Success is an adrenaline rush for Canada’s Lauren Purves, who has made a name for herself as a marketing expert in her home country through her work with Spacing Magazine. She loves being a successful team player, seeing quick results through her work as a Sales and Marketing Director. However, what is most gratifying for this young entrepreneur is to truly believe in what she is selling, which is why she loves what she does.
“I think I quite candidly can express that from putting myself into the shoes of the customer -- knowing what and why they would or wouldn’t be interested in something. The psychology of it is fascinating, and just getting innuendos from our discussion can often lead to larger scale topics which can sway the customer/client into a positive result. I love creating trust and rapport with people,” she said.
Sticking to her roots to only pitch what she believes will benefit the masses, Purves will soon be launching her own company, Parrot, which designs sustainable recreational beach products rooted in the cradle to cradle philosophy. They are committed to reducing plastic waste and keeping oceans clean.
Purves was inspired to create Parrot when she travelled the world a few years ago and was stunned by the number of countries that mishandle waste. It had a tremendous impact on her, and as the years passed since her travels, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she could do more. As more industries have begun introducing ways to cut back on single-use plastic and waste (see: plastic straws) she began to envision Parrot, a passion project that allowed her to make a mark in an environmentally-friendly consumer experience.
“We realize now that although plastic has been an amazing material, overtime the management systems and make-up of these systems make it difficult to be able to use them again. Seeing that these products end up in the ocean, as someone who is a surfer, I get firsthand experience on the issue and I just want to try and make a difference,” she said.
Purves partnered with furniture/interior designer Emma Fagan to create a product that not only created beautiful recreational well-design beach products, but also helps preserve the ocean with the type of manufacturing process/materials while initiating awareness for the cause. Parrot is both a brand and a cause.
In creating her own brand, Purves’ skillset as a salesperson and Marketing Director came heavily into play. She knows how to connect and talk to people. With this, and her background to align a brand to the right audience as well as partner with like-minded companies, she naturally took the project from A to Z. She looked at what was happening in today’s market, with going-green being an important but also hot trend, and knew now was the ideal time to launch her company.
“Marketing is all about optimizing on an idea and strategically utilizing everything you have to create a successful campaign, while also being able to sell it,” she said.
On top of being passionate about the cause, Purves loves the sales aspect of launching her brand. She finds a thrill in picking up the phone and executing goals through connecting with people and companies. She has a knack for becoming hyper-focused on a subject she is passionate about and taking it to the next level. Being her own brand, her knowledge of the product is limitless, her passion unparalleled, which allows her to create integral relationships that will make Parrot a success.
Purves understands the customer base and creates a space that reflects this in every project she embarks on, creating an inviting, additional touchpoint through which people can communicate, mobilize, engage and inspire in the idea. This organic, people-focused experience is what she passionately believes in, and how she always approaches business, personal, and day-to-day responsibilities. She believes most companies should function in such a way, and will ensure Parrot does just that, on top of being an industry leader in sustainable solutions.
“I like the idea of this process becoming an awareness tool for alternative solutions for more sustainable manufacturing methods and materials. Marketing this product as well as the driven motive behind it to create change is something I feel strongly for. I want to stop the world from single-use products and propel us to think sustainably right from the get-go. The entire approach is based on the cradle to cradle philosophy and I personally want to push this mandate forward through the success of the product,” said Purves.
Parrot is all about leading the way to end the use of plastic waste and becoming a role model for well-designed products using alternative sustainable materials. Purves hopes to promote the ideal situation of utilizing the plastic waste spreading existing in the oceans and landfills to create a closed-loop circular economy type circuit of production.
Parrot has yet to officially launch, but they already have strong interest in the upcoming project from LUSH, Ocean Legacy, and Salt Spring Island store/company owners, to name a few.
Stay up-to-date with Parrot by following their Instagram @parrot_official_ and checking out their website.