BROADCASTS.com

\u201cYour feet take you on these adventures. You should have quality flip flops that you keep for a long time. That really became our core story.\u201d That spark of an idea led Jeremy Stewart and his wife to found premium flip-flop brand Hari-Mari. In doing so, they essentially created a new market that involved changing behavior around what we put on our feet in warm weather. He took some time to share the story of founding the company and building the brand this week on the On Brand podcast.\nAbout Jeremy Stewart\nJeremy is the founder of Hari Mari flip flops \u2013 a Dallas-based sandal brand he launched in 2012 with his wife, Lila. The idea for Hari Mari was born out of the couple\u2019s time spent living in Indonesia, where they were consistently disappointed with their flip flops \u2013 marked by painful break-in periods and the same iterations of black and brown color options. Moving back to the States, they doubled down on their unhealthy obsession with fixing these issues, Hari Mari, and combining color & comfort in a premium flip flop! The Stewarts married this new footwear venture with their passion for helping kids, donating a portion of Hari Mari\u2019s sales to support children battling cancer. They call it Flops Fighting Cancer. Hari Mari has since grown its footprint to include some 1500 retail stores covering 50 U.S. States, Mexico, Japan, Canada, and the Bahamas, in addition to the brand\u2019s own site,\xa0HariMari.com.\nEpisode Highlights\nStart with scrappy market research.\xa0As you know, I\u2019m a fan of scrappy marketing. However, until talking with Jeremy, I\u2019d never heard of scrappy market research. When he was struck by the idea of creating premium flip flops, he invited interested parties to a focus group moderated by his friend in exchange for some free pizza. The result? Great intel and a solid start.\n\u201cFlipping the script.\u201d\xa0With Hari Mari, everything is different. Compared to the rest of the category, the product is different. \u201cWe started with the pain point \u2014 the toe post.\u201d That\u2019s the annoying piece of plastic that turns most people off of flip flips entirely. Jeremy knew they had to do something different, so they brought in the designer from sandal brand Teva to develop something completely different and exceptionally comfortable.\nFixing the problem.\xa0\u201cWe had to talk about the problem first,\u201d says Jeremy. But once you address this challenge you have a standout product. \u201cPeople are willing to pay more for quality and for something that doesn\u2019t end up in a landfill.\u201d\nWhat brand has made Jeremy smile recently?\xa0Jeremy shared a few other entrepreneurial Texas fashion brands that make him smile including Criquet Shirts and Howler Brothers both located in Austin.\nTo learn more,\xa0go to\xa0HariMari.com.\nAs We Wrap \u2026\nDid you hear something you liked on this episode or another?\xa0Do you have a question you\u2019d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.\nOn Brand is sponsored by my book\xa0Brand Now.\xa0Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world.\xa0Order now and get special digital extras.\xa0Learn more.\n\n\nSubscribe to the podcast\xa0\u2013 You can subscribe to the show via\xa0Apple Podcasts,\xa0Stitcher,\xa0Google Play,\xa0TuneIn, and\xa0RSS.\n\n\nRate and review the show\xa0\u2013 If you like what you\u2019re hearing, head over to\xa0Apple Podcasts\xa0and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.\n\n\nOK. How do you rate and review a podcast?\xa0Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes?\xa0Check this out.\n\nUntil next week, I\u2019ll see you on the Internet!\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices