Author Archive for lockwoodbj19

Yes Theory

Posted by lockwoodbj19 
· Tuesday, December 1st, 2020 
· 3 Comments

Background

Five years ag0, a group of early 20 year old friends named Thomas Brag, Matt Dajer, and Ammar Kandil decided to start a youtube channel.  The main focus of this channel was to go out of their comfort zones, and start saying “yes” to every opportunity that they were given.  This idea of saying yes to uncomfortable things soon grew into one of the most successful youtube channels today.

Success Today

Today, the group has just under 6 million subscribers on youtube.  Their subscriber count grew substantially over the last five years as fans began to like the idea of doing uncomfortable things in life.  Yes Theory has produced videos of travelling to dangerous countries throughout the world and learning their culture, inviting random strangers on weekend retreats, etc.  This channel has opened the eyes of millions of people to understand the experiences that can come from doing things that put you out of your comfort zone.

 

 

Innovation

Aside from Youtube, Yes Theory began their own clothing line that fans can purchase from them.  Their main tagline of the clothing brand is “seek discomfort.” The passion for memorable experiences drives Yes Theory to produce content and clothing that their fans will love.  In addition, Yes Theory was able to maintain their success throughout the Covid 19 Pandemic.  Although they weren’t able to travel around the world and make videos, they used their platform to make videos helping people out who were struggling during the pandemic.  One of their videos involved helping a stranger get his business back up and running after having to close due to Covid 19 restrictions.  This innovation is what sets Yes Theory apart from others.  In times of trouble, they found a way to capitalize on the situation.  This mindset can inspire many young individuals who strive to begin their own entrepreneurship journey.

3 Comments
Categories : Travel, YouTube

Sean Wotherspoon: Shoe Designer

Posted by lockwoodbj19 
· Monday, November 16th, 2020 
· 1 Comment

Background

Sean Wotherspoon is a 30 year old entrepreneur, whose story is one that can inspire many.  Sean has a passion for collecting shoes, and his inspirational shoe has made an impact on the entire world.  In 2013, Sean opened a vintage sneaker store in Virginia called “Round Two.” This was his first entrepreneurial step into the shoe business.  After opening his store, Sean created a youtube channel in 2015 to follow the progress of his business and share his passion for shoes.

What changed it all…

In 2017, Nike held a contest allowing anyone to design a shoe and submit it in a contest for others to vote on and have the chance of Nike mass producing the designed shoe.  Sean entered this contest and ended up winning by a landslide. His unique design involved using corduroy on the outside of the shoe, with various colors that had never been seen before on a shoe. Fans of Nike loved his shoe design.  Little did Sean know, this designed shoe would become one of the most famous shoes on the market today.  When Nike finally produced the shoe in 2018, it sold out immediately.  Today, fans across the world hope to one day be able to purchase the shoe as a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Unfortunately, the demand is so high for Seans shoe that it sells on secondary markets like ebay and stockx for upwards of $2,000.  This shoe is my personal favorite, and luckily I was able to get a pair earlier this year two years later.

 

Opportunities to follow…

Since Sean designed this first shoe, he has had many more opportunities that followed his popular design.  Recently, Sean has designed shoes for Adidas, Asics and other big name shoe brands and continued to be successful in the market. Similarly, the shoes that Sean designed for other brands immediately sell out and resell on the secondary market for much more. Since 2018, he has been able to open numerous other “Round Two” stores throughout the country.  His passion and drive for shoes and design has certainly impacted millions of people.

My take on it.

This story is certainly inspirational for all.  I personally have a passion for collecting shoes, and Seans story made a big impact in my passion.  It is so cool to see the impact that a young individual can have on the world.  He simply designed a shoe that he thought would be interesting, and the entire world loved it.  This is inspiring, because if Sean wouldn’t have entered into this contest, millions of people would have never discovered his talent or passion.  He used his entrepreneurial skills to be able to act on this opportunity and open up more stores with his success in the contest.  This is a clear example that anyone with a drive to act on their passion can be a successful entrepreneur.

1 Comment
Categories : Design, Reselling, shoes, YouTube

Jordan Karcher – Grounds & Hounds

Posted by lockwoodbj19 
· Monday, November 2nd, 2020 
· 4 Comments

In 2012, Jordan Karcher adopted his first dog from a rescue shelter and realized he had a passion for saving dogs in shelters. This is what prompted Jordan to find a way to combine his passion for coffee with his new passion for rescue animals.  This solution to this issue was the creation of his brand, Grounds & Hounds.

Karcher is unique in his entrepreneurial journey because he combines two passions in his life to make a difference.  Grounds & Hounds donates 20% of their proceeds to animal rescue organizations. Their slogan is “every pound saves a hound.”  This combination allows Grounds & Hounds to stand out from competitors who only focus on coffee, rather than helping a cause along the way.  Helping animals drives Karcher to build his brand in the best way possible, because the funds he raise all contribute to his passion for animals.

