, it involves the labor conditions, including child labor. For instance, I traveled to Sri Lanka and visited where they mined precious stones. These were very small shafts in the earth reinforced by wood planks. During monsoon season, these shafts would collapse, leading to worker fatalities. Since these shafts are small, children are often sent in as well. The conditions vary based on the raw material being produced. For example, pearls have a low carbon footprint and relatively good conditions, as opposed to precious stones financing wars, such as blood diamonds in Sierra Leonne.

In terms of bead shops, there's often little transparency in sourcing. Only about 30% can provide information about where their products come from, mainly for precious stones. For the rest, there's uncertainty about origin and production conditions. In terms of labor and fair trade, it's honestly a big question mark.

It's so interesting, and definitely, in other industries, you might think of certain certifications. It sounds like there might be some but very limited. So, how did this translate to your vision for Asymmetric by Design? You mentioned briefly that you've had this 45 years of collecting beads and how this has led to where you are today. I'd love to hear more about that.

So, I really thought about wanting a brand that was sustainable but also aiming to become a net positive and B Corp. I wanted both the sustainability component and the social component, considering the lack of transparency in terms of the production or the mining of most of these raw materials. I've been an avid collector of antiques, love vintage, and, like you, antiques. It's much easier for me to focus on things that exist. I can guarantee that there have been no issues in terms of labor, mining, or deforestation because it's something that was done 100 years ago, 50 years ago, 20 years ago, it exists right now and might not be going to a landfill. So, I decided to use predominantly vintage and antique material. I'm also using recycled material from a vendor I have in Montreal that supports local artists in Africa, in Mali, in Ghana, where I don't have full clarity, and I hope to develop that clarity because everything we do is incrementally better, achieving full transparency in terms of their carbon footprint in my recycled materials. I assume it's still better than producing plastic now, and I'm also investigating materials with low carbon footprints, such as lava stone spewing out in Iceland. There are no mining issues.

I've gone to pearl farms, which I think is very sustainable. So, I'm really looking at sourcing materials from the right place and ensuring they have a minimal carbon footprint. This is how I've decided to orient my designs, collection, and material. I'm very determined in terms of what raw materials I use.

I love what you're saying about incremental improvements. I think sometimes we have paralysis by analysis, and we want to do this amazing project, and we get a little bit nervous about having everything perfect from the get-go. So, I love this incremental learning, and I think that's what we all need to do to find these more sustainable solutions. So, congratulations on taking that approach.

If there are people or listeners in the jewelry space and maybe they're interested in getting a little bit more sustainable, maybe taking one of those incremental steps, what would you recommend they do as maybe some of those first steps to become either more socially or environmentally conscious in their practices?

If they can ask their suppliers about certification, inquire about where the materials are sourced. Using recycled materials and embracing circular fashion, offering redesign services (we often thinking of melting gold, melting silver, resetting diamonds), and repairs are great steps. And then there is innovative products and designs can lead to more sustainable practices.

For example, my daughter just got engaged. And this new generation is embracing lab-grown diamonds. Exploring technologies like laser cutting for repurposing items that would otherwise be discarded is another avenue. There are various technologies like 3D printing to explore. The key is to be open to trying new things and gradually incorporating sustainable practices into their work. Innovation is a muscle that needs exercise, and creativity is a muscle that we can work on. There's optimism about the future, including in the jewelry industry.

You mentioned exploring new technology, maybe like laser cutting. Are you working on any specific projects right now that you're particularly excited about and that you can share with listeners?

I'm exploring different suppliers, but what I'm most excited about, and I'm currently updating it, is using my background in mathematics. I have a degree in pure math and economics from Queens, and I love solving problems, making models, and forecasting. Which is a little surprising because I am also artistic. This summer, I researched how to quantify the environmental impact of each of my designs on an individual basis. So I love vintage clothing, as do you, and one of the biggest resellers is The Real Real. They have a robust sustainability calculator for every single one of their items. I backward engineered their sustainability calculator, talked with them and their consultants. I figured it out and identified the carbon footprint in terms of water and carbon saved by using second-hand items. Now I'm updating the website with that data for each individual product. I'm very excited about it. People will know when they buy a necklace, it's not a huge saving in impact, but it'll get them thinking that everything they do has an impact, and everything adds up cumulatively. If we all start thinking that way, we can really bend the curve. This is what I'm most excited about. I'll have that for every item for sale, not the ones that have been sold, because it's based on weight and all that. 

