What do you do when your corporate career comes to an abrupt end? For Aaron Telford, it meant backing a hunch and launching a business from his garage. With no experience in eCommerce or wellness, Aaron co-founded Baxter Blue – the brand best known for pioneering stylish blue light glasses in Australia.

What started with a single product has grown into a wellbeing company spanning sleep masks, posture tools, red light therapy, and circadian lighting. Along the way, Aaron navigated sourcing in China, influencer marketing before it was mainstream, and a tidal wave of growth during COVID lockdowns.

In this episode, Emily shares:

How a pair of glasses spotted in the office sparked a multimillion-dollar idea.
The steepest learning curves in building an online store from scratch.
Why influencer collaborations outperformed paid ads (and landed Baxter Blue on national TV).
How COVID turned their garage operation into a global logistics challenge overnight.
The shift from blue light glasses to a full suite of wellness products, including red light therapy and circadian lighting.
Why writing blogs and educating customers has been core to their brand growth.

Aaron’s biggest takeaway: “Sometimes you’ve just got to trust your gut. The right product, the right timing, and the right partnerships can make all the difference.”

🎧 Want to know how to turn a simple idea into a category-defining brand?

👉 Join the Buddez community to access Aaron’s workshop and get behind-the-scenes insights from real small biz owners doing big things. Check out Buddez.com
CREDITS:

🔗 Guest credits: Aaron Baxter

🏢 Business: Baxter Blue

📍 Based in: Sydney, Australia

🌐 Website: https://www.baxterblue.com.au

🌐 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baxterblue.com.au

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baxterblue_/

📲 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/baxter-blue