Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
As we know, October Business Month underway, bringing over two
hundred events designed to help territory businesses grow and thrive. Now.
One of the headline speakers this year is Simon Griffiths,
co founder and CEO of Who Gives a Crap, a
company that's not only shaking up the toilet paper aisle,
but also changing lives around the globe. We know that
(00:23):
since launching in twenty twelve, Simon's company has donated over
half its profits to build toilets in developing countries, all
while scaling rapidly and staying true to its mission. Now,
Simon is going to be here on the twenty ninth
of October and joins me on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Good morning, Simon, good morning, great to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Lovely to have you on the show. Simon, you started
a toilet paper company to help build toilets. I'm not
exactly a conventional business idea. What sparked that moment for you?
Back in twenty twelve, I just love of.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Toilet paper, No, no, all seriousness. We came across this
statistic after spending a lot of time in low income
countries that about at the time two point four billion
people didn't have access to adequate sanitation. And I think
if anyone sort of you know, spent time in Southeast
Asia or Africa or other parts of the world where
(01:21):
there's not great sanitation facilities, you're pretty familiar with this
problem and how kind of devastating it can be to
your holiday. Now, imagine trying to go to work or
go to school while you're kind of dealing with this,
you know, consistently throughout the year as well. And so
we realized that it was one of the most off
track of all of the development goals that existed in
the world because people weren't really talking about it. You know,
(01:42):
it's toilets, it's not some kind of sexy dinner party conversation.
And so we saw there was an opportunity to take
a product that everyone needs and use the profits to
help people in need. And that's how we got started
with Who Gives a Crap?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Sounds incredible. I mean, like, what's it been like to
see the company grow and to be able to sort
of stay true to giving fifty percent of those profits
to help others.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, pretty amazing. I mean we're you know, we're now
kind of getting pretty close to having about ten percent
market share of the Australian market, which is just amazing,
but I think even cooler to see the concept resonate
really well overseas. So our Australian business is now smaller
than our US and each of our US and our
UK businesses, so they're kind of thriving and going really
(02:29):
well in kind of Tesco and Waitros in the grocery
aisle of the UK, and in Whole Foods in the
US as well. So just amazing to see kind of
a you know, homegrown Australian idea resonate around the world
and be able to raise you know what's now close
to twenty million dollars for our charity partners that we've got, yeah,
in several different countries.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
How cool. I mean, what's it like when you walk
down the toilet paper all and you're like, hey, there's
my toilet paper.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So that is a great feeling. Yeah, don't get me wrong.
I think the first time you do it is probably
the most special. The other one that is surprisingly wild
is when you see, you know, your box is being
used on the side of the road to put people's
recycling in, and when it happens in New York or London,
that's a pretty wild feeling to you know, yeah, kind
(03:16):
of on the other side of the world like that
as well.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
What about if you rock up to an Airbnb and
they've got your toilet paper over the other side of
the world.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, totally. I mean, now I think in a lot
of Airbnb's I'm sort of disappointed in Australia if I
go into the bathroom and it's not us that it's
kind of flipped it around a little bit, which is
a strange place to be, but just amazing to see
the concept resonate with so many different people and for
this item that no one I think thought too much
about before we came along to now be something that's
(03:45):
kind of sparking a conversation and also having an impact.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And is it correct that you're sort of expanded into
some other products as well, And I mean, we know
you've expanded greatly into major retailers.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, so we've also so more recently gone into a
long time ago got into kitchen towers and tissues, and
then more recently into sponges, and then very recently into
garbage and pet waste. So they're actually some of my
favorite products. I think people often say, oh, you know,
what could you do to make garbage bags better? But actually,
I think everyone's had that horrible experience of using a
(04:20):
garbage bag that doesn't do its job properly, and that's
become more often than not, unfortunately. And so we went
about making a garbage bag that was really enjoyable to use,
and it's one of those things that the first time
use it go oh wow, you know I needed this,
But it's a really excellent customer experience. So I think
we try to find those products that are a bit boring,
that have been overlooked and haven't seen much innovation in
(04:43):
the past fifty years, and they're the places where we
can sort of lean in and create a product that's
really delightful from a customer perspective, and you know, put
some color and some pattern and make it a bit
more fun and hopefully, you know, much better to use
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Simon, you are going to be here for October Business month,
you've got to be talking about your journey from idea
to global disruptor. What's one lesson that you've learned that
you think every business big or small should hear.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, I think I'll be sharing kind of a few lessons,
But probably the biggest one that I think we think
about the most is this idea that doing good is
actually good for business, and the idea that you know,
our business wouldn't have been able to have been as
successful as it is both here and overseas if we
didn't give away half of our profits, and that goes
(05:32):
against you know, the physics of capitalism that I got
taught about at university, the idea that you need to
hold onto your profits to build a bigger business to
be more successful in the long run. I think we've
truly shown that you can be more successful by giving
your profits away rather than holding onto them. And that's
a very interesting idea when you start to think about,
you know what other innovations and where that can be
(05:53):
applied into other categories to make better businesses all around
the world, both in terms of their outcomes for yeholders,
but also in terms of the impact that it can
create for the world.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, Simon, really great to speak with you this morning.
I appreciate your time, and you're going to be here
in Darwin of course on the twenty ninth for October
Business month, so plenty of opportunities still for people to
get along and hear more about the wonderful work that
you do.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, I can't wait, looking forward to it. I'll be
coming up from Melbourne, so i'd be love you to
get in that hot stum hopefully dry weather, but we'll see.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
See Simon. It's warm, mate, it's not real dry. I
can only describe it as quite humid and sticky at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Oh, that sounds great.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I'm you'll enjoy it. It'll be lovely for a change, Simon.
Great to speak with you. I really appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Thank you too, Thanks so much.
