Episode #38: Bubbles For A Circular Economy with Paola Dyboski-Bryant
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Can you change the world with bubbles? Well, that’s the goal of Paola Dyboski-Bryant of Dr. Zigs’ extraordinary bubbles. Inspired by her toddler, she built an eco-friendly and socially conscious toy company that puts smiles on kids’ faces around the world with beautiful bubbles. Paola joins us on the show to round out our recent conversations on sustainability and the toy industry.
What’s beautiful about Paola’s story is that within it, she answers the question, "What does a sustainable toy company look like?". And it’s important to know that when we say sustainability in this episode, it isn’t just about the planet, but also about our communities and the economic state of the toy company itself. At the end of the episode Paola offers advice for anyone looking to incorporate sustainability efforts into their toy company.
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Azhelle
You are listening to Making It in The Toy Industry, Episode Number 38.
Intro/Outro + Jingle
Welcome to Making It in The Toy Industry, a podcast for inventors and entrepreneurs like you. And now your host Azhelle Wade.
Azhelle
Hey there, my people Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of Making It in The Toy Industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by thetoycoach.com. Today I'm joined by Paola Dyboski-Bryant. The bubbler in chief at Dr. Zigs extraordinary bubbles, with a master's in marine conservation and a background as a professional sailor. Sustainability was a top focus for Paola when she started her first line of bubble toys to continue our conversation around sustainability, which if you've been following my recent episodes, you know we've been having, Paola is going to share her story with a focus on the efforts of building an eco friendly business. Let's give a warm midi welcome to Paola. Welcome to the show.
Paola
Hi. Hi, it's absolutely lovely to be here. Thank you.
Azhelle
Thank you for reaching out. I'm so glad to have you as a listener and now to have you as a guest. To start off normally I was going to jump right into your business. But you have such an interesting bio. I want you to share a little bit about your story with all the listeners.
Paola
Yeah, so it's not I guess a run of the mill life. I was really lucky. I was born in Italy. And but my dad was polish my mum half Irish half Welsh, so proper European child. And I just always kind of wanted to do things a bit differently. I've worked in, in the theater in the West End in London, doing as the first kind of female follow spot operator in London and some of the biggest theatres. Wow, I've managed to sail across the Atlantic, I was a professional sailor for a while. I've done just a wild, wonderful variety of jobs. And it's kind of led me to giant bubbles is which makes sense now. Yeah, I'm together in what I do today with Dr. Zigs.
Azhelle
So what what is it about your life that that inspired you to get into toys and specifically bubbles?
Paola
So I think going right back, my father was a Polish refugee, whose whole family his country was lost after the war. I felt passionately about human rights about the right and wrong, what is fair, what is not fair. And I think that's something that I was, is nearly in my DNA, this question of war of displacement of the haves, the have nots, everything like that. So that's always been a huge part of who I am activism, working with amnesty, and things like that. And then I grew up by the sea in this tiny fishing village, and I used to help fishermen with their nets, and having that closeness and that proximity, and that hands on to this beautiful, natural environment that was quite affected by pollution. So we had one point it was raw sewage going into the sea, there was an unknown, there was things that were quite shocking for me, I grew up in a in a sea that was pristine and absolutely beautiful. And that was changing as I was growing up. And I think I just had that passion and that awareness of the natural environment as well. And that's kind of stayed with me and made me who I am today, as well as the ocean was something as well, because in terms of plastics, we were out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of absolutely nowhere. And I sort of been dragged floating past me in a plastic bag full of rubbish as the middle of the ocean, and it's amazing how much litter how much rubbish is out in the ocean. And that is a huge wake up call. When you see something so pristine damaged so much by human activity.
Azhelle
But why did seeing that inspire you to start a business which would be creating more products and potentially more rubbish instead of, I don't know another path of trying to clear the waters or something like that.
Paola
I do this as well. So I'm quite involved. The minute I'm part of Exxpedition is a women only cruise sailing around the world, tackling ocean plastics. heavily involved in it.
Azhelle
Why don't you tell us a little bit about that? Like what? I don't. Okay, where do you live right now?
Paola
I live in a beautiful part of North Wales. So in the UK, it can imagine the map of the United Kingdom is on the left is the bit that's closest to islands. Okay. So mountains see Rain.
Azhelle
So now these women traveling by sea to clear the water, how does that work? What is what does that look like? What is it?
