Making energy with Pavegen
We’re on a mission to find out about your latest projects, dreams and business schemes. But who knew getting fired by a major energy…
We’re on a mission to find out about your latest projects, dreams and business schemes. But who knew getting fired by a major energy supplier would kick-start a career in energy technology? Laurence Kemball-Cook, is the 30-year-old Founder and CEO of pioneering clean power company Pavegen, which makes a specially adapted floor tile that converts the kinetic energy from footsteps into electricity.
Laurence radiates megawatts of energy in his own right, and with good reason. The first prototype was created in Laurence’s bedroom at uni; Pavegen now includes 40 staff across the world, CEO & Founder of Silicon Valley-based mobile app company Tribal Planet – Jeff Martin, as a partner, and Adidas, Coca-Cola, Shell and Heathrow Airport as clients. When I speak to him, he’s just completed a sub-six-hour half-Ironman. If ever a man was born to run an energy company, it’s this live wire.
From getting fired to inventing “smart” energy technology? Tell us how.
In my sandwich year at Loughborough University, when working at one of the biggest energy companies, I was looking at powering street lights with renewable energy, but the problem with urban spaces is that solar and wind energy are not efficient enough. So they kicked me out! I was really upset. But I couldn’t stop thinking about this issue of generating renewable energy in cities. And eventually it occurred to me that energy is all around us – literally under our feet. I went back to university, bought five desks and stuck them all in my bedroom. I had a desk for mechanical design, one for electronic engineering, one set up as a testing rig which simulated footsteps, one for doing all my drawings, and one that I just used for cutting up bits of wood. I won a Royal Society of the Arts Global Design competition, so I spent all the prize money on my project.
And you made a prototype (pictured above) that could generate energy from footsteps?
Yes. When I graduated, I presented it in Loughborough and again in London, and got a bit of interest in the media, being referred to as “Watt Genius”. I started getting loads of phone calls so I made myself a website as a bit of a joke – on the homepage it said ‘The Future of Energy is Here’. But then I got about hundreds of emails from people who actually wanted to buy it. Which made it kind of real. So I had to spend the next three years in my bedroom and develop the idea further.
So for three years, you were just working away on your own?
Totally on my own. Every venture capital firm in Europe said ‘it’ll never work’. My university told me to forget it, and so did all the government advisors I asked. Everyone thought I was crazy. But I really believed in my product. When I’m passionate about something I just don’t give up. It’s really annoying for all my friends and family.
How did you go from solo inventor to company owner?
A friend invited me to a dinner party and got me to set up my technology in his garage. By then I had this footfall testing rig, which actually enabled you to see the energy being generated by footsteps. People understand Pavegen really easily when they see it. So we demonstrated Pavegen to guests at the party, they all were excited by its potential; and I got 15 separate people to invest £10k each.
We clearly don’t get invited to the right kind of parties! Was that the turning point?
People had invested, so I had a responsibility. Before that, I was just this weird inventor who had spent three years in his bedroom. My worries went from ‘how does this piece of metal fit with this piece of metal’ to ‘how do I create a financial model to show my investors I can make the most of their money over a five year period’. Suddenly I had to go into an office with my first five hires and be a boss. It was the scariest day of my life.
What kind of boss are you?
I am not a traditional corporate CEO. I’m driven by passion, innovation and ideas. If I’m not passionate about it, I don’t like doing it and I have a great team that supports me.
What’s the most important advice you give to your team – or to any new startups?
It’s all about quick wins and even faster fails. Failure’s good so long as you learn. You’ve got to keep pivoting, try different solutions, and be as creative as you can.
What do you think of the average startup’s chances in the UK today?
There’s never been a more exciting time to start a company. I think the UK has absolutely the best ecosystem for cultivating new startups, with tons of government incentive schemes. But you’ve got to be really passionate about your idea. If you’re teetering on the fence and not sure about it then don’t bother. You’ve got to really believe in what you’re doing.