Grounds & Hounds is also unique in the way they produce their coffee.  Rather than producing coffee in mass amounts, each batch is homemade in small amounts by their “roast masters.”  This production process certainly makes the coffee product seem much more personal to the consumer.  It enforces the idea that Grounds & Hounds is high quality coffee made with a purpose.

Innovation

Grounds & Hounds is constantly innovating in order to stand out on the market.  Instead of purchasing the cheapest coffee beans, they source their beans from the top regions around the world to ensure the best quality taste. In addition, the 20% proceeds are donated to innovative animal rescue centers to promote better living conditions for animals.  Grounds & Hounds also offers a monthly subscription called “Coffee Club” where consumers can receive various coffee flavors each month.  This is different than other brands that only sell coffee individually.

My Takeaway

Jordan Karcher’s story has certainly inspired me.  He found a way to combine his passions for coffee and animals and create a successful company to benefit both passions. It was very encouraging to see that someone so young found a way to act on his passion and create a successful company.  I always saw the coffee industry as one that was controlled by large companies, but Karcher showed that it is possible for anyone to be successful in a market if their brand can stand out.

 

4 Comments
Categories : Coffee, Dogs, Male Entrepreneurs, Social Impact

Travis Scott: Rapper, Designer, MCDONALDS ORDER?

Posted by lockwoodbj19 
· Sunday, October 11th, 2020 
· 1 Comment

Travis’ Background

When most people hear the name Travis Scott, they think of the 29 year old rapper who is one of the most popular artists today.  Although Travis is most well known for his music, he is also one of the most influential designers and marketing influencers in todays culture.

Designing a shoe Empire.

 

Travis Scott has been extremely successful in the music industry for the last few years.  He has produced numerous hit songs and albums, and created a large following for himself.  This success quickly drove him to innovate in ways that didn’t involve only music.  Travis has a passion for collecting shoes, especially high demand shoes that not everyone can get their hands on.  This passion for shoes influenced Travis to go out on his own and begin designing his own line of shoes.  In 2017, Travis signed a deal with Nike to begin designing his own styles on many of Nikes popular shoes. For the past three years, Travis has designed numerous shoes that instantly sell out as soon as they hit the market. Travis stands out from other competitors, because his shoes are unique to himself and his design.  He produces limited amounts of shoes, which drives his fan base to try as hard as they can to purchase these shoes before they sell out.  These shoes are in such high demand, that fans have paid as much as $3,000 on the secondary market to get their hands on a pair.  His design success has lead him to begin producing clothing items as well, which continue to be successful each time they are released.

Marketing Influence

This fall, Travis signed a deal with Mcdonalds to market a “Travis Scott meal” for a limited amount of time.  This meal was available throughout the month of September, and it was certainly a success.  Fans throughout the world purchased this meal, and loved the idea of being able to eat Travis’ favorite burger from Mcdonalds.  Social media was a huge influence on the success of the Travis Scott meal, as thousands of fans posted pictures and videos with the limited time offer.

 

Innovating through a pandemic

This past summer, Travis was unable to perform concerts due to the Covid 19 restrictions.  His entrepreneurial mindset allowed him to innovate in a way that would still allow him to connect his music to his fans.  Travis partnered with the popular video game, Fortnite, and performed virtual concerts on the platform.  In these “concerts”, Travis was depicted as a character in the game as his songs were played for fans.  This was a huge hit across the globe, as thousands of fans tuned in to catch a glimpse of their favorite artists during the pandemic.  This innovation allowed Travis to stand out from other artists who also couldn’t perform during the pandemic.  Although he could’t perform in person, he found a way to still connect with his fanbase and build his following.

My takeaway

Travis Scott has certainly inspired thousands of fans across the world.  I personally find it very inspiring that someone at such a young age has already found ways to innovate and become a successful entrepreneur.  Not only has Travis found success in the music industry, but he also ventured into other markets and quickly took over.  His drive for innovation in challenging times is very inspirational.

 

 

1 Comment
Categories : Food, Music, shoes, Sneakers, Social Media

Tony Xu: The Mind Behind DoorDash

Posted by lockwoodbj19 
· Sunday, September 27th, 2020 
· 4 Comments

How it all began

Back in 2012, the owners of a small macaroon store were challenged with a problem that many small business owners face daily.  They had many delivery orders to fulfill, but had no delivery drivers to meet the demand.  To ensure that this problem was real, they surveyed 200 other restaurants in the area and came to the conclusion that most restaurant owners feel that deliveries are frustrating. They needed a way to find delivery drivers on demand when an order came about. This is what drove Tony Xu to create DoorDash, one of the most popular delivery apps on the market today.

What makes DoorDash stand out?

