Artisans are some of the most underrated artists in the world. Back in the day, they could barely reach the market. And when they do, they hardly get any money from that retail. They had no leverage, and they were getting strong-armed by middlemen. Roberto Milk, CEO & Co-Founder at NOVICA.com, saw this injustice first hand and wanted to do something about it. Now, he is changing the lives of artisans all over the world. 

“If you get it right for the customers, you get it right period.” - Roberto Milk

Roberto started way back in 1999 when he saw the artisans struggling and almost vanishing because they weren’t making enough money. As someone who was collecting crafts himself, he can’t help but wonder why such talented artists are having a hard time trying to make a living.  

With an entrepreneur mind, Roberto wanted to help these people and try to preserve culture. In an era where the internet wasn’t as big as it is today, his plan to open an online platform to sell artisans' craft is quite a difficult endeavor. 

There were a lot of naysayers, so they found it really hard to get investors, especially being a for-profit organization. But against all odds, he pushed his business with his vision and passion. 

Today, they are a huge online platform that has sent over $100 million to artisans all over the world. They are servicing artisans in very remote areas, by getting their items online and shipping items to customers wherever they may be. 

But the secret to all of these, and what is truly inspiring, is how they treat the artisans. 

For Roberto, their number one customers are the artisans. They wanted to make it an amazing experience for them, which was the primary motivation of why he built this company in the first place. 

Novica has offices all over the world for item drop-offs so that the artisans don’t ship anything. They allow the artisans to dictate the price of all of their items and have full control over what design they want to produce. They don’t have contracts or anything that locks them down. Their business model is designed to change the lives of artisans. 

As a result, the end consumers also get a better price out of all this, since the prices are directly from the artisans. The crafts are delivered straight to their door, which is also a part of their customer experience-focused model. 

If the end consumers are happy, they keep coming back and the artisans get to showcase and use more of their talent. At the end of the day, everybody wins. 

Conclusion

Roberto started in a difficult time where the internet is not as prominent as it is today. But with the right determination and passion, one man can make a difference in a lot of people’s lives. If you want to learn more on Roberto’s Journey, be sure to listen to the full podcast episode of the Impact Hustler's Podcast.