Ever wondered how to create an iconic brand, product or service? Today’s guest has done exactly that.
Founder of the iconic Jelly Sandal, Ben Nothling, chats to Tim Reid about building a multi-million dollar business, the power of celebrity endorsement and the motivation he gets from working alongside his wife. Ben Nothling is the founder of Holster Fashion, and the creator of the iconic Jelly Sandal. Well, it’s iconic in the minds of young girls, of which I’m guessing there aren’t that many listening! That said, if the idea of creating something iconic in your business appeals, then you’re in for a treat. It’s a shoe-in episode 507 of The (award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing podcast.
A little bit more about Holster Fashion’s Ben Nothling
In 2001, Ben Nothling and his wife Natalie began crafting a range of what they called jelly sandals. 20 years on and their jelly design has become iconic, having sold hundreds of thousands of pairs around the world. Their business, called Holster Fashion, has morphed into a fully-fledged line of (wait for it) vegan-friendly, trans-seasonal, cruelty-free footwear for women and children, boasting 2,000 stockists in 25 countries. In this broad-ranging chat we cover where the idea came from, growth strategies, how to manage working with your partner, celebrity endorsement and plenty more. I started off by asking Ben what influence, if any, his great, great, great grandfather had on his decision to go into retail …
Timbo’s Top 3 Attention Grabbers from Timbo’s chat with Holster Fashion’s Ben Nothling
- Ben’s advice on having a unique product is interesting. They were lucky enough to create something unique in their Jelly Sandal … but it’s not always easy to come up with a clear point-of-difference, especially in a product these days. That said, you can still create a point-of-difference in your customer service offering. Listen to episode 433 to hear how an electrician created a 21-step customer manifesto.
- I love Ben’s advice about sticking to your brand’s DNA. It would have been easy enough for him to go beyond shoes and expand the brand into other categories, but instead, he’s remained laser-focussed.
- And I love how a brand of Holster’s size went out and got Danny and Kylie Minogue to endorse their product. Have a listen to episode 449 in which ex-AFL legend Mathew Pavlich talks about his business PickStar which enables businesses of any size to seek celebrity endorsement.
Links & resources mentioned in episode 507
Holster Fashion’s official website
Join the Small Business Big Marketing Tribe on Facebook
Other episodes that include interviews with product retailers / wholesalers :
Interview with James Bartle of Outland Denim
Interview with Cedar Anderson of FlowHive
Interview with Stu McGregor of Four Pillars Gin
Last week’s episode – An interview with Jason Clark of Perform-360
This week’s Monster Prize Draw winner
Robert Roper of Roper Tutoring
Thanks for tuning in. I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions about this episode, so feel free to leave them below.
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