Before the creation of DoorDash, restaurants were obligated to hire their own delivery drivers as employees of the company.  This was a challenge for many companies, because often times there weren’t enough available employees to meet the delivery demand. DoorDash wanted to solve this issue, and create a way for delivery drivers to be available at all times of the day.  This app allows delivery drivers to be on demand, and deliver for any restaurant rather than only working for one.  Tony Xu used entrepreneurial traits such as looking at other successful companies, and learning how to implement their strategy into his own.  He looked at the success of FedEx, and wanted to model his business in a similar on way.

DoorDash Innovation

Tony Xu began experimenting with this delivery process in a company called Palo Alto Delivery.  This company was the same as DoorDash today, but on a much smaller scale.  It focused on a very small market around the Stanford University area.  After months of success on a small scale, the owners knew it was time to allow restaurants all over the country to start using the app.  The delivery app slowly implemented its availability to different parts of the country, offering the service initially to urban areas with a higher delivery demand.  With the continued success, most citizens in the United States today have access to DoorDash’s services, including those in rural areas.

My takeaway from DoorDash

The story of DoorDash has taught me that many problems in the world are shared within a majority of people, and can be solved through entrepreneurship.  The problem in a small macaroon shop with delivery demand was a very common issue among other restaurants.  All it took was one person to act on this issue and create a solution that benefited many businesses within the country.  This story also inspired and taught me that entrepreneurship can open up doors in other innovative areas that weren’t originally intended.  For example, the creation of DoorDash was originally intended to solve an issue for food delivery restaurants.  As a result, many other restaurants that hadn’t used delivery prior such as Mcdonald’s and other fast food now use DoorDash to deliver food and create a larger market.  I am excited to see other innovations that DoorDash will implement into their service, and see how the delivery market shifts through time.

4 Comments
Categories : College, Convenience, Food

Sneaker Empire: Keith Adam

Posted by lockwoodbj19 
· Sunday, September 13th, 2020 
· 2 Comments

Background of Sneaker Reselling

Many young teenagers dream of starting their own youtube channel, and one day making a career out of it.  That’s where it all started for 19 year old, Keith Adam, about three years ago.  Keith has a passion for buying and selling sneakers.  Not your every day Walmart sneaker, but instead very limited high demand sneakers like Kanye West’s “Yeezy”, and Jordan basketball shoes.  These shoes sell out instantly online and in store, and resell on the aftermarkets like Ebay, StockX, and other sites for sometimes up to 10 times the retail value of the shoe.  This business is very similar to those who flip real estate.  They typically buy the property for a low price, and end up selling it for a much higher price and earning profit.  This high profit margin makes reselling sneakers very appealing to young entrepreneurs.

Starting on Youtube

In 2016, Keith began his youtube journey at 16 years old.  He started producing videos with tips on how to get these limited shoes online and in store before they sell out.  His first videos did not immediately gain much popularity in views, and he rarely made any money on youtube.  After about a year making sneaker videos on youtube, Keith began to gain a following and produce interest in his channel.  His following was mostly marketed to other teenagers like him, who have a passion for sneakers, and wanted to find a way to make extra money from home.

Finding Ways to Innovate

About two years ago, Keith wanted to find a way to set himself apart from other sneakers Youtubers.  He started off using social media to promote himself and gain a bigger following from teenagers.  Keith did a lot of research to figure out a way that he could earn money outside of youtube.  This is where he discovered an app called “Discord.”  Discord is an app that is typically targeted toward video gamers.  It is a platform where groups can form and share ideas, create channels, and communicate through messages, video chat, and voice chat.  This was appealing to Keith, because it allowed him to charge his fans a monthly fee, similar to subscriptions like Netflix, in order to access his reselling information.  His focus was to continue using youtube and social media for small bits of information on reselling, but to focus on a paid subscription to Discord in order to gain full access to his content and reselling advice. He began offering his service through Discord for a small fee of $15 per month.  He used his social media and youtube channel to promote this new service, and it immediately sold out.  Keith was thrilled by the interest in his new Discord group, and from there, his career took off.

Keiths Success Today

Today, Keith continues to produce youtube videos and is active on social media, but his main focus is on Discord.  The interest in Keiths group has grown exponentially, which allows him to increase the price for his service.  Today, you can access Keiths Discord group for a steep monthly fee of $65.  Keith realized that in order to make his group stand out from other competing resellers, he has to produce the best information.  With this expensive monthly fee, Keith employs about a dozen “moderators” in his Discord group, who work around the clock finding out the best information regarding shoes.  These employees allow Keith the freedom to focus on other ways to improve, rather than having to solely work around the clock in order to help the thousands of his Discord subscribers through sneaker releases.  Keith continues to inspire many young teenagers to find a passion for sneakers and the hustle of reselling valuable sneakers.

2 Comments
Categories : Fashion, Reselling, shoes, Sneakers, YouTube