A happy brand culture equals a happy business. Yep, brand culture is imperative when thinking about your loyal customers, brand awareness and attracting the right talent. Here are some practical tips to help you build (or rebuild) a strong employee brand culture that will become the key driver for your business’s success.
Step One: Get back in touch with your brand
Companies can change quickly – and often happens without us even noticing. Before you can look effectively at your brand culture, start with the very foundational messages your company is built on. Take the time to reassess your company vision and brand manifesto.
Step Two: Understand your business needs
Knowing where you’re headed as a business gives focus and direction to your ‘cultural analysis.’ What are your business goals? Are you trying to grow? Reach new customers or territories? A strong brand culture is an important driver for every major business initiative, whether it’s HR-related, marketing, sales or otherwise. The key is to know what your company is trying to achieve, then align specific department goals accordingly.
Step Three: Know how to measure success
Putting a robust plan in place to measure change means you can evaluate the steps taken to see if they’re actually working. Take the same approach with social media by analyzing both employee and consumer sentiment about your brand. The results will show you exactly where you need to refine and optimize your approach.
Step Four: Activate your culture
Create a comfortable office atmosphere. Not every business can swing an in-house masseuse, but offering comfortable communal areas where teams can chat, or an outdoor space where they can clear their heads, does wonders for boosting productivity and wellbeing.
Eliminate barriers. While there may be many tiers and branches to your business, your upper-level managers should still be readily accessible. Scrap the lofty corner offices and have senior managers sit in cubicles with their teams.
Step Five: Start an Employee Advocacy program
By bringing ‘brand’ to life in every part of your business, you’re making your employees feel more involved, appreciated, and integral to the process. From this foundation, your employees are prepped and primed to become authentic employee advocates. As ambassadors of your brand, they’ll help spread the word about your amazing company to customers, clients, potential new hires, and friends. For some helpful tips, check out our recent webinar on starting an employee advocacy program.
So there you have it: the framework to activating and strengthening your employee culture.
Want to dig a little deeper for some pro tips? We thought so. Click here to download the full E-Book, “Live Your Brand from the Inside Out.”
We’re on a mission to find out all the wonderful ways you can turn your passion into a full-time business. So when we came across Melbourne’s quirky party store InviteMe, we jumped for joy. We spoke to founder Simone Norris, to find out how she came to sell flamingo cake toppers and promote the business.
Hi Simone! So how did you come up with the idea of InviteMe?
It all came about when I had my daughter really! She was three months old and all she did was sleep. I got so bored! Being a graphic designer by trade, I decided to start up a personalised stationery store. That stationery store began to evolve and became an online party store. Eventually, it became what is now, both a web-based and bricks and mortar operation. Which, via the power of social media, has become a destination in and of itself that sees people right across the country.
So social media is important to your business?
Absolutely. Social media being what it is at the moment, I’m all about that. I’m an art director and a graphic designer so I kind of understand the importance of visuals and marketing. I take lots of photos and the ones I use for Instagram are the same as I print on my Business Cards.
It’s just very important when getting my brand out into the world. But I love that option of, when you do get new stuff, putting up fifty or a hundred or whatever it is on those Business Cards. It promotes social media and just the very visual nature of my business. People come into my store, I have the Business Cards right next to the till. People take several at a time, so it’s definitely an important marketing tool for my business.
What about e-commerce?
I’m absolutely aware that everything in retail is migrating online. But, I figure that everyone is opening an online store now because anyone can do it. But what we have created is a destination store. I get people driving from all over Melbourne and interstate just to have that experience. I know it’s going against the grain, but I guess that’s what I want the difference to be.
We’re so happy our business cards are working wonders for your store Simone! If you need a touch of inspiration or help promoting your project or business take a look at how MOO could help.
We love discovering the way you use our products and sharing design stories. We hear from US-designer Lauren Beltramo about how she used our Letterhead paper to create stunning Charleston city guides. Over to you Lauren!
