A mum put her nursing dreams on hold after a school-run chat sparked a business idea – and it has now turned over an incredible £5.5million.
Kelli Aspland joined forces with fellow mum Laura Waters after the pair became frustrated by schools’ “no touch” policies, which meant teachers could not help children apply suncream during hot weather.
The result was youngsters struggling to do it themselves, often ending the day with greasy hands, stained uniforms and patchy protection from the sun.
READ MORE: Digital transformation founder built 40-person consultancy from personal network in three years
Determined to find a solution, the friends created Solar Buddies – a refillable sunscreen applicator designed to help children apply suncream independently and without the mess.
What began as a casual conversation at the school gates has since grown into a global business and completely transformed Kelli’s life.
“It is really strange thinking about it,” Kelli, from Cwmbran, South Wales, told Founder Insights.
“But I know I made the right decision and I love everything about what I do.
“I am far from a millionaire, but the journey from starting my nursing journey to where we are now has been life changing.
“Having a better-paid career, along with the opportunities and flexibility that come from running our own successful business, has completely changed our lifestyle and given us financial stability we never imagined before.”
The 47 year old had planned a career in nursing after her four children all faced serious health challenges while growing up.
Her eldest daughter Olivia, now 26, was diagnosed with leukaemia at just two years old.
Kelli spent the next five years learning everything she could while Olivia underwent treatment and remission.
During the same period, her eldest son Sam, now 24, was diagnosed with aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve.
Years later, her younger children Charlie, 19, and Harri, 15, were both found to have a genetic predisposition to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a rare heart condition in which healthy muscle is replaced by fat and scar tissue.
Inspired by her family’s experiences, Kelli enrolled on an access course in 2011 with the aim of becoming a nurse.
But it was during that time she met Laura after their children became friends at school.
The pair noticed their youngsters regularly returning home covered in suncream because teachers were unable to help them apply it.
Kelli said: “I just got a bit frustrated.
“I understand that teachers can’t help them, they have a no-touch policy, but it’s so difficult to try and get them to learn how to do it.
“You’re trying to teach them why they’re doing it and it’s very difficult for them to do it.
“It literally ended up a conversation of ‘well what could we do about this?’.”
The mums threw themselves into developing the product, learning about patents, refining the design and testing whether their idea would actually work.
At the same time, Kelli was continuing her nursing studies.
But when it came time to launch the business properly, she faced a life-changing choice.
She decided to defer her university placement and commit fully to Solar Buddies.
The gamble paid off.
The product exploded in popularity after influencers discovered it in 2021, helping the brand gain traction around the world.
Kelli and Laura later appeared on Dragon’s Den, securing an £80,000 investment from Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones in exchange for a 20 per cent stake.
Kelli said: “We landed with a big plop in the US, and we hadn’t prepared for it.
“Mums and mumpreneurs across America backed us loudly online and championed our community, we had never experienced viral support like that before.
“Everybody just says ‘is it easy?’ but it doesn’t just happen, you’ve got to work hard.
“Every single time you question every single thing you do, every move – nothing is guaranteed.
“You could be up here one minute and then down there the next and then you’re back on it again trying to analyse everything you’re doing and saying ‘are we doing it right?’
“What can we change? Why is it not working?’
“I feel like that is the story of my life every single day.”
Since that school-gates conversation, Solar Buddies has become a global success story.
The company has turned over £5.5million, secured major international brand partnerships and even earned Kelli an invitation to speak at the United Nations in Geneva.
She has remained committed to keeping the brand authentic, moving away from influencer-led marketing and focusing instead on real families.
Kelli has overseen every stage of the company’s growth, from developing the original product and securing the patent to leading marketing, PR and team recruitment.
She said: “I always remember when me and Laura said at the beginning, ‘wouldn’t it be great if you could get Nivea to buy us’, and all of these little things, and then they came to us.
“They asked us to partner with them, that’s just absolutely golden.”
The partnership came more than a decade after what Kelli describes as a throwaway comment.
Now she is focused firmly on the future.
Solar Buddies is on track to double in size by June 2027, with major global partnerships in the pipeline and international expansion gathering pace.
Working with the Dragons also helped the business cope with soaring demand after going viral on TikTok.
Kelli says the biggest reward has been creating something that genuinely helps families.
She said: “It’s not just a product or a gadget, it’s about trying to invoke these really good sun safety habits and values, and teaching children from when they’re a very young age.
“Something that makes it a little bit easier for them to do and fun instead of chasing them around like lunatics everywhere, because I’ve done that, I’ve done that million times.”
Despite running a fast-growing company, Kelli continues to balance business with family life.
She said: “What I’ve had to do is learn to relax enough that I don’t turn my brain into overdrive.
“When I go home, I’m with my family; when I have to tune in, when I have to do my work, I have to take it very seriously.
“I love being home with my family and it is my absolute respite, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“I’m doing this business for my family, so I could be around my family all the time.
“Care has always been our advantage in business.
“Our customers get that, it’s why they continue to buy from us and recommend us.
“Me and Laura have absolutely built this for our families, we enjoy every minute and I will enjoy it until the second it ends.”
Life has changed dramatically for Kelli and her family since launching Solar Buddies.
As well as moving to a larger home, she has been able to support her children for longer as they save towards buying their own properties.
She added: “I’m just happy and settled, and I love everything about it.”
READ MORE: ‘I ditched bleak Britain and moved to a country I had never visited before – now I’m worth £20m’
