When Ben Young first pitched his idea for reusable coffee cups, his business strategy colleagues dismissed it.

“The smartest guys in the room said it was silly; I was being an idiot because why would you have a reusable cup when [you] can just put the old one in the bin, not think about it anymore, and get on with [your] day,” recalls Young.

But after seeing first hand the effects single-use plastics have on the environment while working at Cleanaway Waste Management, he knew he was on to something – and he kick-started Frank Green.

On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams sits down with the founder to find out how he harnessed an environmental movement to build one of the country’s most well-known brands.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

Nicole Eckels’ multimillion-dollar idea was right under her nose

The Glasshouse Fragrances CEO has grown her company into a $100 million global powerhouse, with products stocked in more than 10 countries.

Bill Beament led a 1¢ company. Now it’s Australia’s biggest gold miner

The West Australian who transformed Northern Star took home $60 million last year. Now, the Develop Global CEO is zeroing in on critical minerals.