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- This kid Turned $178 Into a $2.2 Million Clothing Brand
This kid Turned $178 Into a $2.2 Million Clothing Brand
This is the New Money Talks Newsletter, the newsletter packed with entrepreneurs' personal stories, real estate investing, financial tips, and more!
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Have you ever wondered what it takes to start a successful clothing brand from scratch?
Have you ever dreamed of creating your designs and reaching millions of customers around the world?
Have you ever thought that you’re too young, too inexperienced, or too broke to make it happen?
But… What if we told you that you can start and grow a successful clothing brand with just $178?
What if we told you that you can do it even if you’re young, inexperienced, or broke?
You’d probably think that we are crazy, right?
Well, we're not. Because that’s exactly what Trey Brown did.
Trey Brown is the 15-year-old founder of SPERGO, a streetwear apparel brand that is projected to make $2.2 million in 2021 sales.
Trey started his business when he was ONLY 12, with $178 of his birthday money.
He grew up in a violent neighborhood in Philadelphia, where he witnessed many of his friends and family members fall victim to gun violence, drugs, and crime.
He dropped out of school and faced rejection from investors.
He handled many difficulties, but he never gave up on his dreams. He had a deep love for fashion and a clear vision for his own clothing brand, so he started by buying plain clothes and putting his name on them.
Trey used his phone, friends, and social media to sell his unique clothes. He asked his family to help him make and sell his clothes, and he listened to his customers to create clothes they loved.
Trey's funny, honest, and storytelling approach made his brand special. He focused on making high-quality clothes that customers loved.
Trey got media attention, celebrity endorsements, and online recognition.
He pitched his business on Shark Tank and secured a $300,000 deal from Daymond John, the founder of FUBU.
Trey made a positive impact in his community, and inspired millions of people around the world.
Trey turned $178 into a $2.2 million clothing brand.
And he did it all by the age of 15. How amazing is that?
Trey’s story is one of the most inspiring ecommerce stories of our time.
It shows that age is not a barrier to entrepreneurship and success and that with perseverance, creativity, and belief in oneself, anything is possible.
It shows that you can start and grow a successful clothing brand with just $178.
But how did Trey do that?
Well, the first step is to ask your customers what they want, what they like, and what they need.
This is also known as customer research, and it’s essential for understanding your target market, their problems, desires, and preferences.
There are many ways to conduct customer research, but one of the most effective and popular methods is to use surveys.
Surveys are a great way to collect feedback from your customers, and learn more about their opinions, expectations, and satisfaction.
Trey used surveys extensively to involve his customers in the product development process.
He sent surveys to his email subscribers and asked them questions about their clothing preferences, such as:
What kind of clothes do you wear most often?
What are the most important criteria for you when buying clothes?
What are the biggest challenges or frustrations that you face with your clothes?
What are the features or functions that you would like to see in your clothes?
What are the fabrics, colors, and styles that you prefer for your clothes?
He also asked them to rate his existing products, and give him suggestions for improvement.
Trey used tools like Typeform, SurveyMonkey, and Google Forms to create and distribute his surveys and analyze the results.
By using surveys, Trey was able to gather valuable insights from his customers and use them to create products that matched their needs and preferences.
He was also able to build trust and rapport with his customers and make them feel VALUED and APPRECIATED.
If you want to use surveys to conduct customer research, here are some ecommerce tips and tricks that you can follow:
Use simple language.
Avoid confusing words or sentences. Use short and clear sentences.Use open-ended and closed-ended questions.
Open-ended questions let your customers share their thoughts. Closed-ended questions let you get specific answers. Use both types of questions, depending on your goals.Use rating scales and multiple-choice options.
Rating scales and multiple-choice options let you measure your customers’ satisfaction, preferences, and opinions. They also make it easy for your customers to answer and for you to analyze. Use consistent and logical scales and options. Avoid too many or too few choices.Use incentives and rewards.
Incentives and rewards motivate your customers to take your surveys and thank them for their feedback. You can offer them discounts, coupons, free shipping, free samples, or prizes. Make sure your incentives and rewards are relevant, attractive, and easy to claim.Use segmentation and personalization.
Segmentation and personalization let you target your surveys to the right customers and increase your response rate and quality. You can segment your customers based on their demographics, behavior, purchase history, or preferences. You can also personalize your surveys by using their names, locations, or other information.Use multiple channels and platforms.
Multiple channels and platforms let you reach your customers and increase your survey exposure and visibility. You can use email, social media, website, mobile app, or SMS to send your surveys. You can use tools like Typeform, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms to create, distribute, and analyze your surveys.
But that’s not all.
I want to share with you a motivational quote that I think will inspire you and challenge you to pursue your ecommerce dreams.
This quote is from one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time, Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and PayPal.
He said:
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”
This quote is powerful because it reminds us that NOTHING WORTH HAVING COMES EASY.
It reminds us that we have to be passionate, determined, and resilient.
It reminds us that we have to overcome the challenges, learn from the failures, and celebrate the successes.
It reminds us that we have to do what we love and love what we do.
It reminds us that we have to be entrepreneurs…
I hope this quote resonates with you, and motivates you to take action.
Tweet of the day
I love hanging out with older G’s.
They have so much wisdom, confidence and swagger.
I feel like every second I’m around them, I’m learning. Soaking it all in:
- The biz lessons
- The way they captivate a table
- How they flirt with the waitressLifehack for dudes in their… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
— oliverb (@oliver__b1)
4:41 PM • Nov 27, 2023
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See you on Friday:)