GOOD SQUISH: The celeb-favourite Instagram brand generating thousands of sales

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In this episode of all about business, James Reed speaks with Billie-Jo Cronin, the founder of luxury accessories brand, Good Squish.

Billie-Jo and her brother, Phoenix, bootstrapped the company, selling 1,900 units in under a year, while also gaining celebrity endorsements.

We discuss how they grew the company organically through Instagram, why community is central to their brand and why local production and quality control go hand in hand.

01:26 What is dead stock?
02:22 The organic growth journey
08:31 Maintaining quality and customer satisfaction
12:58 The role of mentorship
14:56 Expanding internationally
19:35 Working with family
23:31 Decision-making and idea curation
24:36 Challenges and benefits of collaborations
32:40 Celebrity endorsements and organic growth
36:49 Future plans

About Good Squish

Good Squish is an independent brand that specialises in hand-stitched accessories made from dead stock fabrics, which helps to reduce waste by repurposing materials that would otherwise go unused. Their products, which include scrunchies, hair pins, keychains and tote bags, feature whimsical and creative designs.

Check out the Good Squish website: https://www.goodsquish.com/

Follow Good Squish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodsquish/?hl=en

Follow James Reed on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chairmanjames/

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:28:21

Speaker 1

Welcome to All About Business with me, James Reed. The podcast that covers everything about business management and leadership. Every episode I sit down with different guests of bootstrap companies, mastermind investment models to build a business empire. They're leaders in their field, and they're here to give you top insights and actionable advice so that you can apply their ideas to your own career or business venture.

00:00:28:23 - 00:00:59:09

Speaker 1

Launching a high end product in a competitive space can be tough when you're up against cheaper alternatives. How do you nail your brand to buy and customise? Joining me today on All About Business is Billie-Jo Cronin. She and her brother Phoenix bootstrap, the independent brand goods squish selling hand-stitched accessories made from Deadstock fabrics. The siblings went from selling a few units to 1900 globally in under a year.

00:00:59:11 - 00:01:30:15

Speaker 1

Along with gaining many celebrity endorsements, today we talk about how a small, independent business can sustain rapid growth. Harnessing social media as your social marketing tool and going into business with a. Today we talk about how a small, independent business can sustain rapid growth and about harnessing social media as your social marketing tool. And what it's like going into business with a sibling.

00:01:30:17 - 00:01:45:23

Speaker 1

Thank you for coming in to talk to me today. Billie-Jo now, good squishies and accessories to explain to people who might not know your brand. I know many do, but it's an accessories business. And I think you began by doing sort of super special hair scrunchies.

00:01:46:02 - 00:01:51:11

Speaker 2

When I started, there actually wasn't any of these. I couldn't find them anywhere on the internet because this was the first one.

00:01:51:12 - 00:01:53:10

Speaker 1

So for people listening, what is it you're holding?

00:01:53:10 - 00:01:56:20

Speaker 2

It's grungy, but we call them squares. You're actually not allowed to say scrunchie.

00:01:56:20 - 00:01:59:10

Speaker 1

Okay, I won't use that word again. So that's a squish.

00:01:59:10 - 00:01:59:24

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:02:00:01 - 00:02:02:07

Speaker 1

We'll describe it to someone who's just listening. What is it?

00:02:02:07 - 00:02:09:09

Speaker 2

So it's broderie anglaise and cotton and it's double layered. Basically, I had to put a very elaborate one.

00:02:09:09 - 00:02:13:05

Speaker 1

So you started making these yourself using braiding young.

00:02:13:07 - 00:02:14:18

Speaker 2

It's like vintage deadstock.

00:02:14:23 - 00:02:22:05

Speaker 1

Vintage material, which has a rather unfortunate description of deadstock in some. Yeah. So what is deadstock?

00:02:22:05 - 00:02:32:07

Speaker 2

Deadstock is fabric. That is the fabric that is not used in productions that would otherwise go to waste. It would otherwise go to landfills and we use it to make product.

00:02:32:07 - 00:02:40:23

Speaker 1

This is a very sustainable business model. And you know the opposite of fast fashion. You're using Deadstock your slow fashion. Is that. Yeah, that phrase, what you call it.

00:02:40:24 - 00:02:42:22

Speaker 3

Yeah, it's it is slow fashion.

00:02:42:22 - 00:03:02:01

Speaker 2

I don't want to say we're 100% sustainable. We're aiming towards that. But we're using we're keeping everything handmade. And here I have made in London, and using deadstock fabrics wherever we can. And I hope to use much more of it. So. Yeah. And that way we are slow fashion. Being fast fashion is something that we're not interested in.

00:03:02:01 - 00:03:06:02

Speaker 1

So handmade in London using Deadstock fabrics. Yeah. Of strategy.

00:03:06:02 - 00:03:08:11

Speaker 2

Yeah. Yeah. Which I think is completely possible.

00:03:08:13 - 00:03:09:12

Speaker 1

And you need to be.

00:03:09:15 - 00:03:20:07

Speaker 2

Keep that with growth. It just might you might not grow as quickly. But I think that's a good thing. If anything I've grown it through Instagram. And the response from the first post that I did is always stratospheric.

00:03:20:07 - 00:03:24:06

Speaker 1

Yeah, there's lots I want to ask you about in just that one sentence. How long have you been making these?

00:03:24:06 - 00:03:25:09

Speaker 2

Since 2021.

00:03:25:10 - 00:03:33:11

Speaker 1

So you started the business in 2021 and you started on your own, I believe. Yeah. So was just you and you had some material and you started making these squishies.

00:03:33:11 - 00:03:45:05

Speaker 2

Yeah. Making the squishies. I had some help from my friends mum who helped me do all the sampling during lockdown. We did the sampling together. She's a really amazing seamstress. The first one we ever made was there, so it was just this one that, you.

00:03:45:06 - 00:03:48:00

Speaker 1

Know, that's your very first squish. You're holding on to it tightly.

00:03:48:00 - 00:04:05:07

Speaker 2

This star's the very first one and then it sort of went from there. But when I first ever made one of these, I didn't do anything with it for a while. And then I started giving it to my friends, and they were on set because I worked in fashion at the time. It was really organic because people would see them wearing it, and then I would get the odd message asking if they could order one, right.

00:04:05:08 - 00:04:07:01

Speaker 2

And it was. That's how it sort of started at the.

00:04:07:01 - 00:04:11:08

Speaker 1

Beginning as organic demand bubbled up and you realise people really quite like these.

00:04:11:08 - 00:04:17:14

Speaker 2

Yeah, it was very, very organic and very slow. It's just really nice. And it was all through my friends borrowing them and sharing them with their friends.

00:04:17:14 - 00:04:22:11

Speaker 1

And then so when people wanted to buy them but you didn't pitch it loaded, you said, this is a premium product.

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Speaker 2

Well it was it took time.

00:04:23:22 - 00:04:25:05

Speaker 1

But how long did it take you to make one.

00:04:25:05 - 00:04:26:22

Speaker 2

At the time? An hour. More than an.

00:04:26:22 - 00:04:30:12

Speaker 1

Hour. Right. So it was at least an hour of your time. Plus the materials.

00:04:30:13 - 00:04:33:03

Speaker 3

Yeah. I find other costs. Yeah, I.

00:04:33:03 - 00:04:37:23

Speaker 2

Think I priced them. The price hasn't changed at all. It stayed exactly the same since the beginning.

00:04:38:00 - 00:04:39:02

Speaker 1

How much is a squish?

00:04:39:03 - 00:04:41:04

Speaker 2

The queen is £45.

00:04:41:05 - 00:04:43:13

Speaker 1

That's the one you hold. Is this one? Yes. The original.

00:04:43:13 - 00:04:50:06

Speaker 2

So they vary from 28 to as high as, like £70. Right. I think that's our highest priced one.

00:04:50:06 - 00:05:03:06

Speaker 1

So these are premium accessories made sustainably. Yeah. Out of Deadstock. Yeah. I think it's important to stress that because it's a really strong message. I mean, you've built a brand around that and people know that. Yeah, customers like that. They come back for that.

00:05:03:06 - 00:05:18:08

Speaker 2

Yeah, it's part of our branding. Also. There's a lot of fabric that goes into this. I think people are surprised. We've done some workshops and the first comment is always, I can't believe how much fabric and time goes into one because there's over five metres of fabric.

00:05:18:08 - 00:05:19:08

Speaker 1

Five metres of fabric.

00:05:19:08 - 00:05:29:13

Speaker 2

Those ones, that's like one metre, but then there's layers. So there's like a lot of fabric and one queen. It means like quite heavy. But people are always really surprised. Like I didn't realise it was that much fabric.

00:05:29:13 - 00:05:32:03

Speaker 1

So they're pleasantly surprised when they get it in a parcel.

00:05:32:09 - 00:05:38:21

Speaker 2

Yeah, we've always had a really good response to the products. It's really different now from when we first started because there's so many other people making them.

00:05:38:22 - 00:05:39:22

Speaker 1

People have copied you.

00:05:40:00 - 00:05:41:08

Speaker 3

Yeah, but.

00:05:41:10 - 00:05:45:17

Speaker 1

There's a high form of flattery. Yeah. You feel the original authentic squish.

00:05:45:23 - 00:05:49:23

Speaker 3

Yeah. We know it's, but we also the people always.

00:05:49:23 - 00:05:58:20

Speaker 2

Say to me now is something that people say is that when they see one that's like a passion of ours, they can tell immediately it's not a good squish, which I think is really good.

00:05:58:20 - 00:06:12:21

Speaker 1

That's good too. Yeah, yeah. So people really spot yours over the others. So how much money do you have when you start this business? But I mean, you didn't have family backing or some rich sort of entrepreneurs saying, I'll invest in this. Well, how much did you have? How did you get.

00:06:12:21 - 00:06:14:14

Speaker 2

Started with £1,000.

00:06:14:18 - 00:06:16:01

Speaker 1

You started with £1,000.

00:06:16:02 - 00:06:36:16

Speaker 2

Yeah. So I bought all the fabric that I could with that money. And then I would do small drops on Instagram every month. So every 2 to 3 weeks where I would make batches of loads of different variations. That was called a dad stock drop. We still do them now. And that sucked up to actually our best the activations that do the best for us even now.

00:06:36:16 - 00:06:37:11

Speaker 2

But that's how I started.

00:06:37:11 - 00:06:39:14

Speaker 1

So was that when you get each batch of dead stock.

00:06:39:19 - 00:06:48:03

Speaker 2

They buy lots of different fabrics and then make one of ones from the fabric, so it'd be one of each style. So and then I would drop them on Instagram.

00:06:48:03 - 00:06:49:16

Speaker 1

It's almost like you're getting a unique.

00:06:49:20 - 00:06:50:03

Speaker 3

Like an.

00:06:50:03 - 00:06:50:20

Speaker 2

Auction.

00:06:50:22 - 00:06:54:15

Speaker 1

You want. Yeah, yeah. That's interesting. So how many versions are there now then.

00:06:54:17 - 00:07:00:17

Speaker 2

So now that we have our cool lines, which is the Queen, the Bloomberg baby Bloomberg, there's like seven different.

00:07:00:21 - 00:07:02:17

Speaker 1

Seven different types of squish.

00:07:02:19 - 00:07:07:13

Speaker 2

Yes. One comment we had, one was that it was like getting a Glastonbury ticket,

00:07:07:15 - 00:07:08:06

Speaker 3

Because now we have.

00:07:08:06 - 00:07:11:23

Speaker 2

Thousands of people that come online at the same time to get them right.

00:07:12:00 - 00:07:13:23

Speaker 1

So it's like getting a Glastonbury ticket.

00:07:13:23 - 00:07:14:19

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah.

00:07:14:21 - 00:07:29:16

Speaker 1

Okay. So you mentioned Instagram several times. You obviously used social media to build your brand. Talk me through how you did that. What did you did. So jobs obviously part of it, the important part of it. Yeah. Establishing your name you it how do you get going.