Paola
So Exxpedition is a really cool project that was set up by a woman called Emily Penn . It is she's also passionate about marine plastics. Mm hmm. And she's bought together. So it's quite a big selection process. And there's 300 women who have been selected from all walks of life. And it's a different talents. So women in conservation women like me in manufacturing, Mm hmm. We're involved in activism, artists, writers, everything, anything and everything, women who work in the office, who run you know, quite high. It's all an amazing, incredible group of women who are very high powered. And the idea is to bring these multi talented women together from all these different walks, walks of life, and to see if we can come up with solutions. So it's sailing around the world, following the plastic dryers, and the main currents, studying exactly what the situation is with the plastics in the ocean. And then seeing where we can bring this back to our industry, back to the people, we work with our communities, and how we can then look at implementing change.
Azhelle
Wow, that's fantastic. What's what are some of the things that you've discovered recently?
Paola
so my leg of the journey is out in the South Pacific, and I was supposed to sail, just as locked down came into force across the world. So my my legs on hold, but every single troll, so the ship sails, they collect plastics as they go, every single collection of plastic that they've made or collection of seawater that they've made, contains plastic particles. What? No place at the moment, it seems in the ocean, that is free of these microplastics
Azhelle
Ah, so how so? How did you? How do you on a daily basis deal with having your own toy company? How does that feel?
Paola
So having a toy company there's, it's a huge, it's not just toys. Okay? So our motto is changing the world one bubble at a time.
Azhelle
So we let's Why don't you talk about we didn't even get it. We got all sidetracked. So first give people an A little intro into your your toy, your toy business, your bubbles. What your doctor's eggs. Let's go. Doctors eggs, extraordinary bubbles is
Paola
is one of the most amazing toy manufacturing companies in the world. Ooh, eco friendly, lovely, gorgeous, ethical, giant bubble toys. And we're all about changing the world. With bubbles. That's awesome. Okay. All right.
Azhelle
Now we can go back to x x. And what is it?
Paola
Exxpedition
Azhelle
Exxpedition?
Paola
Yeah, so where that where that feeds into the work? I do, I think is specifically within the toy industry. Now Dr. Zig started, I was finishing up my Master's in marine conservation. And my youngest son was this toddler, this gorgeous, giggly cuddly toddler. He loved bubbles. And every time he saw them, he's to get these crazy and others giggling fits that kitten. Yeah. And they're just contagious. And you just want more. And so we made more and more bubbles to make him laugh. That that's that's how it started and then recipes and you found some stuff on the internet and eventually joined this incredible community of bubble artists that exists around the world. What and I just gave it my own take. So I was coming to the end of my maternity leave. I just finished a project on cetaceans on marine mammals looking working with whales and dolphins around North Wales. And the funding was really tricky. And I just thought these bubbles are so good. Let's try sharing them. Okay, actually, I spent 20 quid 20 pounds on bottles and mix and I popped it in the back of my car, took it down to the beach and sold every bottle. What? And literally, that was the start of Dr. Zigs. What year was this? This was 2011.
Azhelle
Wow. So what made your bubble so special? Like what was the solution?
Paola
So from the get go, I was passionate. I wanted to share the bubbles but I wanted to do it in a sustainable way to be sustainable. And not just in terms of the planet. But in terms of my young family. It had to be sustainable for the kids. I had to be able to be there for my children, it had to be sustainable economically, I didn't have money to put into it, I literally had to sell bubbles and then what I sold, I put into the business. And that's how it's been it's organic growth all the way. So sustainable financially, which I think is something that gets overlooked. Sometimes I think it's also hugely important. And then I gave it everything I've learned across my life. So the fact that it had to be sustainable, in an ecological sense. So we had to use, I had to look at where all my ingredients came from, where my product came from, what the life cycle was, how this we were going to impact the world. And also, like explained about this background in activism and, and with amnesty and human rights. And so from the beginning, I set up this project called bubbles, not bombs, and part of everything we make goes towards this project. And it's about sending bubbles to kids who need them in whatever situation. And the bubbles have gone out to some really incredible places to kids working on the rubbish dumps in Kenya, to AIDS orphans and Romania. singly now, since since the Syrian crisis, we work really closely with refugee groups. So we've fed into loads of refugee camps. Now, what's happened now is we've become a collection point for aid, and a sorting point for aid. So we collect clothes, sometimes medicinal supplies, sometimes food, and all the community comes and brings their goods, and then a group of incredible volunteers of sorts and packs, and then we ship out to refugee camps. In Greece, we've fit directly into Lebanon into Syria, and other places, and we send bubbles, wow. So we make sure the bubbles are going out there as well. So it's a way of just really making a difference and, and talking about it. So when you're buying our bubbles, you're going to learn about recycling, you're going to learn about being bided biodegradable, but you're also going to learn that you can help other people. And I think it's this whole holistic story that comes together. So it's not just a toy, right? That you can get involved with, and you can take ownership of it. And you can have fun and laugh and play with your family and spread smiles and make a difference.
