The Art of Everyday Innovation w/ Paul Rowan | Ep 396
The Futur with Chris Do
How Umbra Started and Operated Vertically
Paul describes Umbra's early vertical model: designing, manufacturing locally, and later building a factory in Asia to stay competitive.
In this episode, Chris Do sits down with Paul Rowan, co-founder of Umbra, to explore the evolution of creativity, design, and entrepreneurial resilience. Paul shares how curiosity from his father’s hardware store shaped his early design instincts, how a simple DIY idea turned into a global brand, and why imagination remains the ultimate business tool.
Together, they uncover lessons from Umbra’s iconic Garbo trash can, how to turn setbacks into strategy, and the courage it takes to pivot in an unpredictable market.
Timestamps
(00:00) - Intro
(01:15) - Meet Paul Rowan
(03:02) - First product and startup story
(05:42) - Lessons from the hardware store
(08:13) - Finding purpose in imperfection
(10:27) - From typography to entrepreneurship
(15:04) - Staying young through collaboration
(17:52) - Partnering with design schools
(19:36) - Building a culture of creativity
(22:17) - Overcoming shyness to sell ideas
(25:41) - Making the first retail sale
(30:18) - Turning prototypes into production
(33:29) - Protecting innovation through relationships
(37:22) - Innovating during recession times
(39:11) - Designing the Garbo trash can
(42:33) - Scaling design to global success
(47:28) - Learning from failed products
(56:42) - The future of creativity and AI
Check out today's guest, Paul Rowan:
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/paul-rowan-976927b
Website: https://paulrowan.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulrowan/?hl=en
Check out The Futur:
Website: https://www.thefutur.com/
Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/
Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/
Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere
Check out Chris Do:
Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/
Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo
Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo
Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo
Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo
Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The AI-powered Podcast Player
