At the age of 19, Daniel Flynn discovered the alarming fact that while 900 million people around the world did not have access to safe drinking water, Australians spent $600 million on bottled water each year.
As a result, in 2008 Flynn founded Thankyou Water – a social enterprise that exists to empower Australians to fund safe water projects in developing nations through the sale of bottled water.
Flynn harnessed the energy of a team of friends, who worked with him on the project while juggling university degrees and part-time jobs.
Despite many setbacks, Thankyou Water evolved into the Thankyou Group, expanding its product range to include food and body care products in order to fund food and hygiene projects.
In recent weeks the company was also able to launch a 14-strong range of baby body care, disposable and modern cloth reusable nappy products that will fund child and maternal health programs.
At the Food & Drink Business + PKN Breaking Boundaries LIVE forum last week, Flynn spoke about making a difference by pushing through limitations.
“For us, we're often told about the boundaries and the impossibilities,” he said.
“And sometimes things are impossible. But the question is, are we willing to challenge our thinking?
“At Thankyou we've done that consistently.”
Flynn started his business journey by questioning how we could live in a world which is so developed yet so underdeveloped – where people die from water-borne disease while others spend millions on bottled water.
“I felt compassion but I also felt overwhelmed,” he said.
“What difference could one person make?”
But Flynn didn't attempt to solve the problem alone. He, his wife, and his best friend built a team around them that could start to make a difference by funding water projects in developing countries.
“At Thankyou everyone understands that their role is as important as the others, and when you tap into that, remarkable stuff happens as a business,” he said.
“Bringing passion and raw talent to the table – from design to marketing to numbers – is when innovation happens.
“For us it was never just about the product itself. It's about the individuals we help who now have access to a sustainable water supply.”
Knowing your why
Flynn encourages his team to build in daily reminders of the 'why' behind what they do.
“It's one thing as an organisation, or an individual, to know why you do something – but it's another to build in daily reminders of your mission, whether it's a photo of your child, or of one of the people you help who now has access to a safe water supply,” he said.
“Otherwise we get caught up with the issues of our inbox or the to-do list staring at us.
“What is your personal why, and your corporate why? Because if we truly know our why we will be prepared to take risks that no one else is prepared to take. You can't break boundaries unless the foundation is strong.”
Challenging the status quo
At Thankyou they know about finding their why, but they also talk about challenging the way things have been done before.
“When you combine experience with the ability to question if there's another way, that's when amazing things happen,” Flynn said.
“Have we truly tapped into the power of the consumer to build ideas with us?
“It's not just a product, but something that can connect you with water, health and sanitation programs, because more than water, they need a sustainable food source.
Flynn spoke about the book he wrote called Chapter One, which has so far raised $1.5 million to fund Thankyou's baby care range and the social enterprise's expansion into New Zealand.
“The line on the book 'You have the power to change stuff' refers to the fact that we can all make a difference,” he said.
“Your stuff and my stuff looks completely different – but to make your ideas and dreams a reality you have to get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable.
“The greatest challenge each of us faces is finding the courage to get out of our comfort zone – and stay out.”
Fighting fear
Flynn said the one thing that stopped everyone from stepping out was fear.
“The fear of failure has killed more dreams than failure itself, as the saying goes,” he said.
“But for us to grow to where we need to we have to step out again and again and again.
“Every single one of us each has an individual fingerprint – there are no two that are the same.
“Each of has an opportunity to leave an imprint in this world that no one else can.
“We just need to find the courage to take that first step."