00:07:29:18 - 00:07:45:23

Speaker 2

First I came up with the name and then after it came up with the name, I started the Instagram. And then I just started posting and I would just post whatever came into my mind. But I think because I was so excited about the product and I loved it so much, that came across a lot in my.

00:07:45:23 - 00:07:48:14

Speaker 1

Social media enthusiasm and passion for what you did.

00:07:48:18 - 00:07:56:15

Speaker 2

Yeah, I think so. And I think that was quite unique at the time to see someone speak and all capitals as if they were screaming about.

00:07:56:17 - 00:07:57:11

Speaker 1

Oh, is that what you did?

00:07:57:15 - 00:07:59:05

Speaker 3

Yeah. I said, that's the last time.

00:07:59:06 - 00:08:00:14

Speaker 1

Your tone is all capitals.

00:08:00:16 - 00:08:01:02

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:08:01:03 - 00:08:10:05

Speaker 1

Is it okay. That's that's interesting. So you make these products now you've grown a team. You were telling me earlier how many people work for you now.

00:08:10:05 - 00:08:10:16

Speaker 3

We have.

00:08:10:16 - 00:08:14:23

Speaker 2

Around eight people and then we work with freelancers as well. That will help us.

00:08:14:23 - 00:08:18:21

Speaker 1

So you have a team of eight. So this is over a four year period. You've built a team of eight.

00:08:18:22 - 00:08:19:04

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:08:19:09 - 00:08:23:00

Speaker 1

So instead of outsourcing to China or something you're literally doing it handmade in London.

00:08:23:04 - 00:08:23:14

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:08:23:16 - 00:08:41:00

Speaker 2

So I think we will always be handmade in London which does limit feels. It could limit growth. But I think it's more important for us to oversee the quality. Our Italia's two minute walk across the courtyard from us, and that's where all of our production is made, and that's been really important for us just to keep it here.

00:08:41:00 - 00:08:51:19

Speaker 2

And also it means that she employs Twitch. She has a whole studio full of women that do the sewing. So it's great for us to say, yeah, thank you for it. I think that's definitely something.

00:08:51:19 - 00:08:56:03

Speaker 1

We will applaud you for that. It's good to have jobs in London. So how many go out a week now?

00:08:56:03 - 00:09:02:21

Speaker 2

What are direct to consumer is we sell between like 1002 thousand units per month per month.

00:09:02:23 - 00:09:06:24

Speaker 1

So you're looking at, you know, 100 a day on average checking them for quality.

00:09:07:00 - 00:09:08:09

Speaker 2

We do on Thursdays.

00:09:08:10 - 00:09:10:11

Speaker 1

Right. And how many would you reject.

00:09:10:11 - 00:09:17:06

Speaker 2

Now because we've been working with Alona since the beginning. It's not many I would say ten or so because she's.

00:09:17:07 - 00:09:18:06

Speaker 1

So a small percentage.

00:09:18:07 - 00:09:29:06

Speaker 2

A very small percentage is our tolerance for quality. We don't have any tolerance. So she has to be really error free. Yeah. Because even if the label slightly wonky. So we wouldn't take them.

00:09:29:08 - 00:09:32:01

Speaker 1

So yeah. So you're a real perfectionist I'm hearing.

00:09:32:01 - 00:09:43:06

Speaker 2

Yeah I think you have to be with product. If you're going to sell a product, you have to be and I'll say so if it's a new customer getting it, you want the retention to be good. So you want them to buy another one, which is we have a good retention.

00:09:43:06 - 00:09:45:19

Speaker 1

So so people tend to buy more.

00:09:45:21 - 00:09:46:19

Speaker 2

Yeah. Yeah.

00:09:46:23 - 00:09:50:01

Speaker 1

And that's a big part of your strategy to make sure. Yeah they're happy.

00:09:50:01 - 00:09:50:13

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:09:50:13 - 00:09:51:21

Speaker 2

We want them to affect.

00:09:51:21 - 00:09:54:15

Speaker 1

So what happens if they're unhappy. You send them a squish and.

00:09:54:17 - 00:09:55:02

Speaker 3

We'll.

00:09:55:07 - 00:09:56:16

Speaker 1

Give you a one star. What do you.

00:09:56:16 - 00:10:08:00

Speaker 2

Do. Yeah something that's really important. Just my brother and I will go through if there's any reviews that aren't good and we'll send them a square. So we'll. Phoenix is like, cycled over and hand-delivered them himself.

00:10:08:04 - 00:10:18:22

Speaker 1

So Phoenix, I should stress, is your brother I work with. Yeah, yeah. And he's covering the thought today is that while you're here talking to me, he will go in person to the customer. Well, with another one.

00:10:18:22 - 00:10:36:24

Speaker 2

Or if it's been late, if the delivery is late, he cycles over before to meet them and give it to them in person. Or we pick up the phone. We always call the customer and ask them how they. Because our community is the reason we are where we are and their feedback so important to us. So we just try and make sure that we communicate with them as much as possible.

00:10:36:24 - 00:10:39:19

Speaker 1

So you're really close to you talking to customers a lot.

00:10:39:19 - 00:10:42:13

Speaker 2

Yeah. So to them, a lot of them I spend.

00:10:42:15 - 00:10:45:09

Speaker 1

A big part of your success. You know what they like. You know what they want.

00:10:45:09 - 00:10:45:22

Speaker 3

You know. Yeah.

00:10:46:02 - 00:10:58:03

Speaker 2

And I think that's also reason we've done so well on Instagram is that we've always asked for product feedback. And that's when we've had like a lot of engagement. I we'll say I always make products that I love, but then I want to know what our customer wants because they're also.

00:10:58:03 - 00:11:01:21

Speaker 1

So what sort of feedback have you had? Well, well, I didn't steal your business.

00:11:01:22 - 00:11:19:19

Speaker 2

We'll have them involved in the naming process of them. Or if they feel that we should change the fabric so that they're lighter in the hair loss, because everyone has different hair types. I think we've been really lucky because we've made these products so that really anyone can wear them, and that's taken a lot of time, etc..

00:11:19:24 - 00:11:20:18

Speaker 1

So people like.

00:11:20:22 - 00:11:22:06

Speaker 3

Unless you really want to do.

00:11:22:10 - 00:11:24:05

Speaker 1

That, well, I love to, but I've got to be.

00:11:24:06 - 00:11:24:12

Speaker 3

Made.

00:11:24:12 - 00:11:46:04

Speaker 1

Out of it. Another life. Yeah, I maybe on the run of that. Yeah. We're delighted that you're listening to this episode. Hit the follow button so that we can continue to bring you the best business insight and action or advice to help your business and or career. So, Billie-Jo, I'm sure you won't mind me saying, but you didn't go to university.

00:11:46:05 - 00:11:52:09

Speaker 1

You didn't go to business school. You're self-taught entrepreneur. I think you left school at 16, is that.

00:11:52:10 - 00:11:52:23

Speaker 3

Yeah, I.

00:11:52:23 - 00:12:11:24

Speaker 2

Left school at 16. Yeah. So I've just I think I think in a way maybe from not going to university, I'm, I'm and I'm very curious and I want to learn. So I look for ways to learn often. I learn quite a lot from listening to podcasts or reading. I get really excited about things if I learn them.

00:12:12:01 - 00:12:18:10

Speaker 2

But yeah, I didn't go to I didn't go to university or anything. I think there's lots of other ways you can learn,

00:12:18:12 - 00:12:20:02

Speaker 1

Which would you recommend?

00:12:20:04 - 00:12:20:11

Speaker 3

I think.

00:12:20:11 - 00:12:28:12

Speaker 2

Reading, mentorship, working with people. We've had an incredible mentor, for the last three years.

00:12:28:13 - 00:12:29:07

Speaker 1

How does that work?

00:12:29:07 - 00:12:34:06

Speaker 2

And sort of started with me calling him when we were going through a bit of a hard.

00:12:34:06 - 00:12:35:17

Speaker 1

So this is someone you knew or knew.

00:12:35:19 - 00:12:51:02

Speaker 2

That I knew already had. I had I have a lot of respect for, and he actually got us out of a really bad position really quickly. He told us to go. He said, we we cool with him. We said, look, we can't pay anyone. We don't know if.

00:12:51:07 - 00:12:52:11

Speaker 1

That's a bad position.

00:12:52:13 - 00:13:12:06

Speaker 2

Really bad position. And he said he I, we ended up speaking for three, four hours and he said turn everything on pre-order. And I said, Phoenix. And I said, people aren't going to wait 30 days for a scrunchie. That is ridiculous. And he's a just do it. Just try. You have nothing to lose. And you also can't do anything else.

00:13:12:06 - 00:13:32:16

Speaker 2

So you're going to have to try it. And we did it. And it built our business back up within like six months. And everyone waited 30 days for his friend. So he literally just froze. We never would have thought that. And just from one suggestion we to I don't think we would have made it through. So it's like having that mentor that we could ring that didn't help with anything financially.

00:13:32:19 - 00:13:35:02

Speaker 1

But his mentor was a person with business experience.

00:13:35:04 - 00:13:35:11

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:13:35:12 - 00:13:40:00

Speaker 2

So a, incredible business. Yeah. And we still speak every month.

00:13:40:00 - 00:13:44:12

Speaker 1

So, so for entrepreneurs, listening, looking out for mentors is a good.

00:13:44:14 - 00:13:44:20

Speaker 3

Yes.

00:13:44:22 - 00:13:45:15

Speaker 1

To do your thing.

00:13:45:18 - 00:13:50:10

Speaker 2

And don't be scared to ask. People always say yes. I think they want to pass on.

00:13:50:12 - 00:14:00:03

Speaker 1

Yeah, I think it's I think from my experience of mentoring is it's a two way street that learn from each other. Yeah. So I'm sure your mentors learn from you too.

00:14:00:06 - 00:14:00:15

Speaker 3

Yeah, I.

00:14:00:15 - 00:14:01:05

Speaker 1

Would say that.

00:14:01:06 - 00:14:02:13

Speaker 3

Yeah. I think that's.

00:14:02:13 - 00:14:07:18

Speaker 2

A that's been one of that would be advice is look for someone that you admire and trust and.

00:14:07:20 - 00:14:13:23

Speaker 1

Trust because I believe you're setting quite successfully in places like Japan and Korea now, is that right?

00:14:14:00 - 00:14:24:21

Speaker 2

Yeah. So we sell in Korea and Japan and America now. But Korea has been really great for us. We've had a lot. So let's talk through that.

00:14:24:21 - 00:14:26:05

Speaker 1

How did that come about?

00:14:26:07 - 00:14:28:08

Speaker 2

That happened really organically to I.

00:14:28:08 - 00:14:30:06

Speaker 1

Think someone in Korea saw you on Instagram.

00:14:30:06 - 00:14:46:08

Speaker 2

Oh yeah. And now we work with a really nice distributor who is in Seoul, called Maribel. And she does these pop ups, good stories, pop ups, which we haven't we haven't gone over there to be at one yet. But that the way that the customer in Seoul react to the product is so amazing.

00:14:46:09 - 00:14:47:00

Speaker 1

How do they react?

00:14:47:01 - 00:15:02:04

Speaker 2

They do like tea parties with them. They send us hundreds of their photographs of how they've styled them. Really as if I'm. I was there, at the pop ups that she puts on. So then we've had, I think from her from that happening, we've had quite high engagement there.

00:15:02:06 - 00:15:14:13

Speaker 1

Okay. So talk let's talk about the brand. Good squish. I mean, it's an interesting choice of. Yeah. And you, you said you did that right at the beginning. Yeah. You gave it a lot of thought. Why good. Squish.

00:15:14:18 - 00:15:15:13

Speaker 3

I did give it a.

00:15:15:13 - 00:15:18:12

Speaker 2

Lot of thought before, but then when the name came into my head, I.

00:15:18:13 - 00:15:19:18

Speaker 1

So just came to you.

00:15:19:20 - 00:15:25:02

Speaker 2

I was just writing loads of names down and I think I wrote good and then squish and then that was it.

