Update #9: Bottle Openers + Tumblers
over 2 years ago – Sun, Aug 29, 2021 at 07:18:54 PM

I wanted to thank you for your amazing support. Over 250 of you have backed the campaign, proving that there is a true need for lightweight, discreet, and portable cooler bag for the beach and beyond.

So where are we with the Coolio?  You have all graciously filled out your Backerkit Surveys and added extra products as desired.  As a gesture of goodwill while you wait, we recently shipped out our wine tumblers to the backers who ordered them.  We also just approved the bottle opener zipper pulls for production.  They look great! 

On the bag manufacturing front, our factory is hard at work addressing a leaking issue. Having seen what they are building to remedy the problem, I truly expect that the Coolio will not only live up to, but exceed your expectations.

One thing that we did not expect, however, was the amount of time it would take to get the Coolio right. We need do considerably more tests and trial different materials to solve the leaking issue – all of which takes time.

Given the unexpected issues with leaking and COVID delays that are making it difficult for workers to get to the factory, and the extra testing we require to ensure the Coolio is 100% what you expect, it’s not realistic for us to promise a September delivery.  We’re working as quickly as we can to deliver the Coolio to you, but I refuse to allow the team to sacrifice quality and performance. As such, I asked for a realistic and revised delivery date, and have been told by the end of October this year, at the latest.  Given that we have been working on the Coolio for over a year, another sixty days to ensure we deliver a cooler bag that exceeds expectations is worth it.

This manufacturing problem was only recently brought to our attention, and we have spent the last week and a half doing everything we can to ramp things up and lock down delivery dates for you.  I personally received the updated schedule Wednesday and wanted to communicate this small change as quickly as possible. Hopefully you agree that durable leakproof construction is worth a short delay.

We remain open and firm in our commitment to you, our early backers, to keep you informed every step of the way. I promise to keep you updated throughout this process with both the good, frustrating, and even slightly amusing.

Thank you again for your patience and support.  If you have any further questions, please send me a note at [email protected].

Everyday Makai loves you 💕

Audrey

Join here if button above doesn't work. 

Update #8: Production Update ~ Go Behind the Scenes
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Jul 15, 2021 at 09:26:52 PM

Update time! But first we want to thank you for all of your continued support. We are SO excited to deliver the Coolio to you. Your amazing response has humbled us and in turn, we want you to love your Coolios! 

We’re writing this currently in a longish lockdown in Sydney.  We're working from home, safe and sound but also making sure we do our part to keep our community safe. Any work-from-home tips welcome!

We recently received new amazing looking prototypes in both black and white with our updated fabric, hardware, and zippers.  The water-resistant zippers and the redesigned wider, easy access opening and ice pocket look great. The new padded shoulder straps are going to save or neck and shoulders when you're walking down to your favorite secret beaches.

DESIGN UPDATE

While we were excited to see these new prototypes, we were not so excited that arrived two weeks late and were much bigger than we expected.  We want to keep the Coolios light enough to be super portable but still easy to get things in and out of so we've managed to keep the bulk down by changing the design.  Curious how we did that? We kept the original base dimensions but made the opening of the bag longer and wider.

SHIPPING UPDATE & CORONAVIRUS

Our plans have been slowed down by the Coronavirus outbreak in Australia and by this design change. Unfortunately, production is now projected to start in August rather than July.

We still want you to have your Coolio as soon as possible, so we have been looking into expedited shipping.

The most important thing to us is that the Coolios are built to last and serve your everyday adventures so we are making the best use of our team's time by testing the current prototypes for durability and working with the manufacturer to expedite the process.

We will work around the clock to make any potential delays as short as possible. We will be notifying you as soon as we are ready for shipment, so keep an eye out for our next updates.

Everyday Makai loves you 💕

Audrey & the Everyday Makai team

P.S. If your interested, we have a private Facebook Group where we post more in-depth updates, behind the scenes looks, and trade adventure tips.  You're cordially invited Join the Everyday Makai Insiders Group (it's free and a great way to keep in touch).   