Charleston Travel Guides
As a little kid, going to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina every other summer was incredible. I absolutely loved it – the heat, the ocean, the accents! – and then one day it hit me: people live here all year round. Ever since that lightning bolt realisation it seems that I’ve been heading down south. From New York, to Philadelphia, to finally Charleston! I’ve lived here for almost two years and I am delighted to call the Holy City home. Inspiration for these guides came from the amazing Herb Lester travel guides, which I had the fortune of first encountering several years ago while I was studying abroad in London.
With those guides in the back of my mind, I used their single page quarter fold format as a starting point. After ordering a few (free!) samples from MOO I decided to go with the original Letterhead paper – perfectly durable, but also thin enough to be folded into quarters without becoming too bulky. They turned out great and I can’t wait to make and order another edition!
If writing, designing, and illustrating this guide has taught me anything it’s that I still have so much left to explore. These sold out less than a week after I first launched them and I love thinking about how new visitors to the city get to experience all the passion and joy that I have for Charleston in a single travel guide.
Have you used MOO products in any recent design projects? Let us know in the comments below!
We’re on a mission to find out about your latest projects, dreams and business schemes. So we met with Australian entrepreneur and writer Mo Seetubtim. A few years ago she started a blog called BrandMentalist which gave her the oomph to build stationery brand The Happiness Planner.
First off, how did you come up with the idea for the business?
I was at the point where I wanted to turn my blog into a business. I decided to ask my readers if I could write about one thing to make your day, what should I write about? A lot of them said they wanted to learn more about how they can be more positive and happier. I thought of products that could be integrated into our busy lives to help them change their mindset and outlook. Hence, coming up with the idea of The Happiness Planner.
Exciting! So what does this mean for your customers?
Basically, the The Happiness Planner is similar to a normal planner with to-do lists and all of that usual stuff, but we have an element included within the product where people have to do small activities before they start their day. At its core, is a mission to help people become happier and positive by mastering the art of positive thinking, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-development.
How did you get if off the ground?
After receiving great feedback from a small test group, I started building an email list of people that said they would be interested in buying the product. Quite quickly that list grew to over 1,000 people. This gave me the confidence to take the leap and start getting everything printed. Promoting myself through networking events and handing out business cards helped a lot too. People underestimate putting on a brave face and just getting your name out there!
Go Mo!
We love her ambitious attitude and gorgeous positivity products. If you need a touch of inspiration or help promoting your project or business take a look at how MOO could help.
Remember the glory days of Polaroid when you’d impatiently wave a just-printed picture waiting for your friends’ faces to fade out of the black? Well, say hello to the future-friendly version (and our Maker of the Month), the Prynt, a palm-sized instant photo printer that prints from your phone using inkless technology.
But its really unique feature is that each printed picture is digitally embedded with a short video clip of the seconds before the picture is snapped, so that when viewed via the Prynt smartphone app, it goes all Harry Potter magical portrait.
Prynt’s creators are 25-year-old friends Clement Perrot and David Zhang, founded the company in the fourth year of their engineering degree at the top French technical university École Polytechnique. In two years, Prynt has evolved from a flash of insight observing party-goers into a multi-million dollar outfit. We chatted with Clement to find out how.
Everything is digital these days, especially photos. Why did you choose to develop a photo printer?
Normally, no one cares when you take pictures at a party on your phone – nobody bothers to get ready for the picture. We noticed that when using a Polaroid camera, everybody wants to be in the picture, to look their best and see the results. That for us was something really special that we tried to understand. Young people are looking for something more authentic in terms of interaction. Because they have lived with digital their whole life, they want something physical.
How did Prynt get started?
In the first five months of 2014, David and I were back in Paris at the end of our degree, focussing on building the first Prynt prototype. During this time, we were accepted by a hardware accelerator called Hax. They select 10 startups and give each one a $50,000 dollar grant (with equity), then teach you where to go and how to build your product. From July to November 2014, me, David and Robin Barata, our Lead Industrial Designer and first official hire, went to live in Shenzhen – which is kind of the Silicon Valley for hardware in China – to learn more about manufacturing.
