- Today, we're excited to welcome someone who proves
that making small, innovative changes make huge impact.
Shae Riley joins us to talk about founding Sip,
her part in saving the environment,
and what we can all do to help.
This is School of Hustle, the show of refined advice
and inspiration from people who are making their own way.
I'm Shannon, the VP of social here at GoDaddy,
and I live in and breathe the hustle of business.
Today we're filming from the hustle of it all,
at the WeWork, Times Square in New York City.
Okay everybody, let's give Shae a big
warm welcome to the show!
(clapping and cheering)
- Thank you so much for having me.
- Thank you for being here! - Absolutely.
It's so exciting to talk to you today.
You are the founder of Sip, an alternative
to plastic and paper straws.
- Yes, I am. - Tell us about your products.
- Yeah, so at Sip we have glass, sustainable, reusable
straws and the reason that I really wanted to focus on glass
is because the other alternatives I wasn't really into.
Paper, plastic obviously, and metal specifically.
Just the way it changes the taste
of your drink and all of that.
So, yeah we came up with this way to do glass straws.
And we have the regular size and the cocktail size.
So, that it's really versatile and you can enjoy
all of your drinks and without having
the dissolving straw, or the plastic.
So yeah, that's what Sip is around.
- And is it clear?
Is it colorful, what does it look like?
- Yeah, so it's clear.
I actually have some here too.
But it's clear glass. - Let's see.
- And we have a black logo.
The other side's open too if that's easier.
- Fabulous.
- A black logo, white logo and yeah,
there's room for growth and everything too, but yeah.
- So, it's clear glass, with a logo.
I like this too, because I feel like plastic straws
they get too colorful and opaque.
You can't see how clean they are.
- Right. - And then I feel weird
using it, 'cause I don't wanna make myself sick.
- Right. - And so I feel like a nice,
clean glass straw is the way to go.
- Totally, and that's kinda what my thing
against metal straws was, was that you can't see
if they're clean or not and I didn't like that (laughs).
- So, the glass you know for sure.
We have the brushes that go with
it that are also plastic-free.
So yeah, just keeping on that road.
- Oh, I'm gonna put this back in I don't want this to break.
- No, you're fine. - How easy do they break?
If I were to drop this, am I out of luck?
- No, you're not out of luck.
So, it's the strongest commercially available glass.
It's borosilicate so it's the same glass NASA
actually uses in a lot of their products.
Because its just so strong.
So, obviously things in space are gonna be
a little bit stronger than they are here.
But here, I mean, I have people tell me all the time,
I dropped it on the kitchen floor and my heart stopped
and I was just waiting for it, and it just
it bounced back up and it was fine!
And so, I always love to hear those stories about people
really understanding that they're not going to break.
And that they are really durable, so yeah (chuckles).
- Why was it important to you to start your business?
- Totally, I think obviously the whole movement
around not using plastic straws is really big right now.
And I started to think on it.
And think about how we can make
a little bit more of an impact
in these small changes that large groups do.
And I love that we're all moving toward using paper straws
and alternatives and stuff, but at the same time,
like I said, the paper straws, they dissolve,
they're not, they don't, they kind of deteriorate
the quality of the drink that you're having.
So, it was just really important to me to have a different
alternative that almost enhanced
the drink experience, if you will.
- And you started your business with your sister?
- Yes.
- And I always think that's interesting
when people who know each other very well,
and are very close, work together in business.
How do you each define your roles at the company?
- So, since it's a startup, it's very touch and go as is.
We're still learning a lot and figuring out
what the day-to-day looks like.
So, it's really just, we tackle
what needs to be tackled, when it needs to be tackled.
So, if there's something that I need her perspective on,
or her help with, she's there for that and likewise.
If she needs something for me to create or ideas
then I'll handle that stuff, and it's really nice to have a
separate perspective when I'm kind of focused
so much on the nitty gritty of things.
And she's a fresh, clear perspective that kind of,
reignites the excitement behind
wanting to do something like that.
So, it's been really cool to have her
as a sound board and grow this together.
- Is she a big sis or a little sis?
- She's my little sister, yes (laughs).
- Well, Sip has a very important charitable component to it.
- It does. - Tell me about
your work with Oceana.
- Yeah, so every purchase, we donate 10% of that to Oceana.
Our first one is actually coming up at the end of the month.
So, we're really excited about it.
And it kinda puts it into perspective
about how new we are as a company.
And so, we're gonna do quarterly donations.
And yeah, it's just, we really wanted to take
what we're doing and just go a step further.
And further be able to make
an impact in whatever way we can.
And so, if that's donating some
of our sales and revenue to a greater cause,
then that was a huge bonus for us.