Interesting. That is so neat, and I have not seen that done. So, that is very innovative. While I don't have that mathematics background, I certainly have that curiosity - I would love to see the data, and I think that to your point, maybe not everyone will understand all of the calculations, but they'll certainly understand enough to have a conversation starter and to be more mindful about their purchases. So, I think that's beautiful.

Another interesting part beyond your education is that you've lived in, if I'm correct, 11 countries. Is that correct?

Correct. I’ve lived in 11 countries. I've actually worked in three, and I've traveled to over a hundred many, many times. I have a passion for traveling. It is more of a passion for people, culture and history – that is my real fascination. 

I'm curious as well, as you were moving around, did you see a difference in terms of how we approach sustainability from country to country? And has that been changing over the years from what you've been seeing?

That's a very broad topic, so I am going to answer it in a different way. It's been over my 45 years of traveling, so it's changed as well. But in terms of consumption, for example, I'll talk about in terms of consumption, maybe in terms of recycling or waste, and then in terms of sustainability projects.

In terms of purchasing, when I lived in France, for instance, I was quite surprised that people shop almost every day for their food for what they were preparing that night. The fridges are very small, the apartments are small, but also the waste is almost non-existent in terms of food. In 2016, even the government passed a law that the grocery stores were not allowed to waste any food; it had to be given away before the best-before date. Whereas here, you know, Costco, Walmart, we shop for a week, and then the bananas go bad, or the avocados go bad. It was so different for me, just that how we shop.

So depending on where you are in the world it's very different and that really affects the waste. Europe also is light years ahead of us in terms of recycling. I think Sweden is down to 99% is no waste, I mean it's unbelievable, and recycling for me I discovered that at the age of 10 in '78 in Egypt because they recycled for necessity, you know, to be able to get money. Other countries, for example, Ethiopia, they basically throw away nothing because they have no money, and so it's like wow, so the difference in terms of overconsumption and overproduction is really shocking for me in different countries including right now that still applies today. 

And then if you look at projects then in terms of sustainability, for example, right now South Africa is dealing, you know, planting I think 10 million trees, the UAE is really focused on water, on saving water. So every country has very different needs, and so it's a very complex question, but I'm optimistic that I feel that we're all moving towards the same page and we're all sort of feeling the pain. Unfortunately, the countries that suffer the most from climate change are often not those are polluting the most, it's often the opposite. So we really need to get on board in terms of the developing world to help. The developed world needs to help the developing world really, and we need to really step up.

Hopefully, we can learn from some of these best practices around the world. When you mentioned France, I was thinking, I believe it was last this past year they've passed a law of kind of right to, I was going to say right to repair, that's maybe not the right term, but there was a government incentive to repair your clothing and shoes, and they would actually give money to the tailor to help subsidize, I guess when you were bringing in your clothing or shoes to get repaired so that you're just not throwing them out, which is very progressive. So hopefully, some of those ideas can come across the pond for all of us. 

You did mention you have a background in marketing and communications. You can definitely tell that you're very comfortable in sharing your story and storytelling is such an important part of sustainability. Can you share a little bit about what you think the role of marketers and storytellers will be in terms of the arc that we're going to see for sustainable solutions?

Oh well, I think that storytelling has always been important but it has been more in terms of the benefits of the product. And so where I see this huge shift is in terms of purpose. So it's no longer all about the benefit of the product, it's the purpose of the brand, its impact on the environment, its impact on society, and especially the Gen Z and younger generations are really holding us to account. Like what are you doing to fight climate change, what are you doing to fight women's rights, what are you doing? And that did not exist when I started out in pharmaceuticals. It was really, we're here to help for long lives, that was it. And in terms of the environment and community as a brand, I was really focused more on the good disposal of medicine, for example, so that doesn't go into our water streams or I volunteered one day a year, you know, we tick the box, but it was not the core purpose of the brand. And I think that that's really, really changing and the companies that are able to communicate clearly to their employees the purpose, to their stakeholders, to their banks, to their shareholders, to their consumers, what they're doing in terms of ESG will come out ahead for sure. So it's changed dramatically in my lifetime, which is quite surprising. I'm not ancient. 

