2. Turn your ambition into a long-term fuel source
I’ve found that this is of huge importance to any aspiring entrepreneur. It is often said that no entrepreneur works harder throughout a venture than in their first months. When just getting started, ambition and energy are rarely an issue! It’s easy to spend days and days working on the new cool concept that has all the potential in the world! Well, after a couple of months (or years), that energy can fade if you’re purely running on adrenaline. What I try to do is visualize a well-crafted engine, that uses the fuel source (ambition) over a prolonged period of time. It’s much better for everyone if you can manage that energy and use it over the long-term!

3. Never let personal wealth be your driver
Start a business so you can help others, not yourself. If you only want to be an entrepreneur so you can drive a Maserati and make your own work hours, I’d strongly recommend stepping back and refining your goals. That sort of mindset will get you nowhere, and for good reason. Yes, every business person needs profits to be priority-number-one. I want and need Thirst to make money if I want it to exist, and I’m not drooling over private jets and Bugatti’s just because my career choice can be lucrative. I want Thirst to succeed because I want it to be a strong positive presence in the market, helping others through offering great products and philanthropic programs. And honestly, if my only motivation for Thirst was personal disposable income, there isn’t a chance I would have made it past 12 months.

4. Recognize what you have that others don’t
Perspective is everything! One recurring theme I noticed in entrepreneurial books was this: recognize the opportunity you have, where you are, right now. When I began working on Thirst, I was a broke college student with no network, no experience (let alone relevant experience), no degree, no resume, and no clue how to start a business. At the same time, when I began working on Thirst, I was a young man with a passion, clear vision, defined opportunity, earning a relevant degree, living in one of the most successful areas on earth, surrounded by people who would love to see me succeed.

5. Focus on where you want to be two YEARS out, not two DAYS out
I remember when I first read about business plans. I thought to myself “Well, I have no idea what a business plan is, but I guess it’s time to learn so I can start a business!” In that moment, the objective of starting a business meant this: learn everything possible about business plans, write my own, have it ripped apart by smart business people, and repeat. It removes the mindset of “I don’t want to do this, I just want to launch this business!” because it gives true value to the less glamorous tasks that are necessary for success!

In the twelve month period before even thinking about my business plan, I read every last book in the entrepreneurship section at Barnes and Noble. I noticed plenty of recurring themes in regards to business strategy, personal guidance, and profits. However, there was one big thing that differentiated a few from the rest. Some of the authors seemed to have a distinct, inherent passion for entrepreneurship as a pursuit and not solely the “success” it brought post-venture. They saw business as a way to bring something good to this world, and not as a way to get something good from this world, and the process of building that service or product was clearly what they lived for.

On paper, all of those authors were the same (millionaires and billionaires). However, after reading all of those books, it was clear who had found success in life and who had not. This is actually something that Tim Ferris describes as the “walking dead” in the first chapter of his book, The Four-Hour Work Week.

In the following eighteen months of business plan development, I faced some real challenges. I won’t discuss the difficulties in too much detail, because it’s not the point of this post. I will admit that they existed, and they were seemingly monstrous at times.

I look back on a few moments pre-fundraising, and sometimes wonder how or why I kept going. The only reason I did, is because I defined success as those few entrepreneurs did in their autobiographies — Success is the long-term process required to accomplish goals, and not just the accomplishment. The end-goal is to offer something great and refreshing to the market, but the internal, personal success of the entrepreneur is determined before a dollar is spent on the startup. The determination, drive, and strategic thinking involved before achievements occur is what success is really all about.

The year I spent prior to developing my business plan was crucial to me, because it allowed me to build that foundation, value system, and perspective on challenges, business, and startups. The issues that I faced, no matter how daunting, were only opportunities to further exercise the success I had already found. Even if something required me to spend an entire weekend focusing on resolving that one little detail in the business plan, I wasn’t just okay with doing it, I was excited to! Whether the issue was related to the business plan, or it challenged my personal endurance and will-power, it was a step in the right direction and equally as much an opportunity to learn and grow.

