Co-founders of SafeSleeve, Cary Subel and Alaey Kumar are both industrial engineers from Cal Poly. SafeSleeve is a manufacturer of radiation blocking laptop and phone cases and accessories. Their distribution includes major retailers in the U.S, on Amazon, walmart.com, jet.com along with SafeSleeve’s website and distributors in Europe, Australia, and Singapore. What started with a laptop and one cell phone (iPhone) case, has expanded into cases for nearly all mobile devices as the company boasts more than 100 products and is expanding to screen protectors and car mounts. SafeSleeve’s revenue more than doubled and sales are at about 3,000 units per month, up from 500 two years ago. SafeSleeve’s products have reached more than 40 countries, and they are looking to expand to the Middle East.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [1:12] Jeremy introduces his guests, Carey Subel & Alaey Kumar.
- [2:00] Low moments in business.
- [5:00] A significant milestone worth celebrating.
- [6:30] What is the plan for bringing on the next team member?
- [9:15] Alaey shares a low moment and a high moment on his journey.
- [11:00] Unique challenges of running a business as co-founders and business partners.
In this episode…
What does it take to build a thriving ecommerce business centered around the concept of equipping the public with technology that protects them from harmful Electromagnetic Radiation? How do you make safety sexy? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from the brilliant innovators Cary Subel and Alaey Kumar. In their conversation with Jeremy, Cary and Alaey open up about their greatest challenges, some of the milestones they’ve reached, what it’s like running the organization as business partners, and so much more! Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Cary and Alaey!
Let’s face it, the life of an entrepreneur is often romanticized and glamorized in our culture today but the truth is, it isn’t for the faint of heart! Many people jump headfirst into the entrepreneurial life only to find out that it is not what they expected in the slightest. From sleepless nights to anxiety attacks, the entrepreneur has to deal not only with external struggles but internal ones too! Enduring all of this and more, Cary and Alaey are thankful for the freedom that they enjoy as business partners and owners of their own company. At the end of the day, both say that all the struggles have been worth it. What can you learn from their story?
Can you run a business effectively with two leaders instead of one? How do business partnerships work anyway? Is it worth all the complexity to have two people in charge or is it easier to just allow one act as the key decision maker? For Cary and Alaey, the road hasn’t always been easy, they’ve struggled as they’ve grown their business together over the years. It’s been said that having a business partner is like having an additional spouse, with many of the positive aspects of a partnership along with many of the negative aspects. One key strength that shines through Cary and Alaey’s partnership is the shared vision and the extra set of eyes that the partnership provides when it comes to pulling the trigger on important decisions in the business. What has been your experience with business partnerships?
Resources Mentioned on this episode
- SafeSleeve Use discount code: Rise25 for 25% off of your order.
- SafeSleeve on Facebook
- SafeSleeve on Instagram
- Shopify
- Kickstarter
- Intro Music by Kidd Russell
Rise25 creates 100% outsourced VIP days for software companies and conference organizers to serve their highest level customers. Rise25 VIP Days have a proven track record of helping companies to get more referrals, increase retention with their VIP customers, and get more engaged new customers without adding extra work to that company’s plate. Rise25 partners and collaborates with entrepreneur-focused communities, with particular emphasis on creating events for high volume Amazon sellers, Walmart sellers, multichannel ecommerce sellers, and founders who want to take their business to the next level. Rise25 has hosted VIP events in cities such as Austin, Chicago, Santa Barbara, San Diego, New York, Sonoma, and Las Vegas to name a few. If your company appreciates the value of bringing your highest level customers together to connect and collaborate, you can learn more and contact us to find out if your company qualifies at Rise25.com. Rise25 was cofounded by Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran.Sponsor for this episode