- And, like you've covered, there are a lot
of straws out there and alternatives, right?
- Totally. - So, how do you
go about standing out in the marketplace,
and educating people as to what Sip is all about
and ensuring that they buy your product
and not some of the others out there?
- Absolutely, so I think people love to have alternatives.
And the more that there are the healthier
your decision-making process is.
If you can really have a say.
And I love that we're moving away from plastic and we have
paper, but I don't love paper, and I don't love that.
And so, there's really something for everybody out there.
And people are all different, obviously.
And so, everyone's gonna have their preference.
But to just kinda get on board with that idea
that there is this nice feeling, tasting,
alternative, is really something that I think
that people who use Sip notice off the bat
and kind of are like, okay, this is the way
that I wanna have my drinks.
- Yeah, word of mouth and reviews are very important.
- Absolutely.
- Right? - Absolutely.
- So, how do you and your sister think about expanding Sip?
- Yeah, so I think there's a lot we can do with it
just in the idea of accessories, and making sure that
we're coming out with a travel component case.
So, that's a huge thing for people.
- That's huge, yeah, 'cause a lot of
people want to take it on the road.
- Right. - Right?
And enjoy beverages out in the car,
or at work at their desk, and just kinda be on the go.
- Exactly, yeah, so that's the next, our focus right now.
And those should be coming out within the next month or so.
So, I'm really excited about that
to kinda be able to say, okay,
now you can take it out with you.
- Is it like a zip pouch?
Is it a canister?
- It's gonna be like a canister, like a tube essentially.
And so, just so that you're able to
throw it in your purse when you go out
or your backpack and not feel
like you have to worry about it.
Honestly, mine's always in my backpack anyway
and I've never had any problems with it.
But this will just give people the peace of mind
that they don't have to worry about that.
- And so, how do you think about producing your product?
When you go and work with your manufacturers or your teams,
how do you think about actually
making sure that the product itself is great?
Because there is word of mouth and all that.
But if the product isn't as it should be,
people won't review it favorably.
- Right, totally. - Right, so how
do you actually make it?
- Right, so I work with this little family-owned company
that specializes in high quality glass products.
So, I had a very long, the first thing I did
was reach out to every production
manufacturer that I could find,
and had really in-depth conversations with them
about their process and what goes
into their straws, and all of that stuff.
I wanted to make sure everything from the shipping,
we were being as eco-friendly as possible.
So, I worked out fulfillment with him.
So, it doesn't have to come to me to go then back out.
So, there's just lots of little things that were really
important to me to focus on for manufacturing.
And so, that's kind of, that was one of the biggest
highlights I think for that process, for sure.
- Yeah, and do you think about doing Sip full-time?
Are you doing it full-time?
- So, I'm doing it full-time and then I also do
a lot of marketing work on the side.
So, I'm kinda, it's been a really cool time for me
to be able to take a couple steps back
and just focus on something I really am
truly passionate about and really care about.
And at the same time, it's awesome to be able to make
your own schedule and really focus.
And so, if I'm having a night where I'm really
in the zone and I wanna work til 11, that's awesome.
One, two, whenever the case may be.
So, it's just been really a rewarding
process throughout the entire thing.
- Yeah, and what will success look like for you?
- I think success first and foremost
is definitely being happy with what you're doing.
I think that we see people who are
quote, unquote, successful all the time.
And I wouldn't measure my definition of success
against that, and I think that
making sure that you have a work-life balance
is something that's really important.
So, I think that if there was a situation where
you feel like you're being fulfilled
both personally and professionally,
I think that that's how I would probably define success.
- Well, we really appreciate you
sharing all of that with us.
- Yes, thank you! - And I love what you're doing
and the charitable component's amazing.
- Thank you so much. - The impact is enormous.
- Thank you.
- I do wanna switch gears and play
my favorite game, called Hustle Time.
(upbeat music)
- Would you rather never be able to
teach or never be able to learn?
- Never be able to teach.
- Fictional place you'd like to visit?
- Hogwarts.
- Early bird or night owl?
- Night owl.
- Coffee or tea? - Coffee.
- Favorite part of your day? - The night.
- Ski trip or beach vacation?
- Beach vacation.
- First place you'll visit when you retire?
- Somewhere warm.
- Number one guilty pleasure?
- Ice cream.
- One word you wish you could take
away from the English language?
- Hate.
- Boozy brunch or morning workout?
- Boozy brunch.
- Beer or wine? - Wine.
- Favorite part of a S'more?
- Chocolate.
- Top quality you look for in an employee?
- Ability to learn.