I really think that accomplishing goals is all about blending passion with a comprehensive plan. This recipe does not produce success — it is, in itself, success. It is like running a marathon– The goal isn’t to get to the finish line, when you could just drive there! It is about the process– the hard work and training, as well as the actual race. The moment when someone decides that they are going to run a marathon is when I think real success is found. It is real to them, even though it hasn’t been “realized,” and it is that passion, combined with a comprehensive plan, that allows them to exhibit their already-found success.

I remember the feeling I had when I first decided I wanted to start a shoe company. I was excited and full of energy, but I had no way of proving to people what I was about to do or what I was capable of doing. That energy, combined with the tools I had gained in my previous learnings, as well as a great environment, was the beginning of a very “successful” time for me. I am very thankful for the long and difficult periods that followed because they strengthened me, and challenged the success I was convinced I had found. I decided that I had found that success, and since Thirst was my vision, I was the only driver or determinant of its success as a business concept.

Since then, it has changed a great deal, and the success can be seen through the vigor, strength, and passion of the team! And within a few months, the success will be seen additionally in our sales, efficient business operations, and philanthropic initiative work. The success found back in 2009 has driven this concept to where it is now, and when it comes to market, the consumer will determine whether or not it really is successful! Very exciting times.

This is all very simple, but if you want to see the difference in perspectives I mentioned before, I would recommend reading something written by Donald Trump, followed by something written from Tony Hseih, Tim Ferris, or Richard Branson!

Truly great entrepreneurs hold this strength, and somehow balance it with their passion. Having read some great autobiographies — it truly amazes me how the great entrepreneurs can think differently. The ability to balance these things is so wildly far from intuition, yet they make it look like second nature.

I’ll read about years of dedication and millions of dollars into launches, and when big decisions get made by these people, they hold no equity in the past. The company never “owes” them for the hard work they have done. They hold value on their core mission, but they aren’t married or entitled to what they have built on a more surface level.

I would say that there are three things that differentiate good entrepreneurs and great entrepreneurs in times of transition:

• Ability to immediately accept things that they have no control over (typically external/environmental)
• Ability to balance relentless passion with rationale and clear judgement
• Brilliance

Brilliance is a tough one to talk about. I can’t jot down to myself “Now, Sam, remember to be brilliant this week” as I can those other two items. haha

Overall, I’ve had to learn to not hold that ownership over Thirst that I feel so entitled to — what matters is its core values and mission. To say that I am thankful for this opportunity is an understatement, and then some. With that said, a good exercise for me is remembering this: If Thirst was taken away from me today, I could still live according to the mission and core values that it holds, and with that I would absolutely find success.

Thankfully no one is taking Thirst away from me, and with it, I will be able to offer a platform for those who like our mission and want to be a part of the brand!! What an awesome job… couldn’t wish for a better opportunity!

We had a lot of fun on the XC team back at Masco. We’d play hacky-sack, T-P girls’ houses, and even had an event where we’d grill and eat exotic types of meats (explaining the shirt in the photo). Amidst all of this, we really were pretty good about our training! Plus, unlike most cross country teams, ours was over 200 people!

Raw talent is a huge component to being a good distance runner. Unfortunately for me, I had none! It’s not like some other sports where you can go out and just happen to have a good day. The training beforehand was the only real driver in my performance. Because of that, I would have to really be diligent in the weeks before big races.

The moments before a cross country race are unique to other sports, in my opinion. In those moments, you will get a more accurate, concrete and pure feel of how confident you really are in your abilities with respect to any other sport I have played. I could justify any shortcomings in my training and practicing… but before a race, I knew if it was going to be a painful one, or a potential personal record. Raw talent wouldn’t help me out and let me scrape by… not at all… so in those moments before the race, knowing that there was nothing more to do before the big event, it was clear whether it’d be a good race or a very painful experience.

I feel like I am hopping off of the bus and getting warmed up. I would have to say that I feel pretty good, too! Soon, all of the prep work will come into play… From those nights in Barnes and Noble back in 2009, all the way to the 5 person strategic analysis meeting we had on Thursday. Everything matters, and I only feel better as we get closer to the day that we sell our first pair of shoes!

I clearly remember enjoying that view one night, full moon above illuminating the rugged Wasatch terrain, wondering what 2012 had in store for me. Things could go in any direction by the time 2013 came around. I could have been getting my MBA, searching for work, have a job in the Boston area, or most likely, I could have ended up working for my uncle’s footwear company in Thailand. In the ideal world, I would be working full-time on Thirst, preparing to begin sales.

