82398 Polling in Oberbayern / Munich, Germany
Brand | Product | Regulation | D2C | E-commerce
1. Experience in B2C and the German market
I can help companies understand and operate successfully in the German market. With nearly ten years of hands-on D2C and e-commerce experience in Germany, I bring a deep understanding of local consumer behavior, cultural expectations, regulatory requirements, and everyday buying patterns — from both a strategic and operational perspective.
The value I bring to your team:
2. Navigating German & EU Regulative Requirements in B2C
I don’t see legal requirements as obstacles, but as a framework for shaping a future-proof business. With a background in public law and public administration, I remain clear-headed even as EU regulation grows increasingly complex. I am particularly interested in sustainability-related marketing regulation, including consumer-facing environmental claims and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products framework.
3. Product thinking & Circular Business Models
Product-driven thinking with a focus on quality, cost optimization, and durability, paired with a strong interest in extending product life cycles by embedding circular business models such as repair or recommerce into existing businesses.
4. Brand & Visuals
A strong visual sensibility with hands-on experience in photography, image editing, web design, and service design thinking—ensuring consistent, high-quality brand presentation across channels.
5. Bridging Strategy, Brand & Operations in D2C
Hands-on experience running a business, with practical ownership of operations, strategy, and brand decisions. Comfortable translating strategic goals into day-to-day execution while keeping the bigger picture in focus.
What I’m Looking for Now — and What I Bring:
After many years of self-employment, I’m excited to enter a new professional chapter. I’m consciously seeking opportunities to collaborate in a team again — to think bigger, grow together, and make better decisions through collaboration.
With my academic background combined with an entrepreneurial mindset, I’m a strong fit for a small or mid-sized company that is evolving and wants to remain competitive in a world of constant change — whether driven by AI or shifting markets. Having lived and worked in Germany since 2012, I bring first-hand insight into the German market: customer expectations, regulatory realities, and everyday business culture. This perspective is particularly valuable for international companies — especially Finnish ones — operating in or expanding into Germany.
I’m intentionally stepping away from the apparel and fashion industry, where my most recent experience lies, and looking to apply my skills in new contexts. I’m motivated to contribute to products, services, or organizational structures that align with my values of honesty, efficiency, and visual clarity.
As the founder of Arctic Flamingo, I built a niche E-Commerce brand for sustainable activewear, with a strong focus on distinctive brand identity and a consistently positive customer experience.
Arctic Flamingo – Highlights & Outcomes:
- Designed and developed 48 physical apparel products
- Served over 10,000 customers
- 97% five-star reviews
- Up to €150,000 in annual revenue, grown organically
With Arctic Flamingo, my focus was on:
Long-lasting, one-of-a-kind products — through bold design, careful material selection, and a recommerce strategy
An online-only model — via our own Shopify store and the Avocadostore marketplace
Organic growth — prioritizing SEO and organic social over short-term hype to build a brand with lasting value
Iterative product development — with a consistent focus on customer satisfaction and competitor monitoring
Curious by nature: fairs and events supporting my learning in retail and e-commerce (2025/2026):
Further Training & Learning Highlights: 2024–2025
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I’ve discovered a love for Design Thinking!
Because really — what’s better than products or services that are efficient, user-friendly, and simply practical?
June 2025, Aalto University, Finland -
To understand the theory behind sustainable products and services.
June 2024, University of Jyväskylä, Finland -
Green marketing brings together compliance, marketing, and sustainability in an interesting way — how do you communicate sustainability without falling into greenwashing?
October 2024, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland -
I wanted to find out if a career in data analytics could be a good fit for me. And once again, I realized: Excel spreadsheets just aren’t my thing 😅
October 2024, Coursera -
The big challenge in textiles and packaging is sustainability — it’s a fascinating topic, but what excites me even more are the business models of the future. This course sparked my interest in circular solutions and the circular economy.
May 2025, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland -
My goal was to gain insight into the processes of larger companies.
March 2025, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Hardskills
Tools I Use Regularly:
AI: ChatGPT, Claude, Nano Banana, Adobe Firefly
Design & Visuals: Photoshop, Lightroom, Canva, Photography
E-Commerce & Web: Shopify, Wordpress, Billbee, Google Search Console, Squarespace, SEO/GEO, Basic CSS and HTML
Language skills:
Finnish is my native language
I speak German and English fluently
Spanish, Russian, French, and Italian — I’ve studied these languages in the past and can mostly understand them in written form today
What I Built – and What I Learned Along the Way:
Arctic Flamingo Yoga Wear
www.arctic-flamingo.com
@arctic.flamingo.leggings
Over the past ten years, I founded and ran the niche D2C e-commerce brand Arctic Flamingo, taking full responsibility for product, business, and execution.
What started as a personal passion became a deeply hands-on learning ground — in product development, operations, and building a brand that customers can find, trust, and love online.
I launched Arctic Flamingo in 2016 to fill a gap in the market: for yoga wear that was as sustainable and high-quality as possible — with bold, vibrant designs that bring joy and playfulness back to what’s often a very serious yoga world.
Arctic Flamingo – Highlights & Outcomes:
- Designed and developed 48 physical apparel products
- Served over 10,000 customers
- 97% five-star reviews
- Up to €150,000 in annual revenue, grown organically
What This Experience Taught Me:
- How to take full ownership of products, decisions, and outcomes
- How to work within real constraints (budget, time, production, quality)
- How to translate abstract ideas into tangible products and customer experiences
- How to improve existing systems rather than starting from scratch
- How to balance quality, sustainability, and business viability
- How to understand business models holistically — and communicate what really matters
Visit:
www.arctic-flamingo.com
@arctic.flamingo.leggings
Clear Brand Presence for Solopreneurs
www.inkeriglova.de
@inkeri.glova
Since 2025, alongside my work with Arctic Flamingo, I’ve been helping solopreneurs in my region create clear and compelling online presences.
