I've called United Islands an "experiment." It is. Fortunately or unfortunately, there's no template.
So as I go through this journey, I thought it might be useful to tell you some of the things I'm experiencing and learning along the way. For those interested in brands, entrepreneurship, or even launching companies of their own, my goal is to share any knowledge I discover and perhaps tell a few stories too.
I don't pretend to have all of the answers, but my intention is to pass along any "cheat codes" I'm able to unlock while building the United Islands brand.
1. Figure out "who you are." Invest time working out the DNA of the brand. It may sound silly, but I almost view brands as people. They have personalities. They look a certain way. The good ones hold real values and beliefs. If you're starting a brand, I feel you should be able to answer oddball questions like, "if your brand were a car, what type of car would it be?" (For the record, United Islands would either be a well-loved late '90s Toyota 4Runner or a clean early '00s Lexus IS300. Depending on its mood that particular day.)
Thinking deeply about the brand DNA was a truly worthwhile investment of time because it now serves as my compass when making important decisions about the brand. Knowing "who the brand is" has allowed me to guide it in a way that feels natural. Like a screenwriter writing a character in a movie, I feel I know what my brand would say and do in almost any scene.
Investing the time upfront (I spent at least several weeks just thinking and jotting down notes about the brand) has paid dividends for me ever since.
SUGGESTED TOOLS: read B Magazine. And if you're on Oʻahu, I'd recommend going to MŌNO or BĀS Bookshop to pick up a copy. Great local stores and strong "brands" in their own right.
2. Don't view constraints as roadblocks, but rather jumping off points for creativity. As you launch, constraints and limitations can be your friend. A perfect example would be the story of how our signature "824" badging came to be, which discreetly attaches the "Hawaiian History" label to the shirt. It's an important shirt detail, but it almost never even happened.
The badging concept actually started with my team and I playing with ideas on how to attach the main label of the shirt. Rather than top stitching it in a traditional way, we wanted the label to be attached only at the four corners using red thread. On paper, it looked subtle and refined.
However, we tried doing it using several different techniques and it just wasn't coming out quite right (see above, left). And, on top of that, my sewers didn't like sewing it (frustrating and time consuming). Rather than force my team to keep trying something they didn't like doing, I asked myself: what would happen if I accepted this constraint? What if we just sewed the label in the way my factory suggested? Is there another way to do badging on the shirt?
That's when I had the idea of applying the badging to the larger Hawaiian History label (more real estate to work with) and doing small lines of stitching angled at 45 degrees (which was easier to sew and also gave us a visually interesting geometry to the stitching).
On top of that, it was a positive step in the relationship I'm trying to build with my factory. If you're trying to cultivate a culture of "we" with your factory, you need to involve them and listen to them when they're giving you feedback. If you're open to it, they often have great advice to give.
SUGGESTED TOOLS: this requires a mindset shift. When you're feeling stuck, just ask yourself: what would happen if I accepted this constraint? Rather than seeing it as an obstacle, is there a way to push off of it creatively?
3. Plan for the long haul by keeping your overhead low. When you launch a brand, it's easy to be seduced by the idea it being a big hit. The magazines you could be featured in. The retail stores you could sell through. To be clear, all of these thoughts can be good & useful to a point - after all, they represent goals to aspire to. However, the problem is that rarely do brands - mine included! - "jump out of the gate" in the fashion & apparel world (and, if they do, it can actually backfire if the brand tries to take on too much, too soon...and gets spread too thin financially and operationally in the process).
Rather, newly launched brands usually experience a slower burn. Especially during these times, don't underestimate the work it takes to get people to a place where they want to spend their hard earned money on your product! Of course, not that your product isn't fantastic, but that's just the reality of the situation!
So, what's the solution? Well, what's served me well has been to plan for the long haul, realizing it may be 2-3 years before I even turn a profit. As I've set out on my brand voyage, I've actually taken to heart some advice from one-of-a-kind surfer, inventor and waterman, Tom Blake, who gave himself the space to pursue his passions by "lowering his overhead." For example, in the 1950s, he literally lived in a cheap house boat in the Ala Wai boat harbor in Honolulu at a cost of $50 to buy the boat plus a $3/month mooring fee. Even with inflation, that's pretty cheap!
While my tactics might differ, I've definitely "lowered my overhead" as well. By slowing how fast I'm spending money, I'm lengthening the runway of my brand. The "right" amount of belt tightening will vary for everyone, but remember there's truth in the saying, "a penny saved is a penny you can put into your business."
SUGGESTED TOOLS: read the "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries. Itʻs quite tech startup-focused, but there are still many very useful takeaways that can be applied to any type of startup. And less startup-focused, but equally if not more cool is "Tom Blake: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman." A fascinating, under-appreciated legend!