This week’s feature is an opportunity to talk to Pauline Ceddia, the entrepreneur behind the brand Staydry, which specialises in products that address continence problems. Staydry is focused on providing dignity and comfort to those suffering from incontinence, as well as being a more sustainable and cost-effective option, thus eliminating the need for pads and adult nappies.
ISB: What motivated you to set up a business that is centred on continence products?
PC: Having purchased the business in 2014, Crystal Healthcare as it was known then was focused on supplying healthcare bedding and linen for major hospitals and aged care facilities. At the time, we were also supplying small amounts of product to retailers but the products themselves had no retail presence. We literally supplied them in a plastic bag and so there was no brand recall. Lucky for us, demand was increasing for washable incontinence products for people being cared for at home. That’s when I realised that there was an opportunity to create a retail brand to drive sales, and Staydry was born.
ISB: What drove the business towards its recent rebranding?
PC: I think that all businesses evolve and I realised that Staydry had come to a point where we took it as far as it could go. The brand needed a fresh look as did the product range, so we sat down and reworked and improved each and every product in our range. It took an enormous amount of effort but we needed to be meticulous if we were going to create a range that I knew continence nurses & clinicians would recommend and customers would love to use.
ISB: How do you ensure that Staydry products offer a balance of design and effectiveness?
PC: We’ve designed a range that seamlessly combines exceptional style with uncompromising effectiveness, guided by three key pillars: Function, Form, and Feeling. Function is at the heart of our range, addressing our customers’ specific needs with features like superior absorbency, waterproof protection, and breathability. When it comes to Form, we’ve paid special attention to creating on-trend designs. Our focus is on crafting stylish products that follow seasonal fashion trends. Finally, Feeling is a cornerstone of our brand. Staydry empowers and uplifts our customers, enabling them to live confidently and unapologetically despite continence challenges.
ISB: Can you tell us about your partnership with Upparel as part of your sustainability efforts?
PC: Upparel was an obvious choice for us and I’m so excited to be partnering with the team. Staydry products are sustainable by their nature as they can be used hundreds of times – partnering with Upparel means that when our products reach their end of life, they are either repurposed or responsibly recycled, significantly reducing the impact on landfill. Continence product sustainability is a massive issue – in Australia millions of fossil-based, single-use absorbent hygiene products as being disposed of and put into landfill, whether that be in the household waste or large-scale healthcare facilities. Staydry totally avoids the single-use cycle with our washable range and we continue the product lifecycle with Upparel. We think that’s a major win.
ISB: How do you envision Staydry’s growth in the next couple of years?
PC: The Continence Foundation of Australia recently released their report and the findings are staggering. In 2023, there were over 7.2 million people with incontinence in Australia. This is equivalent to one in three people over 15 years, so the needs of everyday Australians is huge. We’re on a clear growth trajectory both online and with our retail partners as consumers are realising that there are better washable solutions to manage their continence as well as the awareness around reducing their impact on the environment. We are stocked across Australia in both bricks and mortar and online retailers and that is growing rapidly.
ISB: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in this venture that would-be entrepreneurs should take to heart?
PC: Business success has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with hard work and vision. It’s about immersing yourself in every aspect of your business and really understanding your customer’s needs. There’s not a great deal of downtime so expect to work almost every minute of your waking hours so you need to love your industry and what you do. I think mental toughness is also really important and having the ability to bounce back when things aren’t going your way. Inevitably, business doesn’t always run smoothly so learning to be a problem solver and to back yourself is critical.
