John Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our community over the years. He knows their ups, and their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them. Here are John Machacek’s 10 questions for Frederick Robin, CEO, STUDIO FSR.
1. To start off, will you please tell me your STUDIO FSR elevator pitch?
We create original music and scent designed to intensify shared experiences with loved ones. Our products are handmade in small batches, plastic-free, and made from only environmentally sustainable materials. We are a family-owned company pioneering a new, authentic way to connect with your closest companions.
2. I recall hearing that you basically started your business when you were 14 years old. Will you please tell me more about that backstory from then to now?
STUDIO FSR started as a homemade bar soap company. I have sensitive skin that is easily irritated. Yet, a lot of the proposed solutions at the time were either too expensive, not attractive in scent, color, or packaging, or not environmentally friendly, so I set out to make my own. As a child, I always enjoyed learning how to create and sell things, whether wood fish decoys, office supplies, or soap. I spent months researching the chemistry, and the art, of soap making. I learned about the nuances and ratios of different oils and how every ingredient affects each other in a delicate balancing act.
My allowance became my R&D fund then, and my soapmaking was fueled by cleaning the roof, picking up sticks from our yard, and being the family handyman. After many burns, spills, and the house being covered in soap, I found the perfect formula and decided to sell it at the end of our driveway, where passersby were intrigued by the absence of lemonade at my roadside stand. I recall my first customer: a woman in a convertible, who was probably thirsty for lemonade, rolled up, and by the end of our discussion, I sold her my five bars of blue Rosemary wave-cut oatmeal bar soap.
That continued throughout the summer of 2016. Once school started, demand continued, and my mother, a retired dentist, joined the team. We began creating more products such as lotion, shower gel, candles, bath bombs, and lip balm. Each batch was better than the last, and we were learning how to make the very best products. A family friend was opening a local boutique at that time in Detroit Lakes, and she wanted to sell our products and became our first retail partner of over 150 to date.
