What does it actually look like to build a nine-figure brand from a moment of total financial collapse, a herd of borrowed goats, and the decision to never walk away? Today's guest is Brent Ridge, co-founder of Beekman 1802, and this conversation is one of those episodes that will genuinely stay with you.
Brent's story starts in 2008. He and his partner Josh had just lost their careers in New York City, were sitting on a million-dollar mortgage they could barely afford, and had nothing to work with except some life experience, a creative background, and an overflow of goat milk. What came next was 60 million bars of soap, a partnership with Anthropologie, a Schitt's Creek popup that drew 20,000 visitors to a 547-person town, a 24-hour Christmas livestream that Martha Stewart and the Pioneer Woman eventually called into, and a brand that is now the number one beauty brand across QVC and HSN. And through all of it, the same principles that carried them through desperation in year one are the exact same ones running the company today.
In this conversation, Brent walks us through the philosophy behind his and Josh's new book, Goat Wisdom, including why information is not the same as wisdom, the "chop your own wood" principle and why you should never delegate what you don't yet understand, the zero dollar budget exercise they still run with their team to this day, and the ripple effect of kindness as a literal business strategy. We also get into how to spot opportunity before most people even notice it, what contentment actually means as a goalpost, and why moving that goalpost after you've hit it might be the most underrated threat to both your happiness and your success.
A copy of Goat Wisdom is being given away inside the Ambitious Network. Head there to enter, or grab your own on Amazon now.
Timestamps:
03:48 From Medicine to Farm
06:49 Recession Sparks Soap
10:29 Luxury Retail Breakthrough
17:36 Chop Your Own Wood
20:43 Anthropologie Order Crunch
28:32 The Zero Dollar Budget
32:03 Glitterville Christmas Hack
36:44 Schitt's Creek Boost
40:23 Spotting Opportunity
48:07 Bootstrapping to Funding
01:01:54 Book Takeaways
Connect with Brent Ridge:
- Instagram: @beekman1802
- TikTok: @beekman1802
- Website: www.beekman1802.com
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