Then I moved to San Francisco to hire marketing people and look for investors. The marketing people helped prepare a Kickstarter campaign, which took about two months. It launched at the end of January 2015 with a goal of $50,000, and we reached that in 30 minutes.
Wow. What was it about your idea that resonated with the Kickstarter community?
The authenticity of the product was important. And for a successful Kickstarter campaign you have to bring out something new. But there was also a lot of work behind the campaign, making sure the messaging was clear. We worked hard to manage and engage the community of Kickstarter backers with email and things like that.
So the right marketing was really important?
Yes, and none of the founders are marketing people. Developing a story as to why we have a ‘y’ and not an ‘i’ in our name – that’s not really my cup of tea. But I hired key execs that had tremendous experience [with marketing], and I’ve been able to learn from them.
What is life like in the Prynt team?
We are about 20 people plus a few interns. David is the CTO and makes the product decisions. I’m the CEO and do all the other stuff. And we do fight, I guess it’s like a marriage, but that’s for the best – better to do that then internalise a lot of things. We have learned to be really honest with each other and tell each other everything. We have one-on-one meetings several times a week, even with our busy schedules. The most important thing is that we always want the best for the company.
You were lucky to find each other!
David and I are both engineers, but in terms of how we think about things we’re complete opposites. He’s more task-oriented and focussed on the technical side. And I’m more people-orientated and not into one thing in particular. Just like dating, you meet a lot of different people, and then you meet the right one. You don’t always know at the beginning but you give it a try.
Any major sources of stress?
Living so far away from home is tough. Even just speaking in English, which is not our native language, every day is really tiring. And when we started shipping the product in December last year, that was hell. We had 15,000 orders to ship in a month when every other distributor was also shipping, and we had a hard deadline because our users were expecting to offer it for Christmas. It’s like a rollercoaster – there are ups and downs but you have to get the most out of every experience.
What’s next?
We’re working on an optimised second version of the product with a bigger manufacturer. But most of the innovation that we want to bring is more on the app side, to make it more convenient and user-friendly.
Inspired by Prynt’s story? Want to know more about venture capital and accelerator programmes? Looking to set up your own Kickstarter Campaign? Tell us more below the line.
We love it when you share the creative ways you use our products. We also love uncovering the creative process and sharing design stories. Here we hear from US-designer Lauren Beltramo, about how she approached one of her recent projects.
Matt & Krissy got engaged!
When my friends got engaged I was overjoyed. Since the bride-to-be is also a designer my second thought was, of course, now I have to get them a really cool engagement present. After thinking of a few concepts that were a little too crafty or difficult to make, I decided on creating a custom set of notecards along with a monogram and custom lettering. Oh So Beautiful Paper is one of my favorite stationery blogs to browse for unique and elegant ideas and was especially helpful while I was getting inspired for this project. I also looked at a lot of lettering artists, such as Ken Barber from House Industries, as I was getting my lettering down – drawn entirely with a twin tip Tombow brush pen.
After scanning and tweaking I sent these cards to print on MOO Luxe Postcards. My top-secret informant (the groom) told me that they were sticking with blues and greens for the wedding, so I chose Moo blue to run through the middle. Once they arrived I thought hmmm and decided to add an extra touch of watercolor washes on top to make them that more unique.
The paper held up fabulously under the pressure and didn’t ripple or tear under the weight of the watercolors – which would’ve been a nightmare! The groom and bride-to-be were delighted with the gift and have already started using them. On to their actual wedding present… luckily I have another year for that!
Last month saw us print up a storm and party with the folks at Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the launch of The Wurst of Lucky Peach, the latest book by Lucky Peach editor Chris Ying.
The event, called Kimchi & Wieners, was hosted at the Ace Hotel’s rooftop bar and guests were treated to a copy of the book, food by Culver City’s popular Hanjip Korean BBQ and chef Chris Oh, drinks and exclusive DJ sets.