00:15:25:04 - 00:15:33:19

Speaker 1

So you were thinking of what you as of describing it. Yeah. It's goodness. Yeah. So squishy. And then we call it. So that literally was a Eureka type moment. You said yeah that's what I want.

00:15:33:20 - 00:15:34:11

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:15:34:13 - 00:15:36:03

Speaker 1

But then it sort of felt right.

00:15:36:04 - 00:15:44:09

Speaker 2

Then I immediately knew it was the name. And I messaged a friend of mine called void and he did the logo and it looked perfect. So I just kept I kept it.

00:15:44:11 - 00:15:55:21

Speaker 1

How do you hope to take the brand forward in terms of the like? Are you looking to sort of widen your range or or simply sell what you have in more markets? What's your sort of thinking around that?

00:15:55:22 - 00:16:16:11

Speaker 2

I think we're definitely going to stay with doing this squish and keep evolving and tweaking them to the trends. I always get asked if, I'm worried that they won't be popular anymore. And I don't feel like that. I think because they're a functional product. You're always need you're always need a hair tie, so we can just tweak and change it.

00:16:16:13 - 00:16:22:11

Speaker 1

Yeah. Women have been wearing things in their head for thousands of years. That was hats or accessories. That's not going to change, is it?

00:16:22:11 - 00:16:35:00

Speaker 2

No. So I think I think I would love to do these for 20, 30 more years, but just keep tweaking them to maybe the trends, are making them better and better and then broadening into other accessories and then hopefully it's ready to wear.

00:16:35:00 - 00:16:37:08

Speaker 1

So what do you have in terms of other accessories?

00:16:37:08 - 00:16:39:10

Speaker 2

At the moment we have Alice Bans.

00:16:39:12 - 00:16:41:04

Speaker 1

You're wearing one now because I'm wearing.

00:16:41:04 - 00:16:42:13

Speaker 2

Yeah. And then.

00:16:42:16 - 00:16:47:17

Speaker 1

Is that made in the same sort of image. Yeah. So using the same type of deadstock.

00:16:47:19 - 00:16:58:02

Speaker 2

So it's a sort of split between Deadstock and, that's, fabrics that aren't deadstock. But I think this year, and beyond, we want to be focusing more on sourcing Deadstock.

00:16:58:05 - 00:17:00:11

Speaker 1

Yeah. So you've got this bag as well.

00:17:00:11 - 00:17:03:20

Speaker 2

So bag straps. Shoe straps. Hi.

00:17:03:22 - 00:17:05:11

Speaker 3

Let's let we.

00:17:05:11 - 00:17:10:06

Speaker 2

Have pins and then we have keychains and stuff like that. So it's all accessories at the moment.

00:17:10:07 - 00:17:15:21

Speaker 1

And is there an online store that someone can visit. Yeah it's a buy music. Well what does that tell us what the address is.

00:17:15:22 - 00:17:19:00

Speaker 2

It's Market Square Stockholm.

00:17:19:01 - 00:17:21:14

Speaker 1

Good. Squish.com. And you can buy all of these things there.

00:17:21:18 - 00:17:22:01

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:17:22:01 - 00:17:23:09

Speaker 1

Wherever you are in the world.

00:17:23:09 - 00:17:29:23

Speaker 2

Yeah. We now we just launched send everything globally fantastic which is really exciting just at Christmas. So that's going really well.

00:17:29:23 - 00:17:32:11

Speaker 1

So how many countries have you got customers in. Do you know.

00:17:32:15 - 00:17:34:00

Speaker 3

We have over.

00:17:34:05 - 00:17:45:02

Speaker 2

20 probably. You know, sometimes we'll get the old, order from somewhere completely new. And it's so exciting. I still go through the orders every day to see.

00:17:45:02 - 00:17:50:16

Speaker 1

What's amazing, like how you can now export. So all over the world is amazing. Website fulfilment.

00:17:50:19 - 00:17:52:06

Speaker 2

Yeah, yeah. It's incredible.

00:17:52:06 - 00:17:54:22

Speaker 1

And you do that from your headquarters?

00:17:54:24 - 00:18:01:02

Speaker 2

We do all of our fulfilment in-house, which is a big challenge. Has been one of the challenges.

00:18:01:04 - 00:18:02:20

Speaker 1

So you've got to think about that for the future.

00:18:03:00 - 00:18:19:02

Speaker 2

Yeah, we have to think about that for the future. But it's nice to keep it. I've always wanted to keep it in a house, and so has Phoenix just to have a close eye on it. The way everything's packaged and making sure that it goes out and because we do pre-order and in stock, that's quite a tricky thing to manage.

00:18:19:02 - 00:18:30:09

Speaker 2

It's a very full time position managing the split between that. So we have we've had to keep it in-house. So it does mean that people are posted often sitting in piles of packages.

00:18:30:11 - 00:18:31:10

Speaker 3

Right.

00:18:31:12 - 00:18:43:05

Speaker 1

But this is real life. Isn't that your real business? Yeah. Growing and developing around you, which is so exciting. You mentioned Phoenix several times. You went with your brother. How did that come about?

00:18:43:07 - 00:19:09:04

Speaker 2

He was in South Africa when gateway started growing quite quickly. And I had been approached by a few people actually, to, for them to work as my partner, and I hadn't really I did really want help because it was growing really quickly, and it was really difficult to manage. But I just wasn't really sure. And then my brother called me and he had been working on another project.

00:19:09:06 - 00:19:19:08

Speaker 2

And then said, look, I'm thinking of coming back to London. Do you want me to help you for a little bit? And I was like, yes, please do that. It's because he's really bright.

00:19:19:10 - 00:19:20:16

Speaker 1

And I was the older or younger.

00:19:20:19 - 00:19:22:23

Speaker 2

He's younger. He's 20, 27.

00:19:23:00 - 00:19:24:18

Speaker 1

So you can take instructions.

00:19:24:20 - 00:19:26:03

Speaker 3

Yeah. Well, we.

00:19:26:06 - 00:19:33:21

Speaker 2

It's a it's very balanced. He sometimes feels like my older brother and then sometimes my younger brother. I think vice versa, but.

00:19:33:23 - 00:19:35:12

Speaker 1

But you feel you work well together.

00:19:35:14 - 00:19:36:04

Speaker 3

I think it's the.

00:19:36:09 - 00:19:39:24

Speaker 2

I think it's one of the coolest things ever to work. This a thing.

00:19:40:01 - 00:19:42:18

Speaker 1

That's so nice is so tell me about why. Why do you feel.

00:19:42:20 - 00:19:55:07

Speaker 2

I think because we trust each other, it means we can act very quickly and make decisions and sort of go. There's not that problem. So the trust is really important. He's always going to have my back. So that sort.

00:19:55:07 - 00:19:59:16

Speaker 1

Of. Well, we had two brothers in the studio recently, so yeah, they were talking about that.

00:19:59:18 - 00:20:00:07

Speaker 3

I think it's that.

00:20:00:11 - 00:20:01:10

Speaker 1

They said the same thing.

00:20:01:13 - 00:20:09:00

Speaker 2

Yeah. Well that that's not going to there's nothing I wouldn't worry about anything. So you can just go. Go out. Everything went like so.

00:20:09:02 - 00:20:18:03

Speaker 1

You'd say to, you know, a young entrepreneur listening, you know, if you're finding your getting too much work, think about involving a sibling, would you.

00:20:18:05 - 00:20:19:08

Speaker 3

Yeah, I think so.

00:20:19:09 - 00:20:25:17

Speaker 1

Yeah it is. But do you have complementary skills or do you have them. You obviously have temperaments that don't clash.

00:20:25:19 - 00:20:28:12

Speaker 2

We're complete opposites. So.

00:20:28:12 - 00:20:29:18

Speaker 1

So do you think that's important?

00:20:29:21 - 00:20:49:01

Speaker 2

I think it's the perfect recipe for a business because he does operations. And he's very logical and I'm very creative and sort of sweet, free thinking. And I think it's exactly what we, we need. But I think it does take work because we're siblings. It also means if we're having a meeting, we can say whatever we want and get through it really quickly.

00:20:49:01 - 00:20:58:09

Speaker 2

We can make decisions really fast that way. And because we're completely honest. But that does mean that it's you have to work on that in a business environment to.

00:20:58:11 - 00:21:04:08

Speaker 1

Yeah. What happens outside of the business environment? I mean, I mean, I work in a family business too.

00:21:04:11 - 00:21:04:22

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:21:04:22 - 00:21:09:12

Speaker 1

But it's hard to see where one ends and one begins, you know, family and businesses.

00:21:09:12 - 00:21:10:20

Speaker 3

Yeah. It's I find.

00:21:10:20 - 00:21:11:01

Speaker 1

That.

00:21:11:07 - 00:21:18:17

Speaker 2

We often when we hang out outside of work now we end up speaking about expression. We have to we have to stop ourselves and say.

00:21:18:19 - 00:21:21:05

Speaker 1

Well, why would you want to stop? I mean, it's something we both enjoy.

00:21:21:05 - 00:21:23:07

Speaker 2

Because it's all about it for a very long, very long.

00:21:23:09 - 00:21:26:05

Speaker 1

Yeah. No. That's right. So I know we've had some trouble with a passion. You just.

00:21:26:05 - 00:21:27:05

Speaker 3

Yeah. It sort.

00:21:27:05 - 00:21:28:18

Speaker 2

Of gets into everything.

00:21:28:22 - 00:21:38:19

Speaker 1

I think. But the other way of looking at that is what an amazing way to be sort of creative and energising around a business idea. Because if you are talking about it, that's a stimulation.

00:21:38:19 - 00:21:39:09

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:21:39:10 - 00:21:54:03

Speaker 1

New ideas and new thoughts that, yeah, you carry it forward. Yeah. As if you go home and watch TV. Yeah. Talk about it. You're not going to be doing that. You. No, no. So that's probably another advantage of I'm just speculating. Yeah. But you might not agree with working with a sibling.

00:21:54:09 - 00:21:59:16

Speaker 2

Whereas funny because I'm I think yeah. Because I'm, I often wake up and it's at two in the morning and Phoenix like we should do.

00:21:59:16 - 00:22:02:18

Speaker 3

This business is that I think it's two in the morning or in.

00:22:02:19 - 00:22:04:09

Speaker 1

The taxi. Well, he takes.

00:22:04:11 - 00:22:04:20

Speaker 2

Me like.

00:22:04:20 - 00:22:08:22

Speaker 3

Millions of ideas. Yeah, I'm going to sleep. And I'm like, now I can't.

00:22:08:22 - 00:22:10:13

Speaker 2

Sleep because I'm just thinking.

00:22:10:15 - 00:22:19:13

Speaker 1

I have this problem. Well, I don't have a brother to text. It's always a I'm always away a three in the morning for some reason. But you start thinking about something. Units.

00:22:19:14 - 00:22:20:23

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, yeah I.

00:22:21:03 - 00:22:23:04

Speaker 1

Know you communicate with each other do.

00:22:23:05 - 00:22:24:06

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

00:22:24:06 - 00:22:28:01

Speaker 2

And then. Yeah. Well, we have a lot of ideas. Sometimes too many ideas.

00:22:28:01 - 00:22:45:10

Speaker 1

So how do you decide. Yeah. How do you decide which ideas to run with. And, between you, how do you sort of curate? Because I think that's a challenge for lots of entrepreneurs having lots of ideas, but which ones should we really put our energy into? How do you how do you grapple with that?

00:22:45:12 - 00:22:59:05

Speaker 2

I'm really impulsive. And, if I have an is I if I have an idea, I I'll try it. I want to do it straightaway. And it's been really good for squish that because I'm really reactive. If I have an idea, I'm, I'm going to do it.

00:22:59:07 - 00:23:01:17

Speaker 1

So you try everything sort of thing. And so what you're.

00:23:01:17 - 00:23:09:11

Speaker 2

Saying as we were going. Yeah. Especially I would try everything I think now because where it's a different stage of the business and.

00:23:09:13 - 00:23:10:19

Speaker 1

That's how work.

