Fiona Smyth – TotsBots
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Today we have the penultimate episode of The Business of Universal Kindness. I talk with Fiona Smyth of TotsBots as she tells her story of building a cloth nappy empire.
Fiona is a wonderful example of how to “just figure things out as you go along” when it comes to building a business with longevity. Listen in as we hear her 20 year journey to discover:
How Fiona went from making Kids Lids to TotsBots from just an idea to save herself some money for her second child's nappies.
Fiona’s guesstimate of how many disposable nappies they’ve saved from landfill during the 20 years they’ve been making cloth nappies.
The shocking number of years a typical disposable nappy stays in landfill and why even after this time it’s still a threat to the environment.
The pivotal meeting, with baby on hip, that Fiona had with an advisor whose words “best idea I’ve seen in a long time” changed her life forever.
How Fiona’s prototype got an unexpected thumbs up from online retailers and how this resulted in having to hire machinists to help with the demand.
The emotional reason that Fiona and Magnus, her husband and business partner, decided to sell their business whilst still keeping roles as directors.
How TotsBots inspired Fiona’s other brand Bloom and Nora and why she found it so exciting building a brand with all her past experience under her belt.
Why sustainability has always been integral to Fiona’s business and how Tots Bots has been the first in many ways to use recycled or sustainable materials.
How Fiona loves the “colouring in” role she takes in print design and how their limited edition Prince George nappy caused a ruckus online, which sent eBay resale prices up to as much as £150.
SHOW NOTES
About Fiona Smyth
Fiona and Magnus Smyth set up TotsBots at the kitchen table in 2001 after the birth of their baby girl, Maia. Appalled at the waste created by disposable nappies, they spotted a gap in the market for a UK made eco-friendly cloth nappy. With the aim to make a positive difference to the world by enabling parents to reduce their plastic consumption and waste, they designed their own nappies and TotsBots were born. The original products were made from simple cotton towelling, but fast-forward to today and their revolutionary and award winning nappy designs are now made using recycled plastic bottles and sustainable bamboo fabrics. Not content with tempting parents away from disposable nappies, TotsBots also design and manufacture reusable sanitary pad brand Bloom & Nora, helping people to have plastic-free periods too.
All TotsBots/Bloom and Nora products are covered by their Oekotex 100 certificate and are manufactured in their factory East End of Glasgow.
Website: https://www.totsbots.com/
Instagram: @totsbots
Website: https://www.bloomandnora.com/
Instagram: @bloomandnora
MENTIONS
Glasgow Apparel Project
Lollipop