Making Sustainability Fun: The Wild Story with Co-Founder Charlie Bowes-Lyon (Celebrating You’ve Got This!)

Welcome back to the podcast for a special episode celebrating the launch of my book, You’ve Got This! Today, I share the chat I had with Charlie Bowes-Lyon, the co-founder of  Wild Cosmetics – the company that has truly made deodorant exciting!

You’ve Got This, Charlie Bowes-Lyon

Wild has been a real disruptor in the personal care market, and it’s been fascinating to watch their journey. Initially, securing investment was a challenge because their vision wasn’t about competing in an existing market, which people didn’t really understand. The thing is, Charlie and his co-founder Freddie Ward aimed to create a whole new one market, focusing on sustainability in the bathroom. They saw that consumers were increasingly eco-conscious and that the bathroom was a key area where gains could be made.

Since the initial company was founded, Wild has launched a fantastic range of beautifully scented and effective deodorants and expanded into other bathroom essentials. There’s been a real journey to get to where they are today, and I know you’re going to love hearing about it.

Identifying a need

My conversation with Charlie delved into the origins of Wild and how they identified the need for sustainable yet desirable bathroom products. Before Wild, Charlie’s experience consulting for successful startups and his own side venture in reusable cups highlighted the growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives that didn’t compromise on quality or convenience.

They landed on the bathroom because of the significant amount of plastic waste generated there, much of which isn’t recycled. Deodorant became their starting point, recognising a gap in the UK market for a natural and sustainable option with innovative packaging.  

Charlie shared the challenges of entering a market where traditional deodorants, particularly for women, weren’t seen as exciting- necessary, but not exciting! Wild’s strategy was to be bold and even a little absurd, encouraging social sharing and reinventing the image of a traditionally mundane product. The effectiveness of their natural formula was, of course, paramount.

Securing investment

We also discussed the initial struggle to secure investment. Many investors couldn’t grasp their vision of creating a new market beyond the existing natural deodorant niche. This resilience and unwavering belief in their idea, even when facing rejection, is a powerful lesson for any aspiring entrepreneur. They ultimately bootstrapped and proved their concept by launching an natural deodorant into the mainstream, before securing the necessary funding.

The Wild community

Charlie emphasised the importance of building a strong community. Wild’s VIP group, with thousands of engaged members, provides valuable feedback on product development. This focus on customer connection and co-creation is a fantastic example of building a loyal tribe.  

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Charlie’s key advice is to launch imperfectly. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect; get your minimum viable product (also known as an MVP) out there to gather crucial feedback. He also highlighted the importance of self-awareness and recognising that the startup journey isn’t for everyone. It can- and usually is- brutal with many ups and downs.

Ultimately, Charlie’s story is one of perseverance and trusting your gut feeling, even when others don’t understand your vision. If you believe in your idea, keep going and find ways to make it work.

Key takeaways from my interview with Charlie Bowes-Lyon:

• Identify a genuine need and a gap in the market.
• Don’t be afraid to disrupt and create a new category.
• Sustainability can be fun and desirable.
• Build a strong community and listen to your customers.
• Launch imperfectly to gather feedback.
• Trust your gut feeling and persevere through challenges.

If you’re feeling inspired by Charlie’s journey and want more stories and insights on navigating the entrepreneurial world, be sure to check out my book, You’ve Got This! You can find it online and in all good bookshops.

To learn more about Wild and their fantastic range of sustainable products, head over to wearewild.com and follow their journey on social media.