00:23:10:21 - 00:23:12:05

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

00:23:12:07 - 00:23:42:08

Speaker 2

And because now, now there's a lot of other things like we have a team that's we're much bigger than we were. It's Phoenix to sort of be like, Billie. No, let's think about that idea. Is it possible? Well, it benefits us, which is great because otherwise I'd probably be doing far too many things at once. We also get a lot of opportunities, which that I find we find, deciding on whether we should do something that's been like an opportunity that's come to us or another brand that wants to collaborate.

00:23:42:10 - 00:24:02:23

Speaker 2

We find that more difficult because it's hard to know what's the right thing, often because we're just deciding together. And we've done a lot of collaborations, which have been incredible. But you learn so much that our thoughts now are that always just do things, really think about whether they're going to be good or not. So it's your time and energy.

00:24:03:00 - 00:24:08:16

Speaker 1

Yeah, but I suppose we don't know who we are. You don't know when you start off never going to work, you never know. Yeah. It's only after.

00:24:08:16 - 00:24:18:15

Speaker 2

You just learn, I guess. And then we learned a lot last year. So now we're going to go into this. Yeah. Having a much clearer idea of what we want.

00:24:18:17 - 00:24:21:21

Speaker 1

But you're keeping an open mind though. And you still trying things.

00:24:21:21 - 00:24:23:00

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:24:23:02 - 00:24:25:13

Speaker 1

Weighing up whether it's worth a go or not.

00:24:25:14 - 00:24:26:15

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah.

00:24:26:15 - 00:24:31:03

Speaker 1

And you feel the relationship with your brother is a good, good way of doing that.

00:24:31:03 - 00:24:31:13

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:24:31:19 - 00:24:48:13

Speaker 2

Yeah, it's it. We work really well together. Which is really nice. We do a lot. We do. We actually say he does all the photography when we when we do the shoots for our website and stuff. So that's very nice when we get to work in that way, because that's a different way of working. That's quite creative by working together.

00:24:48:15 - 00:24:49:17

Speaker 2

So yeah, there's so many.

00:24:49:17 - 00:25:03:11

Speaker 1

So this is a great collaboration. Yeah. I mean it's interesting to me there's all sorts of sibling businesses that do really well. And I think for the reasons you've described, you've got different skills. Yeah. And different preferences. But you can build it on trust.

00:25:03:17 - 00:25:04:03

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:25:04:03 - 00:25:05:06

Speaker 2

Exactly.

00:25:05:08 - 00:25:24:11

Speaker 1

I trust in you. You're just trying ideas all the time because I think that's so important. And you know, we we talked to, a CXO chief experience officer. And one of the earlier podcasts was that was literally their strategy online, you know, that use a B testing on their website all the time to see which one worked.

00:25:24:15 - 00:25:41:10

Speaker 1

Yeah. And I mean, that's in some ways easier to do in a digital space than it is when you're actually fabricating things as much more difficult for you. Yeah. And the work involves probably much more. But it's interesting that that still to me, the philosophy try it. See, try and see.

00:25:41:11 - 00:25:42:18

Speaker 3

Yeah. Exactly.

00:25:42:21 - 00:25:44:02

Speaker 2

That's that's really important.

00:25:44:05 - 00:25:53:08

Speaker 1

But making decisions is also interesting to me. You were talking about that. You do that together. There are two of you. Well, I'm sure you don't agree.

00:25:53:10 - 00:26:15:15

Speaker 2

We have to talk it out for a while and work out. We have to try and see both sides. So I spend a lot of time, I think about something. Phoenix and I struggle as it takes us a lot of time to make the decision. Sometimes because we'll. Phoenix will often we will get spreadsheets up and do like the pros and cons, and then we'll narrow it down.

00:26:15:15 - 00:26:20:06

Speaker 2

And then the next day we'll look at it again and narrow it down. So, that can be tricky.

00:26:20:06 - 00:26:21:16

Speaker 1

So he's a spreadsheet person.

00:26:21:18 - 00:26:34:09

Speaker 2

He's very much a spreadsheet. If Phoenix can see something that I can't see because I'm very much in it, and he'll flag it to me and say, look, I think this isn't working, I think we should try something else.

00:26:34:11 - 00:26:41:11

Speaker 1

And while you sleep on it and wake up at two in the morning, a message him. Yeah. So. But how long would that process take that usually it.

00:26:41:11 - 00:26:54:09

Speaker 2

Depends on what it is. It depends on what what the project is or not what projects that have been. Sort of. So I guess like other brands or companies wanting to work with us, that's where that's been. Most of that. Right?

00:26:54:11 - 00:26:56:13

Speaker 1

So you've done quite a lot of these collaborations.

00:26:56:13 - 00:26:59:01

Speaker 2

We've done quite, quite a lot of.

00:26:59:03 - 00:27:05:02

Speaker 1

How do they work? What work. Has that been a big part of your growth? You seem like you're a bit ambivalent about them now.

00:27:05:04 - 00:27:08:09

Speaker 3

Yeah, I think we do lot last year.

00:27:08:11 - 00:27:10:17

Speaker 1

So are you happy to talk about one of the things?

00:27:10:20 - 00:27:11:09

Speaker 3

Yeah, we've.

00:27:11:09 - 00:27:21:10

Speaker 2

Done. So we've done we did one with the brand called Mojo it. But that was a very big collaboration. I mean, it was great. It was a huge learning curve. But.

00:27:21:12 - 00:27:22:20

Speaker 1

So what do they do? What says.

00:27:22:23 - 00:27:33:16

Speaker 2

They do? Clothing and bags. I think they started doing bags, actually. But we did 12 products, collaborative products with them. One more actually, I think I was actually like closed.

00:27:33:18 - 00:27:36:21

Speaker 1

So when you say collaborative products, are you working together on the design of them.

00:27:36:21 - 00:27:40:15

Speaker 2

Or you design them together? Right. And then launch them on both platforms.

00:27:40:17 - 00:27:48:00

Speaker 1

Okay. And so how was that process. So it you're doing so you're designing something jointly with someone in Korea now.

00:27:48:01 - 00:27:51:08

Speaker 2

Yes. It was communicating with them different times.

00:27:51:10 - 00:27:53:10

Speaker 1

Timing grids and everything. Yeah.

00:27:53:12 - 00:28:02:16

Speaker 2

And then also they were producing some. And so and we were producing some in London. We did a campaign together and then we did two pop ups, one and so on and.

00:28:02:16 - 00:28:03:10

Speaker 1

Right.

00:28:03:12 - 00:28:05:24

Speaker 2

So it was enormous. But I think when we.

00:28:06:01 - 00:28:10:09

Speaker 1

How did it work out. What did London do better than solo. So better than London.

00:28:10:10 - 00:28:20:09

Speaker 2

London did really well. The whole the, the the collaboration itself did really well. But I think we just didn't when we got the email that I was just like, yes, we've got to do this, it looks really cool.

00:28:20:13 - 00:28:20:21

Speaker 1

Yeah.

00:28:20:22 - 00:28:32:12

Speaker 2

And it was really cool, but it took up all our time and we're a tiny team. So as soon as you say yes to something like, they have to remember that you're going to be working double hours. Yeah. Because you still have to run.

00:28:32:18 - 00:28:38:20

Speaker 1

So this is about opportunity costs, you know, could your time have been better spent doing something else? So yeah. Elaboration.

00:28:38:22 - 00:28:39:03

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:28:39:03 - 00:28:41:08

Speaker 1

I think when the operation was good. But you might have gone.

00:28:41:12 - 00:28:41:16

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:28:41:16 - 00:28:52:05

Speaker 2

When you're young, you have to remember that your brand is so your community, your business, your brand, your product has to be the most important thing. Because as soon as you take your eye off, it can.

00:28:52:07 - 00:28:59:19

Speaker 1

That might be true when you're old as well. Yeah. Yeah. I'm thinking that there was a you take your eye off any of the, you know, vintage. Yeah.

00:28:59:20 - 00:29:01:02

Speaker 2

I mean, young Business.

00:29:01:04 - 00:29:02:13

Speaker 1

Yeah. No doubt. Yeah. That's what I.

00:29:02:15 - 00:29:03:10

Speaker 3

Mean. Your. Oh yeah.

00:29:03:12 - 00:29:12:05

Speaker 1

You know what I'm thinking. As an older business, there's absolutely no business going to be 65 years old this year. I'm thinking you're right. This is exactly right. We should be. Exactly.

00:29:12:07 - 00:29:14:07

Speaker 3

But when you've got a bigger team.

00:29:14:07 - 00:29:18:22

Speaker 2

Then you can potentially take on those sort of things because they might not touch.

00:29:18:24 - 00:29:39:00

Speaker 1

Yeah, you can try. Perhaps you can try more. Yeah. And and you know, you can have more pilots running. Exactly. As you got as your business grows but still in on the understanding that some will be successful and some won't, and you've got to scratch things on. Yeah, inefficiently. And move the results on. Yeah. And in sort of business school I call it capital allocation.

00:29:39:00 - 00:29:43:14

Speaker 1

You know, as opposed that's a where are you going to spend your money. But it's also your time and energy.

00:29:43:14 - 00:29:44:01

Speaker 2

Yeah that's.

00:29:44:01 - 00:29:46:06

Speaker 1

Interesting. And it's a finite amount.

00:29:46:08 - 00:29:46:17

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:29:46:18 - 00:29:51:12

Speaker 1

And you know capital allocation is so important to all businesses whatever that stage I think.

00:29:51:12 - 00:29:51:23

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:29:52:03 - 00:29:57:22

Speaker 1

Because it defines whether we're putting our money into areas where you get a good return or not.

00:29:58:00 - 00:29:59:06

Speaker 3

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

00:29:59:06 - 00:30:04:13

Speaker 2

I think that's something we've learned a lot from last year. That was our time. I think I just forget about my time.

00:30:04:13 - 00:30:19:11

Speaker 1

So I suppose with a collaboration, by making a commitment to collaborate with someone else or another party, our time is not our own so much. Is that something, you know, because you said, well, I'm going to spend time with you on this. Well, yeah. You don't have the control over. Your time is up. Is that what you're saying?

00:30:19:11 - 00:30:20:09

Speaker 1

That's what I'm hearing to.

00:30:20:13 - 00:30:21:22

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:30:21:22 - 00:30:38:13

Speaker 2

It's it's more that it was also it's I mean some of it can feel a bit like a risk because you haven't seen if this works, it's not something that's guaranteed to work. It can be I mean I think just weighing it up in that way because we had no idea if it was going to be good for the business or bad for the business.

00:30:38:13 - 00:30:52:19

Speaker 2

But we were spending I was, you know, I was doing drawings and you end up spending time designing the product. I also take a very long time because I want to get it right, and I'm a perfectionist. So I was just spending a lot of time on a collaboration and not as much time on.

00:30:52:21 - 00:30:56:11

Speaker 1

So your philosophy this year is to spend more on this sort of home.

00:30:56:13 - 00:30:58:05

Speaker 3

Where does that range exactly?

00:30:58:05 - 00:31:06:17

Speaker 2

I think where we're going to be if we do get asked to do any collaborations, we're really going to spend our time thinking about it. Unless they're small, which the one we did with Bo?

00:31:06:19 - 00:31:08:24

Speaker 1

That's what I told me through Who's Bo and what was that?

00:31:09:00 - 00:31:17:19

Speaker 2

Bo is, a restaurant called Bo. And they do these buns, and we did a, squish that was, looked like a bun.

00:31:17:24 - 00:31:19:18

Speaker 1

Well, a squish that goes over a bun.

00:31:19:20 - 00:31:22:14

Speaker 2

No, it just has wadding in it. So it kind of looks like a bao bun.

00:31:22:15 - 00:31:23:19

Speaker 1

Oh, I see.

00:31:23:21 - 00:31:24:22

Speaker 2

And then it really.

00:31:24:24 - 00:31:26:11

Speaker 1

Oh, that went well. Did it?

00:31:26:12 - 00:31:27:09

Speaker 2

Yeah. It went really well.

