Living well is also about caring for our planet. Jo first had the idea for her sportswear business Apexgray about 2 years ago. We take a look at how her business evolved and more about her passion for sustainable living.
Tell us a little about your work, your background?
Apexgray started about 3 years ago, but I spent the last 16 years in an office working for a multinational utility training business - until I was made redundant earlier this year. It was the kind of job you’d never voluntarily leave so in a way it was good to be given the push I needed to be able to solely focus on Apexgray.
What made you decide to start your business?
After having my second child I wanted to get back into training but my body was no longer what it used to be! I needed tops that didn’t ride up at the bottom or fall down at the top. I wanted to feel good in my gym clothes without going down the oversized t-shirt route, and I needed pockets! At the time none of this was readily available on the market – well not without taking out a small loan it wasn’t! Couple this with an overwhelming sense of despair at the amount of single use plastic we were getting through as a family and the two pieces just kind of fell together. Why not make the gymwear I want, from the discarded plastic I can’t do anything else about? I can’t take all the credit though, my husband was the one who made it happen in the first instance and got the ball rolling, he even created the website.
Where do you find inspiration for the designs?
All our names are based on weather themes, to be loosely affiliated with the climate changes and the damage we are doing to our planet. The Terrain and Stellar leggings were inspired by the great outdoors, and while I love them dearly we’ve definitely found that block colours sell better, and for the time being that will be the path we continue down. The cut and fit of the clothes are my personal preference though, fitted but not tight, long but not oversized and most importantly – forgiving!
Describe a typical working day
Since I left my 9-5 job my days are still all over the place. I love a routine but finding my groove now I’m a stay-at-home working mum has been tough! So for now, it is get the kids up, fed and ready for the day, while I mentally prepare for the school run. Check and pack orders, answer emails, post some stuff on the socials and (something I definitely need to get better at!) plan for the following day/week/month, and add more things to my to-do list than I’ve crossed off. Then try and squeeze in a bit of trash tv or chapter of my book (depending how the day is going so far) before heading back to school. Then it’s the after-school activities…football practice, netball, swimming, before finally nipping out to the gym myself and trying to train the day away. How I ever did two jobs and all this I’ve no idea!
What has been the biggest highlight and biggest challenge to date?
I’m not kidding, every order we receive is a highlight! You know that meme that surfaces each Christmas about small business owners doing a happy dance with each order? It’s so true! It reminds me that I must be doing something right, even though it might not always feel like it.
On the flip side my biggest challenge, always, is finding ways – new and old – of getting the message out there to as many people as possible. I sometimes suffer from a dose of Short Attention Span Syndrome (I’ve just made that up) and when something appears not to be working I can quickly get bored and move away. I’ve put ‘focus’ on my Christmas list this year so hopefully Santa is in an extra generous mood!
Best nugget of wisdom you can share for those wanting to be kind to our planet?
Reduce and Reuse (and Repair!) are far more effective ways of supercharging a more sustainable you. But be warned - there’s a fine line between keeping it for a future project and becoming a hoarder, a line I find myself constantly treading!! That said though, one of my new favourite sayings is “Nothing is a mistake if you learn from it”. And I tell myself this every time I go in the understairs cupboard!!
Where can we find out more?
@apexgray.uk on Facebook
@apexgray on Instagram
Or just a good old chinwag on email jo.grayley@apexgray.co.uk