Not ones to miss a good party (especially when there’s food), we made sure we brought some spice to the table and added our own unique flavor to the event by printing up some treats in the form of Postcards, Flyers and Minicards.
With events it’s often the details that matter and our products went down a treat with the lucky guests, they also made great little souvenirs from the party – ones that will live on past the hangover!
The event is part of an ongoing partnership with Ace Hotel and expect more exciting news over the coming months.
In the meantime, if you are hosting an event, MOO can help you with everything you need to add that delight and keep you top-of-mind. Check out our Invitation designs.
Written by David Revagliatte
Building a successful business requires a ‘green thumb’ of sorts. Much like tending to a garden, a business requires consistent cultivation and maintenance to ensure your employees have everything they need to flourish. Because what is a garden without plants and flowers? Well, an empty plot of soil. And that’s not a pretty sight.
The focus of a business should be as much on the employees as on profitability and sales. Whether you’re running your own business and employ two team members, or working for a large multinational company, creating an environment where people feel valued matters. Sure, you can tell your customers you are a professional, helpful, and innovative brand, but if the people working for you aren’t either of those things, it’s really hard to live up to any kind of brand promise.
It’s easy to forget that businesses are people too.
This is because you can’t get the best out of disengaged people, and yet they could be running key projects, speaking to customers, and tweeting to your audiences — not to mention, acting as living, breathing representatives of your company, talking to all their friends and family.
If your people are not engaged with what you do, you could be missing opportunities to win over hearts and minds. And we hate missed opportunities. The secret here is to bring your people along with you on your brand journey by creating a brand culture that works for both them and your customers.
Elevate your brand with MOO Business Services
At MOO, we’ve been helping people make their mark in the world with amazing quality print products for over a decade. And as our customers have grown, so has our service offering. That’s why for bigger businesses—with 10+ employees—we now offer MOO Business Services. It’s MOO + benefits. MOO Business Services combines dedicated account management with an easy online ordering platform and expert design services. It’s a complete package for businesses to give you more brand control and consistency—while saving you time, stress, and money in the process.
Fill out the form here and a friendly Account Manager will reach out to you.
We’re on a mission to find out all the wonderful ways you can turn your passion into a full-time business. For Australian couple Partsi and Tony, their mission is to change the way we date. So MOO caught up the Vibedate founders to see how the big world of business is going.
First off, where did the idea for the Vibedate came from?
We go on many adventures and we do a lot of fun things and we thought, why can’t we organise this for other people as well? A lot of people want to do fun stuff but they just don’t have time to plan things. We’re the people who organise fun dates for you.
The concept is quite fun, was it enjoyable promoting the brand?
Well, the importance of online marketing has never been greater, so we used social media platforms. However, we found that Vibedate needed materials like Business Cards and Flyers. So we got these amazing Flyers done up and we ran a campaign which had Flyers with the different categories on each. Like, a food flyer, an adventure flyer and so on, and on the back was a door saying ‘which door will you open?’ asking which new experience the person would choose for themselves.
And how’s it all going?
Yeah great! The most popular categories have been the food date and the adventure date, because everyone loves food and everyone loves adventure. Vibedate has seen quite a diverse range of customers so far in terms of age groups, with some in their early 20s through to over 40s booking dates for Valentine’s Day.
What’s next for Vibedate?
Well, we’ve just started setting up ‘bestie and me’ dates and branching out into corporate events is also a possibility. Every spare second we get we’re always coming up with ideas, doing stuff outside of work hours. But I think while in the startup phase it’s doing amazingly, but we just want make enough revenue so that we can actually leave our day jobs, because it is definitely what we’re most passionate about
Love is in the air for Vibedate! If you need a touch of inspiration or help promoting your project or business take a look at how MOO could help.
It’s been said that: Networking is more about farming than it is about hunting. In other words, it’s about cultivating relationships and building trust. Buying a property is usually the biggest investment a person will ever make – so trust is crucial. To be successful at selling properties, you have to put yourself out there, meet new people, and show that you’re someone they can put their confidence in. Here’s the MOO guide for doing just that!
