Today we will be getting to know one of our Partners: Konfidence. We have been speaking to Andy Regan, founder of Confidence about what inspired him to start the company and what his plans are like for the future.
What was your inspiration behind starting Konfidence?
Konfidence was born after a family holiday in the summer of 1996, when my wife and I took our two daughters and three sons on a holiday to Cornwall. The two older boys, aged 6 and 4 years at the time, were full of confidence but were not strong swimmers and they didn’t like the idea of wearing arm bands. Instead the only option was to use heavyweight water sports gear, which helped to keep them warm and afloat, but it didn’t really provide a comfortable solution. Out of this came the idea for a combination of built-in adjustable buoyancy and neoprene wetsuit. The result was the Original Konfidence Jacket, which launched in Cornwall in 1998 and the name “Konfidence” came out of the confidence it gave parents, as well as their children, when it was worn. The rest, as they say, is history, with our multi-award winning Konfidence Jacket continuing to help tens of thousands of children learn to swim every year. In fact, we are proud to say that it’s the number one best-selling neoprene swimming buoyancy aid for children aged 1 to 7 years across the UK and Europe, and is a firm favourite with parents and swimming teachers all over the world. Today, Konfidence, is still based in Cornwall and works with 25 countries worldwide. We are also proud after more than 20 years to have three generations all actively involved in our business and committed to its future success.’
2020 has been a tough year for everyone, what challenges have you faced and have things changed for you and your business?
Whilst it’s been tough for all businesses in the UK, we’ve been kept really busy by our international partners, so for me, having staff on furlough has meant learning or re-learning every job in the business.
What is your favourite quote?
“Success is not ever being knocked down, it’s how fast you get up.” or
“Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of a lack of wisdom.”
What is your favourite treat after a hard day?
We now live in the beautiful city of Plymouth, so there is nothing better than enjoying a Plymouth Gin and Tonic while looking out over Plymouth Sound.
What plans do you have for 2021?
This year, we unveiled our world-first range of eco-friendly baby and children’s swimwear designs – the new Splashy™ range of swimming nappies, swimsuits and wetsuits that are made from Konfidence’s own environmentally-friendly e-Flex™ material. However, the ongoing closure of swimming pools in the UK this year, halted our plans, so in 2021 we will be focussed on promoting this new range as a sustainable alternative to neoprene swim nappies and swimsuits.
We love Konfidence products and have reviewed a couple of the products over the years – check out our old blog posts here for more info.
