What's taking so long?!!

You're tired of waiting. I'm tired of waiting. We’re all losing patience. But in the words of Will Ferrell in Old School, “We've gotta keep your composure! We've come too far!” I’ve been holding my breath for a while now, just hoping that no one asks any questions about Boldfoot given that I haven't had any good answers. It’s been like watching a movie with your parents when you arrive at an unexpected sex scene. Please don’t ask any questions, silence is golden!

Well, enough silence already! In the spirit of transparency, here's the deal. I've been waiting on a few specific yarn colors to be shipped to my manufacturer. The colors just arrived last week, so now we can finally complete the prototyping process. 80% of the work is complete; it’s the remaining 20% that’s taking the longest. Just about everyone knows the 80/20 principle, and I’m finding it to be exceptionally true when it comes to launching a new company. I have a website that’s workable, my Kickstarter video is nearly finished, and I’ve mapped out a plan for spreading the word when I officially launch. There’s just one problem-  I don’t have anything to sell.

This is the stuff you can’t anticipate when you set out to be an entrepreneur. No one tells you you’ll spend endless hours searching for free stock images for your website or that the prototyping process takes 2-3 times longer than you could anticipate. 20% of the items on your to-do list take 80% of your time. But it’s that 20% that makes all the difference in the world. It’s what separates the winners from the losers. Those who go the extra mile are the most successful. Most people will do a job that’s ‘good enough.’ The thing is, no consumer wants to buy from a company whose products/services are ‘good enough.’ They want the best. There’s a reason the elite brands don’t have to spend a dime on marketing- they have products that sell themselves. A customer experiences the product, then they tell their friends, who then tell their friends, and the viral loop continues. That’s the holy grail of commerce, a product that sells itself.

So that’s where Boldfoot stands. I don’t want to make just another sock company. I want to build an elite sock brand, a brand that everyone comes to know. It might sound like an audacious goal, but settling for ‘good enough’ is not an option. Go big or go home.

With any luck, the Kickstarter campaign will officially launch on June 10th. Timing is everything in life, and I’m strategically timing this launch with the beginning of the World Cup. These socks are American-made and there’s no better time to tap into American pride than during an international sporting event.

I'll close with a plea for help. If any of you have friends, family, or even loose associations with writers in the press, bloggers or anyone influential for that matter, I would be eternally indebted to you if you could help put me in touch with them. I can use all the help I can get when it comes to spreading the word once I launch.

11 days away!