International Women’s Day: Meet Sharla Shaver of The Master's Handicrafts

International Women’s Day gave us a reason to start something we’ve wanted to do for a while. For four weeks, we’re sharing interviews with women founders whose work we’re honored to carry through Threads by Nomad. Each feature is a simple introduction to the person behind the products, along with a small, time-limited discount during her week.

This week, we’re featuring Sharla Shaver and The Master’s Handicrafts, a social enterprise connected to women artisans in Kyrgyzstan.

Master’s Handicrafts: craft traditions, dignified work, and fair trade partnership

The items we carry through Master’s Handicrafts are handmade by women in Kyrgyzstan who use long-held skills to create felt and wool pieces while earning income to help support their families. These traditions have been passed through generations, with women working alongside mothers and grandmothers as they create goods that reflect both regional heritage and the distinct style of each maker.

Master’s Handicrafts and Threads by Nomad are honored to offer these fair trade pieces on behalf of the indigenous artisans in Kyrgyzstan’s cities and mountain communities.

Founder Interview: Sharla Shaver, The Master's Handicrafts

Your story: What are you building, and what first pushed you to start?

After volunteering for years in Central Asia as an English teacher with children, I began to notice that my relationships with women were limited. I loved interacting with the children, but I longed for a bit more connection with women. At that time, a non-profit group in the US asked if my husband and I would be able to supply them with some handicrafts that were already being made by a group of women in a remote mountain town. It sounded like a good challenge, and that's when the idea of starting an export business came to be. We had no background in business, but we felt the strong nudging to take a step in this direction in order to be more involved with whole families, offering dignified work and giving underemployed women status and respect in their communities.

What matters most: What’s one value you won’t compromise on in your work (and why)?

Prioritizing the women above profit. As a social enterprise, we don't seek to grow a huge business but rather want to be able to maintain strong relationships with the artisans. We never want to grow so large that we can't maintain that personal connection and feel of being family with the women.

A moment you’re proud of: What’s a win you want to celebrate?

This does seem small, but I distinctly remember one of our artisans sharing with me that she had been able to start buying meat on credit from a local shop once she started working for us. She had never had consistent work before, and that prohibited her from being able to buy on credit. The community where we were located was small enough to quickly learn that the women who worked for us were going to be paid consistently and that giving them credit until payday was not a risk.

What you’ve learned: What’s one lesson you’ve learned the hard way that you’d share with another woman building something?

I'm not sure if this fits here, but it's so much more investment than I ever anticipated. Everything stops with me. If an order is finished late, I can work with the women to strategize ways to complete orders on time, but it's still up to me to get that order sent out as soon as possible. And you don't ever really get a break. Orders come in, the women need the work, and so even on vacation, you find yourself drawn into getting things done so that the process continues. But the rewards are worth it. To see young moms be able to buy necessary items for their children. To see displaced women and their families being able to pay rent because they are highly skilled and just need an outlet for their goods. To see families be able to send their children to university because the mom has work to help pay for tuition.

Just for fun: What’s your go-to snack/drink while you work—or a tiny ritual that keeps you going?

Coffee. And anything munchy, crunchy and salty. Lays regular potato chips are a particular local favorite.

(We also interviewed Sharla back in 2021 on our podcast, and while the conversation is from a few years ago, it’s still worth a listen—Sharla’s perspective has stayed with us, and she remains an inspiration.)

This week only: Master’s Handicrafts is 20% off through Saturday at midnight

To mark this week of our founder series, all Master’s Handicrafts items are 20% off on Threads by Nomad through Saturday at midnight.

If you’re drawn to felt and wool goods that carry real craft tradition, this is a good week to explore the collection. Each purchase supports women artisans in Kyrgyzstan by expanding access to consistent income through fair trade partnership.