Today we’d like to introduce you to John Weil.
John, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We began with one thing in mind; to support our sea life. Sand Straw was born in the summer of 2018 at the La Jolla Open Aire Farmers Market, where we sold our reusable straws out of small glass mason jars. Customers loved that we donated 10% of our net profits and that each straw pack was connected to a sea animal and charity that does research and conservation for them. Sand Straw quickly grew within our local community and became a national brand within the first year of business. Today, Sand Straws are sold in over 1,300 stores in four different countries. Our vision is for Sand Straw to be a household name within the reusables category.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! The most difficult obstacle was dealing with inventory management. With credit cards bursting at the seams, a good night’s sleep was hard to come by. At 24 years old, my partner and I found ourselves in over $100,000 in debt, inventory that was flying off the shelves and a business that was constantly playing catch up. It took a positive mindset and sure will power to drive us forward.
Please tell us about Sand Straw.
Sand Straw creates reusable straws that each support a sea animal. We are extremely proud to donate 10% of our net profits to charities that do research and conservation for the five sea animals that we support. Sand Straw also creates unique items unavailable through other companies. Our new Detachable Line is an example of one of these items. They use QA Technology for a 3-turn quick assembly of the straw. When apart, they function as two cocktail straws and when together, the straw can be used as one long smoothie straw! They can also clip onto a backpack, purse or pair of car keys.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would definitely be going to La Jolla Shores and building sandcastles with my family!
Contact Info:
- Address: 909 Prospect Street La Jolla CA 92037 Suite 200
- Website: https://sandstraw.com/
- Phone: 858-309-2504
- Email: John@sandstraw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesandstraw/
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