Riddle me this… Jorrit Jorritsma
Riddle gets up close and personal with the founder of Millican sustainable bags
If you knew then what you know now… would you still do it?
Absolutely – but with some key changes. Starting your own company I think benefits from a healthy dose of naivity. Core, practical knowledge coupled with passion and the right network is great, but not knowing all is a blessing. The changes I’d make with hindsight are all about responding to what’s in front of me quicker and more decisively. But that’s easier said than done when you’re in it of course.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Follow your heart- the driver in your life is ultimately your own passion. That provides the fire for the engine, the spark for your creativity and the inspiration to get others behind your project. Especially if you want your work to give you meaning, following your heart is a must in my view.
What’s the weirdest rumour you’ve ever heard about yourself?
That’s a tricky one – I might be a bit sheltered here in the Lakes, so I don’t pick up on the rumour circuit very much! However, the weirdest one has been the notion with some that I personally moved out of London and moved into a cave in Borrowdale, the Lake District. Fact is that we named our brand after a local legend called Millican Dalton, self-styled Professor of Adventure and often called the Borrodale Hermit, who lived here in a cave until he died in 1947. So it wasn’t me…
What was your biggest break?
Our biggest break was the launch of our second collection of travel and outdoor bags, The Maverick Collection, last year plus the decision to launch this at a large European outdoor trade show. Since our launch, we’ve doubled the size of the company, and are on track to double again this year. Our partnerships with other brands including Fujifilm, The Botanist, Universal Works and The Do Lectures have made a major difference to us, yet The Maverick launch provided the real breakthrough we were looking for.
Do you consider yourself lucky?
I consider myself very lucky- very largely because by following my heart I’ve ended up travelling the world, built a great life with my family in the Lake District National Park and am creating a company with a real soul as a meaningful place to work for a growing team of Millicanites. Naturally life’s never perfect, but this definitely keeps us on our toes.
What’s most important in your life?
My passions and my family- all the key decisions I’ve made in life have been driven by my personal passion for travel, for adventure, and for connections with the world we live in. Nicky and I met travelling in South America, and after drifting around the world for two years, we settled in England, ultimately putting down roots here in the Lake District where our daughter has grown up. I took my 40th year off to spend more time with my young family and that was an amazing opportunity to connect and re-assess what to do next. Millican was born from this period in my life.
What brands do you admire?
Brands I admire are the original howies and Nau, Patagonia, Hiut Denim, Jocks & Nerds, Ecoalf, Camper, Freitag, Apolis, Sitka- all brands driven by meaning and passion.
Do you have a guilty pleasure – if so what is it?
Haha- my guilty pleasure is to read mind-numbing books at times. I’m a slow reader and although I love learning new insights through reading meaningful, thought-provoking books and publications, it’s great to loose myself every now and then in a senseless world of fiction I can read quickly.
Describe your personal sense of style.
Trusted Essentials with personal story and relevance. 