When you have no desire to work for someone else, the only choice is to work for yourself.
I've been involved in multiple businesses over the last decade.
Some good, some not so good.
I've had a bunch of ideas, but really only followed a few, until we hit one. a marketing agency. It's the most common place for most to start on their entreprenurial journey, especially today.
At first, it was a lifestyle business - but then after realising that I wanted to carry on creating impact, we decided to focus on it and scale it to sell.
Lucky enough, it worked, and we managed to exit.
It was an awesome experience, and obviously gave me a head start for what was to come next, financially. until it hit me.
I was lost. I spent months working on a couple of ideas. we started the Brandtrepreneur podcast to document it too. and after a whole bunch of trial and error, a year later we decided to jump off the cliff and start.
reboxed was born.
I am a huge consumer of tech. As a creative professional, most of my devices are necessary and justified by my work.
I've developed an addiction to having the latest tech, and I often wonder if it's something that stems from my childhood. I've developed a deep bond with the things I own because I had to work hard to get them. However, I've recently found that this connection between my sense of being and my possessions has led to a sense of disconnection from consumerism.
My most obvious issue (and one that many people can relate to) is unnecessary phone upgrades. Most people sign up for two-year contracts, meaning they get new handsets every 24 months. However, the phone still performs its functions after 24 months, and it's not necessary to upgrade the device.
A few years back, I switched my contract to an annual upgrade plan with EE, meaning I now get a new device every 12 months. However, the constant upgrading and latest devices have left me feeling begrudged. Smartphones have plateaued, and the forced upgrade cycles are a way for tech companies to drive profits.
E-waste is a bigger issue at stake. Six million tons of "stuff" are being dumped each year, and the countries who took our second-hand phones could eventually afford to buy them brand new. It's necessary to shift our consumption habits to benefit our mental wellbeing and the health of the planet.
The average person born today, will have over 200 smart devices in their lifetime.
I believe that we need to slow down our consumption to force companies to slow down their production. We need to decelerate the upgrade cycles of tech, regardless of profits, and prove to people that reducing and re-using our tech should be as natural as recycling our water bottles.
I've purchased tons of devices in my lifetime, including a vast array of accessories, audio equipment, and other electronics. However, it's scary to see them all written down as a list.
I believe that it would be interesting to track what happens to your tech, like a chain of ownership or a product lifetime footprint. It's something that I am looking into at Reboxed.
While I've upgraded too frequently in the past, I like to think that I'm a responsible consumer.
I've always resold or recycled my tech, partially to avoid it going to landfill but also because I enjoy it. However, I believe that we need to shift our consumption habits and reduce our e-waste to benefit our mental wellbeing and the health of the planet.
It's during this discovery Reboxed® has really found its voice.
We started with buying and selling preloved and refurbished tech, creating a trusted brand, but once we realised the problems in the industry, the business has evolved.
We're now on a journey building technology that can help other people drive reuse and recirculation. We're talking innovating trade-in, financing upgrades and most importantly - building a brand that owns the category.