Azhelle
So explain to me how I want to know what that experience is like, like, how do you educate? I'm guessing it's in your packaging people on the sustainability of the bubbles themselves, and then how they're actually making a larger positive impact on the world. Like, how does that message come across in your packaging? Or how
Paola
It's something I'm learning how to do? Okay, we're never at the finished product. And I think really important with doctors eggs as well. It's all about, it's about the journey. And it's about the customers coming on this journey with us. Mm hmm. Also social media. So we'll you know, blog about it on social media. And the way it started was really simple. Because the bubbles have always had to be in a plastic bottle. I'm still working on a solution around this plastic bottle. I haven't quite found it. And I'll get there. Yeah. Yeah. But it concerns me and it, you know, and the but the but the bottle is made using recycled plastics is fully recyclable. But I kind of thought what can we do? So I thought, Well, how about we offer three pounds of every refill, you can bring your bottle back, and you will get three pounds of your next bottle, which means that it's really cheap. Because that was always a comment. You know, these are amazing. They're fantastic. But you know, when what do I do when I run out. And now Well, it's simple, you send bring the bottle back, we put put it in the post, and we will give you a really nice discount on your next purchase. And that was the start of a conversation because a brought customers back to us, right and B and then we could talk to them about this bottle. Now for years. What we also did was we reuse this bottle and we turned him on toy. So we cut the top of we show people how to recycle it themselves or how to reuse it at home to turn it into a pencil case or turn into something different. And then we turn ourselves turn the tops of the bottles when they came back. We cut them off and we repurpose them for another toy. And that worked really well. Until the demand for this new toy just outstripped the returns we were getting. Oh wow. Now there's a bubble foamers so dip it in the bubble mix And you get these sausages of really tactile foam. And they're gorgeous. They're great for sensory play. fab for painting with. But now we make these out of bamboo. So we farm in Vietnam, we're making these out of bamboo. And
Azhelle
that's an incredible story. I just okay I mean, you've done you're doing a lot you're dancin is a toy company, but your bubbles, not bombs. Yeah. next two is like a nonprofit. Is it a separate organization? Or is it just a program within your company,
Paola
It's a program within the company, I find that a lot easier to be responsive within refugee groups, there's crises that happen, and you have to be responsive. And if you turn it, I found in my experience, I haven't, I haven't found a solution to this yet. Okay. With to, you know, forgot trustees and all the rest, it becomes something that can't be agile. Hmm. Um, we have to be agile, we have to be able to respond quickly to a crisis,
Azhelle
to tell me how many like what percentage of your customers actually return their bottles,
Paola
we were looking last time at a counter was 7%
Azhelle
7%.
Paola
But because of COVID, we now I don't encourage people to, we ask them either to post the lids back, and then we tell them how to reuse the bottle or recycle it. But we don't encourage them to do that anymore because of carbon. And if they're shipping the bottle back to us that has a carbon footprint implication. And it also allows us more, more of an opportunity to talk to the customer. It's all conversations, I think, right? Our customers are like our bubble family, you know that they come on board and they stay with us and is wonderful is really wonderful.
Azhelle
And where do you and your customers engage the most? Is it like social media posts on Instagram? Is it a Facebook group? like where is it that
Paola
we could do better on time running a toy business and in getting all the aspects right is quite challenging, I find we do really well on Instagram. I what I love about Instagram is so many of our customers send us photos, right? They take parts, they, they discover things with the bubbles, and they'll share them. And so Instagram is probably the most engagement that we get we get but we get a lot of emails.
Azhelle
So it's I mean, it's really obvious, we've had a lot of success. And I know it's probably you've been building it for a long time. But why don't you share some just what were some of the biggest struggles you had when building Dr Zigs
Paola
where to start, some of them are quite. I think a bit being a woman and running a business, in manufacturing, what whatever business, you're in that fact that you also have to run children, not run children, but you are that focal point for some really important lives. And the long sides of running a business, you need to make sure you're using the right laundry product on your laundry and making sure the laundry is done and the washing and those school reports and getting into school. And and that is quite a juggle to make sure you're doing your best on all fronts, and right by your children, and doing what's right in your community. That can be a struggle, especially if there's if the kids go through a difficult patch, or my mother's go outside, as you know, family role is pivotal role that we play within our families can be challenging when you're balancing out against a business that needs to keep going.
Azhelle
Right? How do you reconcile with that?
Paola
I have an incredible team. I have the best team.
Azhelle
How big of a team do you have?
Paola
There's five of us at the moment. And then we bring people in as and when we need them for you know, big orders or anything. But um, yeah, I have an absolutely fabulous team. And I could not do this without them. So I'm lucky, really lucky.
