A Circular Economy Case Study: How Social Distancing Took Us from Retail to Community Wellbeing Innovation
- Monika Kulshrestha
- Jul 26
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 7
🌀 When In-Person Retail & Workshops Paused, Purpose Picked Up!
💬 You Already Know Our Story…
How we transformed a love for shopping, great deals, and recycling into a purpose-driven social enterprise.
From our corporate IT career to side hustle, we started with weekend pop-ups, collaborating across ages, cultures, and abilities to launch 50+ passion projects—empowering individuals and organisations to bring hobbies and dreams to life.
"Initiated business ventures by sourcing products and launching in-store and online sales | Started creative workshops to give a platform for emerging talents | Enabled meaningful work opportunities for people with disabilities through upcycling projects."
And how, grounded in the principles of circular economy, Deals Colony became a Social Enterprise finalist at the Pine Rivers Small Business Awards in 2024 and 2025. Even greater recognition came with the youth initiative Happy Hobby Hour Junior winning the 2024 Social Enterprise category, fostering creativity, life skills, confidence, and social problem-solving in children and youth.
But here’s the thing:
Not all of our impact began from a love of shopping, DIY crafts, or deep expertise.
Some of it started with a problem — and a pivot.
"Shared inspiring stories of passion-driven ventures | Built a purposefully structured team to amplify collective efforts | Hosted community wellneing high-tea events and awards to celebrate ideas and connect like-minded individuals."
🌐 From Retail Project to Virtual Connections: A Pandemic Pivot
When COVID-19 shut down our in-person events — pop-up shops, Happy Hobby Hour, and creative workshops — we didn’t stop.
With the help of two cousins in India, passionate friends, and generous collaborators from the Neighbourhood Watch Carseldine, local police, and small businesses, we quickly launched a one-page website to keep our mission alive.
🛋️ The “Stay-at-Home Project 2020” was born:
A free online resource sharing:
Upcycled craft ideas
Quarantine activity packs
Virtual coffee catch-ups
Local community support + face mask drives
"Kids painting on windows | Whipping up street food at home | Little gardeners at work—just a few quarantine creativity highlights shared by people in our network. Staying in doesn't mean missing out on art, flavor, or a splash of nature!"
A survival pivot soon turned into a circular innovation model.
"Created DIY mask designs through a home-based tailoring business | Personally tested in various conditions to ensure proper fit and effectiveness | Shared generously by distributing them for free, receiving positive feedback on the designs."
💻 Virtual Coffee Catch-Ups Became a Movement
What started as informal Zoom catch-ups turned into a virtual community hub, welcoming:
Youth creators
Migrant families
Local educators
Artists, mentors, and curious learners
We didn’t have to start from scratch. We reused:
Facebook groups & Zoom links
Old content from previous workshops
Craft kits & unused resources
Spare time + creative energy
Through this lean model, we built something more sustainable than any store:
A purpose-led, digital-first learning ecosystem powered by circular values.
👦 The Youth Pivot: Happy Hobby Hour Junior (HHHJ)
As demand exploded — 50+ messages/week asking how to get involved — I knew I had to streamline things. After leaving my corporate career, I never planned to create another full-time job. I wanted more family time, not less.
But I also had another challenge: my 10-year-old son was spending hours on screens during lockdown. So instead of limiting his screen time, we redirected it.
He enrolled in a business course I had created and added his own spin. We tested it within a closed group of family and friends.
🎥 That test became the first HHHJ pilot.
A project co-created with children to turn screen time into skill time.
🧩 Circular Thinking at Every Step
What we reused:
My old content and retail templates
Facebook Live and Zoom
Our community networks
Craft kits from our warehouse
Our lived experiences
It was fun. It was messy. It was meaningful. And it worked.
"Initiated small-group get-togethers to foster deeper connections | Organised factory visits to provide life skills training and real-world exposure | Featured inspiring work through interviews on radio stations."