Somehow, things turned out as I had hoped they would. Within two weeks of that moment, a potential investor I had been speaking with decided to pull the trigger and inject $50,000. I remember the phone call very well. She drilled me on some serious questions regarding risk, vision, and even some various smaller short-term details. I managed to answer them as best I could, but I really thought that by the end of the call she would say “no thanks.” I was already starting to think “well… where do I go when I hang up the phone? Do I start looking for a job? Is this it?” And then, bam, she told me she was in. We discussed the deal and hung up. The minutes following were much more low-key than I expected it would be. I just sat in my car for a moment trying to wrap my head around the opportunity that just fallen into my lap.

The investment allowed me to do what was necessary for the startup before selling any shoes. My last semester in college was chaotic, in a great way. All of the proper steps with Thirst were being taken, and my consultant kept bringing onboard talented professionals who wanted to be a part of it. Working with these people has been incredible, both in terms of how much they have taught me, and how much their work strengthens Thirst as a company and brand.

School was better than ever. I loved working on Thirst throughout my time at Gordon, but there was always that thought in the back of my head, “What if nothing comes of this and you spent all of these hours on nothing?” I feared regretting my time spent on Thirst, and in my last semester, I felt a great weight fall off my shoulders as I knew that that time was absolutely a wise investment. It was a great spring, and the demands of the startup actually allowed me to relax a bit more, because my work became so much more objective than the never-ending task of business planning and seed-funding outreach. Overall, there is no question that my final semester at Gordon was my best.

Things changed quickly following graduation. The insanity that had ensued from January through May came to an abrupt halt in early June. Everything was ready to go– we just needed the prototypes to launch the site and continue fundraising, forecasting, and ultimately place the order of 10,000 pairs. My consultant had a contact in the Dominican Republic who had said we would have the shoes by April. By June, the shoes still weren’t there. I thought that 2-3 weeks off would be good for me, but in reality, I wanted nothing more than to keep pushing the startup. The producer continued to tell us that they were another week off, but almost ready. By mid July, I was nearly going crazy. I couldn’t enjoy time that I had, as I didn’t feel that the time was earned. In my head it was an unearned vacation, at a point where I was dying to keep the momentum we had been building since January. My consultant had never seen such difficulty in developing protos, and the reality was that they hadn’t even begun them. They told us they didn’t have time, and there we were in mid July with no producer, and no prototypes.

It was a stressful period, but I learned the importance of contracts, adaptability, and responsibility in general. The prototypes were my responsibility and while I had every right to pass the blame through to the producer, that failure was on me. I realized that all shortcomings, missteps or failures from Thirst are my personal responsibility. Learning as you go is the most crucial trait to have as a budding entrepreneur, and it goes far beyond learning day-to-day details of the operation cycle. If you want a great look at where your personal shortcomings are, spend a few years on a startup with no capital and no experience!

In terms of personal reflection, the summer taught me a great deal in terms of dealing with patience and stress management. I thought that I was patient in my 2 years before raising capital. After having a taste of something so great (launching my dream startup), the feeling of it coming to a halt so abruptly is much harder to deal with. I was certainly humbled. And impatient.

I was so tempted to hop a plane to Asia, hire a translator, and go to producers on my own. I am glad that I refrained, as it definitely would have ended up being a waste of time and resources. You need to have a good sourcing agent, amongst other things, if you want to have a shot at finding the right producer as a small footwear startup in todays world.

My uncle was in design, development and manufacturing for Reebok in the ’90s. He now has his own brand that is selling in Thailand and throughout southern Asia. He was able to provide us with some great prototypes, by the end of the summer, things were back on track. It was great to get some meetings together.

We launched the website, which was a lot of fun. Finally I had something to show my friends, as easily 90% of what I have done isn’t for the eyes of my market or consumer. 2012 was a time of preparation, and building a foundation that would support Thirst through infancy, growth, and profitability.

Since then, I have begun posting in the blog occasionally. My work is still more internalized and less blog-worthy than the work I will have in the spring and summer. We’ve continued to develop the team, build relations with producers, and we raised an additional $200,000. The coming months will include more fundraising, a production order (very soon), and the beginning of our outreach campaign. We will also finalize our philanthropic program, which will be very exciting!