Azhelle
I mean, honestly, finding a team is one of the hardest things I think for entrepreneurs just starting out. Do you have any advice as to what you did to make sure you were hiring and bringing on the right people to support you?
Paola
I think advice not just in building a team, but just in terms of business is to be open to the fact that you're going to mess it up. open to the fact that you're not going to get it right and you're going to have to learn and I've had to learn a hell of a lot. Yeah. Human Resources off. It's a challenge, you know, yeah. You need to make sure the business works, but you need to to be the best person you can within that business that then brings out the best in others. And that isn't always I haven't found that always obvious or easy, and I've had to learn a lot. And I think it's about learning, it's about being open to the fact that you learn. We're not perfect, none of us. And that's, that's absolutely fine to learn and adapt, and keep going.
Azhelle
I want to bring it I mean, you have so many good advice in different areas, but I kind of want to bring it back to sustainability. Because you're one of the few. You're one of the few toy companies that I've talked to on this show that really focuses on that area. So a few episodes ago, I introduced people to the idea that you can kind of calculate with tools available online, your estimated carbon footprint. And I'm just curious, did you do something like that when you were first starting out?
Paola
I did it as I went. So I did it. And it's it's an ongoing, you've just got to keep on top of it and keep, we don't stand still in life, and a business mustn't stand still. So we, for example, we've recently changed our gas supplier for the heating in the building, because we found somebody who was a lot more focused on sustainable a sustainable business model. This is always going to be a fossil fuel. So you really have to question that, we've had to look at alternative heating sources for the building and water supply and how we get about if we can question what our suppliers are doing. We talk to our suppliers, we tell them what we're doing. And that positive story often will encourage a positive positive story in them.
Azhelle
And we I like that you say like, you have to talk to your suppliers, and you have to see what they're doing. Because most people don't feel that way. You know, they don't think that they have that responsibility of how other people are showing up in the world or treating the world or the people that they're paying. So I mean, I'd love for you to just talk about what makes you feel just as responsible for what you're doing. As for what the people that you are hiring or working with, or what they're doing,
Paola
I'm passionate about. This world that we live in is one beautiful planet. And we are all duty bound to look after it. And it's like any ecosystem that nothing exists on its own. We are in a symbiotic relationship with the world around us. And in within even our organizational structure, we rely on our suppliers. They rely not just on us. But this is our sphere of influence. And I think it's all about is the goes back to this motto, changing the world, one bubble at a time, a little bit of change that we can make and encourage and make people think it has got to be positive. And we don't have the privilege with climate change happening at the speed it is around us. And we can none of us sit back and just let it happen. We have to take action where we can. And if we can do it with joy and positivity, and do it with a kid. So don't it's a really serious question. We're talking about extinction, we're talking about extinction of species is not a joke, the effects of climate change are going to affect many of the poorest people on this planet. Today's action climate action for Friday's is one of Greta Thunberg day of action as well. So it's quite fitting that we're speaking today. But it's vital that we do stuff to make the changes we can around us. And it's vital that we do this in a way that isn't terrifying to our children. They're having to deal with a global pandemic, and they're having to do deal with climate change. Mm hmm. We need to show them a really positive way through a way that is filled with hope and where you can make a difference. And I think that message is also key. You know, let's, let's look at what we can do. Where can we make a change, and let's empower the children. And this is where the toy industry has such an important role to play. Mm hmm. It's about our future generation. And it's about what we want the world to be, and how we can empower them. Because they're the ones we're going to have to live with the consequences.
Azhelle
Okay, now that you're saying that I wonder if you could share because people might be listening, and they might be thinking like, Oh, that's great. But I can't do that, you know. And what really works for my listener listeners is to have just examples, like give us an example say somebody's working. They have a small toy line. And they're they're working with a manufacturer and they want to ask what, what their practices are in regards to sustainability. What do they ask what do they say? And how do they handle the response? What would you suggest?
Paola
I think you need to know where your products are coming from. What is. So we haven't even touched on this. But But I'm, we work on this whole concept of circular economy, right? So every single product by has a life cycle, where does it come from? And what happens to it at the end? Now, I think the first thing to do with every single supplier is to call them up and say, Hi, it's really simple. Say, Hi, how are you? Hey, did you have a good week? Have you got kids? Wow, yeah, have minor 1011, you know, we're doing within this was the weather rubbish, or, you know, how you dealing with COVID and start making that relationship? And, for me, that's really important. I've been with suppliers, we've worked together for nearly 10 years now. And they're very much part of our story. And then say, you know, well, I'm after some bottles, they have to be made with recycled plastics. That's what I need. Can you help me? And you've put that question into their heads. Okay, you know, this matters, because I'm a consumer. I'm their consumer, very true. Know what products they need. So they can adapt, and they can change. And the more they have that demand, the more they will change. It's got to follow the finance, obviously, and the financial patterns. But I think the change is coming. So they will have some certification. No, and, and instead of saying, Oh, I want to see your certificates, say, do you have any certificates? I'm thinking of getting some Was it difficult to get them? How did you go about it? And it's about those conversations. I think it's make friends and try your best and do it in a nice way. Again, it's not about pressuring people or scaring people, it's about learning from each other.