00:31:27:14 - 00:31:44:21

Speaker 1

So those collaboration's a good when they work. You've also had, I believe, sort of celebrity endorsements. That's another part of the sort of marketing, landscape isn't it. So who did you find to endorse you and how did that come about? Or was it by accident to talk me through celebrity endorsements and how it works?

00:31:44:22 - 00:31:50:23

Speaker 2

They've, all been organic. We've not we haven't ever looked at,

00:31:51:00 - 00:31:54:00

Speaker 1

So these are people who bought your products. Are they? Yeah. Been given.

00:31:54:00 - 00:31:56:05

Speaker 3

Them. Yeah. Yeah, we've.

00:31:56:07 - 00:32:07:00

Speaker 2

Since the beginning, we've had we've been really lucky with the people that have bought them and won them. There was actually one particular person who I am really, I'm a fan of.

00:32:07:02 - 00:32:07:14

Speaker 3

Who's that?

00:32:07:17 - 00:32:13:06

Speaker 2

Could Chloe seven year, who's an actress? I've watched all her films like that one. And.

00:32:13:08 - 00:32:14:18

Speaker 1

So it's good. She likes your product.

00:32:14:18 - 00:32:15:24

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:32:16:01 - 00:32:33:19

Speaker 2

And that's actually when we grew quite quickly. Because it's really because I wrote in my, I wrote a list of people that I want. I want to ask questions. She was like, number two or something. And then a few months later, I was on holiday and I woke up to a message from her on Instagram, which is completely mental, right?

00:32:33:21 - 00:32:52:16

Speaker 2

Saying, can I buy good squish? I remember looking at me and being like, that's not a real message. That can't be real. And then she did. She ended up buying them, and I sent her a few extra ones and wrote that I'd written it in my diary on the to. And then she she did a post saying, oh hell yeah, I could squish wearing them, right?

00:32:52:18 - 00:32:56:04

Speaker 2

And I remember when that happened, I there was so many sales after that.

00:32:56:06 - 00:32:58:01

Speaker 1

So it really made a difference commercially.

00:32:58:01 - 00:32:59:05

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah.

00:32:59:07 - 00:33:00:08

Speaker 2

And then since then you should.

00:33:00:08 - 00:33:06:15

Speaker 1

Keep writing lists. I mean, it obviously you somehow transmit I think you're getting more emails. Maybe.

00:33:06:18 - 00:33:07:11

Speaker 3

Maybe you should.

00:33:07:11 - 00:33:09:19

Speaker 1

I mean others have come through on the list.

00:33:09:21 - 00:33:25:09

Speaker 2

No one else. No one else. No, actually, one more person. But but I never saw a photo of how was had and Helena Bonham Carter and I never saw a picture of her wearing one, but she did order one because I saw her name and I asked her to be in a film, and she said, no, it's fine.

00:33:25:11 - 00:33:30:21

Speaker 1

Well, you've got to try. So Helena Bonham Carter, if you're listening. Yeah. I hope you like your squish.

00:33:30:21 - 00:33:32:13

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah.

00:33:32:15 - 00:33:51:05

Speaker 2

But we haven't. Yeah. So it's all been organic, and now we have a lot of great. We've had it. We've worked with Olivia Dean, who's an amazing singer on artist Maud Apatow's amazing actress, and she's come to our studio before, Bel Powley obviously is my friend, and she she was. And so I think it's open, really organic in that way.

00:33:51:07 - 00:34:04:07

Speaker 2

I think now we're sort of looking at, I think having doing sort of endorsements, celebrity endorsements is so helpful. So we, I have been looking at that, but I think when we get asked whether we'll do like a paid run, I've always then.

00:34:04:09 - 00:34:14:12

Speaker 1

I think it's good that it's got integrity the way you do. I just hope anyone listening, you know, who knows? Celebrities say this is an incredible way to support young entrepreneurs.

00:34:14:18 - 00:34:15:05

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:34:15:07 - 00:34:19:09

Speaker 1

You know, it doesn't take much does it? Have put a squish on and see if you like it.

00:34:19:11 - 00:34:19:22

Speaker 3

Well, I think we.

00:34:19:22 - 00:34:21:21

Speaker 2

Actually love them because they all do.

00:34:21:21 - 00:34:22:11

Speaker 3

Loads.

00:34:22:14 - 00:34:28:22

Speaker 1

Yeah. So if you love them you put a picture on say I love them because why not? I mean it helps people get business going, creates jobs. It's good food.

00:34:29:00 - 00:34:29:17

Speaker 3

Exactly.

00:34:29:17 - 00:34:35:22

Speaker 1

That's opportunities in London. Yeah. And I think that's a power that people sometimes have that they maybe don't realise they have.

00:34:36:00 - 00:34:37:14

Speaker 3

Yeah. It's very true. I mean yeah.

00:34:37:14 - 00:34:39:22

Speaker 1

You say the orders went through the roof. That's shows.

00:34:39:24 - 00:34:40:10

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:34:40:10 - 00:34:41:12

Speaker 1

It's powerful. It is.

00:34:41:12 - 00:34:42:00

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:34:42:00 - 00:34:57:22

Speaker 2

It's sometimes we haven't been we, we, we the could and we worked with us on press for a while and she, she was amazing because I'm not very good at knowing he's cool, but she would go through, orders and she'd see a name of someone. But as I can tell.

00:34:57:23 - 00:35:00:20

Speaker 1

A lot better than me. I'll tell you. It's like people on want to.

00:35:00:20 - 00:35:02:09

Speaker 3

See who is the best is fine.

00:35:02:10 - 00:35:17:16

Speaker 2

Like a tick tock them person on TikTok and then this person just ordered, super baby and white, and then we would just get loads of orders for Super Baby in White from, just checking through, because we'd always send a few extras. Right. But yeah. So that it does really well.

00:35:17:17 - 00:35:27:04

Speaker 1

So you need to be really tuned into that though, you're saying. Yeah. So yeah, for people listening who essentially can be marketing things. Yeah. That's an there is a really keep a beady eye on. Yeah.

00:35:27:04 - 00:35:30:00

Speaker 2

And if you can't because I can't do that because I don't know who.

00:35:30:00 - 00:35:32:03

Speaker 1

And you're doing the product. But find people who are really.

00:35:32:03 - 00:35:35:24

Speaker 2

Find someone that's really good at knowing who's in.

00:35:36:01 - 00:35:36:08

Speaker 3

The.

00:35:36:10 - 00:35:39:04

Speaker 1

And yeah. No, that's really important part of marketing is that.

00:35:39:08 - 00:35:41:01

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:35:41:03 - 00:35:45:24

Speaker 1

So you're growing your business. You mentioned earlier that you were thinking of going into.

00:35:46:03 - 00:35:46:21

Speaker 2

Ready to wear.

00:35:46:21 - 00:35:56:00

Speaker 1

Ready to wear. Yeah, I was going to say clothing, but that doesn't sound as good does it. So so that's your next. That's a big step isn't it. Yes. Accessories to ready to.

00:35:56:05 - 00:35:56:13

Speaker 3

I think.

00:35:56:13 - 00:36:00:24

Speaker 2

It would be really slow if I do go go into that. It's going to.

00:36:01:00 - 00:36:02:04

Speaker 1

Keep the same brand.

00:36:02:10 - 00:36:05:08

Speaker 3

Yeah. Someone asked me this the other day. Yeah definitely.

00:36:05:10 - 00:36:09:01

Speaker 2

I know how you asked me, I but yeah, I would definitely want to keep the same brand.

00:36:09:03 - 00:36:10:06

Speaker 1

Yeah.

00:36:10:08 - 00:36:12:24

Speaker 2

I wouldn't want to change. I think it's going to be clothes.

00:36:13:01 - 00:36:19:18

Speaker 1

Yeah. Why not? Yeah, I see that as a brand. But would it be a certain type of clothes?

00:36:19:20 - 00:36:21:13

Speaker 3

Squishy. Yeah.

00:36:21:15 - 00:36:25:20

Speaker 1

Is that right? I mean, so I suppose I imagine that'd be super comfortable.

00:36:25:22 - 00:36:27:07

Speaker 3

Yeah. I actually want to get.

00:36:27:08 - 00:36:28:04

Speaker 1

Very buttoned up.

00:36:28:05 - 00:36:47:18

Speaker 2

I want to go into home. I will say, so I think it would be so it would be something home. Yeah. I'm definitely going to go into her, but very slowly and ready to wear. I'm going to do over the next five years, but just really small batches. So maybe 30, 40 units of a skirt or. Yeah, I just want to keep it all really small and with a focus on deadstock.

00:36:47:24 - 00:36:48:14

Speaker 2

So that.

00:36:48:16 - 00:36:52:04

Speaker 1

One. So you can still get deadstock in sufficient quantities to do that.

00:36:52:04 - 00:37:08:00

Speaker 2

Yeah. There's so much deadstock you just have to look for it. So you need someone to look for it constantly. But, I think something we something that is really nice about deadstock is when we do use it for capsules, once a product's sold out, you can't get it again. So some people have.

00:37:08:02 - 00:37:09:08

Speaker 3

Money.

00:37:09:10 - 00:37:11:16

Speaker 2

Which is such a nice thing to know that it's.

00:37:11:16 - 00:37:13:02

Speaker 1

Like buying a print from an artist.

00:37:13:03 - 00:37:15:10

Speaker 3

Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, it's.

00:37:15:13 - 00:37:17:20

Speaker 1

One of a number. Yeah. So very unique.

00:37:17:23 - 00:37:23:23

Speaker 2

I think that's so nice when there's no, you don't you don't want to be the same person wearing the same product.

00:37:24:00 - 00:37:26:00

Speaker 1

Or you go to a party and there are three people in the same.

00:37:26:00 - 00:37:26:10

Speaker 3

Outfit.

00:37:26:10 - 00:37:31:04

Speaker 2

Yeah, that's happened to me once. And I think maybe that made me never want that to happen.

00:37:31:06 - 00:37:32:18

Speaker 1

Not not with a squish product.

00:37:32:19 - 00:37:36:01

Speaker 3

I mean, now I see a lot of people wearing them.

00:37:36:03 - 00:37:38:05

Speaker 2

Yeah, but that's amazing.

00:37:38:07 - 00:37:41:03

Speaker 1

But they will they'll all be different from different batches of Deadstock.

00:37:41:07 - 00:37:42:11

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, except for our.

00:37:42:11 - 00:37:53:09

Speaker 2

Cool ones, which obviously we make the bloom bags the Queen and we have to make a lot of those. Yeah. And then we have wholesale, so we, we stock and, a lot of different shops.

00:37:53:11 - 00:37:59:09

Speaker 1

So when you see someone wearing them and you say hello to them to ask them, how are you getting on with that, I'll just give them up.

00:37:59:11 - 00:38:00:08

Speaker 3

But that's actually.

00:38:00:08 - 00:38:13:08

Speaker 2

A good point because that's I think one of the reasons we grew is that, during a just after lockdown, a lot of people said that they made friends through seeing someone wear a square on the street.

00:38:13:12 - 00:38:14:21

Speaker 1

So they say hello to each other.

00:38:15:00 - 00:38:18:11

Speaker 2

People have made actual friends that hang out through seeing.

00:38:18:13 - 00:38:21:18

Speaker 1

This is a community you're creating. So that's fantastic.

00:38:21:20 - 00:38:22:02

Speaker 3

Oh, I.

00:38:22:02 - 00:38:30:07

Speaker 2

Get videos of someone sitting on the bus, like taking a video of someone wearing one, and then they would be like, ran up to her and said, I knew that. Good question. And then they would talk and.

00:38:30:12 - 00:38:30:21

Speaker 1

Yeah.

00:38:31:02 - 00:38:37:06

Speaker 2

That's like, that's how we've grown. It's all been through people talking to each other because you can see them now. And I had.

00:38:37:08 - 00:38:51:01

Speaker 1

Yeah it's fantastic. Yeah. So so you, you know you didn't like the words. You banned it. But we could have said this is about scrunchies, but you've gone way beyond that in terms of creating this, which is now a community. You're selling it crazily in Japan and selling in America.