It’s not just about “web design” — my approach starts with deeply understanding the business as a whole: What makes it unique? Who is it for? And how can we communicate that clearly, credibly, and in a way that resonates?
I work intentionally without unnecessary complexity. Instead, I combine strategic thinking, structure, visual intuition, and hands-on implementation — so that small business owners get a brand presence that supports their business rather than complicates it.
My focus is always on understanding what a business is really about — and presenting that in the best possible light, so that customers immediately get it.
Visit:
www.inkeriglova.de
@inkeri.glova
Finn living in Germany since 2012 • Master of Administrative Sciences • Mother of 3 • funny • resilient • 44 • calm • curious • Yogi • colorful • honest • sporty • reliable • creative • optimist • international
As an e-commerce founder, I was responsible for…
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Shopify & WordPress
Setup, maintenance, and ongoing development of a D2C online shop.Web Design
Creating user-friendly, visually appealing interfaces.Generative AI & Tools
Used for tone of voice, product detail page (PDP) copy, image generation, retouching, and idea development.SEO & Performance
Optimization for visibility and organic growth.Google Search Console & Analytics
Monitoring and data-driven improvements.
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Pattern development and print design
Designed 48 unique styles from concept to market readiness.Material selection
Focused on sustainable, high-performance fabrics for activewear.Pricing and cost calculation
Achieved a viable D2C margin of approx. 60% — despite using sustainable materials and regional production in Germany.Production management
Directed and coordinated manufacturing based on original designs with two contract sewing facilities in Saxony.Customer-driven iteration
Continual product improvement based on user feedback.
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Community Building
Built a yoga-focused community with nearly 4,000 Instagram followers and a newsletter list of around 700. Used Instagram, Pinterest, and email marketing to drive organic growth without paid ads.Reach & Visibility
Increased reach through backlinks from blogs and expert articles, and placed products on platforms like Avocadostore and Etsy.Partnerships
Collaborated with local yoga teachers and studios to boost brand visibility and strengthen community presence.SEO & Analytics
Search engine optimization and performance tracking via Google Search Console.
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Brand Building & Positioning
Established and positioned a sustainable clothing brand by developing a distinctive brand identity.Market Research & Competitive Analysis
Continuously monitored major players and competitors to identify trends early and refine the brand strategy accordingly.Differentiation Strategy
Stood out from other yoga brands through bold colors, humor, and exclusive prints.Efficiency & Profitability
Achieved competitive pricing without paid marketing — by leveraging organic channels and in-house work, even with local production in Germany.
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Transparent Communication
Open and honest messaging around sustainability — without greenwashing.Policy Awareness
Familiar with EU circular economy goals and their relevance for the textile industry.Innovation Focus
Strong interest in fiber-to-fiber recycling and innovative material solutions for activewear.Responsible Packaging
Selected and implemented environmentally responsible packaging materials.Circular Business Models
Hands-on experience with circular models and their practical potential.Recommerce Program
Launched a second-hand initiative to extend product life cycles.
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Planned, organized, and executed over 60 outdoor lifestyle shoots with local yogis as models — always in small teams (typically 2 people) to create authentic, cost-efficient content.
Created and produced content for the website, newsletter, and social media.
Handled all product photography in a studio setting.
What I’ve been up to (and learning) beyond Arctic Flamingo:
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Course Project on Circular Design and Sustainable Marketing
Rethinking Plastic Display Hangers for Children's Underwear
WHAT I LEARNED:
Using a circular design approach, we redesigned a common single-use product through prototyping, material research, and user-focused thinking. I enjoy finding ways to make everyday items more efficient, sustainable, and user-friendly, and this was a fun, hands-on project with my partner. -
KI-Bilderstellung
Tried out various AI tools for branding, mainly using them to create social media content.
What’s been especially helpful: image-to-video features.
What I found especially exciting: creating personalized avatars. -
Web Design + Photoshoots for Solopreneurs
As a side project, I offer web design — simply because I love building websites that look great and work well. From branding photos to the finished site, I support local solopreneurs and small business owners throughout the entire process.
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Yoga Event: Weilheim Macht Yoga
Weilheim macht Yoga is an annual yoga event held in Weilheim and the surrounding area. The goal was to make yoga accessible to as many people as possible — young and old, beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
Our three-person team organized the event on a volunteer basis, handling everything from the website and sponsorships to the overall schedule. My role focused on planning and organization, as well as all visual aspects: Instagram, flyers, and photography.
What I Learned:
After many years of working solo, this was a valuable opportunity to re-engage in teamwork. Making decisions together can be challenging at times, but the creative exchange and sense of shared purpose were deeply rewarding. -
Personal Branding Photography
I’ve had the chance to photograph some amazing women entrepreneurs in my area — creating images for their websites and social media. For me, it’s key that the person feels at ease, and that I get a sense of how they want to be seen. In these 1:1 settings, I’m completely in my element.
Product- and Lifestylephotos for Arctic Flamingo
Topics I find exciting and want to explore further:
👍 How (Gen)AI is reshaping work, business, and society
👍 Recommerce as a way to extend customer relationships
👍 Team leadership and developing strong leadership skills
👍 Circular business models
👍 Design Thinking & Service Design
👍 Presenting with confidence and impact
👍 Making better decisions through data
👍 Consumer psychology
👍 OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) & SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment)
Books that have recently inspired me:
In my free time, I love staying active and moving:
Yoga helps me stay focused, the gym keeps me physically fit, and hiking, cross-country skiing, cycling, or heading out on SUP or ski tours are my favorite ways to unwind.
My dream:
Work that doesn’t tie me to a desk — but also keeps me physically active.