Azhelle
No, that's great advice. I think that's exactly what people need to hear. What challenges did you face as you're trying to make your company more and more sustainable, tell us just a couple of challenges you face and maybe how you've overcome them.
Paola
So one thing I'm really excited about at the moment, is one of our most popular toys is our pocket kit. And this comes in a little handy plastic buckets. Now this plastic bucket, it doesn't matter what I do is still one of our most popular lines. And I look at this bucket, and I've it's just plastic. And I'm thinking this, there's got to be something else I can do. And I have spent two years now looking at bioplastics, looking at silicon, looking at what I can do to change this product line. So it's still an affordable in the sense, you know, so us, people love it, because it's very user friendly, you can grab the bucket, pour the bubbles in an off you go, you're ready to make try bubbles. And I really appreciate the customers like this product. But it's been my pet project that I have really worked on. I've spoken to suppliers across the world about bioplastics. I have learned so much about bioplastics. And I've discovered that this maybe isn't the solution. The though produces a load of carbon. It's got issues with its life cycle. When it goes in the compost, it can change pH of the soil, which is serious. So whole bigger question to this. And eventually, I found a I came across a community farm in Vietnam, and they work coconuts. So there's coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut yogurt, but guess what? The coconut husks are waste. So now I've got this coconut husks. So the I'm using their coconut bowls if you like he said just now becoming my buckets. So instead of plastic buckets bubble will come in this beautiful half coconut
Azhelle
What where is it? Is this on your site yet?
Paola
It's on my Instagram. It is it's not quite. I'm waiting on on shipments that I'm waiting on. That's so clearly there. We've got the product is gorgeous. It feels so beautiful, really tactile. And I think it's just oh, I see it. That
Azhelle
That's coconut?
Paola
Yeah. Wow.
Azhelle
It's beautiful.
Paola
So that's a that's at the moment a waste product of their coconut farming What? So it's taking, even though we're going to have a carbon issue because this is coming from the other side of the world, it is still a community based farm. So as community, it's not mass. It's a waste product. So we're we're changing that life side. Exactly.
Azhelle
Yeah.
Paola
product will create starting stepping into the circular economy idea. Mm hmm. We're creating, we've got a product that's now multifunctional, because you can use it as a bucket of your bubbles or, you know, it's beautiful. It's beautiful as it is, I think it's beautiful.
Azhelle
It looks almost like a planter.
Paola
Oh, exactly. Yeah, whatever you want. It's beautiful. And suddenly, that creates a whole new story.
Azhelle
I love that. I love that idea of like just starting one product at a time. Like, if you have a line, totally,
Paola
you're never gonna you're not going to fix the world in one go. You just got to do it a bit at a time. And I think the customers for me, in my experience, the customers love this journey. Mm hmm. I'm really honest about it, you know, I'm trying to do reduce plastic. And this is how we're going about it. We've got some new wooden rings, we've got this coming in. And I tell them as we're developing the product, and the feedback is fantastic.
Azhelle
So you tell me, you tell me I just came along this farm in Vietnam, like how? What are you doing?
Paola
A lot of phone calls on Google?
Azhelle
Okay, okay, but what do people even begin to search? That's what I'm trying to figure out? What should they even begin to search? And then when they find something interesting, what do they begin to ask? Like, instead of searching factory, should they be searching farm? Like, you know, that's what I mean?
Paola
I think look at the products that are out there. So I've come across a lot of I have ideas from looking at what's out there. So I look at companies that are already doing good work, companies that I admire. Not necessarily in toys at all. Hmm. But what are they doing? What's the you know, veganism is a really big thing now. So I saw a coconut bowl on Instagram, some guy on Instagram doing vegan food out of the bowl, and it was suddenly hang on. Was that light bulb moment? Ah, this? I don't know, there's no right or wrong way?
Azhelle
No, that's a great answer there. Because Well, one of the things that people do I teach a lot in the toy industry is when you're doing your your trend research or toy market research, you go to the store, you look at your competitors product, and you flip over their box and see where it came from, like, Who made it? Where are they located. And then you can research them more and find out more about them. And you can either try to pitch ideas to them, or maybe try to just research them online. But what you're saying is to do the same thing, but almost do it to to sustainable, eco friendly companies to figure out their approaches, their materials that they might be using, and then kind of backtrace it that way. Like, like okay, what were these bamboo straws coming from? And then try to figure it out that way? Yeah. Smart. I like that a lot.