00:38:51:03 - 00:38:51:12

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:38:51:13 - 00:38:53:10

Speaker 1

You've got celebrities endorsing it.

00:38:53:16 - 00:38:53:24

Speaker 3

Yeah.

00:38:54:00 - 00:39:08:08

Speaker 1

You've created something that's. Yeah, a real brand and experience. So Billie-Jo, my first question to you is a question I ask everyone who comes onto this podcast, which is what gets you up on a Monday morning.

00:39:08:10 - 00:39:12:05

Speaker 3

Okay. It's great, but squidge. Yeah.

00:39:12:07 - 00:39:13:23

Speaker 1

I mean, that's it. That's all you need to say.

00:39:13:23 - 00:39:14:21

Speaker 3

Okay, good. Yeah.

00:39:14:21 - 00:39:20:23

Speaker 1

No, that's if it's two words. Good. Squish. And it's give you that. If you want to say more do that.

00:39:21:00 - 00:39:21:18

Speaker 3

But it.

00:39:21:21 - 00:39:23:16

Speaker 2

That's probably what gets you bit of Monday.

00:39:23:18 - 00:39:31:14

Speaker 1

Because it's good. And my other question which is a question from my interview, the why you where do you see yourself in five years time?

00:39:31:16 - 00:39:46:09

Speaker 2

I have a lot of ideas for five years time, but I think just still doing what we're doing. But having moved into more space, having a really strong, amazing team and hopefully open a store in New York and Japan.

00:39:46:11 - 00:39:49:20

Speaker 1

Fantastic store in New York and Japan and Japan.

00:39:49:22 - 00:39:50:19

Speaker 2

Maybe one in.

00:39:50:19 - 00:39:53:07

Speaker 1

Five. What about London when you have a store in London?

00:39:53:09 - 00:39:54:05

Speaker 3

I'd like to do.

00:39:54:05 - 00:40:08:16

Speaker 2

Pop ups in London and maybe have a store in London, but I think New York and Japan and new places that I haven't been yet. And I really want to go to. So I'd love to, I'd love to have stores there and then continue in London doing pop ups around.

00:40:08:18 - 00:40:20:20

Speaker 1

Yeah, that's a long way from where you are on. So that way you can quality control everything yourself. You're obviously gonna have to build a team of people you trust. How are you going to do that? Where are you at in that process now?

00:40:20:22 - 00:40:52:00

Speaker 2

We're very much feels like we're we're a long way from. We're. So we're still building on that and we're young, we're Phoenix and I really young. So we're learning how to be, you know, team managers and boss and, you know, all those things. So I think that's, that's one of, like really important. The main goals at the moment is building a really strong team that we trust and, and that are enthuses tastic and excited and making sure that they can progress through through a good question.

00:40:52:02 - 00:41:09:02

Speaker 2

And something important to me is I think I'm quite good at it is noticing what people are good at, and I want everyone on my team to feel like they're sort of able to to utilise what, sort of what they are great at, and at this question. So, yeah, just having a really strong team.

00:41:09:04 - 00:41:09:10

Speaker 1

Yeah.

00:41:09:11 - 00:41:10:02

Speaker 3

Everyone.

00:41:10:04 - 00:41:32:14

Speaker 1

Well look forward to inviting you back in five years time and seeing how. Yeah. Progressing. Yeah. Thank you very much for coming in. Thank you to Billie for joining me on All About Business. I'm your host, James Reed, chairman and CEO of Reed, a family run recruitment and philanthropy company. If you'd like to find out more about Reed and Good squish, all links are in the show notes.

00:41:32:16 - 01:05:47:16

Speaker 1

See you next time.

01:05:47:18 - 01:05:50:19

Speaker 1

Yeah. I think you've got a clear purpose that helps.

01:05:50:21 - 01:05:52:12

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

01:05:52:17 - 01:06:10:10

Speaker 1

So as a business grows, you know, being growing a business over the years, and I mean, a situation where I don't know everything that's going on in the company, I couldn't possibly. But what I hope is that someone I trust does. Yeah. So, you know, I've got a team of people that I trust and they're sort of working all the parts of the business.

01:06:10:13 - 01:06:16:18

Speaker 1

I'm hoping my strategy around that is, as long as I want to trust, knows what's going on in that area.

01:06:16:20 - 01:06:18:06

Speaker 3

But was it hard? I can imagine.

01:06:18:09 - 01:06:38:03

Speaker 1

Well, yeah. Trust is trust. I think trust is the sort of bedrock of business, and you have to trust people to get things done, but it doesn't always work. You know, sometimes trust breaks down. And when we hire people, integrity is the first thing I look for. But the trust is about two things about being honest and trustworthy.

01:06:38:07 - 01:06:47:11

Speaker 1

But it's also about doing the job competently. You know, being able to do what you've been hired to do. And and you need people who can do both those things.

01:06:47:13 - 01:06:48:18

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah. You know, who.

01:06:48:18 - 01:06:56:02

Speaker 1

Are honest and trustworthy but will deliver a good squish or a to be good at their job in whatever way.

01:06:56:08 - 01:06:58:17

Speaker 3

You've had them. Yeah. Good. Yeah.

01:06:58:23 - 01:07:01:05

Speaker 1

Yeah. So there's two legs to it. Ready?

01:07:01:10 - 01:07:03:01

Speaker 2

Like letting go of control.

01:07:03:03 - 01:07:12:05

Speaker 1

Yeah. That's hard. I think some people find that really hard. Yeah, but if you want to grow a business, that's absolutely necessary. You have to delegate. Well, that's what I've found.

01:07:12:07 - 01:07:13:11

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, that's.

01:07:13:11 - 01:07:30:20

Speaker 2

What we're sort of learning more, more now. I think that's going to be. That's a challenge for both Phoenix and I. Just because of how we built everything. But I think I think once you have the right people around and we have some incredible people on our team already, I think that will get easier. But if something.

01:07:30:22 - 01:07:35:24

Speaker 1

Happens. Yeah, it will. It comes. And I think experience helps with that. The more people you've managed.

01:07:36:01 - 01:07:37:06

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:07:37:09 - 01:07:38:24

Speaker 1

That becomes more clear.

01:07:39:01 - 01:07:40:07

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:07:40:09 - 01:07:42:08

Speaker 1

Well, the thought of visiting the shop in Japan.

01:07:42:09 - 01:07:42:23

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:07:43:00 - 01:07:43:24

Speaker 1

I'd love to go to Japan.

01:07:44:01 - 01:07:46:05

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:07:46:07 - 01:07:48:01

Speaker 1

Yeah. All the best with that.

01:07:48:06 - 01:09:38:07

Speaker 3

Thank you.

01:09:38:09 - 01:09:53:05

Speaker 1

So, Billie-Jo, you bring out new versions, new products regularly. How did you decide the pace and the way in which you should do that? How does that work?

01:09:53:07 - 01:09:54:03

Speaker 3

So it's always.

01:09:54:03 - 01:09:54:15

Speaker 2

Been.

01:09:54:15 - 01:09:55:08

Speaker 3

It's a it's.

01:09:55:11 - 01:10:09:11

Speaker 2

That hasn't been challenging and challenging for, for us. It's always been really reactive. And we've just had the idea and we've done it and it's worked. Now that we're bigger, also because we host them, we're we're. Now we have to start thinking about bringing out collections maybe twice.

01:10:09:11 - 01:10:09:23

Speaker 3

A year.

01:10:09:24 - 01:10:29:08

Speaker 2

Or three times a year, just because of the that we're a little bit bigger now. So up until now, it's been completely reactive. I'll see something that will give me an idea and our basic collection of that, they will have really silly names. That's normally starts with the name. And then but now we're sort of thinking we've just done our marketing calendar like, oh.

01:10:29:09 - 01:10:31:04

Speaker 3

Year to year plan.

01:10:31:06 - 01:10:43:11

Speaker 2

And we have sort of a static calendar that we, we have. And then it's a bit flexible so we can change it and tweak it. So now it's a lot of planning. But before up until now, it's just I've hadn't I don't I've done that.

01:10:43:14 - 01:10:48:04

Speaker 1

But you don't lose your personality, your brand personality. Now that we're moving to planning, do you.

01:10:48:05 - 01:10:48:14

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:10:48:14 - 01:11:01:03

Speaker 2

That's the one of the things that I find really challenging because I'm trying. I want to keep my excitement for things. And then. But we have to plan. So I'm going to have to find, like, a middle ground.

01:11:01:07 - 01:11:02:24

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:11:03:01 - 01:11:03:18

Speaker 1

I'm sure you will.

01:11:03:18 - 01:11:04:19

Speaker 3

Maybe trick myself.

01:11:04:19 - 01:11:09:20

Speaker 1

That's the trick yourself. That sounds like a good idea. Yeah. You want to keep your excitement?

01:11:09:22 - 01:11:10:04

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:11:10:06 - 01:11:14:11

Speaker 1

For sure. Yeah. I mean, that seems to be infectious because everyone loves the product.

01:11:14:17 - 01:11:15:16

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:11:15:18 - 01:11:18:08

Speaker 1

That's that's a that's a secret sauce, perhaps.

01:11:18:15 - 01:11:22:14

Speaker 3

Yeah. But I'm. I was always amazed because, big.

01:11:22:14 - 01:11:35:04

Speaker 2

Fashion brands are ones that are ready to wear. They, they start planning their collections 18 months in advance, which I think is amazing. I've only ever had the most time I've had is three months. Six months would be amazing.

01:11:35:04 - 01:11:39:03

Speaker 3

But 18 months? I don't know why. I don't know what. I don't want to do an 18.

01:11:39:03 - 01:11:43:12

Speaker 1

Month look quite well. Maybe there's something in that that you might be able to turn that around more quickly.

01:11:43:14 - 01:11:44:12

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:11:44:14 - 01:11:47:02

Speaker 1

Through your own closeness to what you're doing.

01:11:47:04 - 01:11:55:03

Speaker 2

Accessories also means that we don't have to do that as much. We can have sort of. We can be a bit more reactive, which is great. We can have an idea, and.

01:11:55:05 - 01:12:02:09

Speaker 1

But if you go into ready to wear, maybe the lessons you can take from your accessories experience to speed that process up. Yeah. To your advantage.

01:12:02:10 - 01:12:03:16

Speaker 3

Exactly. Yeah.

01:12:03:18 - 01:12:10:21

Speaker 2

And also something that we've always done is the reason I think something a reason we've done well is we can test we can test the product.

01:12:10:21 - 01:12:12:12

Speaker 3

So we always show.

01:12:12:12 - 01:12:30:12

Speaker 2

Our product to our community and see whether that product gets engagement before we would do a big run of that product. So we can't there's no risk really involved there. Post it. And if people love it, unload it to do that product, which is something I really want to keep, forever. I think it's a great way not to sell.

01:12:30:13 - 01:12:35:04

Speaker 2

We don't sell on stock. We don't have waste. We don't have tons. Yeah. It's like great in so many ways.

01:12:35:07 - 01:12:39:06

Speaker 1

Yeah, it feels very dynamic. Yeah. Live communication with.

01:12:39:06 - 01:12:41:19

Speaker 3

You? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So it's so risky.

01:12:41:19 - 01:12:45:03

Speaker 2

Releasing lots and lots of products and not knowing it. You don't want to sit on that stock.

01:12:45:03 - 01:12:48:07

Speaker 1

That's definitely not was a bad business model.

01:12:48:08 - 01:12:51:04

Speaker 3

Exactly. Yeah.

01:12:51:06 - 01:13:07:21

Speaker 1

I mean, that's really that's really interesting to me that you've developed such a good business model through your closeness to your customer. Let's not waste this fast to speed to market this quick. Yeah. Pairs of relationships when things go wrong.

01:13:07:22 - 01:13:08:23

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:13:09:00 - 01:13:12:21

Speaker 1

Yeah. That's been a big part of your success. Clearly. Yeah.

01:13:12:23 - 01:13:15:09

Speaker 3

Yeah. I think the challenge now is just.

