Kickstarting a Dream

Hey all!

Sorry for the lack of emails over the past 2 weeks. Kelly and I have been working hard to get our 7th Kickstarter campaign launched and it honestly was taking up all of my time. You can check it out HERE. Also, I thought I would write more about the process below so you could understand why we use Kickstarter as a brand!

Ever been on the brink of something amazing, only to find yourself running out of resources just when you need them most? We’ve been there, and we want to share a story that shows how a little creativity and a lot of determination can turn things around.

Back in 2018, Western Rise was growing fast, but our bank account was shrinking even faster. Kelly and I were putting our entire paychecks into the brand from day one. We got a boost from the Telluride Venture Accelerator and some local investors, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the demand for our products. We had great products and knew how to sell them, but without more inventory, our growth was stalling.

Enter Kickstarter.

Kickstarter wasn’t really known for clothing back then. It was mostly tech gadgets and unique projects. But we saw an opportunity. We were pivoting from an outdoor brand to focusing on travel, and we had designed a pair of pants we believed could be our flagship product – The Evolution Pants. We also wanted to share our story and the behind-the-scenes process of building a brand.

Kelly and I worked tirelessly for months, with almost no outside help, to build our first Kickstarter campaign. When we launched, we were blown away. In just 30 days, we did over $600,000 in sales. This campaign didn’t just help us stay afloat; it changed everything for Western Rise. The Evolution Pants set the record on the platform for being the highest funded pair of pants at the time, and are still our flagship product to this day.

Here’s why we keep going back to Kickstarter for launching new products:

• Pre-order Funds: We get the money from pre-orders before we have to place a production order, which helps with cash flow.

• Customer Feedback: Direct feedback from our customers before production lets us make any needed tweaks.

• Demand Insights: We get clear data on sizes, colors, and styles, so we know exactly what our customers want.

• Reduced Waste: We avoid overproducing items that won’t sell, which means less waste and no need for discounting.

• Sustainable Production: This model helps us forecast demand perfectly and produce sustainably.

Our Kickstarter experience taught us a lot about being resourceful and listening to our customers. It showed us that sometimes the best paths are the ones less traveled.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Kickstarter and the process, reply with "Kickstarter."

As always, here to help!

That’s it for this week! If you’re enjoying the newsletter, I would love if you could forward it to a friend! It would mean the world to me.

Will

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