Paola
The handle on our coconuts is bamboos.
Azhelle
Wow. Yeah, I saw I saw that I did the handle. Yeah. It's beautiful. I love it. And they do they make the whole bucket there at the farm for you. Or you have to ship they ship the coconuts and they ship bamboo. So they work it they so they polish up for us. Mm hmm. Then we're going to do the finishing work. It's beautiful. If you can ask how much this is retailing. Is it this with bubbles? Or is it just the bucket?
Paola
No, it's gonna be with bubbles. Okay. So be part of his kit. At the moment, we're looking at a retail price of around 19 pounds.
Azhelle
Awesome. It's so pretty. I didn't even realize there were more pictures. Now I'm now I'm sliding through and it's so shiny. It looks gorgeous. I think kids it's gonna feel
Paola
it feels good. We do lots of work sensory. So we do a lot of work with children with different needs. So one of our photo models is a boy with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Mm hmm. One of our best product models he loves bubbles and him and he's gorgeous. Wow, that's nice. So yeah, so it's it's it's this idea of having a product that you want to touch you want to feel you want to pick it up and you want to find out more.
Azhelle
Oh, I think I see him always cute. Oh, yes. Yes, this is Thomas. Yes.
Paola
He is gorgeous.
Azhelle
Yeah, so cute. So happy. always see the foamer I look. Okay, I'm done. Focus, I'll get back into the interview. Okay. No, this is this isn't great. Okay, this is this is a hard question, you're probably not gonna I don't know what the answer is going to be. But here we go. Do you think that your sales have been negatively impacted by having to change your product or your packaging to be more sustainable?
Paola
No, I think we have benefited. Because we have had sustainability at the very heart of what we do. And
Azhelle
what tell us what we don't believe it. Tell us why?
Paola
Well, because I've never, I've never been, I've never gone down that mass produced roots. It's not because I've grown the business sustainably it's grown with. As we've grown, we have to be able to fulfill those orders in a sane, wonderful way. That keeps the heart and soul of Dr Zigs' beating strong. And at because we've done it. So in step, as we build the business, it hasn't really affected us. So the coconut is going to cost a lot more than our plastic buckets. Right? No question. But I think this will transfer into increased sales, increased awareness, we can raise the price point a bit. And then we've got an ancillary product, because we've got the bucket with the bubbles got the bucket without the bubbles, we've got two. And I think the value and for me as well. Now, I do love making money, and I love having a profitable business. I love going to sleep at night and feeling that I've made a difference. Hmm, you love waking up and working on this stuff? And that's what makes me feel good as well. Yeah, you know, the work we do with refugees, it means I can sleep at night. Right? And it means that I've been born into this incredible privilege of living in a safe world. Having food having a health service, having an education. And I am well, I am very grateful. And I'm well aware that not everybody has this. Mm hmm. And for me, having this privilege means that I need to use the energy that this gives me to make change, and to help undo what I come. so wonderful.
Azhelle
How do you do you ever struggle with comparing Dr. Zigs? to other bubble products or bubble companies? Do you ever feel like I don't know. Like they're doing better? bigger things? How do you how do you deal with that?
Paola
So I think this is a bit of advice that I might give people and you don't have to take it at all. But I tend to do is. So I live up in the mountains in North Wales. We have a lot of sheep. And that's it. We don't have shopping malls. We don't have toy stores. We've got a fantastic internet connection so I can do business. Do I just get on with it? I don't look at others too much. It is it can be really disheartening. Sometimes when you see these companies and they're like, Oh my god, they're doing so well. And, you know, can I compete or and then I also have this really strong feeling that say, for example, with giant bubbles, and I've got a competitor who's doing some wonderful time bubbles. That's just got to be good, hasn't it? Yeah. Is that spreading some, like smiles and laughter. And they're spreading awareness about giant bubbles. So when I come along, I've got an audience that's already primed. Mm hmm. So, so I try and see it as a really big positive. And also, I think we're all incredibly ingenious people. And no two people are the same. So whatever you do, whether it's giant bubbles or whether it's a building blocks, or whether it's wherever you are those handmade dolls, teddy bears, wherever you are in the toy industry. Just bring it, give it yourself, give it what you've got. That makes you difference. That will make your product different that will make it stand out and not be like anybody else's. So learn from others. Mm hmm. Don't have to be others.