01:13:15:11 - 01:13:21:07

Speaker 2

Keeping all of those core values as we grow. That will be challenging.

01:13:21:10 - 01:13:23:02

Speaker 1

So how are you going to do that?

01:13:23:04 - 01:13:35:17

Speaker 2

Still working it out. So figuring it out. But I think just. Yeah, spending time making decisions, also getting advice from the right people. There's ways to do it. It's just from something which is fun. Otherwise that we'd be bored.

01:13:35:17 - 01:13:37:10

Speaker 3

So yeah, we'll figure it out.

01:13:37:12 - 01:13:49:14

Speaker 1

We've had people come on the podcast to talk about purpose in business, and they help companies, usually large companies, sort of write down a purpose statement and their values. Have you done anything like that?

01:13:49:16 - 01:13:52:10

Speaker 2

We have spent a lot of time doing that.

01:13:52:12 - 01:13:55:04

Speaker 3

I think it's.

01:13:55:04 - 01:14:08:17

Speaker 2

Still a work in progress, but functionality and love is important to us in our products. So that sort of we it's something we want to keep. And in our community, it's really important to us too.

01:14:08:19 - 01:14:15:16

Speaker 1

Because as the founder, you're sort of ethos will pervade the business.

01:14:15:18 - 01:14:16:03

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:14:16:03 - 01:14:17:23

Speaker 1

For many, many years to come at home.

01:14:18:00 - 01:14:18:09

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:14:18:10 - 01:14:25:16

Speaker 1

And as it grows, you know, the founders sort of culture and values will become the business.

01:14:25:18 - 01:14:26:05

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:14:26:07 - 01:14:28:01

Speaker 1

Gotcha. Values potentially.

01:14:28:02 - 01:14:29:23

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:14:30:00 - 01:14:37:09

Speaker 1

Giving that thought that's interesting. You're giving that such thought now because I think that would be useful and powerful for the future.

01:14:37:11 - 01:14:39:14

Speaker 3

Yeah. Otherwise it'd be hard to, I guess.

01:14:39:14 - 01:14:43:12

Speaker 2

See what you want everyone to feel was to know what they're working towards.

01:14:43:14 - 01:15:00:13

Speaker 1

Yeah. Well, I'm. I'm hearing some really strong messages around Made in London. Yeah. Dead start. Sustainable. Avoiding waste. Being close to the customer. Creating community. Those are all nice, important things that people I think, you know, thinking of working in a business.

01:15:00:15 - 01:15:01:00

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:15:01:01 - 01:15:06:16

Speaker 1

We want to become involved with. Yeah. That's attractive to people coming in, you know, as the company grows.

01:15:06:22 - 01:15:07:12

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:15:07:14 - 01:15:09:14

Speaker 1

To see that and know that, I think.

01:15:09:16 - 01:15:10:06

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:15:10:08 - 01:15:17:24

Speaker 1

I mean, years ago, I mean, you remind me of Anita Roddick, who I work for. Who? I don't know if you know her, but she was the founder of The Body Shop. Yeah.

01:15:18:02 - 01:15:18:11

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:15:18:12 - 01:15:28:05

Speaker 1

She was so committed to certain principles and the. That was a priority, really. And the things she made, she made them products that weren't tested on.

01:15:28:05 - 01:15:29:13

Speaker 3

Animals came.

01:15:29:13 - 01:15:39:20

Speaker 1

From sustainable free trade sources or fair trade sources. And and that was the bedrock of everything that company was about. And people loved it.

01:15:39:22 - 01:15:41:02

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:15:41:04 - 01:15:43:15

Speaker 1

She really did well and rightly so.

01:15:43:17 - 01:15:44:20

Speaker 3

Yeah. I guess I can have.

01:15:44:20 - 01:15:51:13

Speaker 2

That can help with your decision making. So you can straight away take those boxes. And if something doesn't align with that you don't do that.

01:15:51:13 - 01:15:53:22

Speaker 1

Yeah. It doesn't feel right. That's not for us sort of thing.

01:15:54:01 - 01:15:55:09

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:15:55:11 - 01:15:57:11

Speaker 1

So it's good to be clear about that, I think.

01:15:57:13 - 01:15:58:23

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah.

01:15:59:00 - 01:15:59:17

Speaker 1

Good.

01:15:59:19 - 01:16:01:00

Speaker 3

01:16:01:02 - 01:16:05:19

Speaker 1

That was just a ramble, but I thought very interesting.

01:16:05:21 - 01:16:07:00

Speaker 3

01:16:07:02 - 01:16:11:03

Speaker 1

But, Oh that's fantastic. But is there anything else I should ask?

01:16:11:04 - 01:16:30:09

Speaker 3

No, I think you've covered it. You said that you want to open a store in New York, and, I think that I think, yes, you're going to have to find people that you trust because you got to culture. You can show them all that. Yeah. Then you ship out to the US. Thank you. Well, I think we would have to have a fulfilment centre that we would have to have an office there.

01:16:30:13 - 01:16:41:01

Speaker 3

Yeah. I mean, that would be amazing. You'd have to trust someone. You can. Well, yeah, I do try. I have my phone, actually. So I do have you lie to us, but, but I think having, I think I probably should have answered that maybe.

01:16:41:01 - 01:16:43:12

Speaker 2

Is having a really amazing team.

01:16:43:14 - 01:16:44:14

Speaker 3

In five.

01:16:44:16 - 01:22:07:00

Speaker 1

Yeah, I would, I could ask, I can no, I lost the question, so I lost the question. Basically Frankie was alluding to so.

01:22:07:02 - 01:23:26:20

Speaker 1

So today on All About Business. I'm really delighted to welcome Billie-Jo Cronin, who is the founder of Good squish. And,

01:23:26:22 - 01:23:27:13

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:23:27:15 - 01:23:47:19

Speaker 1

And, And you've expanded from that, and you've got a sort of wider range, but that's still your core product. But interesting that you began by pitching into a pretty premium market in terms of price. A lot of fashion is competing to move prices down, but you kind of ignored that and chose a different path. Why did you do that?

01:23:47:20 - 01:23:49:20

Speaker 1

What what was your strategy?

01:23:49:22 - 01:24:25:21

Speaker 2

01:24:27:05 - 01:24:28:24

Speaker 2

And it's this,

01:24:29:01 - 01:24:29:17

Speaker 1

It's beautiful.

01:24:29:20 - 01:24:30:16

Speaker 3

Yeah, it's.

01:24:30:18 - 01:25:26:05

Speaker 2

The first one looked like this, but it was, really fine Victorian lace that I'd found on eBay and been given by, people in my family. So I start when I first started sampling, I use that's the original one, which I don't have with me, actually, sadly. But, it was a little bit bigger maybe and a bit more elaborate, but this is a quite a good, as I say, it's similar.

01:25:26:07 - 01:25:29:07

Speaker 2

So that's something that we've definitely kept cool to us throughout.

01:25:29:10 - 01:25:41:15

Speaker 1

So instead of sort of going with so many along the fast fashion route, you picked deadstock or recyclable materials. Yeah. And you handmade very premium products.

01:25:41:15 - 01:25:42:20

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah.

01:25:42:22 - 01:25:46:11

Speaker 1

And I think how did people respond to that?

01:25:46:13 - 01:26:41:04

Speaker 2

Oh, really? Well, from when I first started, I showed them.

01:26:41:06 - 01:26:41:17

Speaker 2

And then we.

01:26:41:22 - 01:26:43:14

Speaker 1

Have a stable of squishes.

01:26:43:14 - 01:26:43:23

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:26:43:23 - 01:26:46:09

Speaker 2

We have, But it does get out of hand.

01:26:46:09 - 01:26:54:10

Speaker 1

But. But the deadstock comes in. So you think we'll make one of each of these first, and then they go on to Instagram and you can bid for them.

01:26:54:12 - 01:27:10:20

Speaker 2

Those are just outside stock drops, which we do now every three months. That the beginning. That's the only thing that I did was just the deadstock drop. So I think I built and I built the business in the first year just doing these drops. I wouldn't really sell them outside of that. I would prepare all month for the drop and then do the job.

01:27:10:24 - 01:27:16:13

Speaker 1

But you are you are presenting it. This is a once in a moment opportunity to get this look.

01:27:16:16 - 01:27:20:08

Speaker 2

Yeah, exactly. It only lasted for one day. The job. Yeah. So everyone had to be on it with.

01:27:20:08 - 01:27:27:00

Speaker 1

Some jeopardy around it. You need to be there. You need to be ready to get what you wanted. Yeah, that created a bit of tension for.

01:27:27:02 - 01:27:28:00

Speaker 3

Me like that.

01:27:28:06 - 01:28:13:16

Speaker 1

Now it's a more interesting.

01:28:13:18 - 01:28:22:10

Speaker 1

And they're based here in London. And you're making fabrics, products here in London. In the east. East of London. Is that right?

01:28:22:12 - 01:28:27:22

Speaker 2

We we were in Hackney Road. But we moved recently to Tottenham because we've got a much bigger space now.

01:28:28:02 - 01:28:33:24

Speaker 1

Right, right. So, you know, this is an a great tradition of fabrics. And I mean London was famous for this.

01:28:34:05 - 01:28:34:16

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:28:34:18 - 01:28:43:00

Speaker 1

Previous period. So is that something that's working well for you. Is that something you judge other people to consider?

01:28:43:02 - 01:29:15:20

Speaker 2

To have made in London? Yeah, definitely. It does work really well for us because it also means that we got to keep a really close eye on, the quality of the product.

01:29:15:22 - 01:29:22:08

Speaker 1

Yeah. So. And but your message here is that it's important for quality to be close to where the production is.

01:29:22:11 - 01:29:23:00

Speaker 3

Yeah, well, I.

01:29:23:00 - 01:29:32:16

Speaker 2

Can run across the courtyard and check every single one is. Which is what I do still. Now, I'll check that every part of the square is perfect. And you just don't get that if you.

01:29:32:16 - 01:29:34:09

Speaker 1

So you look at them all before they go out.

01:29:34:10 - 01:29:55:21

Speaker 3

I still do the key thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:29:55:23 - 01:29:56:08

Speaker 2

But that's.

01:29:56:10 - 01:30:00:05

Speaker 1

Yeah. I'm envious of people who can win.

01:30:00:07 - 01:30:00:17

Speaker 3

But yeah.

01:30:00:17 - 01:30:09:23

Speaker 2

So that's been something that we've always done is we've always asked for feedback from our community, on the products, how to make them better. I would say because we're one product business.

01:30:09:23 - 01:30:11:19

Speaker 1

And people are quite forthcoming about that.

01:30:11:22 - 01:30:12:06

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:30:12:06 - 01:30:19:15

Speaker 2

We got a lot of the, customers love it. We got loads and loads of comments. If we ask a question, we'll get hundreds of comments and direct messages.

01:30:19:17 - 01:30:25:03

Speaker 1

So they're very engaged. Yeah. Yeah. You've that's been very much since the beginning. Since you started.

01:30:25:05 - 01:30:25:24

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:30:26:01 - 01:31:06:03

Speaker 2

We've built a really strong community.

01:31:06:05 - 01:31:10:22

Speaker 1

So, what is it about your product that's appealing to people in Korea?

01:31:10:24 - 01:31:14:17

Speaker 3

I don't know, I don't I think they just love the brand.

01:31:14:17 - 01:31:40:02

Speaker 2

I think it's the brand, over the product. I think it is the product and the brand. But a lot of it is the brand. I think it's.

01:31:40:04 - 01:31:47:17

Speaker 1

And it seems to work. Yeah. So what is it about? So you said in Korea, they basically like me. It works here. And it seems to work in America.

01:31:47:17 - 01:31:49:24

Speaker 3

And yeah, slowly and slowly.

01:31:50:04 - 01:32:00:11

Speaker 1

But it's building. Is it because people remember it or was. Yeah. What is it about? I mean, it's I suppose the word good is immediately positive isn't it.

01:32:00:11 - 01:32:07:11

Speaker 3

Yeah. And I don't know, I think it's quite far as playful and say and it works and it is paid.