- Instagram or Twitter? - Instagram.
- Favorite holiday? - Christmas.
- Worst trend you've ever participated in?
- (chuckles) Bell-bottoms.
- New York or London?
- New York.
- Ideal fake sick day? - Beach trip.
- Would you rather visit Liquorice Castle
or Peppermint Forest? - Peppermint Forest.
- M&M's or Skittles? - M&M's.
- Number of times it took you
to pass your driver's test? - One.
- Last person you texted? - Alyssa.
- Camping or glamping?
Camping or glamping? - Glamping!
- All right! (applauding)
Are you ready to see?
- Yes, I'm ready to see. - Okay, we're gonna
count it off, we have one, twenty-one, twenty-two,
twenty-three, I think this (Shae chuckles)
is a tie for first place. (applauding)
(Shae and Shannon laughing)
(whistling music)
- Favorite part of your day?
- Unwinding with dinner at night.
- Best piece of advice you've ever gotten?
- To continue to just follow your gut and stick with it.
- Worst piece of advice? - To remain complacent
and that not, we don't need to change anything.
Or the status quo is the final word.
- How do you use your career to inspire others?
- I think just by communication and talking,
and building ideas and those communicative bridges.
- Ever felt like walking away? - No.
- One thing you still need to learn?
- Probably how to, I think all of us, just to not worry
so much about other people and their
thought-process of you or what you're doing,
is something I always actively wanna get better at.
- What do you want people to learn from you?
- That there is no set path that you need to follow.
And that you're gonna change your mind
a million times about things, and to just kinda stick
with your gut and do what feels right in the moment for you.
- What's next for you?
- To continue with Sip and continue to grow this
and figure out what I'm super passionate about.
And just continue to go down that path.
- Who inspires you?
- My family and my friends are such a insane support team
and such a huge inspiration to me on every single day, so.
- Who challenges you?
- My family and my friends also challenge me to be better
and to grow and to continue to
just challenge the status quo in what I'm doing.
(calming music)
- Well, this next question comes
from our favorite entreprenoodle,
(Shae and audience laughing)
and Noodle needs some advice, Shae, okay?
- Hi, hey! (Man chuckles)
- I'm sure it comes as no surprise
that Noodle cares deeply about the environment.
And he feels compelled to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
But he's not quite sure where to start.
What are some practical changes that Noodle can make,
right now, to start making impact?
- Sure, I think that single use plastic
and stuff like that, that we're all so frequently around,
is something that we can all do to cut down our waste.
And it's something super easy and very quick.
And I think that Sip's whole thing is
that we can make a huge impact
with this little, really little, change.
If we all do it in a group together.
And that's something that I would start with for a tip.
- And I think Noodle might be able to use
maybe the cocktail size in his doggy bowl, right?
That could-- - (chuckles) Definitely.
- That might work. - Yes.
That's a whole new product line.
- Well, as we close, we always like
to leave with a final thought.
And so, I'm going to share three quotes with you
and ask for you to listen and tell me
which one resonates the most with you and why.
- [Shae] Awesome. - [Shannon] Okay.
Number one, the starting point of all achievement is desire.
Number two, success is the sum of
small efforts repeated day in and day out.
Number three, it's not what you look at
that matters, it's what you see.
- [Shae] Absolutely.
So, I think I'm gonna go with number two.
Given what we're working on especially
but just in and of itself that these, again,
these little changes that we make
can really leave a huge impact.
And, I mean, even the negative impact
that plastic straws have made,
that's such a little thing that really made a huge,
put a huge problem on our plates.
And so, this kind of is the same thing
that we can undo, or hopefully make a dent in undoing
the damage that's been done already, but.
- Thank you for being here and opening up.
- Thank you for having me, absolutely, this was
an awesome-- - Did you have fun?
- I had such a blast!
- Good. - This was so cool.
- I want everybody watching to understand
how they can get their hands on one of your Sip straws.
- Sure, yeah. - Tell us.
- So, we sell online at www.sipstraws.co.
And our Instagram is @sip.straws.
My personal is @shaeroseriley, and yeah,
that's where you can find us (giggles).
- I know everybody will be thinking about this.
This is an awesome product. - Thank you so much.
I truly appreciate that. - You're welcome.
- Thank you.
- And I know that everyone enjoyed
your inspiration and advice today.
So, I do want to remind everybody watching
that we are bringing fabulous entrepreneurs
every week to you in School of Hustle.
So, if you follow GoDaddy across all social
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter,
there is more advise and inspiration to be had every week.
So, follow GoDaddy, tune in again,
and we'll see you soon, bye!
(clapping and cheering)
(upbeat music)