How Flotsam Flo Grew through Creativity, Community, and Sustainability (episode 484)
Kate Doran is the founder of Flotsam Flo. An upcycled accessories brand founded in 2021 that creates products from waste that cannot easily be recycled or is impossible to recycle. Selling via the Shopify site, taking bespoke and corporate orders, and recently diversifying into workshops. They’ve even got 14 bins located around Cornwall to collect their raw materials.
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Dive in:
[04:00] Graphic design degree taught to see differently.
[06:19] Seizing opportunities after brain hemorrhage realization.
[09:29] Upcycling items into new products with purpose.
[15:18] Reusing waste for sustainable gifts and workshops.
[16:11] Teaching sewing, reducing plastic waste, empowering others.
[19:42] Kate’s Top Tips!
Kate’s eCommerce Journey and Inspiration
Kate, originally a qualified secondary school teacher with a passion for making things, entered eCommerce after a life-altering subarachnoid brain hemorrhage made her realize the importance of doing what she loves. This experience, combined with her love for sewing and creating, motivated her to start her creative venture in eCommerce.
Founding of Flotsam Flo
Kate turned her passion for sewing and a near-death experience into the foundation of her business, Flotsam Flo. Kate reached out to her community for plastic waste, starting with a broken snakes and ladders board, to create unique upcycled products. Her graphic design and art background encouraged her to see the potential in unconventional materials, leading her to collect waste from local beaches and turn it into various accessories. This grew organically, driven by the desire to do something meaningful and maintain creative freedom without the pressure of sales.
Community Engagement and Sustainability
Kate believes Flotsam Flo’s uniqueness and circular nature of products attract customers. She ensures that each product is labeled to indicate its original material, like a wetsuit or inflatable, enhancing its special value and the brand’s commitment to quality and sustainability.
Kate sources her raw materials through community engagement. Her involvement in the Cultivator Cornwall program led her to a mentorship and a collaboration with Biffa, a waste management company, which provided her with studio space. This partnership underscored a shared goal between Kate and Biffa: reducing plastic waste. Biffa supports Flotsam Flo not only by offering space but also by collecting donated items for Kate’s projects, exemplifying a successful collaboration between a small business and a large company for a common environmental cause.
Expansion Beyond eCommerce
Flotsam Flo has expanded its reach beyond selling products online. Kate has ventured into offering workshops and engaging with corporate clients for bespoke and corporate orders. These expansions not only diversify the brand’s income streams but also amplify its educational mission. Through workshops, Kate shares her skills and passion for sustainability, teaching others how to repurpose waste materials into valuable items.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
- The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Be genuine and authentic.
Tool Top Tip
- Meta Business Suite scheduling tool
Carbon Top Tip
- At Flotsam Flo, they reuse all the packaging for their orders. Additionally, Kate uses biodegradable stickers to label the packaging as reused and to thank her customers.
Interview Links
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