by Jess Clark
Where it all began
Four years ago, my father, Garry, suddenly and unexpectedly lost his hearing completely, leaving him in a world of silence, and months of battling vertigo. With the prognosis that his hearing will never return, dad was on the waiting list to receive a cochlea implant, and in the meantime we resorted to communicating via pen to notepad.
Following successful surgery, the implant gave dad the ability to hear ruffles of sound which, paired with lip reading, meant that communication was somewhat easier. However, the limitations the loss of hearing presented meant he was no longer able to fufill his occupation in oil and gas training, forcing an unplanned early retirement.
One afternoon, whilst dad was shovelling horse manure in his home paddock and reflecting on the impact of his hearing loss, he started dreaming up a new business venture – a way turn the horse waste into a new purpose! Dad has always had a very creative mind and was always experimenting with inventions in his home shed. Knowing the limitations of manure as a fertiliser by itself, he began with a goal of developing a safe, effective product for the home gardener, made predominately from waste materials.
From very humble beginnings, the journey of Treerings began.
The kick-start it needed
In mid-2019, the Alpha Innovation Contest was brought to my husband Tyron’s attention. Tyron excitedly shared this with my dad and it was impossible for me to not get caught up in his passion. I have a marketing background and have worked 10 years as a graphic designer, so I jumped on board to help develop a brand and presentation of the product to market to audiences.
The Contest comprised of hopeful entrepreneurs with unique and innovative ideas. The first round for presentations was daunting – a small room with professors and doctors watching on intently. Tyron had never done any form of presenting to a crowd, and my anxiety was difficult to hide. Dad attended in support, but of course was unable to present with us, due to his hearing loss. I just hoped we could do justice for him!
A few days following the presentations, we were delighted to hear that we had made it to the final round! We took on feedback from the panellists and altered our presentation to make it more succinct and personal. A few weeks later and it was time for the finals!
All four members of the Treerings team were in attendance at the finals, with Tyron and myself already exhausted from rehearsing the presentation over and over the night before, to make sure we did not leave out any critical information. This time the audience was much larger and the format was more formal. The time arrived and we set ourselves up and introduced Treerings to the audience.
Winners announced
Following the presentations, it was time for the panellists to deliberate. They retreated to determine the winners of the day, whilst contestants mingled amongst one another. When the judges returned, suspense and curiosity filled the room.
As each of the minor prizes were awarded, and Treerings had not yet featured, we each turned to each other in acceptance of disappointment. The top prizes were then announced.
Third place, not Treerings.
Second place, not Treerings.
I turned to Tyron and said with devastation “I can’t believe it, we’re not going to come away from this experience any form of recognition. I really thought we had something good”.
Then, First place… TREERINGS!
My eyes welled up instantly, and I turned to dad and could see he faintly heard that the Treerings name was announced. He was delighted!
Winning first place at the Alpha Innovation Contest was a truly surreal experience. We had never done anything like it before, and being awarded first place gave us a huge bout of confidence, reassuring us that what we have created is a genuinely good product, and it meant so much to know that other people believed in it too.
After the contest
Since winning the Contest, the Treerings team have signed on with Alpha Incubation Group, in search for an investor that believes in the Treerings product as much as we do. The beginnings may be humble, but the future as healthy as a shrub with a Treering around it!