Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kirsten Quigley, founder and CEO of Lunchskins, located in Maryland, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Lunchskins is a mission-driven brand designed to eliminate single-use plastic and empower people to make a difference every day with planet-friendly alternatives. Our hope is to influence attitudes and behaviors around single-use plastic and offer the best possible options that meet people where they are on their journey to reduce plastic waste easily and sustainably. Lunchskins disposable paper bags are easy to use once and recycle or compost responsibly, while our reusable dishwasher-safe bags can be used again and again, replacing up to 500 single-use plastic bags. As a woman-led team, we are proud to give back and donate proceeds to Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) and 1% For the Planet.
Tell us about yourself
My passion for the environment goes back to early childhood. For as long as I can remember, I've loved being outdoors, exploring the woods and trails around my home and, later, around the world. I come from a family of entrepreneurs and business owners, so I grew up exposed to the risks, rewards, and daily challenges of managing a business. While raising my family, I saw how much waste we generated and didn't see any good options in the marketplace for a replacement for single-use plastic bags. LunchSkins evolved out of my own need; it was an opportunity to create a better, smarter, and more stylish alternative to disposable plastic baggies. From the beginning, I knew it had to be easy, affordable, and fun so people would make it part of their daily routine. Ultimately, this small change would lead to a much bigger positive impact on our environment. What motivates me is the social and environmental impact behind our movement. To date, Lunchskins has replaced 2.8 billion plastic bags and 2.6 million plastic straws from entering landfills and oceans, all while giving back to conservation groups along the way.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'm most proud of building a movement and mindset around reducing waste and contributing to a healthy environment. Over the course of twelve years, we've had some incredible highs (Oprah Magazine) and countless sleepless nights (sales troughs, supply chain issues, you name it), but always a steadfast commitment to our mission. Lunchskins has been fortunate to attract a dedicated core team, all of whom push up their sleeves when times are tough and creatively solve our way out of problems. I wouldn't be here without them.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I always tell people that the idea is the easy part, actually making it and delivering it on time is the real challenge. The Start-Up world is not linear; there are extreme highs and lows, sometimes co-existing at the same time. Building a quality product, getting it to market, and scaling production profitably are the hardest parts of running a consumer-facing brand. I never get tired of seeing Lunchskins at my local Whole Foods Market or Target. And I never take for granted how much work goes into getting a product on retail shelves.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
There is no substitute for hard work and persistence. It always takes longer than you think to build something worthwhile, despite how easily success may come initially or how comfortable things seem at the time. There will be failures, big and small, along the way. That's part of the entrepreneurial journey. Learn from the setbacks, change quickly, stay positive and keep going. It's hard to hear negative feedback but important to listen (to your team, your customers, and yourself). Believe in yourself, surround yourself with do-ers and positive thinkers, and march onward! Grit and perseverance win every time.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I love building a brand that has a strong sense of purpose. It gives us so much more to talk about and something bigger to strive for. As a team, it's incredibly rewarding to be part of the creative thinking, sense of humor, and commitment that makes Lunchskins possible.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.lunchskins.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lunchskins/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunchskins/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lunchskinsbags
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstenquigley/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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