01:32:07:11 - 01:32:14:01

Speaker 2

For in city, but still it works really well as a logo and I think, I don't know, it's, it's the perfect name.

01:32:14:01 - 01:32:14:21

Speaker 1

So you know.

01:32:14:23 - 01:32:15:00

Speaker 3

You're.

01:32:15:01 - 01:32:16:15

Speaker 1

Not going to rebrand anytime.

01:32:16:15 - 01:32:20:04

Speaker 2

No, no we don't sometimes we do bad squish and then.

01:32:20:08 - 01:32:20:18

Speaker 3

Yeah we.

01:32:20:19 - 01:32:22:09

Speaker 2

Have another brand footpath.

01:32:22:11 - 01:32:24:02

Speaker 1

Oh maybe in the future we'll look out for that.

01:32:24:04 - 01:32:24:19

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:32:24:21 - 01:32:40:11

Speaker 1

So we'll see what's in that. So. And so how do you.

01:32:40:13 - 01:32:40:20

Speaker 3

These.

01:32:40:20 - 01:32:50:00

Speaker 2

Ones are made, aren't made using deadstock. But they're made with our Italia that some of them are. So we have this. Oh, sorry. We have them. Is that okay? If I just fast it.

01:32:50:02 - 01:32:57:06

Speaker 1

Actually, again, if you want, but never mind. The poor person literally might have a headache for it. I don't worry about it.

01:32:57:09 - 01:33:27:05

Speaker 3

01:33:27:07 - 01:33:31:21

Speaker 1

Yeah. The only problem is spreadsheets are they limit you to the box, that the spreadsheet is enough.

01:33:31:22 - 01:33:33:12

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah. Okay.

01:33:33:14 - 01:33:35:19

Speaker 1

Yeah. But they're useful for sure.

01:33:35:19 - 01:33:37:12

Speaker 3

Yeah. Our whole business.

01:33:37:14 - 01:33:40:17

Speaker 1

So you end up coming to a sort of consensus, do you?

01:33:40:19 - 01:33:41:21

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah.

01:33:41:23 - 01:33:45:09

Speaker 1

It won't be you saying how you. Phoenix. Thanks for that. But I've decided.

01:33:45:13 - 01:33:47:22

Speaker 2

No, no, no, never. We would always decide together.

01:33:48:00 - 01:33:48:18

Speaker 3

If I really.

01:33:48:18 - 01:34:01:01

Speaker 2

Want to do something. What? He really wants to do something. Well, we've done this. We've done it. We'll be like, okay, let's try this one. If it doesn't, we won't do it again. But yeah, we always will. Always decide together.

01:34:01:03 - 01:34:02:03

Speaker 3

Right? Yeah.

01:34:02:05 - 01:34:05:03

Speaker 1

And then if it doesn't work out, what happens then.

01:34:05:05 - 01:34:06:06

Speaker 2

You just have to carry.

01:34:06:06 - 01:34:07:17

Speaker 1

On, make another decision.

01:34:07:17 - 01:34:08:04

Speaker 2

Make another.

01:34:08:04 - 01:34:21:22

Speaker 1

Decision. So is it sometimes difficult to scratch things, say we're going to stop this? Is it. Because that's also a decision that if you embark on a new idea and you can see its benefit in a lot of effort and then it's not really coming to pass. Yeah, someone has to kill it.

01:34:21:23 - 01:34:22:17

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:34:22:17 - 01:34:23:21

Speaker 1

That's a discipline to us.

01:34:23:21 - 01:34:26:13

Speaker 2

That's a discipline too. Yeah, definitely. So yeah, we have to see.

01:34:26:17 - 01:34:29:13

Speaker 1

Who calls the shots on that.

01:34:29:15 - 01:34:29:24

Speaker 3

Again.

01:34:29:24 - 01:35:11:24

Speaker 2

It's normally collaborative, right.

01:35:12:01 - 01:35:13:02

Speaker 1

Oh. That's good. So.

01:35:13:03 - 01:35:14:10

Speaker 3

Yeah. Can I.

01:35:14:10 - 01:35:15:23

Speaker 2

Stop for two seconds?

01:35:16:00 - 01:35:18:10

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah. Is that if you do have a tissue.

01:35:18:12 - 01:35:20:11

Speaker 1

We can get you one.

01:35:20:13 - 01:35:21:15

Speaker 3

Yeah. Thank you. Sorry.

01:35:21:18 - 01:35:23:16

Speaker 1

So you happy? Are you enjoying the conversation? Yeah.

01:35:23:16 - 01:35:24:02

Speaker 3

It's good.

01:35:24:06 - 01:35:29:12

Speaker 1

Yeah, I'm enjoying it. I think it's really good. I'm going to ask you next about your celebrity endorsements. Oh, yeah? Think about them for me.

01:35:29:16 - 01:35:30:22

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah.

01:35:30:24 - 01:35:32:17

Speaker 1

So you want to talk about.

01:35:32:19 - 01:35:40:06

Speaker 3

Yeah, I know about the place. Yeah. It's run by Archer, I think. Do you know who she is? Because she's so I.

01:35:40:08 - 01:35:44:11

Speaker 1

I just showed my ignorance by saying, what's that? But, you know, I think I have to do that for my,

01:35:44:13 - 01:35:51:15

Speaker 3

Yeah, she she basically. Did, you know that she, it was her final year project, so, CSM apparently really the my.

01:35:51:15 - 01:35:54:05

Speaker 2

Final year project was. You should definitely look it up.

01:35:54:05 - 01:35:55:14

Speaker 3

Oh, they have the.

01:35:55:14 - 01:35:57:01

Speaker 2

Best marketing.

01:35:57:03 - 01:35:58:03

Speaker 3

Ever, don't they?

01:35:58:03 - 01:35:59:07

Speaker 2

It's like a really funny book.

01:35:59:07 - 01:36:03:11

Speaker 1

But we can also tell me about Bo. You can say a bit about it and say what you're saying now.

01:36:03:12 - 01:36:03:24

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:36:04:01 - 01:36:04:18

Speaker 1

Because I had.

01:36:04:20 - 01:36:05:18

Speaker 3

Thought I had it.

01:36:05:20 - 01:36:15:20

Speaker 1

Because that's a that's a reason that you're drawing. So, you know, I say, well, what was it that tells you about Bo for that? Clever. Because that's the reason you're drawn to working with people is that.

01:36:15:22 - 01:36:20:13

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Thank you. Oh, yeah. I think it's okay.

01:36:20:13 - 01:36:22:18

Speaker 1

I just follow if you put them on that little table there.

01:36:22:18 - 01:36:33:18

Speaker 3

That's all right. I just said to her, I was like, I'm so worried if I don't know if this,

01:36:33:20 - 01:36:36:14

Speaker 3

I think I cannot.

01:36:36:16 - 01:36:37:04

Speaker 1

So.

01:36:37:10 - 01:36:41:14

Speaker 3

Yeah. Do you want to start from Bo again? Yeah. Like why.

01:36:41:16 - 01:36:43:06

Speaker 1

So I'll pick up with the Bo question.

01:36:43:06 - 01:36:44:05

Speaker 3

Yes. Well.

01:36:44:07 - 01:36:45:19

Speaker 1

And we okay with the camera angles.

01:36:45:19 - 01:36:53:03

Speaker 3

Never collaboration. But what? Yeah. Yeah yeah yeah.

01:36:53:05 - 01:37:05:17

Speaker 1

So, Billie-Jo, from what you've learned from these collaborations, what kind of brand? Know what sort of partner would you be looking for now? You mentioned Bo. Why did you choose them?

01:37:05:19 - 01:37:08:01

Speaker 3

They approached us, but, I.

01:37:08:01 - 01:37:17:04

Speaker 2

Think it's when when we received the email just to see if they're branding and maybe values align with ours. And what sorts of collaboration it will be.

01:37:17:04 - 01:37:20:18

Speaker 3

So how much time it would take? We have to think about. But as soon.

01:37:20:18 - 01:37:25:11

Speaker 2

As they Bo emailed us, I was really excited because I love I love their branding.

01:37:25:11 - 01:37:28:13

Speaker 1

And so you knew about them already. I knew about what do you like about their branding?

01:37:28:15 - 01:37:29:07

Speaker 3

So they.

01:37:29:07 - 01:37:48:16

Speaker 2

Have they have sort of a mascot called The Lonely Man. Who's this man that's crying and eating a baboon, and that's their main marketing. And it just reminded me of, squares, I guess. Yeah. We made a gif, actually, of The Lonely man falling into a squish. Which is really funny, but.

01:37:48:18 - 01:37:49:20

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:37:49:22 - 01:38:57:01

Speaker 2

And then also just it was it was a really nice collaboration because it was quite quick. We didn't have to spend too much time. We just worked out how the, how we could put the wording in the product. And then yesterday was the party, which was so fun. And it was just so perfect. Collaboration.

01:38:57:03 - 01:38:59:12

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I hope so.

01:38:59:14 - 01:39:05:14

Speaker 1

What's the magic? How did you do that? I mean, what's the. What's that come from?

01:39:05:16 - 01:39:10:14

Speaker 3

I think I think it was definitely hard work.

01:39:10:16 - 01:39:28:21

Speaker 2

We. Yeah. And but I think just from loving a product, if you love, if you love what you're doing enough, it will work. You just have to keep doing it. And don't be scared of things. Just try them. And if they don't work, try something different. But just keep keep moving through it. Because there's times that have been really difficult and times that have been great.

01:39:28:21 - 01:39:52:24

Speaker 2

But I think if there wasn't, that wasn't really hard times, the good times wouldn't matter so much that you just have to keep trying, I think. And if I make make a product that you love and do it really well, and don't think about because we because there's so much competition now is the main thing that I get asked is do are you worried about the competition with people making the exact same ones on the high street?

01:39:53:01 - 01:40:01:22

Speaker 2

And I think I'm not. It's okay if business would slow a little bit, just make better ones and keep making them. I think maybe that's it.

01:40:01:24 - 01:40:11:20

Speaker 1

Thanks. But yeah, that's such an inspiring message for every entrepreneur at any stage. Listening. I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you very much for coming in to talk to me.

01:40:11:22 - 01:40:13:00

Speaker 3

Thank you. Finished.

01:40:13:02 - 01:40:19:18

Speaker 1

Yeah, I think we have you been talking for now. We probably got some questions where we can, How long we were talking for 27.

01:40:19:20 - 01:40:20:13

Speaker 3

Wow.

01:40:20:13 - 01:40:37:14

Speaker 1

That's good. I'm pleased it went quickly. No you can't I mean, I covered the points. Okay. Yeah. Brilliant. I love your summary at the end. I thought the stuff about the community was really interesting. I was quite taken by that. It's nice. So you're going to have some questions? Yeah, I'm sure that there'll be some other bits.

01:40:37:16 - 01:40:38:22

Speaker 1

Okay. So I'll ask you some extra.

01:40:38:22 - 01:40:40:09

Speaker 2

Bits to redo some bits.

01:40:40:11 - 01:40:51:22

Speaker 1

No, no not redo. But Frankie would have been listening and saying, well I wish James had followed up and I'll say this. Or she was saying something interesting I want to know more about, you know, just that. So I'll just see what Frankie's got. A will have to say.

01:40:52:00 - 01:40:54:05

Speaker 3

You want to do your two questions first?

01:40:54:07 - 01:40:58:00

Speaker 1

Yeah. Okay. So I'll ask you I'll ask you two questions that I was asked myself.

01:40:58:02 - 01:43:04:12

Speaker 3

Yeah.

01:43:04:14 - 01:43:06:21

Speaker 1

Well, what's that stuff?

01:43:07:02 - 01:43:07:13

Speaker 2

01:43:07:13 - 01:43:08:13

Speaker 3

Well, it's basically.

01:43:08:13 - 01:43:22:16

Speaker 2

Just fabric that would otherwise go to waste, I guess. So, there's loads of it on eBay, obviously. And then now we still use that stock, but we get it from different suppliers that deal in that stock, and there's so much of it because there's so much waste in fashion.

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