A Maker of Sustainable Dishware for Toddlers on When to Hire Help
After his eco-friendly plates became an Instagram hit, Joel Remy Parkes needed an inventory manager—fast.
Bamboo Bamboo’s line of cups made from silicone and bamboo.
Source: Bamboo Bamboo
With one swipe of a chubby little hand, a baby sends breakfast flying, plastering nearby surfaces with bits of blueberry porridge. It’s a scene Joel Remy Parkes, a father of four, is on a mission to prevent. In 2015, when his youngest child was starting on solids, Parkes grew tired of the food-stained patch on his kitchen floor. That prompted him to think about making sustainable plates and bowls, with suction cups on the bottom to stop dishes from toppling.
Parkes soon introduced a line of plastic-free, nontoxic tableware in animal shapes made of bamboo and silicone, appropriately called Bamboo Bamboo. The brand took off, thanks to social media posts from influencers and parents. In 2018, just over two years in, Parkes quit his job as a software sales rep to focus on the business. Here, the 40-year-old shares lessons from his journey.