As we know, October Business Month underway, bringing over two
hundred events designed to help territory businesses grow and thrive. Now.
One of the headline speakers this year is Simon Griffiths,
co founder and CEO of Who Gives a Crap, a
company that's not only shaking up the toilet paper aisle,
but also changing lives around the globe. We know that
(00:23):
since launching in twenty twelve, Simon's company has donated over
half its profits to build toilets in developing countries, all
while scaling rapidly and staying true to its mission. Now,
Simon is going to be here on the twenty ninth
of October and joins me on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Good morning, Simon, good morning, great to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Lovely to have you on the show. Simon, you started
a toilet paper company to help build toilets. I'm not
exactly a conventional business idea. What sparked that moment for you?
Back in twenty twelve, I just love of.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Toilet paper, No, no, all seriousness. We came across this
statistic after spending a lot of time in low income
countries that about at the time two point four billion
people didn't have access to adequate sanitation. And I think
if anyone sort of you know, spent time in Southeast
Asia or Africa or other parts of the world where
(01:21):
there's not great sanitation facilities, you're pretty familiar with this
problem and how kind of devastating it can be to
your holiday. Now, imagine trying to go to work or
go to school while you're kind of dealing with this,
you know, consistently throughout the year as well. And so
we realized that it was one of the most off
track of all of the development goals that existed in
the world because people weren't really talking about it. You know,
(01:42):
it's toilets, it's not some kind of sexy dinner party conversation.
And so we saw there was an opportunity to take
a product that everyone needs and use the profits to
help people in need. And that's how we got started
with Who Gives a Crap?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Sounds incredible. I mean, like, what's it been like to
see the company grow and to be able to sort
of stay true to giving fifty percent of those profits
to help others.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, pretty amazing. I mean we're you know, we're now
kind of getting pretty close to having about ten percent
market share of the Australian market, which is just amazing,
but I think even cooler to see the concept resonate
really well overseas. So our Australian business is now smaller
than our US and each of our US and our
UK businesses, so they're kind of thriving and going really
(02:29):
well in kind of Tesco and Waitros in the grocery
aisle of the UK, and in Whole Foods in the
US as well. So just amazing to see kind of
a you know, homegrown Australian idea resonate around the world
and be able to raise you know what's now close
to twenty million dollars for our charity partners that we've got, yeah,
in several different countries.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
How cool. I mean, what's it like when you walk
down the toilet paper all and you're like, hey, there's
my toilet paper.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So that is a great feeling. Yeah, don't get me wrong.
I think the first time you do it is probably
the most special. The other one that is surprisingly wild
is when you see, you know, your box is being
used on the side of the road to put people's
recycling in, and when it happens in New York or London,
that's a pretty wild feeling to you know, yeah, kind
(03:16):
of on the other side of the world like that
as well.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
What about if you rock up to an Airbnb and
they've got your toilet paper over the other side of
the world.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, totally. I mean, now I think in a lot
of Airbnb's I'm sort of disappointed in Australia if I
go into the bathroom and it's not us that it's
kind of flipped it around a little bit, which is
a strange place to be, but just amazing to see
the concept resonate with so many different people and for
this item that no one I think thought too much
about before we came along to now be something that's
(03:45):
kind of sparking a conversation and also having an impact.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And is it correct that you're sort of expanded into
some other products as well, And I mean, we know
you've expanded greatly into major retailers.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, so we've also so more recently gone into a
long time ago got into kitchen towers and tissues, and
then more recently into sponges, and then very recently into
garbage and pet waste. So they're actually some of my
favorite products. I think people often say, oh, you know,
what could you do to make garbage bags better? But actually,
I think everyone's had that horrible experience of using a
(04:20):
garbage bag that doesn't do its job properly, and that's
become more often than not, unfortunately. And so we went
about making a garbage bag that was really enjoyable to use,
and it's one of those things that the first time
use it go oh wow, you know I needed this,
But it's a really excellent customer experience. So I think
we try to find those products that are a bit boring,
that have been overlooked and haven't seen much innovation in
(04:43):
the past fifty years, and they're the places where we
can sort of lean in and create a product that's
really delightful from a customer perspective, and you know, put
some color and some pattern and make it a bit
more fun and hopefully, you know, much better to use
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Simon, you are going to be here for October Business month,
you've got to be talking about your journey from idea
to global disruptor. What's one lesson that you've learned that
you think every business big or small should hear.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, I think I'll be sharing kind of a few lessons,
But probably the biggest one that I think we think
about the most is this idea that doing good is
actually good for business, and the idea that you know,
our business wouldn't have been able to have been as
successful as it is both here and overseas if we
didn't give away half of our profits, and that goes
(05:32):
against you know, the physics of capitalism that I got
taught about at university, the idea that you need to
hold onto your profits to build a bigger business to
be more successful in the long run. I think we've
truly shown that you can be more successful by giving
your profits away rather than holding onto them. And that's
a very interesting idea when you start to think about,
you know what other innovations and where that can be
(05:53):
applied into other categories to make better businesses all around
the world, both in terms of their outcomes for yeholders,
but also in terms of the impact that it can
create for the world.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, Simon, really great to speak with you this morning.
I appreciate your time, and you're going to be here
in Darwin of course on the twenty ninth for October
Business month, so plenty of opportunities still for people to
get along and hear more about the wonderful work that
you do.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, I can't wait, looking forward to it. I'll be
coming up from Melbourne, so i'd be love you to
get in that hot stum hopefully dry weather, but we'll see.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
See Simon. It's warm, mate, it's not real dry. I
can only describe it as quite humid and sticky at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Oh, that sounds great.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I'm you'll enjoy it. It'll be lovely for a change, Simon.
Great to speak with you. I really appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Thank you too, Thanks so much.
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