Founder's Note

The Buderflys journey started one day in 2015 on the ski slopes in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. While I love music and have enjoyed an amazing career in the music industry, you can usually find me listening to podcasts or audiobooks – even when I ski or run marathons. Learning and being inspired by others’ ideas is my fuel. On that particular day, it was the audiobook Kill ’Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul by James McBride.

After just a couple runs with earbuds under my ski helmet, my ears were aching and sore. And after a few chairlift “focus groups” (plus extensive research since), it was clear that many people disliked their earbuds due to issues with fit and comfort. Earbud designs haven’t really changed in over a decade. And even those buds with interchangeable rubber/foam tips still cause ear fatigue and soreness that dismay users.

My original fix was to break the hard-plastic shell off my buds and wrap the internal speakers in swimmer’s wax. This created a mold that flexed with my ear whenever my jaw moved. It was a crude solution, but incredibly comfortable all day long. In addition, with this “custom” fit, my buds never fell out and provided a near-perfect seal ensuring clean, crisp sound due to the noise isolating environment.

So, I found an incredible team of people with specialized expertise to invent something that had never been made before. In addition to our proprietary comfort technology, we prioritized high-quality sound close to that of earbuds that normally cost upwards of $1,000, but for much less, because we believe everyone should have access to great sound, not just audiophiles.

From day one, we set out to redefine fit, comfort level, and acoustical design for the industry. The result: Buderflys Curiosity earbuds seamlessly connect and delight those who listen to learn, become inspired or simply enjoy.

Meet our team of audio explorers and lifelong learners via the team tab. Check out what we are listening to each week on the home page, on social media, and in a weekly discovery email with our podcast, audiobook, and music recommendations. Share your thoughts about our earbuds or our content recommendations—we are eager to hear from you. Our users are part of our team.

And if your entrepreneurial spirit moves you to help us find more ways to delight, please feel free to reach out to me any time – theteam@buderflys.com.

Best,
Shea
Shea Gerhardt | CEO & Founder