How to Build a Denim Brand -- One Step at a Time
By Eric Steffen
When I was a kid, my dad took me and my brother for a hike in the White Mountains. During that hike he asked me "Do you know how to climb a mountain?" Today his answer hits like "THIS is how to build a brand". So ... how do you build a great brand? Let me answer that with three stories.
Climb Your Mountain
According to family legend, when dad was young, he was hiking a mountain feeling pretty good about himself. He passed an older hiker, smiled, said hello, and kept going.
A few hours later, tired, dehydrated, and a little sun-stroked, he needed to rest. Sure enough, the older man slowly walked by -- and paused.
“Young man. Do you know how to climb a mountain?” he asked.
“How’s that?” dad asked in a stupor.
“Slowly," he replied.
Shifting Terrain
The second story is my own.
Back in college, I spent a semester abroad. It was a life-altering experience, and at the end of the semester I decided to hike to Annapurna Base Camp -- about 13,500 feet above sea level.
It was a multi-day trek. For long hours, the terrain didn’t seem to change at all, walking through identical river valleys with nondescript rock formation. But after losing track of time and getting lost in thought, I looked up and realized: the landscape had changed. We were above the tree line; we'd reached a different part of the journey.
That shift happened slowly, but the realization happened all at once. And it's a feeling I recognize again all these years later.
Building FITTED
Building my small-batch Brooklyn based denim brand has been my own mountain to climb. Like that wise man said, slow and steady wins the day, moving intentionally one step at a time. You plow through your to do list day after day, but eventually you look up and realize that you’re somewhere new.
Today, for the first time in over a decade, my principal job isn’t construction or production. I’m no longer the guy sewing the thing; I'm the guy building the brand. I have a small team of amazing employees so I can focus on design, production management, and marketing. ... And I love it.
For a long time I was just making jeans. Now, I know what we’re about -- high quality, workwear inspired goods, made in Brooklyn -- it’s time to build the systems to grow the brand.
Arriving at the Top
One final story.
Back on the Annapurna trail, there came a point when we were hiking through clouds. We could only see about 10 feet ahead. If we’d missed the campsite, it could’ve been a very uncomfortable night. But we stayed focused, moved slowly, paid attention to our surroundings—and eventually, we arrived.
The next morning, the clouds had passed, the sun was shining and we woke up to the most unbelievable view. We had reached the top.
The view of Annapurna mountain in Nepal
I’m not there yet with my brand. I haven't arrived. But the terrain is different, the air is crisp and our path is clear.
The Upshot
-Build with intention
-The landscape, and your job, will change
-You won't know that you've arrived, until you finally do
Onwards.