Founder Series: Where did the idea for SOS come from?

Who is the founder of SOS?

First let’s set the scene so you know a little more about me and who I am. . . At the time of writing this I am 26 years old, living in London (currently at my dad’s during lockdown) & working full time and running SOS alongside it. For years I have always been thinking of ways to break out of the daily routine and build my own business that will one day sustain me and fill me with joy, energy and ultimately enable me to live a life that is not restricted to an office desk 9-6.

Since I was young I have always been very passionate about nature and our environment. My dad has always encouraged me to care for our planet and it’s wildlife, revive bumblebees that are weak, rescue worms that are stuck on the pavement, feed the birds, recycle properly, spend consciously on things that will last and clear up litter whenever you see it, even if it’s not your own etc and as I have grown up my love for our incredible planet has grown with me and I am continuously fascinated by it’s sheer beauty and magnificence, which is why when I see the damage consumerism is having to our planet and nature I feel heartbroken and angered. I have a real urgency to fight against the problem and help nature fight back.

Right now I’m in my 4th job since moving to London and although my day job now is fine and the people are nice, it’s still not 100% me (if that makes sense) and I needed something away from my day to day working life that was going to excite & stimulate my mind and provide me with energy, something I could really enjoy & see see as my future. I’ve had LOADS of business ideas throughout my life some I still would like to pursue one day others were idiotic but I never stopped / stop thinking…

For me, starting a business needed to combine 2 things:
1 - I had to be really passionate about the idea otherwise It wouldn’t work
2 - I had to really believe it had a purpose and people would enjoy what I created

Where did the idea for SOS come from?

I have never been super sporty or very athletic however I discovered a true passion for fitness and training during my second year working in London where I discovered an amazing studio called Evolve353. I suddenly became super determined to be a better version of myself, I met so many amazing people who all had such different jobs and hobbies and I found that working out cleared my head and energised me in a way that nothing else did. This is where my love for fitness came from and subsequently I began to think how I could build fitness into my life even more.

At this point, did I think I was going to start a sportswear brand? - NO

It actually wasn’t until I saw a lovely sustainable swimwear brand online did I suddenly think ‘sustainable activewear - that could work?’ It was an obvious way for me to combine my 2 passions for both fitness and our environment and so the idea went from there and I dived into Google. . . a now regular occurrence for me and SOS.

What next? - Check out my next post to learn how I took SOS from an idea to a reality.

Please follow my journey at SOS where I will next be sharing what happened next and how I went from an idea to a reality,