Notes from Chris

Episode 2082

Dr. JJ Richardson is a nanotech scientist, meaning that he works with matter on an extremely small scale.  In the middle of the pandemic, JJ had an idea to create antimicrobial coatings for masks. He applied for funding at the University of Tokyo and got it. Soon, he and his wife, Susanna, and their son were heading to Japan from their native Australia. JJ got great results right off the bat. However, he conducted market research and quickly realized that this product may not be able to sell well. What he found was that everyone who was concerned about COVID-19 already had the most high end masks, like N95s. The people who had lower quality masks weren’t as likely to purchase a product that would increase their performance. Around this time, JJ’s wife noticed that he wasn’t smelling so great after his bike ride to and from the lab. They thought back to the antimicrobial coating. The best formula that JJ and his colleagues invented included silver, which reduces odor. That got them to rethink how the product could be used. Susanna suggested that JJ spray the formula on his clothes. Like any good scientist, JJ conducted an experiment. He sprayed only one armpit with the solution and at the end of the next day, he had Susanna conduct a sniff test between armpits. As JJ says, her face said it all - the spray worked! From there, the two began to look into manufacturing this product for the public to use. JJ and Susanna’s spray is odorless, sustainable, organic, and hypoallergenic. Compare that to other sprays, which typically warn against using them around children and pets. They believed their simple, safe ingredients would help them stand out in the industry. Their spray could also be applied directly to the skin and last for several days. Their first big hurdle getting the product to market was determining how to make it usable at home and easy to apply, or as JJ says, “idiot proof.” Due to environmental considerations, they decided not to put it in an aerosol can. Instead, they used a small bottle. Unfortunately, it would be a little more complicated for their particular spray to be in a bottle. You see, the product actually contains two different ingredients that needed to be mixed on the fabric. One is silver, which is applied first, and the second is gallant, which is applied right on top of the silver. The ingredients needed to stay separate until application. This meant that they needed a two-chamber bottle. Only two suppliers could source the product in different colors, so that narrowed it down. Once they received the bottles, JJ and Susanna performed usability tests on them. They also sent their test bottles to friends, family members, and even strangers from Reddit who expressed an interest. They received overwhelming positive results. The product worked for every person they sent it too, and some asked if they could buy it. JJ and Susanna could smell a whiff of success! They settled on their favorite design and ordered more examples. Their product, called SWIFF, came together with the additional focus towards branding. Suddenly, it felt like they had a real product to sell, and the public seemed to agree. From here, the business started to take off. This took place in the late summer and early fall of 2021. In the months since then, SWIFF has had a steady stream of sales. Right now, they are making about $1,000 a month from their side hustle. However, JJ says that none of it is profit right now because they keep reinvesting the money back into the business. At this point, SWIFF has been sold in 11 different countries and there are several repeat buyers. Furthermore, JJ and Susanna have finished the trademark process and SWIFF has started to garner some press attention. With that attention, some clothing manufacturers have reached out to them about collaborating. By 2023, they hope to see clothes manufactured directly with SWIFF. JJ is continuing to work at his day job as a nanotech scientist. He has no intention of quitting his job, and says that the financial security it provides has allowed him to make more disciplined decisions, rather than making them out of stress. In the future, they hope to continue to grow SWIFF and their other side hustle, which is a forensic fingerprint powder that JJ invented. They’re excited to see what develops.  

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  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Learn more about SWIFF from JJ's website, swiffspray.com.

SEE ALSO:

• Mom-Founded Startup Rents Infant Gear to Tourists: Busy mom in Chicago uses a peer-to-peer sharing platform to earn extra money for her family and help visiting parents get all the baby gear they need for their trip.
• Clothing Store Salesman Invents Baby Harness, Earns $100k Per Year: An innovative salesman creates a baby harness that benefits both parent and child, all the while creating a six-figure side income for himself.
• Paralegal Starts Side Hustle During Maternity Leave: After starting her hustle with a friend, this new mom buys out her co-owner and begins earning $10,000/month selling baby items.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work! Yours in the revolution,

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