EP58 - Is Brand Purpose Critical to Founder Resilience & Overcoming Adversity?

Welcome to Episode 58!

https://sustainable-ecom.com/ep58

It’s so tempting isn’t it, to believe that other brands and other entrepreneurs have all the answers and so have had an easy path to success.  We’ve all been sucked in by the alluring stories of hockey stick growth. Few brands like to share the real story lest it tarnish their investable image. 

But when you’re a purpose driven brand, honest & transparency about the realities are far more powerful.  Imagine openly promoting your 2500+ failed attempts to make your first.  And imaging the emotional challenges of 752 days in which your commitment is tested, your leadership is needed to keep your team motivated, your values are challenged, all the while your bank balance is draining.    

What does it take to build an internationally recognised, ground breaking brand from that kind of standing start?

To answer these questions, my guest today is the hugely inspirational founder of Good Citizens, Nik Robinson.   Together with his wife and 2 children, all equal shareholders in the business, Good Citizens makes eyewear where the frames are made from 100% post-consumer plastic, and in doing so are executing their Purpose of Untrashing the Planet.  

There are a number of things I hope you’ll take from this episode.

Firstly, just how hard it really is to make things out of recycled plastic. I hope you’ll excuse some somewhat self-indulgent questions about the details of how they make products, having been down this path myself I was fascinated by and somewhat in awe of what they’ve achieved with their manufacturing process.  And if nothing else, I hope that you pass a BS filter over claims made by many brands about how their products are made from recycled materials.

But in many ways, this episode is the story of how Purpose, and especially the Robinson family’s commitment to each other to see that Purpose through, has sustained them through what continues to be a turbulent journey.

And far from being back-room idealism, Good Citizen’s mission drives everything they do and has enabled a story so compelling that they were able to secure a front window spot at Selfridges in London before they even fully launches, and get invited to speak to the leadership at Tesla, Google and even at the UN.

I hadn’t intended the show to about Purpose especially.  But as we were chatting, and my mind increasingly opened to the question of whether Purpose is in fact the key to overcoming adversity and generating resilience as a founder.  Please do listen right to the end for my take on that, having had this amazing opportunity to chat with Nik.