'Untrash the Planet'. Joss, Nik and the incredible story of Good Citizens Eyewear.
Manage episode 519207137 series 3670579
What would you do if the kids came home and accused you, well all adults, of trashing our home planet?
Nik took it as a call to arms, putting together a pitch to wife Joss and, in doing so, started the ball rolling one what has to be one of the most impressive family business stories ever.
From a globally coveted display in the window of Selfridges to a feature in Forbes to becoming Australia's most awarded eyewear, Good Citizens is a true tale of how inspiration and perspiration can make the seemingly impossible come true.
Listen in to hear:
šÆ How starting with a simple goal keeps things focused
šØ The challenges and benefits of making 100% in Australia
š¦š¦š» What it's like to be in business with two teenagers who know their stuff
⯠How adapting to unexpected speedhumps can make things better
š The touching bond between Nik and Joss that makes them all in as partners, parents, besties, entrepreneurs and more.
Want to know more? Here's what AI had to say after we gave it a listen...
A plastic bottle shouldnāt end its life in landfill, and it definitely shouldnāt need a PR spin to count as āgreen.ā We share how our family took a hard problemāAustraliaās mountain of singleāuse bottlesāand turned it into something people actually want to wear every day: modular, metalāfree eyewear thatās 100% recycled, 100% recyclable, and made in Australia.
Youāll hear the unfiltered path from a schoolyard wakeāup to a working product: weighing bottles and frames, learning why recycled isnāt the same as recyclable, and persuading a brave local manufacturer to try what others said couldnāt be done. We get into the gnarly bitsātooling costs, draft angles, temperamental batches, and the 2,400 failures that taught us how to design with postāconsumer PET instead of fighting it. The result is a simple system with fewer parts, premium lenses, and a tiny coloured clip that clicks just right. That clip became a signal people recognise across a cafe, turning customers into a community of good citizens.
Beyond materials, we map the whole footprint: making and assembling in Sydney so we can see what goes in and what comes out; dispatching through a workplace that employs people with disabilities; and building service around fast, affordable repairs. We talk pricing without flinch, why we refused to āblendā in virgin plastic, and how honesty in emails outperformed glossy launches. Thereās also the human sideāfamily dinners as mini board meetings, nearāburnout, cold ocean swims, and the value of a small circle whoāll ask you out of ten how you really are.
If you care about sustainable design, circular economy, ethical manufacturing, or just want sunnies that look and feel great, this oneās for you. Tap follow, share with a friend who loves a good build story, and leave a review to help more people find the show.
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Chapters
1. Plastic Waste Sets The Stage (00:00:00)
2. Meet Joss And Nick (00:01:00)
3. From Kidsā Concern To Big Idea (00:03:10)
4. Naming And Brand Foundation (00:06:20)
5. Recycled Versus Recyclable Explained (00:08:40)
6. Designing Modular All-Plastic Frames (00:11:10)
7. Why Manufacture Locally (00:14:20)
8. Material Quality And Greenwashing (00:18:00)
9. Proof And Supply Chain Integrity (00:22:10)
10. The Hardest Part: Making It Work (00:25:20)
11. Tooling Lessons And Design Tradeoffs (00:29:40)
12. Price, Value, And Lens Quality (00:34:20)
13. Customisation And The Iconic Clip (00:36:50)
14. Building A Tribe Through Design (00:41:00)
15. Story-Driven Launch And PR (00:45:20)
16. Selfridges Window And Awards (00:50:10)
17. Community Support And Loyalty (00:54:10)
18. Beyond Recycled: Social Impact (00:58:20)
19. Service, Repairs, And Modularity (01:03:20)
20. Decision Principles And Focus (01:07:40)
21. Running A Family Business (01:10:20)
22. Boundaries, Burnout, And Balance (01:15:10)
10 episodes