1 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Fear and Greed Business Interview. I'm Sean Aylmer. 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: Every year, Australians send thousands of tons of perfectly usable 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: furniture to landfill. At the same time, thousands of people 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: in crisis go without the basics to make a house 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: feel like home. Relove Capital are Couple l Ove. Relove 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: is changing that. It's a social enterprise that rescues corporate 7 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: and household furniture and redirects it to people in need, 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: including women fleeing domestic violence, refugees and people exiting homelessness. 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: Ben Stammer is the co founder of Relove. Next month 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: he'll be part of REGEN, Australia's Circular Resource Expo, a 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: great supporter of this podcast. REGEN is being held at 12 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: the ICC in Sydney July twenty three to twenty four 13 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: bring together industry, government and innovators to fast track Australia's 14 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: transition to a circular economy. Ben, Welcome to Fear and Greed. 15 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 2: Thanks Sean. 16 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: Tell me the story of Relove Real Love. 17 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 2: Started about four years ago. We're now supporting about twenty 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 2: five families a week and we're aiming to get to 19 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 2: one thousand families this year. But we started somewhat accidentally. 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 2: We were me and my co founder Wren I used 21 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 2: to run a running group. The running group was looking 22 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 2: to do some social good projects, so yep, we were 23 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 2: running two three times a week, but also looking to 24 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 2: engage in what was happening around our community, so things like, 25 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: you know, just looking at people experiencing homelessness, how can 26 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 2: we support them? So we did a drive to raise 27 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 2: six hundred pairs of running shoes and took them up 28 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 2: to the Wayside Chapel. The average person experiencing homelessness is 29 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 2: walking about twenty eight kilometers a week, so that was 30 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: much needed for the visitors of Wayside, but it was 31 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 2: also for our group about learning and just really learning 32 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 2: what's amongst us, you know, what's amongst our community. One 33 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: of the projects that we then did was put a 34 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 2: call out for furniture. It was the end of COVID 35 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: time and we were you know, lots of people were 36 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 2: throwing out great quality furniture onto the council cleanups. So 37 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: this inspired us to do a project around furniture. We're 38 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,399 Speaker 2: working with the Women's Shelter in Sydney and we were 39 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 2: targeting to try to rehome five women, So get enough 40 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: furniture in the household items to rehome five women. We 41 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: ended up just tapping into this great source of pre 42 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 2: loved and other furniture that is destined for landfill. So 43 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: we ended up over the first few months furnishing the 44 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: homes of over thirty five families and we became real love. 45 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 2: So we are somewhat of an accidental charity. I'm an 46 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: ex banker and my co founder is an architect by trade, 47 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: so we're not from this space. But now we're doing it, 48 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: we can't look away. 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: So you both quit your banking architectural jobs and wanted 50 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: to relove. 51 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we were both out of it at the time, 52 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: so we were, you know, we were doing a few 53 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: other things. But yeah, now it's very much a full 54 00:02:58,560 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 2: time operation. 55 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: The numbers in your last impact report are frightening. To 56 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: be honest, nearly nineteen hundred people helped. Sorry, the numbers 57 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: are good. The fact that you've got to do it 58 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: is what's frightening. Nearly nineteen hundred people helped, seventy four 59 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: percent of them women, many fleeing domestic violence. How do 60 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: you do it? I mean I kind of understand the 61 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: supply side more than I understand the demand side, to 62 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: be honest, cause the supply side you can ring organizations 63 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: and property groups and say what have you got? How 64 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: do you actually find the people who need it? 65 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, really good question. And look, the other stat that 66 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: I just add there is that forty percent of our 67 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 2: clients are First Nations people. That is not a target ORGIC, 68 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 2: a requirement, that is the need in our community. We 69 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 2: work on a partnership basis. We're not trained social workers 70 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 2: and we're not trying to do that piece of the puzzle. 71 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 2: We now work with over eighty five charities across Sydney 72 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 2: and we work on a caseworker referred basis to Real Love. 73 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: That's important for a few few reasons. Firstly that people 74 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 2: are properly assessed and supported through this transition into usually 75 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: from crisis care into housing. But also that when people 76 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: come into Real Love to shop for everything they need 77 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 2: in our free store, we never ask a question, so 78 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 2: it's you know, it's not our place to ask. And 79 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: lots of people who have been through various crisis services 80 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: have to tell their story, tell and retell their stories 81 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: over and over again, and that is retelling trauma. 82 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. So when you're talking about the people a lot 83 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: of Indigenous Australians, what are the age group. 84 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: Look at really ranges we're supporting, you know, along the spectrum, 85 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 2: we're supporting youth at risk. So that's young people, you know, 86 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 2: as young as sixteen who don't have family support. The 87 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 2: foster care system, for example, has failed them. You know, 88 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 2: some have experienced homelessness, you know, through their teens, right 89 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: up to the largest cohort or or growing cohort of homelessness, 90 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 2: which is women over fifty and sort of everyone in between. 91 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 2: Lots of the women that we're supporting our young mums, 92 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 2: so very sadly, lots of domestic violence is happening when 93 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: you know mum's either pregnant or had quite young babies. 94 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 2: So in the last twelve months of all the kids 95 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 2: that we supported so supported by a family member were 96 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 2: so about a third of those kids were four and under, 97 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 2: so a lot. Yeah, so a lot of young people. 