work in skateboarding
an interview with
Tim Gavin
With over two decades of experience in the Skateboard industry, Tim Gavin has shown that he lives and breathes Skateboarding. His new business venture, Filament shoes, is already thriving and his background with DVS Shoes has given him the foresight to navigate the industry and ensure Filaments success. If you want advice on how to start a business, here’s some invaluable knowledge. Interview by Suziie Wang
When did you start Filament and why? Well I actually started Filament they day I sold off DVS, Matix and Lakai. So roughly 2012 I started putting the management team together. The reason why I started it was because I saw a place in the market for a new footwear brand that has a fresh approach to the business from an endemic standpoint.
Tim Gavin, Founder of Filament Shoes
How did you raise the capitol to fund the brand? We felt that it was best to self-finance the business in the early stages to get the brand up and running rather than raise a bunch of money. I think there’s a genuine respect from the consumer with the small organic growth approach rather than throw a bunch of money
at something and buy your way into the market. Kids are too savvy these days. Any tips for finding investors to support your company? The tips are don’t worry about the money, worry about growing your business with good product and strong marketing and make the investors notice you. If you spend your time looking for money all the time you wont have a business. How long does it usually take for you to be able to support yourself from a business venture like this? It all depends. I know some businesses that have had a bunch of money raised purely on the dream and there are salaries involved. But in my belief, the business needs to be self-sufficient and then your personal needs come after. This is all contingent on your business as well, operating expenses, marketing etc. It takes a few years from my experience without having raised a bunch of money in the beginning.
What did you learn from your experiences with DVS, both positive & negative, that you’ve applied to Filament? Stay in your own lane and do what you have originally set out to do and not chase business. Don’t get consumed with the market dictating your direction, stay on course and believe in yourself. Anything you’ve decided to do differently than with DVS? Don’t chase sales. Let sales come to you.
Filament Team riders: Moose, Ben Nordberg, Alec Jamir, Rafael Perez, Jake Ruiz, Jacob Walder & Garrett Hill
Can you simplify the start up process you went through before launching Filament? Well, I got my two partners involved the day I started the brand. Bryon Schroeder does all design and development. My partner Mark does all the logistical financial aspects of the business and I’m handling the sales and marketing with our global sales force. We found the factory first in 2013, bought the molds and lasts, built some samples and got a sales force all in the 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2013. We shipped our first season fall 14 and are about to ship Holiday 14 now. We’ve already grown our business 4 times from Fall with Spring
pre-books and we are turning a lot of the wrong doors down as we need to be very disciplined with our sales and distribution strategy. We will let the other big boys sell to everyone. How did you find the company that made the shoes for DVS and do you use the same manufacturer for Filament? He was a broker that handled all the production in Korea; no for Filament we have a new factory in China. Any tips on the process of finding the right manufacturers? Go to Asia and visit them in person. In a competitive market what strategies do you use to keep your product different and how have you applied them to Filament? Understanding the consumer that you are marketing towards. If your business is authentic and you live and breathe the same culture than you can deliver a genuine message with the product having a point of difference by understanding the market place. We don’t make any
Filament Artist Ambassador Lucas Beaufort ad collaboration
Ben Nordberg, Backside Smithgrind Photo Messex. Courtesy of Filament
vulcanized shoes, why because everyone else does. Everyone seems to be biting what’s hot and there are 3 silhouettes out there that every brand has. We don’t. That could be smart or it could be a simple miss of not supplying the demand but we want to deliver product that we like that has a quality message built into it. Did you study or gain a business degree? No, (I’m a) GED graduate. Before you start a business is it worth doing a business degree or a short business course? Just about every businessman I know does not have a business degree and the few that do seem to be spreadsheet guys and not visionaries. Who was the first person to join the Filament team and what was their role? It was Bryon Schroeder for design and development and Mark (don’t want to give last name yet) for CEO role to handle the financial aspect of the business. Any tips on the marketing aspects when you first launch a business? Identify the consumer you are targeting and where they spend their free time, social media, websites, and what stores they shop at.
Lucas Beaufort, Filament Art Ambassador
What skills do you think a person needs to become a successful business owner? People skills, well at least that is what I know has helped me. Doing this exercise; writing down 3 things your good at, 3 things your not good at, 1,3,5 year plan for you and your business and then writing down what you genuinely want out of your business will give you a good road map on what skills you have that should be rendered to the business.
What’s the hardest thing about starting up and maintaining a business in Skateboarding? Staying relevant for a long period of time. Starting a business is tough because there are a lot of great brands out there but there’s always an interest in something new. Any advice to pass on for someone starting a business that you wish you had known? Find the right partners and trust your idea from beginning to end. www.filamentbrand.com