Keeping People Safe from their Electronic Devices with Cary Subel & Alaey Kumar Co-Founders of SafeSleeve

Co-founders of SafeSleeve, Cary Subel and Alaey Kumar are both industrial engineers from Cal Poly. SafeSleeve is a manufacturer of radiation blocking laptop and phone cases and accessories. Their distribution includes major retailers in the U.S, on Amazon, walmart.com, jet.com along with SafeSleeve’s website and distributors in Europe, Australia, and Singapore. What started with a laptop and one cell phone (iPhone) case, has expanded into cases for nearly all mobile devices as the company boasts more than 100 products and is expanding to screen protectors and car mounts. SafeSleeve’s revenue more than doubled and sales are at about 3,000 units per month, up from 500 two years ago. SafeSleeve’s products have reached more than 40 countries, and they are looking to expand to the Middle East. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [1:12] Jeremy introduces his guests, Carey Subel & Alaey Kumar.
• [2:30] What are the scientific findings around cell phone radiation?
• [8:15] Cell phones actually have warnings to keep them off of your body.
• [10:15] Alaey talks about how the idea for the SafeSleeve came about.
• [13:30] How long did it take to get the product dialed in and crowdfunded?
• [18:00] Lessons learned from crowdfunding a product.
• [21:20] What made the guys expand their line of products?
• [27:00] How has the product evolved over the years?
• [30:30] The sales process and getting the product out there.
• [33:00] Apps the guys like to use from Shopify.
• [36:30] Cary and Alaey talk about their childhood.
• [40:10] What are the future plans for SafeSleeve?
• [42:30] Low moments in business.
• [45:15] A significant milestone worth celebrating.
• [49:45] Alaey shares a low moment and a high moment on his journey.
• [51:30] Unique challenges of running a business as co-founders and business partners.

In this episode…

Did you know that the very thing that most people wake up to in the morning could be killing them? It’s true! Cell phones, tablets, and other electronic devices emit harmful radiation that we don’t even think about. On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from Cary Subel and Alaey Kumar as they explain how SafeSleeve is providing affordable solutions for this silent killer. In their conversation with Jeremy, the guys open up about how they got the business started, what the product development process was like, challenges they’ve faced, plans for the future, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this powerful and engaging episode featuring Cary and Aley from SafeSleeve!

If you found out that you were unknowingly exposing you and your loved ones to the constant risk of cancer, wouldn’t you do something about it? For too long the public has turned a blind eye to rumors and warnings about the dangerous use of electronic devices and the health hazards they can cause. Now, we have the latest news on this subject from the National Toxicology Program that determined the effects in rats and mice from exposure to radio-frequency (RF) radiation from cell phones. Researchers found increased rates of cancer in male rats exposed to cell phone radiation. Providing a viable solution, SafeSleeve developed an FCC accredited lab tested shielding technology that can block over 99% of RF and 92% of ELF radiation.

You really never know where inspiration and creativity will lead you. One minute you might be daydreaming or just mindlessly thinking of something one of your parents said and the next you could be starting a business around that idea. Does that sound crazy? It’s not! That is exactly what happened for Cary and Alaey when they came up with the idea for SafeSleeve. The guys had a friend who’s dad was a neurologist and would constantly remind them that they shouldn’t keep their electronic devices close to their body. With that idea knocking around in their head, they went to see if there were any solutions on the marketplace to address this very serious concern. When they couldn’t find any good solutions, they decided to take matters into their own hands. What can you learn from Cary and Alaey’s story?

Finding the right idea to build a business off of is one thing, turning that idea into a marketable product is a whole different process entirely. Cary and Alaey knew that they wanted to bring the public a solution to harmful radio-frequency radiation but they had no idea where to start. Setting out on the journey, the guys had to cast a wide net contacting supplier after supplier until they found the right one that they could trust. Once they connected with the right supplier, the guys were confident that their concept would resonate with the public.

When you build an organization from the ground up, in many ways it's like raising a child. Once that child is old enough to be away from its parents, you’ve got to find a responsible individual who you can trust them with. The same is true when it comes to a startup! Bringing on that first team member can be as nerve wrecking as finding the right babysitter. Thankfully, Cary and Alaey struck gold when they made their first hire and brought someone on who could take over the operations side of the business without missing a beat. What role will be your company’s next hire?

Resources Mentioned on this episode

• SafeSleeve Use discount code: Rise25 for 25% off of your order.
• SafeSleeve on Facebook
• SafeSleeve on Instagram
• Shopify
• Kickstarter
• SkuVault
• Intro Music by Kidd Russell