00:00 / -00:00

Back to Podcast

 – Business with a Purpose – An Interview with Abigail Forsyth of KeepCup

users

Hosted by HerBusiness

On air:

11 August 2015

 

Click to download the interview

2015 Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame inductee Abigail Forsyth knows the true meaning of business with a purpose. Abigail founded KeepCup with the aim of promoting environmental responsibility in a stylish and convenient way.

After quitting her job as a lawyer in 1998, Abigail and her brother launched Bluebag, a healthy sandwich-shop chain. During their time running this café, they saw firsthand just how wasteful disposable cups were.

When Abigail had her daughter, she found the motivation to start up her long thought-out idea of manufacturing reusable, environmentally-friendly cups that were also both easy-to-use and attractive. Abigail explains that KeepCup “gives people permission to do the right thing.”

Abigail is so passionate about her purpose of sustainability that she launched Reuse HQ, a part of the KeepCup website that lets KeepCup users measure their environmental impact.

In this herBusiness podcast, Abigail discusses how she managed to come up with an idea that turned into an internationally-sold and award-winning product known for its design and environmental benefits. She discusses the benefits of starting a business with a purpose, the importance of creativity, and the role that confidence and risk-taking have played in her success.

Listen to this herBusiness interview with Abigail Forsyth to learn:

  • The value of business with a purpose
  • The importance of considering the user experience in creating a product
  • The role innovation and creativity played in her success
  • How to cultivate confidence in your business
  • How the courage to take risks in business can lead to big pay-offs
  • The value of surrounding yourself with the right team

Mentioned in this episode:

 

This post was co-authored by Courtney Sweeney. Courtney is currently completing a journalism internship at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. She studies journalism, political science, and public relations at Michigan State University in the United States.

Subscribe to the HerBusiness podcast:

For more stories of remarkable women entrepreneurs, subscribe to the HerBusiness Podcast.

Apple Podcasts SPOTIFY

About the host

Suzi Dafnis

Hi there. I’m Suzi Dafnis, CEO at HerBusiness. My BIG passion is helping women business owners to grow and scale their business, so that they can create their ideal lifestyle and make a difference in the world. Every day I am inspired by the more than 30,000 amazing women (and men!) in our community and I love finding the best education, mentors, and resources from around the globe, to help them get the skills, knowledge, and support they need to succeed. It’s been my privilege to lead HerBusiness (formerly The Australian Businesswomen’s Network) for the past 23 years (two+ decades – WOW!) because, whilst I’ve enjoyed success in business, I’ve also experienced the highs and the lows – sometimes you can feel on top of the world and in control and other times you can feel isolated, exhausted and stuck. What has made the biggest difference for me has always been having great people around me and having a lifelong commitment to learning. That’s why I am so passionate about the work we do here at HerBusiness – providing a Connection Network for women in business to get the mentors, contacts, referrals, knowledge, and skills they need to grow their confidence, make more money, build their businesses, expand their network and create the lives they love. My entrepreneurial journey started in the spare room of my Sydney apartment in 1994 when my business partner and I started a boutique events company that represented speakers and authors from the USA, here in Australia. Over the years I’ve grown multiple multi-million dollar businesses in the events, publishing and education niches – with teams in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Not everything has worked and there has been a degree of trial and error, and a lot of bumps in the road. But I have always had a strong commitment to always surrounding myself with great mentors and like-minded peers – a Connection Network that I can depend on and who can depend on me to be there for them too. I truly do what I love, every day.  

view full profile

On social:

Facebook
Linkedin

About the guest(s)

Abigail Forsyth

Abigail Forsyth

Abigail Forsyth is the CEO of KeepCup. After quitting her job as a lawyer in 1998, she and her brother launched Bluebag, a fresh and healthy cafe concept across the Melbourne CDB. Running the business made her see how wasteful disposable cups were. Put off by the unattractiveness and unsuitable design of reusable cups on the market, in 2007 she took the bold step of of designing and manufacturing our own reusable cup. After two intensive years of design and development, they launched KeepCup in June 2009 with a mission of encouraging the use of reusable cups. Abigail is so passionate about her purpose of sustainability that she launched Reuse HQ, a part of the KeepCup website that lets KeepCup users measure their environmental impact. Abigail is a Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame 2015 Inductee. She is currently based in Melbourne, married to a lovely chap with a family of three children.

VIEW FULL PROFILE
On social:
Facebook Instagram Linkedin