What we created:
Youth workshops
DIY video courses
Storytelling games
Wellbeing and social innovation activities
Real income-generating outcomes
This spark led to the birth of Happy Hobby Hour Junior (just google HHHJ and see which video you spot ).
🌟 What Happened Next: Growth in Stages
🔹 Stage 1: Inspire & Ideate
Goal: Reach 500 young people age 18-
📈 Achieved through weekend sessions, hobby packs, and family workshops
🔹 Stage 2: Expand & Seed
Goal: Raise $5K to help more kids in need
✅ Inspired 500+ youth
✅ Built 50+ local & global partnerships
✅ Connected with 300+ families
✅ Raised $11K (with $5K donated to children's charities & the rest in supporting creatives of all ages & backgrounds and micro businesses)
"Organised school holiday camps based on children's goals and interests - Successfully hosted the Junior Master Chef show 🏅 Encouraged participation through exciting sports tournaments | Held monthly online conferences to foster global connections - Provided platforms for children to build confidence and public speaking skills, Awarded winners for sharing innovative ideas."
🔹 Stage 3: Collaborate & Launch Early Pilot Initiatives
Goal: Test this model with youth age 18+
✅ Partnered with a youth-led venture
✅ Launched a pilot program to develop career pathways for migrant students
✅ Offered real-world skills and community engagement through internships
✅ Enabled access to inclusive and purpose-driven entrepreneurship
✅ Fostered leadership by removing barriers through collaboration and empowerment
🔹 Stage 4 (Current): Grow & Scale
🎓 HHHJ is now a registered social enterprise (est. 2024)
🏆 Winner, 2024 Pine Rivers Small Business Awards + Finalist Teens In Business Awards 2024
🎯 Goal by 2032: Empower 50 million+ youth through digital education & strategic partnerships
"🏆 Recognised as Winners and Finalists for Impactful Work 🤝 Now Partnering with Organizations, Libraries, and School Groups - Co-hosting Global Workshops to Support Children in Need."
About HHHJ
HHHJ helps young people (18-/18+) turn screen time into skill time through goal setting, personal interests and social entrepreneurship. Our programs build creativity, confidence, and future-ready digital skills.
Our Goal
By 2032, we aim to empower over 50 million young people globally through:
Strategic partnerships
Youth-led initiatives
School-ready digital educational content
Our initiatives foster responsible global citizenship.
💼 Our Lean Circular Team Model
We built a model that’s:
Circular in materials
Purposeful in people
Scalable through partnerships
Our Three Mantras:
♻️ Reuse What Exists
Overstock stock, tools, and ideas
Repurpose prototypes as case studies
Skills from across generations
🤝 Collaborate Across Borders
Part-time in kind contributors
Local youth + migrant families
Online experts and mentors
🚀 Scale What Works
Micro-internships
Flexible project-based learning
School holiday innovator camps
🚀 Where We Are Now: Purpose-First, Project-by-Project
Deals Colony is now a circular incubator for early-stage passion projects. We help everyday people — young or old — go from spark to social impact.
Our work today includes:
Community pilots
Youth mentoring & co-creation
Digital + retail business training
Social innovation storytelling
All through a circular economy mindset that proves:
No resource, skill, or story should go to waste.
🌱 Want to Launch Your Circular Initiative?
You don’t need a warehouse. Or an MBA. You just need to start.
💡 Our 6-Week “Build Your Winning Idea” Program Helps You Go from Dream to Done:
✅ Legal + business setup (Seed)
✅ Product & service design (Build)
✅ Pricing and testing strategies (Test)
✅ Branding, pitch, and launch confidence (Validate)
✅ Digital tools & sales page creation (Launch)
✅ Mentorship and done-with-you support (Thrive)
Whether you're a teacher, VC, community leader, or a student — we help your people launch sustainable, purpose-led projects that grow from potential into possibility.
📩 Message us now to join our next intake or book a virtual coffee catch-up.
🌀 Let’s grow your circular project— together.
🧭 Because Circular Economy Isn’t Just About Waste.
It’s About Worth.
And your story, your skills, and your spark are always worth something.
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