Update #7: Production Update ~ Upgrades Complete
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Jun 22, 2021 at 10:29:56 PM

We've just received images of our last two prototypes (fingers crossed) that are en route from our manufacturer to Everyday Makai headquarters.  We took your feedback and have upgraded all of our exterior zippers to be extra durable and waterproof.  We made the cell phone pocket deeper to accommodate the iPhone 12 Max Pro.  You said that the Coolio needs to be able to stand on its own and have a large main opening, so we adjusted the measurements and added a sturdy base for easy loading.  Our factory also changed the design of the ice pocket and we added more durable zipper pulls.  All in all the upgraded Coolio looks more badass and ready for your everyday adventures.

We need you to make sure you have filled out your survey and included any add-on's by July 1, 2021.  On that day, we will lock orders so this is your last chance to add a Coolio for $49.  Some customers asked about this and I want to make sure that you know that the $49 deal is only for Kickstarter backers who backed the campaign by purchasing a Coolio at the full Kickstarter price.  That's because we want to reward you guys for being our early adopters in every way we can.

If you can't find your survey email, contact us at [email protected].

Once we receive the newly upgraded prototypes in the next week or so, they will undergo vigorous review and testing before we approve production to start.  We are still pushing for an August delivery and we will have a better idea once we review the new prototypes.

Please follow us on Instagram @everydaymakai for more info and videos of the new prototypes!

Everyday Makai loves you,

Audrey

Update #6: Surveys Sent - Pick Colors, Add-Ons, and Free Shipping
almost 3 years ago – Sun, May 16, 2021 at 11:48:22 PM

Exciting News!

We finally received the funds from Kickstarter last week and sent out the Coolio surveys yesterday.  That means you are now able to select your Coolio color choice and additional add ons such as our wine tumblers, hats, and straw-kits!  Please complete the survey from Backerkit at your earliest convenience with your color selection, mailing address, and product add-on choices.  If you have any questions about this process, feel free to send us an email at [email protected] so we can help! 

Note: You will have another chance to lock in your shipping address closer to when we ship so don't fret if you move or want your Coolios to go somewhere else.  We will be in touch!

Free Shipping for Orders Over $150

Add additional items so that your order is more than $150 and we'll credit you for free shipping.  Let me know if you don't see your credit automatically and I can adjust in the backend.  

We're busy at work finalizing materials and sorting out fulfillment.  Meanwhile, please share the Coolio with your network.  Your friends and family can still purchase a Coolio on our Indiegogo campaign or website and save $25 off retail.  Share our Indiegogo campaign!

Update #5 - That's A WRAP, Campaign Closed! So What Happens Next?
about 3 years ago – Thu, Apr 29, 2021 at 05:52:07 PM

It's Official, the Coolio Kickstarter Campaign is over!

We are 146 Backers strong who have put $15,227 USD towards better everyday adventures with the Coolio.  Our backers hail from everywhere from Ireland to California to Hawaii to Western Australia.  We are so stoked, but we are also ready to get this show on the road and make your Coolios!

 A few things need to happen before we can kick off production and fulfillment.

Here's a quick rundown:

•  First, Kickstarter needs to transfer over the funds so we have the money to make the rewards (this can take up to two weeks).
• Second, we have to find out which color you would like and where we need to ship them. We’ll send out a BackerKit survey to collect this information.

We’ll give you a heads-up before we send the survey so that you can watch for it. You don’t need to create a BackerKit account to answer your survey. The invitation email contains a link to your personal survey. It is important to submit your responses as quickly as you can since we need this information to process your rewards.

If you need to change your survey responses, purchase add-on items, or update your shipping information, you can click the link in your survey email again or request your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page. (This page will only start working after we send the surveys out.)

If you prefer, you can contact me directly and give me your information, but answering your survey helps us get your rewards out to you faster. BackerKit helps us save lots of time by streamlining the survey process, automating data organization, and providing us with pledge management software to make it easy to process your pledge reward shipments.

If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey link is sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account. If you have another email address that you prefer to use, please contact me.

 We can’t wait for you to get your Coolios! 

Everyday Makai loves you...