LS20 - From Plastic Bottles In the Ocean To Winning in Kickstarter, with Gabby Samkova

Gabby Samkova, originally from Australia, was living and working in Bali while surfing in her spare time. 

While she thought she was getting as far away from city life as possible and experiencing nature, she was constantly brought back to reality. 

Even while 100 meters offshore surfing, she would encounter plastic.

Plastic bottles... plastic bags... plastic particles.

She even kicked a dirty diaper trying to catch a wave!

Gabby was determined to figure out how she could do her part to fix the problem.

After doing her research, she discovered that we can now take old plastic and upcycle it into a polyester microfibre. 

Gabby realized that meant that it was now possible to take used plastic bottles and turn them into fast-drying, sand resistant, and compact beach towels!

That’s when she founded SomerSide Towels and successfully launched on Kickstarter, even delivering early.

In this episode, we talk about the steps Gabby took to deliver a premium fabric upcycled from plastic bottles in the ocean from diaper to launch and go over many of the lessons Gabby learned along the way. 

We also cover: 

• Having high standards GOOD! Spending the time upfront to manage product quality is crucial for a successful business after the launch
• While volume is manageable, you need to be involved in every step of the process
• Why you need to be backing other projects while planning your own launch
• Be willing to write 300 or more thank you letters to your backers… and watch what happens as a result.

Did you resonate with Gabby’s story? Check out SomerSide Towels here at https://www.somerside.com.au/ and pick a towel at the same time.

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