Azhelle
Like that learn from others, but you don't have to be others. That's good. I love it. I love it. How, how big Can you make your bubbles? Do you guys know the MAX SIZE?
Paola
So the longest bubble I've ever made is just short of 50 meters
Azhelle
What? Let's just convert that forever One hundred and 64 feet. That's ridiculous.
Paola
And then we did two Guinness World Records. Okay. For the most people making giant bubbles using our toy.
Azhelle
Oh, that's a cool what record? So how many people?
Paola
436 I think
Azhelle
how did you do that?
Paola
I had the best day of my life. Hardest year of work leading up to it. Really? It was fabulous. It was fantastic. In a Welsh castle. We hosted it in this most beautiful castle in right here in North Wales. So you can imagine medieval walls, it was just stunning. Wow, it was with some friends with organized the bubble festival.
Azhelle
Oh my gosh,
Paola
The highlight of this bubble festival is Guinness World Records came up with the day. And there were a whole load of wonderful bubble artists who came. And so what they did some world records. And I wanted to give something back to my community. And I thought let's do a world record. That is good that everyone and everyone can take part. So we invited people along to the castle. They got their buckets, they got their toys, they got the bubbles. And we had to follow all the really the Guinness World Record rules that were quite challenging. Yeah, it and it was one of the most beautiful, joyous, incredible moments of my life. Wow. And there were literally millions and trillions of sealians of giant bubbles around this castle in North Wales. And the joy was just huge. So, yeah, top moments.
Azhelle
That sounds amazing. Okay, I feel like I want to, I want you to give some, I don't know, some inspiration. Because when people are first starting out, it's it's 2020. Now, you started in 2011. You said right. Yeah, yeah. So the journey is long. And it was there ever a time where you were like, maybe I shouldn't be doing this, you know, and and you just realize now that you have to just always keep going. Always keep pushing?
Paola
Um, yeah, I think there are times. Again, for me, it was challenges with my family. Yeah. On a personal level where that became very difficult to manage alongside the business. Yeah. And there were a couple of moments where I listen to other people or men. Mm hmm. Tell me that I couldn't do it. Or that I wasn't serious about business. Uh huh. You know, all these these silly comments, because, because, I mean, let's face it. Traditionally, the toy industry is predominantly toys that are literally made in China, you go out, you find a factory, get it mass produced, you come home and boom, you sell, sell, sell, sell hard. Hmm. It doesn't have to be like that. And that's not what that's not what I want to be about. I want to be about that child, who is squealing with laughter and joy, because they've just seen the biggest bubble that they've ever seen in their life, and it is beautiful. And they can pop it. You know, they can share this or, you know, it's the grandparents we work with. We work with dementia sufferers as well, you know, that these moments. And that's what I want to be, yeah, moments of joy, where, whether you know it or not, we're going to talk to you about sustainability and about the environment and about changing the world. So
Azhelle
that's great. Thank you. So let's just stay focused and have your passion like in the forefront and not just like to make money like what's really the heart of it? Yeah, it's really the heart. I love that. I'm curious. The heart of your line is probably your bubble formula. Was that something that you created or something you worked with someone to create?
Paola
Oh, yeah. The challenges of diving Bubble mix. Yeah, so that is probably why don't see many giant bubble companies around, really, you'll see many bubble artists on the side of the road buskers, and they're making some really cool giant bubbles. Now what's really challenging, there's some great recipes online. But just giving it a shelf life, just giving this bubbles a shelf life was a really big challenge. And then really looking at my ingredients. And knowing you know, the background in marine conservation, knowing about surfactants, knowing about damage that chemicals, and chemicals were all made of chemicals. But you know what, having a really good look at the components of the bubble mix, I didn't if you remember, I said the beginning of the story. So I was starting this, I just finished my master's been through the university system. And I had been through university, for a lot of it as a single parent. And I went to university very late, I'm quite dyslexic, I really thought I couldn't do this, it was again, those voices telling me you know, you're a bit thick. The spelling and grades. And so eventually, when I got to university, I was really grateful for that education. And when I finished with my master's, I was just aware that this university was full of knowledge of brilliant people who was so clever, and who knew so much. And quite early on, I approached the chemistry department. And I started to work with them with their students, so to offering internships and work placements. And I sponsored two master's degrees in chemistry, and then I sponsored a PhD. So a doctorate in chemistry. It was with this PhD and the Masters that we really began to pull apart. I mean, I was rubbish for chemistry in school.
Azhelle
And when you say sponsored, what does that mean?
Paola
So there's a European education program. Mm hmm. So there's a business. So any business can work with this European program, and you pay some money towards the degree. So you help accurate financially. And the European was backing another part of the degree financially, and the university puts in in kind as well. So it's like a co funding project for masters for research programs, if you'd like
Azhelle
to be together helped you sponsor yourself to go through this program?
