New Zealand Shoe Hustle Sizes Up Profits

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

[Music]

So a few years ago, I was in Thailand, was passing through a shopping area where there was some sort of shoe festival. Thailand does all kinds of festivals. This was a shoe festival, and simultaneously it was a shoe festival/clearance sale, where a number of vendors were out selling shoes. I was in Southeast Asia for a couple of weeks, and I liked several of the styles that I saw at this shoe festival/clearance sale, and they were very affordable, so I thought, well, I'll pick up a pair to take home. But then a funny thing happened.

The first vendor I checked with didn't have my size, and neither did the second or the third. By the time I'd walked the length of the street, I discovered that they didn't have any in my size, at least any that I liked. That's when I realized that even though my shoe size is average in the US, it's just a 10 1/2, pretty common, which is, I believe, 44 in European size, in Thailand, that's a pretty big size. Now, for me, that was just a minor inconvenience. I didn't need those shoes.

A week later, I was back in the States, where I could go into any shoe store, there'd be plenty of options, or of course, I could go online to an abundance of retailers that offered countless styles and free shipping. So why am I telling you this long story? I know it's fascinating. You're like, now I know Chris's shoe size. That's great information.

But listen, it's also relevant to today's story. This is side hustle school. Every day, I'm telling a different story, and for me, as I said, that experience in Thailand was just an inconvenience. I wasn't living there and I had access to another market, so there are plenty of options for me. But for lots of other people, wearing a larger shoe size can turn shoe shopping into a much more frustrating experience.

That brings us to the story of a community engagement specialist in New Zealand, on a quest to bring high quality and fashionable shoes to women with larger sizes. Now, really interesting story, I liked working on it. We're gonna call it New Zealand Shoe Hustle, Sizes Up Profits, and that story is coming right up. [Music]

Mistabia Lui has faced the problem of wearing a larger shoe size most of her life. When she did manage to find a pair of shoes she liked, she'd be disappointed with its quality or poor construction.

And on top of that, she wasn't finding a lot of options in her native New Zealand to fit her feet in the first place. So she did what many of us do when we have a problem. She began to research alternatives. And after still not having much luck, Gustavia decided to fix this problem and find fashionable shoes for women who wear sizes 10 to 13. She thought it would be an easy task to find different styles from various brands and import them.

Again, she had a hard time finding what she was looking for. So she decided to attend a footwear sourcing trade show in Las Vegas. During the event, she discovered that plus size shoes weren't just a problem to find in New Zealand, they were hard to find everywhere. She went to a seminar led by Tony Shea, the CEO of Zappos, and was able to talk with him. When she explained what she was looking for, he told her she was better off starting her own brand.

So that's exactly what she did upon her return. But how does someone start a shoe brand when they know nothing about shoe manufacturing? Well, Gustavia started by registering for a course. In addition to a base level of knowledge, it gave her the reassurance that if she was going to design a line of shoes, she might as well go all in and ensure they were of utmost quality. Next, she hired a freelance fashion designer who helped her come up with several different designs.

She then took those designs and sent them off to a shoe factory. When she got her first sample back, it was surreal. Her concept had been brought to life with her name on it. The only problem was a big one. The quality was not up to par.

She put her foot down on that company and ended up finding another manufacturer who was able to produce and outsource her designs. Her dream for high quality fashionable shoes for larger sizes had taken another important step. And this was not a quick and easy side hustle. The process took Gustavia nearly five years to complete. From researching the manufacturing to understanding global shipping and marketing, it's a lot of work.

She also had a full-time job and a new baby. While many would have broken a heel during this time, Gustavia was committed to seeing things through. She officially launched Gustavia's shoes in January 2016, with the goal of becoming a fashion lifesaver for all of Cinderella's stepsisters around the world who were dreaming of better quality glass slippers that actually fit. And since launching, the shoes have really taken off. Stavius averaged around $3,000 a month with no advertising, and then about $10,000 a month once she started running acts.

A few months into launch, Stavius had a feature in New Zealand's largest new publication. The day that feature ran, she made $15,000 in sales. Since then, the brand has been featured on TV, radio, and blogs, which have helped immensely. And what sets Stavius apart from other larger-sized shoes is the unique craftsmanship and high-end quality. Stavius has now replaced its initial investment of $15,000, nearly five times over.

Didn't happen overnight, and it wasn't always a smooth runway. It took patience, dedication, and trial and error. She says money was the biggest struggle she encountered during the process. At one point, she invested thousands of dollars a month in a social media agency. Looking back, she realizes she would have been better off wanting to do it herself.

Just a quick side note, I've heard that from many people. So don't invest thousands of dollars in a social media agency. My apologies to all the people running social media agencies who are listening to this. Gustavia's advice for anyone wanting to launch a similar hustle is to not take advice from people who have never been where you're wanting to go. They often respond from a place of what they would do rather than a place of experience and knowledge.

Thanks to her, many women are able to wear fashionable shoes that accommodate larger sizes. And in the near future, Gustavia plans to put her best foot forward and expand sales to the United States. [Music]

Awesome project, very cool to work on this story. If you are a woman in New Zealand or Australia in need of a larger shoe size, maybe check out Stavias. And as I said, she is beginning to expand, in particular in the United States, but also in Europe as well.

Now I just wanna draw attention to something she said here, this advice about if you wanna do something similar to this story or to any other story that you hear, don't take advice from people who have never been where you're wanting to go. They often respond from a place of what they would do rather than a place of experience and knowledge. And doesn't that make so much sense? If you're gonna start a shoe brand, you wanna be advised by the CEO of Zappos, Tony Shea, or somebody else like that, somebody else of that stature, or at least somebody who has a track record of experience, as opposed to somebody who is also aspirational or someone who has made it a little bit far, but they haven't really achieved the ultimate destination and that's okay, like we're all on a journey. But the point is don't take advice from someone who has never been where you're wanting to go.

You also may find as you go along, you don't need that much advice. Like a lot of stuff you can figure out as you go, just like she was able to do in this story as well. All right, I'm gonna leave you with that today. Inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is so much better. Thank you so much for listening.

The show notes are at www.sidehustleschool.com/1011. That is 1-0-1-1. We'll be back again tomorrow. Be sure you're subscribed. It's completely free.

My name is Chris Guillebeau and this is "Side Hustle School." [Music]

From the Onward Project.