S2 FAVOURITE: The Inventor & Business Owner - Caroline Farrer - Solmates

This week's bonus favourite episode should inspire your creativity and 'give it a go' spirit!

About our Guests:

Caroline Farrer is a mum of two who has had a diverse career. She worked in film and TV marketing at the BBC, Universal Studios, and Warner Brothers before transitioning into the social impact sector. Caroline then co-founded Solmates Australia, a business that offers a refillable sunscreen applicator made of recycled ocean plastic. With a focus on sustainability and reducing plastic waste, Caroline and her business partner invented Solmates to make it easier for people to protect themselves from the sun while being environmentally conscious.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Caroline Farrer and her son Felix join the podcast to discuss Caroline's journey as an inventor and business owner. Caroline shares how she and her friend Kelly Riley came up with the idea for Solmates, a refillable sunscreen applicator, to address the problem of plastic waste. They wanted to make it easier for people to use sunscreen in bulk while reducing their environmental impact. Caroline talks about the process of bringing their invention to life, finding the right partners, and marketing their product. Felix also shares his aspirations of starting his own business in the future.

Key Takeaways:

Caroline and Kelly invented Solmates, a refillable sunscreen applicator, to address the problem of plastic waste and make it easier for people to use sunscreen in bulk.

The process of bringing their invention to life involved finding the right design agency and manufacturing partners, as well as sourcing recycled plastic for the applicators.

Caroline's background in marketing and Kelly's experience in project management helped them navigate the challenges of starting their own business.

Solmates has gained traction in Australia, with independent retailers and even the Cancer Council stocking their product.

Caroline's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to start small, take it step by step, and be open to pivoting if necessary.

Notable Quotes:

"I think it's just that ownership and the ability to figure it out as you go." - Caroline Farrer

"If you've got an idea, then go for it. Like Caroline said and acknowledged, she and Kelly are in the really privileged position of being able to do that. But not everybody can. Boy, if you can, don't let that idea go to waste. It needs somewhere to go. It needs someone to bring it to." - Nicole

"I think if you just start and you take it bit by bit, I think that's the most important thing." - Caroline Farrer

Resources:

Solmates Australia website - you can buy direct!

For a full transcript of this episode visit the website.

For a companion blog piece on this episode, visit our blog page.

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