Today we’d like to introduce you to Joslyn Faust.
Hi Joslyn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
HeyBamboo started out in the middle of the pandemic. I was working full-time in tech marketing and lived through the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020. It was crazy to see everybody stockpiling toilet paper, but more than that, I was suddenly hearing a lot more facts about toilet paper – like 27K trees cut down for toilet paper every day or that it is responsible for 15% of the earth’s deforestation. It was surprising and shocking to hear that nobody thinks too much about something that contributes so much to our environment.
I started being more conscious of the toilet paper that I was purchasing for my own family. I first started buying recycled paper toilet paper, then several brands of bamboo toilet paper – both from retail stores and directly from the companies. But I wasn’t super happy with most of the brands I tried. Some of them weren’t that comfortable and soft. Some had really tiny rolls that needed to be replaced a lot. Many were wrapped in plastic or had plastic in the packaging. And almost all of them were bleached. I just kept on thinking – for something that all of us should be doing (i.e. not flushing trees down the toilet), I wished there was an alternative that was really great so that it didn’t feel like we were sacrificing anything to be more sustainable.
When I quit my job and started developing the brand full-time, I used my research background to consider what it really meant to be sustainable. I didn’t want this to be just a greenwashing type of thing – I wanted to be authentically sustainable, and I’m super proud of what we’ve developed. First of all, it’s super soft, thick, and strong, so it feels great. But everything else about the brand will make you feel great too.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I haven’t heard any entrepreneur say that they’ve had a smooth road.
For one thing, I delayed getting fully involved in this initially because that was when supply chains were completely wacky, the Long Beach port was backed up for weeks, and shipping costs for containers were almost three times what they are today. Then, we had to change our previous name due to some trademark issues, which is never fun.
As I’ve learned more and gotten my team up and running with really smart people, the snags have been fewer and far between.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about HeyBambu?
We’re proud of our commitment to sustainability throughout our product and packaging. Our bamboo is certified to be sourced sustainably through the Forest Service Commission. The entire product and packaging is 100% compostable and everything besides the box 100% bamboo – including the core and thin paper wrap. There is zero plastic anywhere – even in the tape. HeyBamboo is unbleached – so a light brown color, because who dictated that we need to wipe ourselves with completely white paper? And we demonstrate our commitment to the environment by planting a tree with every order. We are a woman-owned and minority-owned company.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
With or without luck, it takes lots of hard work and tangible steps to achieve your goal and start a business. I believe you can achieve anything you set your mind to with the right plan and by surrounding yourself with good people who motivate you.
It can be scary and a big leap of faith to start a business, but I’m having the time of my life, and I really feel like this brand is my baby. It had always been my dream to start my own brand, but I was too scared to make the leap. Now, at 50 years old, I just launched this brand, and it feels great.
My advice is to trust in yourself and your gut. The more I spoke with other entrepreneurs and learned from them and their journeys, the more I felt comfortable about what I was doing. I wish I found mentors and entrepreneur friends earlier as I might have found the courage to make the leap earlier!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heybambu.com
- Instagram: @heybamboogoods
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heybambu
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joslynfaust/
- Twitter: @HeyBambu
Image Credits
HeyBambu
