The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
One of our biggest challenges is getting people to understand both the costs involved and the benefits to all by buying New Zealand-made. The costs to achieve NZ-made products are generally significantly higher than imported products, but we believe it is very important to support our NZ-based manufacturers and keep the skills and the jobs in New Zealand.
Another big challenge for us has been exporting Thunderpants as there is only so much people will pay for a pair of undies. So we have now come up with a new model where we have a USA-based person making Thunderpants under licence in the US.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The pros are all around being able to run our business the way we want to. We love to join forces with like-minded companies who have a similar ethos to us and collaborate on campaigns where we can help support community based organisations. Being a little bit rebellious, it is very important to us that we can steer our own ship – so to speak.
I don’t really see any cons.
Being a little bit rebellious, it is very important to us that we can steer our own ship – so to speak.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We don’t have huge aspirations for world domination, but we still have a bunch more people out there in NZ and Australia to connect with and convert to the ultimate comfy undie. We would say we are over halfway to where we would like to be in those areas.
We would like to continue to grow in the USA and also find a suitable like-minded cohort in Europe to join the Thunderpants family.
Other than that – just keep enjoying what we do.
Keen to get your hands on (and hips into) a lovely pair of colourful Thundies? To see the full range and buy your very first pair, head to their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram so you will never be left behind.