Overall, the summer was the most difficult time of the year, as I felt a lack of control over the happenings of the brand. The world of footwear manufacturing is complicated, and if navigated poorly, could kill the startup. It is required for success while it is not necessarily what drives success. It is funny how that works: any part of it could put an end to Thirst, but having every part in place correctly doesn’t mean it will find success. I would argue that the key drivers for success are found in the intangibles… that said, I would also argue that Thirst has all of those intangibles and huge potential for success! It is like a cake and its icing. A cake is still a cake without icing, but the icing is what makes or breaks it. You can decorate it well with bad icing, you can decorate it poorly with good icing, and to take it a step further, all of those inputs that lie on a spectrum of quality. In many industries there are ways in that allow you to skimp on certain parts of your cake, but not in shoes! What we have to do is make a cake out of the best ingredients, that is well decorated by great icing. It is hard to do as a startup, but if you do it right, it will drive your longterm success!

Happy new years! Hope you enjoyed it!

Sam

Thankfully I am pretty much healthy again, and things are back on track. We actually made some big strides while I was sick, making another addition to the team and having conversations with producers.

Production is undoubtedly the key for us right now. When we finally make the order, it will be great to know that our first shipment will be only a few weeks away! At that point, we will begin focusing on our sales and outreach, ideally linking up with a few boutiques and retailers.

Aside from production, we are securing office space, buying servers, logistical software, and much more. Some of the potential office space locations are pretty cool… I am excited to talk more about that when we get the details hammered out. Same goes with production—some big things have been happening recently that I never thought would be possible.

Overall, I am excited to see how things are moving, and I am ready to see the new year begin so we can really move into this next phase of the launch!

It is a fairly simple and understandable concept, which I think takes away a bit from the value that it holds. As a young entrepreneur, this initially meant that I should find experienced individuals who could provide me with insights and guidance. Over the next two years, I was able to build an advisory board comprised of successful professionals who did just that. They helped me to develop in many ways, and without them, all of my ambitions and energy would have had no real direction. Without that direction, there is no way that Thirst would be where it is now!

Many great businessmen have claimed that the right people are the reasons for their success. Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, would regularly turn away qualified applicants who would have made a difference on the bottom line of the company, but simply wouldn’t work well on the Zappos team. Also, when Richard Branson was asked to describe what he attributed to his success using only three words, he paused for a moment, and replied “People. People. People.”

Whether it is our investors, business partners, employees, or board members, it is crucial that they are the “right” people who are getting involved. Over the last year, we have been able to build a great team of people who are all behind the brand, and excited to see it come to life. Today, we made an addition to the team– a man named Scott, who is going to be our Director of Sales! We will be working together starting in January, reaching out to potential retailers and boutiques, and attending a trade show in February. My confidence in the brand lies in my confidence in the people who have become a part of it, and I am excited to have made a great addition today.

I am so excited to see how well Thirst is resonating among the people I have been able to share it with. Our brand is founded upon value, and I love the fact that when the the shoes arrive, we will finally have a way to let everyone become a part of Thirst!

Aside from the shoes, we are beginning to ramp up for phase two of the start-up. This includes reaching out to retailers and boutiques, attending a trade show, finalizing the back-end specs of the company, and much more. The team is excited to see things beginning to come together, and by the end of phase two, we will be selling shoes!

Now, Thirst is in a point of serious transition. With this transition comes a lot of exciting developments — developments that we want to share with you guys! After years of writing and refining a business plan, to raising seed capital and assembling our team, our focus now becomes much more geared towards sales and outreach! Over the next few weeks, Thirst will emerge from the “infancy” stage and into the growth, or implementation, stage. We will be ordering our first production run, and getting out there to see where we can sell it! It is important for the team to adapt to these sorts of transitions, and everyone is eager to see what comes next!

The last 36 hours has been incredible. We have had some huge doors begin to open, and they will allow us to move yet another step closer to selling shoes. These recent advancements will allow us to order our first production run! We will be developing an outreach plan for January and February, and we will be hammering out the last details of the back-end. Very exciting times!