You're absolutely right though. We're seeing this values-based connection, and it's beautiful to see, and it's definitely, we do have Gen Z to thank for that of really pushing that and seeing employers taking those steps. And as part of that journey, you mentioned you were in pharmaceuticals for the pharmaceutical industry for years, which is a very classic industry, and you struck out on your own to become an entrepreneur as part of the pandemic journey. What was that transition like? Was that just day and night, or did you feel ready because of some of those projects you took on? Just as someone who has never done the entrepreneurial side, I would just love to hear what that experience is like.

It's a great question actually because I never in my wildest dreams started to become an entrepreneur. When I was young, I did not want to be an entrepreneur because I didn't want to work 24/7, seven days a week. I wanted to have a family, I wanted to travel, I wanted all these things. So, it was never in the cards for me. However, my career and then this Army of Masks really gave me pause and said, you know what, I can do this and I love it. And so, it was quite a seamless transition, but I really spent a year thinking about it. Because during the pandemic, we actually did have time, not much to do, there was no traveling, you couldn't go out, so I really reflected a lot. I read a very fabulous book of actually a colleague of mine wrote it, it's Personal Socrates and it really asks you profound questions about yourself. So I really spent a few weeks really going through this book and answering every question and being honest with myself to really find out what were my true passions, not what I thought people wanted my passions to be or how I thought people would look at me. It's really being true and going to the core of my values, of my purpose. What could I bring to the table? And yeah, so it was actually quite an easy transition but it required confidence, it required courage, especially to launch into something that was artistic, you know, versus pharmaceutical and saving lives. A necklace doesn't save a life, but it does empower women, it does help to protect the planet, and I'm giving back. 

So it took me a lot of, I would say courage, but I had tremendous support of my family, tremendous support of my tribe, and I'm actually surrounded by a lot of female entrepreneurs from pharmaceutical that have launched their own companies at the wonderful age of in their 50s, and, no, we have a lot to bring to the table and we have a very different outlook, I think, a very different way of thinking, and we're often, I don't want to categorize it, but we're often very values-focused. And so it was actually quite an easy transition and, yeah, so I hit the ground running, and there was a lot of planning, there's been a lot of reflection. I mean, just the branding was two months of work, because it's a personal brand, so everything I do is a reflection of me, you know, it's not selling a pill, somebody else's pill, it's everything is my design. So, it took a lot of reflection, but a year to really get my purpose, my values, my pillars, my branding, my name, everything down, and once I was happy with that, then I was ready to launch. I needed my foundations to be very strong, but I had that from marketing.

So, it was not maybe just a double click on the name. Would you mind explaining what that thought process was choosing "Asymmetric by Design"?

Great question, actually. It came to me right away, okay. So, I don't like symmetry, I think it's boring, okay. So if you think of a pearl necklace for me, that's not as interesting as something like I'm wearing. So, asymmetric, I love, so that was done. Plus, I wanted with a brand to correct a lot of the asymmetries that existed in the world, you know, the women's rights, for example, the inequalities. So, for me, I was trying to correct that. So also had that name and then "By Design" is design is artistic but everything we do is also very intentional. Everything is by design, there's nothing that we're doing that is not intentional. So "Asymmetric by Design," that's what it means. 

I love that. I think it's so creative; it is a wonderful, wonderful name. And just to go back to the entrepreneurial slot, I am curious now that you've gone through this experience and you look back on your career, do you think that you could have done this earlier in your career? Would it have made sense, or did it almost take that full trajectory to be able to do this - like this was the right time for you?

Excellent question. The answer is that no, I would never change anything. The pharmaceutical industry is probably the toughest business school in the world to go through. It is so regulated and rightly so. It is so tough - the reimbursements are tough - everything about it is very, very difficult. So it makes it a fabulous business school. The networking I have was also incredible and the level of professionalism as well in that industry. And then that whole Army of Masks in the pandemic really brought me a lot of confidence as well. And then the final part is you mentioned the world timing. Timing is key. Sustainability is a buzzword now, women's rights, climate change, righting social inequalities, all that is coming to the forefront now but wasn't there enough, you know, maybe if I'd launched something using vintage and recycled materials 40 years ago or not 40, 30 years ago, they would say, oh my, that's maybe. And now women also are confident, women want to feel empowered, women are sitting at that table and you don't want to blend in. When I was young, you know, I had a closet full of blue, navy blue suits or black suits. We needed to blend in, you know, we couldn't be too feminine, and now I said, I just want to be bold, I want to differentiate myself. Now we have Zoom, these necklaces look fabulous on Zoom really, you see, you see that necklace on that Zoom. So, there's this coming of age also of women, and so I think it's the right product as well. So for all these reasons, I wouldn't have been successful, I wouldn't have launched it then but now it's a, I think it's a right product at the right time, I really, I'm really am convinced.

