Notes from Chris

Episode 1053

Joseph O’Bell and David Eagen live in Austin, Texas. Both are young professionals, with Joseph working as a construction litigation attorney and David in finance. As friends, they bond over fashion and wine. In fact, for them, enjoying a glass of cabernet sauvignon can turn a regular day into a cause for celebration.

Joseph has been a working attorney for several years. The hours are long and the work demanding but, at the same time, it’s a well-paid field that comes with its own job security.

David personifies the side hustler spirit a bit more. Outside of his day job, he’s had several different moneymaking projects over the years. The most successful of which was TacoSweets, a food truck that put a sugary spin on a traditionally savory dish.

One thing they share is that they’re both always on the lookout for opportunities, often discussing ideas together over a glass of red. Most of these conversations didn’t amount too much. But every now and then something fruitful came out of it. It wasn’t unlike growing grapes, where the vine grows for years before it yields fruit.

One particular idea that got their attention was something specific in the fashion space—a sunglasses company. To avoid having to compete with the big companies, they decided to make them specifically targeted to wine lovers. A pair of glasses they could wear in a vineyard while enjoying a cab-sav as the sun goes down.

Their original idea was to make them out of cork, to stick with the wine theme. It would make the glasses unique, allow them to be marketed directly to wine lovers and, beyond that, they’d be a great conversation starter.

They put a corkscrew into this idea, diving in further.

The first thing they needed was a supplier, someone to actually produce the glasses. To find one, it seemed obvious to turn to China. David had some experience working with suppliers there and was able to provide Joseph with a couple of promising leads. He made a few calls and soon found a suitable manufacturer.

David, who had some experience in web design from his previous ventures, built their website—and with that, it was time to celebrate. Vineyard Sun, their new side hustle, was officially open for business.

What flowed over the next year was a series of marketing experiments: more cold calling, snail mail and email to wineries. They tried pitching to boutique stores and gift box subscription services. What worked the best building up a following on their Instagram and Facebook accounts. It has helped get the word out and produced direct sales. Also, having a brand with an online presence makes things seem more legitimate when cold selling.

Which brings us to today where, like a fine wine, Vineyard Sun has only gotten better with age. The side hustle is now at the point where its consistently bringing in five hundred dollars profit per month. While nowhere near enough for a full time living yet, that is the eventual goal. To sell enough pairs of sunglasses to wine lovers all over the world that Vineyard Sun can become Joseph and David’s primary pursuit.

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Vineyard Sun: Snag a pair of your own cork sunglasses at the Vineyard Sun website.
• Joeseph and David use Shopify to sell their sunglasses. (use the link to start a 21-day trial and get 10% off for an entire year!)
• Want to launch your own product and are considering working with a supplier through Alibaba? Listen to Extended Cut Episode #400 and look for the Shopify guide to Alibaba, posted in the notes.

SEE ALSO:

• Unusual Men’s Fashion Item Romps Way to $100k: After spotting a viral Kickstarter campaign for men’s rompers, two young professionals decide to create their own fashion line.​
• Friends Team Up to Sell Colorful Hammocks: After discovering the life-changing magic of colorful hammocks, a humanitarian based in Cambodia recruits two friends to import them to the U.S.
• Dog Lover Fetches $250,000 in Canine Clothing: A Minnesota woman turns her design hobby into trendy duds for the whole family, including furry companions.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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