Business name – Seashell CSC
Market – Outerwear Clothing brand
1 A little about me, what’s my background career-wise?
I have been a professional commercial diver for the last two years; before that, I have done many jobs, such as being a Royal Marines recruit, construction, and care work.
While working full-time as a Diver, I spent my free hours working to build the company.
2 When did you found the company?
I founded the company back in January 2021.
What was the vision behind it, and what inspired it?
The company’s vision is changing every few months, mainly coming from learning as I go and expanding on what I want to create.
My main reason for starting the company was to escape the 9-to-5 life and be able to wake up and do something I love every day from the comfort of my laptop while being my own boss.
I have always loved the outdoors and the water, so being able to create a company around that is what I love most; one of the main reasons I believe so much in the company is because we have built such a community around it. We are not just a company that sells products; we practice what we preach: getting outside, meeting other like-minded people and spreading the love of the water while having fun! To help deal with the growing issues in people’s life such as anxiety, loneliness and depression.
What has the uptake been like?
When I started in 2021, I had no background in running my own company, so the first year was really about me spending all the hours I could on learning the ins and outs of running a company, coming from Youtube, podcats, google and books.
Since 2022, I have learned so much and grown as a person, and the company has really picked up from what I imagine is a compound effect of the hours of hard work before.
The work seems to be never-ending as the company grows, and there is always something else to look into and learn, but thankfully the work is gratifying, and most of the time, it does not feel like work.
Did you spot a gap in the market linked to the rising popularity of wild swimming?
I find that with any market, there will always be a gap of opportunity if you bring your personal touch to it. As I previously mentioned building a community around your brand is hugely important to me, as I find people can relate to Seashell so much in what we say and do.
We hope to massively increase the popularity of wild swimming/cold dipping as many people have never tried it.
Is social media important to how you run your business?
Social media is hugely important to our company. It is a great platform to promote your brand and brings a personal touch and feel to people looking at us.
We also interact with people in our community daily on social media, which gives us the human element of a company which is very important to me.
Are your customers north-east based or further afield?
Because of the Internet, we have customers worldwide, but we mainly sell within the UK.
We also hold local events and swim meet-ups around Aberdeenshire. This is great for people to get a feel of the community while meeting the people behind the brand.
How did you develop and test the products?
We spend lots of time testing products before bringing them to market to ensure the customer always gets the highest quality kit.
But no one is perfect; that is why we always make it a priority to listen to the feedback of the customers to improve the products in the future with their feedback.
Have there been any challenges?
Since opening the company, I have faced many challenges ranging from Supplier issues to logistics and even legal. Still, with any challenge that arises, I like to tackle it head-on and educate myself more in the area to find the best solution for it.
What’s next for the future?
We plan to expand the product range from the feedback we have received from customers whilst also playing a massive role in growing the Seashell community from the free events we hold and by supporting fitness events across the UK.
We would also like to expand and have a strong presence across Europe and America, as I feel these markets are still untapped and have massive potential for people to fall in love with what Seashell brings.
I believe that nutrition science is a wonderful helper both for the preventive improvement of health and adjunctive therapy in treatment. My goal is to help people improve their health and well-being without torturing themselves with unnecessary dietary restrictions. I am a supporter of a healthy lifestyle – I play sports, cycle, and swim in the lake all year round. With my work, I have been featured in Vice, Country Living, Harrods magazine, Daily Telegraph, Grazia, Women's Health, and other media outlets.
- The Business of “The Paintings of Daryl Urig”, an American Oil Painter - March 31, 2023
- McMiLLER is a teeny-weeny, queer-owned company that makes epic party games - March 16, 2023
- WETOOL – PRECISION IS OUR QUALITY - March 7, 2023