I read a quote the other day that said if you can't fit in with the guys, you might as well be THE woman and so be the woman with the bold necklace. I love that. I think that's a wonderful idea. Do you remember a specific moment in time where you knew that you wanted sustainability to be part of your journey professionally? Was it you mentioned 10 years old when you were seeing the different materials being reused or was it later in your career?

So, I have to be honest with you, I have always been in love with antiques and vintage because it's much more interesting. So, my house is 1912, my furniture is all antiques, my dishes even are antiques, my clothes often I buy secondhand because I want a nice suit but I don't want to pay $1,000. So I've always looked or been attracted to antiques and vintage for their beauty, for their history, for the value. It's a great value in general for your buck, and it's only now that I realize that, you know, unconsciously I'd been, all my purchases had been with the planet in mind, but it was not really with the planet in mind, it was with beauty in mind, in the preservation of history and extending my dollars and creating something that was very warm, that was unique, that was me. And so it was less sustainability than truly all these things, and now for the bit my business, I'm trying to be only sustainable but in my life, even my Christmas decorations are vintage. I mean, it's antique snowshoes, I put bells on them and it's just, it's spectacular. Like people stop in the street to take pictures, amazing. Yeah, so it's just, you know, to want to be different, to want to, I'm like the opposite of Ikea, you know, things last, you know, things last. I love auction houses and I've just, I've just always loved the thrill of the find. So, it wasn't really focused on sustainability when I was young, it was just really more focused on the beauty and the and the preservation of history.

Yeah, that's wonderful when we can see that it doesn't have to be an or, it can be an and, and to see the beauty and it's sustainable, I think is really where you see the winning formula. 

Yes, definitely. 

And I'm sure you felt this when you're in the pharmaceutical industry and certainly when you were doing Army of Masks and then now where you are that when you're doing purpose-driven work it can at times feel like a lot especially when you're a hard worker which I definitely get the impression that you've always been a very, very hard worker. What tips do you have to keep yourself going and motivated and recommitted to the work when it can feel challenging at times?

Oh, that's a big, big, big question. I think at first it's really identifying your purpose and being very clear on that and reminding yourself of that, is are you doing, are you focusing on that? But then establishing milestones and breaking that down as well. You know, there's an expression, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. So, you know, really having those small milestones and celebrating those wins. I have a mentor, I'm a mentor at Queens, but I knew that I needed a mentor as well. So asking for help, surrounding yourself by your tribe. So I have a tremendous amount of female entrepreneurs, so I'm on a WhatsApp group and so if one of us is feeling down or in a struggle, we're on the app and we're all trying to help each other and motivate each other, so that's really nice. Being part of different associations as well helps and seeking out collaborators. For example, I've collaborated with Dress for Success.

Oh neat!

Yes, so, you know, when I was accepted in Fashion Week Montreal, which was a big surprise for me because I didn't think I would. The first year I collaborated with Dress for Success that shared my values of empowering women and sustainability. Everything they have is secondhand or donations from brands, and we partnered in, for example, we did a fashion show. Well, and that was great because I only had to provide the jewelry; they did all the rest. So it's also dividing and conquering. You also need to prioritize self-care. So, making sure you're not working that 24/7 seven days, taking time off, going for walks, enjoying your family, stopping and making dinner.

And then for me, I'm not always super disciplined. So, what I've had to do is really block off time in my calendar where there's no interruptions and I don't even look at email. Like, you have to have these blocks of time where I'm either creating or doing social media and I have to not focus on anything else. Be curious, be a lifetime learner. Right now, I'm taking a lot of AI courses just to see. You always have to keep on learning, thinking, and you know, one idea gets the other idea. I was taught that innovation is a recombination of two ideas, and sometimes it could be bad ideas like the Post-it is, you know, paper and bad glue, but you know, it's, it's, yeah, you know. So, you know, and always, don't be scared to fail, try. Doesn't work.

