What do goosebumps, surfing, Pink Floyd, and sheep have to do with building a billion-dollar brand? Well, for UGG boots, just about everything! You see them everywhere – the beach, mountains, cities – wherever there are chilly feet. The fashionable and functional UGG brand was founded by 70-year-old Brian Smith, who has a youthful spirit and infinite wisdom. Brian’s success in building a brand is a mix of philosophy, mysticism, business acumen, and emotion.
Growing up in Australia, Brian was into surfing and sports, not shoes; never thought he was going to be an entrepreneurBrian’s tenacity to never give up on things; he was good at a lot of things, but not the best at anything Power of Song Lyrics: Motivation to get up and do somethingOne time after surfing, Brian put on his sheepskin boots from Australia and realized that they should be the “next big thing” in AmericaYou can’t give birth to adults; every new business has to go through stages: Conception, birth, infancy, youth, teenager, and maturitySend the right image to your target audience; make customers want somethingQuit or Not Quit: Took years to earn just a small salary from the businessOvercoming his fear of sales and rejection; realized they weren’t rejecting himDreams going down the drain that led to blessings; enjoying what you do, not working hard, making lots of money, and having funThe quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live every day happily Goosebumps: A decision that’s in alignment with what you’re supposed to do gives you a spark of spirituality to let you know you’re on the right trackHave faith and take action, even if you don’t know where you’re going; don’t give up when desperate Sometimes staying in the game is more important than dominating the game to ultimately be successful“One thing that I had when I was a kid that sort of led to why I became what I did, is that tenacity to never give up on things.”
“I was never interested in dropping everything else. I was really good at lots of things, but not the best at any.”
“You can’t give birth to adults.”
“The fear of rejection was really, really