Listen Up
One surefire way to gain another’s trust is to show that you’re attentive and listening to them. Listening is the number one way to develop trust at the beginning of any relationship. However, it’s just as important to actively show them you’re listening – use body language, don’t interrupt and take notes. I genuinely treat networking events as a listening exercise. I can’t bear it when I see fellow networkers engage with someone only to suddenly start scanning the room for better prey. It’s rude and they’re missing a great trick which I call the ‘I know somebody who knows somebody rule.’
So you sell houses but the person you’re talking to rents an apartment. You may think you’re wasting your time, but then you find out he’s friends with the guy who owns the park that’s about to be flattened to make way for – yes you guessed it – luxury homes. No matter their initial impression, the person you’re talking to may well hold the key to unlocking a major deal – plus it’s just good manners!
Introduce yourself – just do it!
Networking is fascinating to observe. People who aren’t great with strangers are thrust into an alien environment. They huddle with their colleagues or old acquaintances hoping that the time will pass by quickly enough so they won’t have to talk to anyone new. That makes me think, “Why bother?!” Remember why you attended the event in the first place: to meet new people and extend your networks!
My top tip is get your business cards ready and JUST DO IT. There may be some inertia to reckon with – you know it’s important to network but some invisible force will turn you away from jumping in and having a successful session. The solution is simple, JUST DO IT. In the words of Leonardo Da Vinci, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
And don’t limit yourself to just conferences. As a Real Estate Agent, networking opportunities happen on a daily basis. Think of it like going in for the kiss without knowing the other person. Yes it can feel scary and awkward but JUST DO IT. You never know, you might just meet the person who takes your career to the next level.
Have you got extra tips for networking? Tell us in the comments below!
Related stories:
5 Ways to expand your networks
Written by Matthew Davies
It’s been said that, ‘networking is more about farming than it is about hunting.’ In other words, it’s about cultivating relationships and building trust. Buying a property is usually the biggest investment a person will ever make – so trust is crucial. To be successful at selling properties, you have to put yourself out there, meet new people, and show that you’re someone they can put their confidence in. Here’s the MOO guide for doing just that!
Listen Up
One surefire way to gain another’s trust is to show that you’re attentive and listening to them. Listening is the number one way to develop trust at the beginning of any relationship. However, it’s just as important to actively show them you’re listening – use body language, don’t interrupt and take notes. I genuinely treat networking events as a listening exercise. I can’t bear it when I see fellow networkers engage with someone only to suddenly start scanning the room for better prey. It’s rude and they’re missing a great trick which I call the ‘I know somebody who knows somebody rule.’
So you sell houses but the person you’re talking to rents an apartment. You may think you’re wasting your time, but then you find out he’s friends with the guy who owns the park that’s about to be flattened to make way for – yes you guessed it – luxury homes. No matter their initial impression, the person you’re talking to may well hold the key to unlocking a major deal – plus it’s just good manners!
Introduce yourself – just do it!
Networking is fascinating to observe. People who aren’t great with strangers are thrust into an alien environment. They huddle with their colleagues or old acquaintances hoping that the time will pass by quickly enough so they won’t have to talk to anyone new. That makes me think, “why bother?!” Remember why you attended the event in the first place: to meet new people and extend your networks!
My top tip is get your Business Cards ready and JUST DO IT. There may be some inertia to reckon with – you know it’s important to network but some invisible force will turn you away from jumping in and having a successful session. The solution is simple, JUST DO IT. In the words of Leonardo Da Vinci, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
And don’t limit yourself to just conferences. As a Real Estate Agent, networking opportunities happen on a daily basis. Think of it like going in for the kiss without knowing the other person. Yes it can feel scary and awkward but JUST DO IT. You never know, you might just meet the person who takes your career to the next level.
Have you got extra tips for networking? Tell us in the comments below!