Figure out why it didn't work, readjust. We learn a lot from failure, much more or, you know, through little setbacks than we do through successes. And just bring your authentic self. Always and share with others your struggles, your successes. They love to see your humanity, honestly. And you know, sometimes things have worked, and sometimes things have not, and you just keep on trying and trying and trying until you get better. But people are very forgiving as well. Like I mentioned at the beginning, you know, I'm trying to create a brand that will eventually be B Corp, but it's incremental. And I tell people it's incremental. This is what I'm doing; this is how I'm doing. This is the best I can do right now. And I'm looking, and if you know a better way, please tell me. And I think people respect that. And like you said, you know, it can't go from zero to B Corp, you know. We're all learning, you know, absolutely. And I'm just trying this way, and I'm being very transparent and open. And you know, every year, I hope to incremental improvements. But I'm, I'm very proud of what I've accomplished. This year is amazing. Really.

It's, it's been incredible. If our listeners are not yet following Tonya on LinkedIn, definitely do. It's very, very inspiring. And these are all such great tips. What, would it be maybe one of those tips or something else, if you were to give advice to a young woman or maybe even Tonya just getting started, you know, 45 years ago in the sustainability space? What advice would you have for that young woman coming in?

So, I wouldn't say I have advice for somebody that's going into sustainability only because, in general, it applies to everything. And then once you've established that, then you can look at your whole business model and say, okay, how can I ensure that every single part is more sustainable? For example, what we're looking at next year is, in part, you know, we've been using bubble wrap. So that we're trying to eliminate. So in terms of our shipping, so there's aspects that were not sustainable, not with plastic wrap. So, you know, there's things that we have to tweak and correct. But it's really, if you want to launch because your question is to launch a company?

To launch a company or just even to approach a career. It could be at a company that already exists, but that they really want to bring that sustainability lens. You know, you mentioned Gen Z has is searching for that values-based connection. So what would be a piece of advice there?

Well, you can look at companies that are already doing a fabulous job (for example Patagonia). You could ask your future employers “what is your purpose”? “What are your values” to make sure that they align with yours? And when you go into a company, when I was hiring staff, I always said the first six months, you have these virgin eyes; you're seeing things for the first time. So you're seeing things that I no longer see and I take for granted. So any improvement, please let me know. And it could be going through the waste paper basket, seeing what's being thrown out in the cafeteria, what's being thrown out by people. Okay, well, how can we go to almost zero waste? So it could be things like that. There's lots of things that they could do within any corporation to become more green, more sustainable. And also not forgetting the social aspect as well. How could they be contributing more to society and giving back without, you know, taking everybody off, you know, off work. So, you know, it's really thinking outside of the box. And yeah, we can always make improvements, always, always, always. 

They're great recommendations. If people want to learn more about your work, where would be the best place for them to go check that out?

So, the best place would definitely be on my website, www.asymmetricbydesign.com. So we have our “Net-a-porter” collections there. They can also contact us for redesigns or ideas. If something's sold out, then we can potentially help do something similar. I'm also at the Montreal Art Center Museum, but it's best to contact me ahead of time to make sure that I'm, I'm there. And yeah, we're definitely reachable. We'll be at Fashion Week Montreal next year. And yeah, so very, very, very excited year ahead. 

And then we just like to wrap up every episode with the same question, which is, what do you think it will take for businesses and leaders to be resilient going forward?

Oh, I think they have to really start looking more for their long-term view than the short-term quarterly profits. That would be my wish. I wish that they would have a more inclusive leadership for sure. For sure. Focus on ESG and communicate, communicate, communicate with their employees, their purpose, with their stakeholders, customers. Communication is very important. And you know, really think out of the box, innovate. Embrace AI; it's here to stay. So see how that can, you know, improve your business as well. So yeah, there, there's a lot of real opportunities for optimism. And with all these crises. These are opportunities as well. So, um, I want everybody to believe that they have a sphere of influence and they have the power to make this world a better place.

Well, thank you so much. You are such a brilliant leader. So thank you so much for sharing all of your insights with us today. 

You're welcome. Thank you for having me. It was a real, real treat.