98 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 1: Incredibly said stay with me, Ben, we'll be back in 99 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: a minute. My guest this morning is Ben Stammer, co 100 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: founder of Real Love and a participant at next month's 101 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: Region conference in Sydney. You are doing partnerships with some corporates. 102 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: I think Canvas one Minter Ellison might be another. How 103 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: are they getting involved and what do you need? 104 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 2: Partnerships are incredibly important to Real Love. We've started this 105 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: really with the community movement and that's just working every 106 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 2: single contact that we have. Lots of corporate contacts, but 107 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: lots of contacts in the community as well. Corporate partnerships 108 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: like you mentioned with Canva, we also work with Atlasian, 109 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 2: Stockland and others are incredibly important. Corporate volunteers are a 110 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 2: really important source of labor for us. You know, I'm 111 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 2: just helping us to get to that twenty five moves 112 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: a week. But also skilled volunteering is really important. We're 113 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,799 Speaker 2: doing some work with Canva coming up on the people 114 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 2: and culture side. We've just done some work with Stockland 115 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 2: on you know, helping us with the marketing of of 116 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 2: Real Love and our new social enterprise called Restory. So 117 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 2: corporate partnerships are really really important to us. And then 118 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: you know we're working on with some other corporates funding 119 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 2: so Really is a wonderful partner of Real Life. So 120 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 2: it's a building company and they're sponsoring Real Love to 121 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 2: help do what we do. 122 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: So we've spoken a lot about the people who use 123 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: your services. What about the environmental impact two and twenty 124 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: eight tons of furniture you saved from landfill last year, 125 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: is that right? 126 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 2: That's right. So, you know, furniture is the second biggest 127 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 2: source of landfill in Australia, corporate furniture. It's just way 128 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 2: too easy to be backing up the demo trucks and 129 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 2: taking out corporate furniture on a defit. Ninety five percent 130 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 2: of corporate furniture is single use and destined for landfill, 131 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 2: so it's depreciated, you know, and then it's kind of worthless. 132 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: Corporates are looking for a change, the designers are involved, 133 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 2: the architects sore where you know, a really meaningful solution 134 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 2: for that. Hotels as well. We recently took out ninety 135 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 2: five hotel rooms from the Adina town Hall run by 136 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 2: the Toga Group. That was forty seven furniture trucks turning 137 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 2: up over three days and all of that furniture is 138 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 2: now gone. The other avenue, just from an environmental side, 139 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 2: is we've now launched our social enterprise called Restory and 140 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 2: we're selling designer furniture. So this is access to our 141 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 2: client's needs. But Resoury is selling great quality furniture to 142 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: help fund what we do, so that's a big environmental 143 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 2: focus as well. 144 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: And I like this term dignified circularity. Explain that. 145 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, it's dignified in lots of ways. We're providing 146 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 2: through free shopping appointments, so coming into our free store 147 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 2: for an hour to select everything that you need. We're 148 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 2: providing the dignity of choice, you know, for a lot 149 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 2: of people that are in a crisis situation or moving 150 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 2: on from a crisis situation. You know, people are often 151 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 2: greatly disempowered, and so to have this choice to help 152 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 2: restart choosing exactly how you want to furnish your home 153 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 2: is so important. Your home is different to my home. 154 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 2: It's it's such a personal thing. And the goal here 155 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 2: is really to help people restart in housing first. 156 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: So obviously in Sydney, can you take it national? 157 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 2: It's such a scalable model. We've run pilots in both 158 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 2: Melbourne and Brisbane. So far. We've run the pilots just 159 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 2: with volunteer help and that's been great. We've proved the model, 160 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 2: but what we really need is the financial support to 161 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 2: hire staff to get a little bit of warehouse space. 162 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 2: But this is such a scalable model all around Australia. 163 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,439 Speaker 2: The need is very much there. We're constantly getting inquiries 164 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 2: from the support side in those cities so. 165 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: They reachen XPO is taking place in Sydney, as I 166 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: mentioned on the twenty third and twenty fourth of July, 167 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: and national platform for collaboration across public and private sectors 168 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: and very much putting the circular resource economy in the spotlight. 169 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,559 Speaker 1: How important is it to keep the pressure on policymakers 170 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: at the moment. 171 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 2: So important and I think sometimes you know, the focus 172 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 2: is on recycling and it's all about recycling, but reuse 173 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 2: in what we're doing is you know, right at the top, 174 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 2: you know of the reuse and recycling tree. So yeah, 175 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,079 Speaker 2: to get policy makers to really be focused on reuse. 176 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 2: There's nothing currently in the building space. There's you know, 177 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 2: there's nothing in the furniture space. The Green Building Council 178 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: is doing some great work and is working on some stuff, 179 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 2: but we're really looking for government and other policy makers 180 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 2: to step in and raise the profile and the pressure 181 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 2: of reuse. 182 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: Then thank you for talking to Fearing Greed. 183 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 2: Great thanks Sean as Ben. 184 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: Stammakay, founder of Relove, to hear more from dozens of 185 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: change makers in the circular resource economy. Don't miss regen 186 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: Expo r E g E Expo at I see CE, 187 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: Sydney twenty three to twenty four July. It's free to 188 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: attendance band the full journey from design, reuse and repair 189 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 1: through to recovery and re manufacturing. Head to Regenexpo dot 190 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: com dot au to register. I'll put a link in 191 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 1: the show notes. This is the Fear and Greed Business Interview. 192 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: Join us every morning for the full episode of Fear 193 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: and Greed business news you can use. I'm Sean Elbow. 194 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: Show your day