Paola
No. Student
Azhelle
Oh, student. Okay, got it.
Paola
So I sponsored a girl who's got to now her PhD in giant bubbles. Oh, wow. That's a Yeah, yeah. It's great. It's great. So So we've learned a hell of a lot about our product that way.
Azhelle
Wow, you really built this
Paola
is key without the back of a business, you know, how sure that we've really got this, right, we've got a brilliant, beautiful product that I are really proud about. But I would recommend working with your universities. You know, there's some great great young people about there, some great professors, some great knowledge, and especially with COVID. Now, they're gonna need the support, encouragement that they can get. Yeah, out, reach out to professor's reach out to students and say, Hey, can you help me? Are you doing a product design program? Are you doing a consumer psychology program? are you what are you doing? You know, materials, chemical materials, what are you doing that maybe we can work together on?
Azhelle
That's a great idea. If you were starting this today, this business, I asked this to a lot of my guests. If you were starting this business today, what do you think you'd be doing differently?
Paola
I don't know if I do anything. I think I would believe in myself a bit more. Oh, I think I think that's something that comes with age, right? Yeah, I think I think it's a lot about being a woman and being out there in the world. And you don't have to do it. The way that it's been done in what is quite a patriarchal society if you like,
Azhelle
it's so true.
Paola
Yeah, really do it differently. And I think what we bring to the table as women is so powerful, and
Azhelle
Why do you say that?
Paola
Because I think it's we don't always value ourselves. We don't ask this idea of nurturing. We know it. We know that we need to look after our kids. We know we need to look after the planet. We know what's good for our children. Mm hmm. And I think it's really valuable. Yeah. And that's something to be. That is good. It's really good. And we need a lot more of it in this world. Oh,
Azhelle
okay. Thank you. I needed that. And maybe some of my listeners did as well, I don't know what that was for me. It was a pleasure to have you on the show today. Thanks for sticking with me for so long. Where can people find more about Dr. Zigs?
Paola
right for Dr Zigs the best places on our website. So just google Dr. Zigs. We are really, really excited and really trying hard to, to break into the US.
Azhelle
Okay, well,
Paola
challenge 101 on my list of challenges,
Azhelle
maybe this will help.
Paola
I think that we've got so many customers who want the bubbles. So I'm just trying to work out duties, warehousing, right. And the bureaucracy, you know, that kind of taxes, just how how I can make that work was paying the shipping? What's the best shipping?
Azhelle
One? Oh, no, you might be better off just shipping your chemist over here. And like,
Paola
you see, I found that's a really good idea. Yeah, no, why could we not get the bubbles get get a community? Yeah, I'm kind of really cool bubble manufacturing in the US.
Azhelle
So quite honestly, I feel like with everything that's happened with COVID, so many people are going to be out of work that I think you can, yeah, I think there's gonna be there's opportunity that people are like, I'll do I just want to work, I just want to work in new toys, or I don't care, I'll just do something. So I think it's a possibility. For sure.
Paola
Well, if any of your listeners want to get in touch and
Azhelle
Hear that Dr. Zigs needs distribution, possibly US manufacturing, so anyone listening, and yeah, and so I just want to say it's @drzigs or drzigs.com and it's D-R-Z-I-G-S and you can connect with Paola essay to write more. And you can also if you can't remember the address, just go to thetoycoach.com and check for the latest episode, and you'll find the information there. There you have it my interview with Paola. I hope you guys enjoyed this series of sustainable toy episodes as much as I did. And I hope that they really inspired you to think about your toy products a little bit differently. What I love about this conversation I had today is that Paula didn't just build a toy business, she built a system that would allow her business to give back to the economy to people in different communities. And you know, she built a business that helps her sleep at night, a business that she really believes in, that brings joy and happiness to kids with its product, but also doesn't harm the environment or works to harm the environment less and less by constantly working to improve product and create more sustainable product and changing the mindset of consumers and the expectations of consumers so that those changes can be implemented. So I really love this episode and the past few episodes I've done on sustainability. I really hope you guys enjoyed them as much as I do. If you want more information and you want to connect with Paola, and Dr. Zigs bubbles, then head over to thetoycoach.com forward slash 38 where you'll get all of the links to connect with Paola. And to learn more about her bubble company Dr. Zigs. As always, thank you so much for listening to this podcast. There are a ton of podcasts out there and it means the world to me that you listen to this one. Until next week. I'll see you later toy people.
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Thanks for listening to Making It in The Toy Industry podcast with Azhelle Wade, head over to thetoycoach.com for more information, tips and advice
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