Saving 1 Million Trees: The Cheeky Panda Story | Julie Chen

<p>What happens when you look at one of the most ordinary products in our homes and ask: surely there’s a better way?</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, Julie Chen, co-founder and CEO of Cheeky Panda, shares the remarkable story behind the brand that set out to disrupt the toilet paper and tissue industry with bamboo based, sustainable alternatives.</p><p><br></p><p>Starting the business from her spare room with her husband, Julie tested the idea through crowdfunding, secured their first container and began cold-calling retailers.</p><p><br></p><p>Today, Cheeky Panda has grown from a niche sustainable brand into a mainstream name, selling through major retailers including Tesco, Waitrose, Boots and Ocado, while generating more than £1 million a month through Amazon alone.</p><p><br></p><p>Julie opens up about the realities behind that growth, including the challenges of raising funding as a female founder, leading teams, making mistakes, finding the right people and learning when to focus on your own strengths.</p><p><br></p><p>She also explains why the company&#39;s ultimate measure of success isn&#39;t simply revenue or profit, it&#39;s the ambition to save one million trees profitably.</p><p><br></p><p>We discuss entrepreneurship, sustainability, leadership, self-awareness, family, working with a spouse, building a purpose-driven brand and the importance of pushing yourself outside your comfort zone.</p><p><br></p><p>A fascinating conversation about challenging conventional thinking, building a business with purpose and proving that sustainability doesn&#39;t have to mean compromising on quality, affordability or commercial success.</p><p><br></p><p>Extraordinary Life Stories is proudly sponsored by IFS.ai</p>