What it’s ACTUALLY like to work at LOOSENDS.
I spent 4 months at LOOSENDS, this is what no one tells you…
When you think about LOOSENDS, perhaps you think about our unique designs, or the minimalistic yet playful branding. Or maybe you see a small business with a LARGE audience, and think “what’s all the hype about?”. But when we pull back the curtain,
is this small business really as ethical, value-driven, and as exciting as it appears online?
As one of the company’s first ever employees, I’m here to set the record straight. Today I’m spilling all the secrets, taking you behind the scenes to expose the reality of this small Canadian business. I am asking the hard-hitting questions, and revealing what it’s really like to work for LOOSENDS.
Our journey begins back in October of 2025.
Amidst a frenzy of pursuing my career as a dance artist, while also trying to make a living, I was (desperately) searching for part-time work- and would not stop talking about it to everyone around me. Here’s a pro tip: sometimes oversharing can be useful, because it led me directly towards Bennett, who, at the time, was searching for help with their new yarn business. Jumping forward a week or two, after an actually very serious, kind of stressful interview, they hired me the next day!
When I was hired Bennett mentioned that the role was flexible and could evolve as the business grew, but to be honest, I didn’t have any clue what that would look like.
So here’s the tea.
What’s the job really like?
Working for a business that previously had no employees, I was open to jumping in to support however necessary, but I definitely didn’t expect for my role to evolve so quickly and in such an impactful way. Within these last four months, I have helped plan and execute two events, consulted on creative shoots, pitched and developed branding and social media content, re-launched the LOOSENDS blog, and of course sorted through and shipped thousands (yes thousands) of skeins of yarn!
As a ‘studio assistant’ I started out primarily with physical tasks. My responsibilities included packing, labeling yarn, shipping orders, organizing the studio, and tracking inventory, but as things picked up during the holiday season, my role began to evolve from daily operations to a focus on marketing and brand strategy. Day to day I now oscillate between participation in marketing meetings, brainstorming content ideas, shooting and editing reels, researching trends and analytics, writing, reaching out to partners, or strategizing our next campaign.
I did not anticipate how rewarding something even as mundane as packing orders would feel. There is something so mindful and meditative about the process of packing and shipping boxes that mimics a dance practice. It is embodied, requiring your full attention, and helps me quiet my mind.
Is the work environment as warm as it appears online?
Walking into working for a brand with such a defined online presence and audience, I was surprised by how open Bennett is to collaborating. Because they have had so much success running it entirely on their own, I did not expect that within a few weeks they would feature all their employees on the LE accounts, credit us as authors on the blog, and allow me to participate in developing content.
I think I just expected that because they are the face of the brand, and have been so successful in garnering an audience that they wouldn’t want any help.
I have been so pleasantly surprised by how Bennett picks up on skills, and is happy to give the opportunity to exercise strengths. Ilana was hired as a crochet assistant but styled the holiday shoot, Frances and I were hired as studio assistants but we write, create visuals, and did prop and set design for the holiday shoot.
I never could have anticipated that a crochet business would encompass so many of my interests.
Allowing us to collaborate creatively has been extremely fun. I really never thought that I could land a job that involves scrolling on tiktok, working with inspiring artists, conceptualizing, shooting and editing content that I genuinely like to consume, or writing a blog à la Carrie Bradshaw fashion. It feels like my 12-year old self who begged for a camcorder, started a youtube channel, forced my friends to make spoof music videos, and would stay-up past her bedtime to edit for her 4 followers is living her wildest dreams. I wish I could tell my 12 year old self not to stray too far from her playful creative instincts, because learning these things for fun has evolved into meaningful work.
As a young entrepreneur, is Bennett a good boss?
I had actually been following LOOSENDS for a while. As a previous (pandemic) crocheter I was inspired by Bennett’s content that started to appear on my FYP - not knowing we had so many mutuals IRL. This gave me a sense that we would work well together, but you NEVER know.
I am happy to report that Bennett is a GREAT boss and cares deeply about their employees. The care and attention that has gone into establishing the brand has been translated to operating as a leader and managing a team.
Working for Bennett has been a masterclass in what can happen when you commit yourself with intention to a vision. As someone with my own creative practice, it has been very inspiring to see how Bennett structures their time - oscillating between creation (designing new patterns, crocheting bags, shooting and editing content, designing campaigns) and managing a business (administration, leadership, finance, strategy, etc). They have a way of seamlessly grounding their creativity in the (sometimes tedious) work required to run a successful business.
If you were curious, they are one of those unicorn people that wakes up BEFORE 6am, goes to the gym daily, is always on time, and will stay at the studio until 1am preparing for an event to make sure everything is perfect. They usually divide the day in half, with the morning for administrative tasks and editing, and the afternoon for crochet.
Their attention to detail and intention is visible everywhere, from the carefully curated interior design of the sunny studio, to their wardrobe of consciously selected garments from small brands like Dova Pryce and Malose, right down to the LOOSENDS branded mugs in the studio, designed by Christina, owner of Pas Mon Style, another local Montreal artist. Nothing in Bennett’s world is there by accident; it is selected with a fierce vision and sense of personal style.
Is LOOSENDS ACTUALLY ethical and sustainable?
I can confidently say that LOOSENDS is as ethical and sustainable as it appears. Bennett’s drive and momentum for growth is scaled for success and grounded in their commitment to their values and ethics. They may take huge leaps to grow the business (hiring staff, expanding the studio, tripling stock), but these choices are rooted in an instinctual knowledge and wholehearted belief in the value and ethics of the brand. The studio is filled with polaroids of LOOSENDS events, and on occasion you may find Bennett’s mom or long-distance best friends stopping in to work for the day.
I get the sense that LOOSENDS was born out of this ambitious, thoughtful, and supportive community that surrounds it - and will always be that way.
Bottom line: Is LOOSENDS really making a difference?
After being here for 4 months I firmly believe that LOOSENDS deserves all the hype it has garnered online. Bennett has landed on a concept that is novel (buy the bag or LEARN to make it yourself), that bridges fashion with craft, and they have successfully carved out a space (both physically in their Montréal studio, and online through their huge platforms) for community, connecting people with a shared interest in crochet, and providing an accessible entry point for those who have never done it.
Their slogan Make a Statement and Make it Last goes beyond the unique style of their bags, it represents an ethos and a way of operating as a value driven, ethical practice in the world.
Image credits Business of Fashion & Liam John
All this while recycling and repurposing materials that otherwise would be going to a landfill??
Count me IN.
I can’t wait to see how LOOSENDS continues to grow, evolve, and expand into new horizons (which of course Bennett is already planning for), and I feel extremely lucky to be along for the journey!
xx Naomi
