Podcast 01: Brittany Malone - Building Her Own Fashion Boot Empire

Brittany Malone is the Owner and Founder of Bodacious Boot Co.  She never intended to start a boot line, but instead started her entrepreneur journey when she opened her own boutique.  However, she became frustrated by how she was treated from a very popular boot line that she sold at her store.  Between long delays in receiving boots and market saturation, she decided it was time to start her own line, and to do it better.  For a year she sold them exclusively in her own boutique until other stores started asking how they could get their hands on them.  In just a few short years, she has built her brand to stores nationwide, and her sales climbing dramatically each year.

How did she start a boot line?  After a chance meeting of someone who had a line of men’s boots, Brittany decided to team up and start a product line for women.

What was the first step she took in this business venture? Just coming up with only a couple of boot designs to get them started. 

What was her biggest business obstacle?  Finding people who want to work and who also share that passion has been extremely difficult.  She also found several people who were more about tearing down than lifting.  She had to learn how to deal with haters almost immediately.

What changes did she have to make to her original business path?  Unlike most, Brittany decided to start before she was officially ready, and moved forward without a business plan.  Looking back she thinks it may have been a good idea to have one.  However, she learned a lot just moving forward without the plan.

What does she wish she would have known before starting?  The cost!  Between having to keep product on hand, getting the product correct, shows, and travel, it can be costly.  She ends up putting a lot of money back into the business while she grows.  However, by doing this, she’s been able to grow year after year and remain investor and debt free. 

What’s a goal for her business?  To create an item that not everyone could get easily.  

What does she do to make sure she doesn’t make the same mistakes of her competitors?   Brittany has the advantage that she was on the other side of wholesaling before ever creating a boot.  Therefore, she understands the pain her retailers can go through.  So she is very strict on territory protection for her retailers, so there aren’t a ton of retailers who sell close to each other. She’s also very selective about who gets them and to put them in stores who will actually sell them. 

What’s her advice for newbies? Persevere       

What was her biggest marketing win?  Branching out to markets that she didn’t normally go to.   She also stepped outside the box, marketing wise, and showing her boots with prom dresses, which wasn’t a typical market.  It brought new clients her way, along with teaching her current retailers to market her boots in a new way.

What’s her marketing motto?  Women want what they can’t have

What is something she can’t live without for her business?  Facebook (a must for marketing her business) and Dropbox as it allows her to access her photos anywhere (which is a key for Instagram, Facebook, printing at shows, etc).

If you would like to find out more information about Bodacious Boots, check them out at http://bodaciousbootco.com/