Roar Meets: Rob Forkan, CEO of Gandys

Name: Rob Forkan

Age: 33

Job title: CEO

What inspired you to start your own business?

When our parents took us out of school to travel the world, my siblings and I were exposed to the harsh realities of underprivileged children and families in countries across the world, such as India and Brazil. I knew I wanted to help and give back. Having always wanted to be an entrepreneur creating a business that was inspired by travel and fuelled by giving back made perfect sense. After an incredible upbringing we wanted to continue our parents legacy, losing them in the boxing day tsunami made us realize we needed to do more than just exist in life.

Did you have a lightbulb moment?

After a festival, I would often hear the term ‘mouth as dry as Gandhis flip flops’, one day I thought to myself “why has no one ever designed a range of flip flops named after this?”. Changing the spelling of course, I thought this was perfect. It was relatable and reflected my love for travel. Paul, my brother, and I quickly quit our day jobs and Gandys was born!

What helps you get in a positive mindset and sets you up for success?

I’ve always lived by the motto ‘Don’t Just Exist’, it encourages you to grow outside of your comfort zone and take risks. Without risk taking, there’s no room for success. For example, starting Gandys. It was a risk of course, but working hard and exploring new boundaries is ultimately what led to our success. I truly believe that everyone has something they enjoy, by finding and doing this It will help you get in a positive mindset. I’ve struggled with this of course, I think everyone does, but you’ve got to enjoy something. So grow in this, whether it be reading, playing football, writing! For me, whenever I feel myself falling into a negative mindset I remind myself of all the incredible experiences I have been fortunate enough to experience. I therefore try to keep art and souvenirs from around the world all around me to remind me there is always a new adventure awaiting.

What part of your daily routine is non-negotiable?

Other than the daily routine of emails, looking at data and attending meetings that are all fundamental in building Gandys, I like to spend time every morning with my coffee to reflect on the day ahead. A moment of calmness before a busy day puts me in the correct mindset, it’s also a great time to gather my thoughts and think about how blessed I am in life.

What motivates you and gives you energy for the business?

Through Gandys, we have built 5 kids campuses and counting. Seeing children and families develop and grow in a safe space as a result of starting our business is enough to motivate me on even my lowest days. When we opened the first kids campus in Sri Lanka, it felt amazing to give back to the locals that helped my siblings and I after the Tsunami. Without them, we would not be where we are today.

What’s the big picture for your business?

As well as building more kids campuses across the globe, it's important that we strive towards being sustainable where we can. It's something to work towards and pushes the brand to be the best it can be. We have always been in awe of the wonders of the planet, the beauty of it and essentially Gandys provides clothing and accessories that enable people to explore it. Therefore to protect our planet and be environmentally considerate where we can is of high importance. We saw first hand the damage to a country by a natural disaster, and this is more than enough to determine that we do not want such damage to be placed into human hands. Our new range of Namaste Backpacks are made from RPET fabric (made from plastic bottles) It takes roughly about 10 plastic bottles to produce enough fabric to make 1 Namaste Backpack. For the new Flip Flop range, we returned back to Sri Lanka and found a supplier that could make them more sustainable. The sole is made with a recycled EVA mix and the Strap is made from FSC Certified rubber. The big picture, to be the go - to travel brand for thrill seekers across the world! Whether you’re backpacking in Vietnam or taking a weekend camping trip, Gandys will provide the essential gear to take you through years of travel, all the while providing purpose and giving back with each purchase!

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?

After 10 years of building Gandys I have had my fair share of ups and downs and I can’t say there is one particular challenge that sticks out more than the many I have had but I have always reflected and said it couldn’t of been any worse than my biggest challenge in life of surviving a tsunami and bringing my siblings home after losing my parents.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t Just Exist and that's the advice my parents gave me, I think I did that as after the tragedy I still found myself travelling the world.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever done for your business?

Becoming an ecommerce brand is a strong contender but for me it's been expanding our product range. I love design and ensuring our community gets the best products and items I would want to own and use myself. What would you do differently next time around? I think whatever way you go you are guaranteed to make mistakes, it's just about addressing them and constantly trying to improve. Everything is forever evolving and that should count for your own self development.

What are you excited about for the future?

I am excited to travel, to visit and spend time with the children in the campuses as well as exploring places I am yet to visit in order to make sure Gandys is providing the best travel gear that people need. I am excited to expand our range, especially luggage, and move forward with our sustainable line. I look forward to growing the Gandys community and uniting people who live by ‘Don’t Just Exist’, both our customers and the Gandys team. The world can be tough, especially as the last year has shown, but the future is bright and there’s still so much more to explore!