Løci
I remember telling my mom I was thinking of launching a business. She told me, “If you believe you can do it, I’m here for you.” That was all I needed because I started with nothing, and if I leave with nothing, I’ll probably be OK in the end.
At first, I was very afraid to quit my job, but being an entrepreneur, that fear is constant, and you get comfortable with it.
We ended up building a business called Butterfly Twists as a side hustle. It was a ballerina shoe brand we built up as a hobby while we had finance jobs and distributed online. We started selling a lot of shoes, so we quit our jobs and built this brand up. It grew to have an office with 60 employees in the UK and 30 internationally.
Løci
Løci comes from the Latin word “locus,” which means center or place and the feeling of being at home. We wanted to build a business where we felt that way and built on our values, so we used repurposed, recycled, and biodegradable materials.
We spend a lot of our resources taking plastic out of the oceans, and from a human perspective, we’ve built a platform for artists and musicians. We host events at exclusive venues and hold performances with emerging artists.
Løci
Developing relationships
The worst way to pitch people and network is to cold-call them. I’d never want to be introduced to somebody in that form — it’s annoying.
I’ve found the secret to success is patience, goodwill, being a great person, and enjoying it. People have always asked me how I do it and network, and I say it’s organic.
For everything that’s happened, five or 10 things haven’t happened. We’re always working from multiple angles, people, and opportunities. It’s better to approach it with “how can I add value to their lives?” That’s the first thing that me and my team try to do when we meet people because everybody’s got a dream.
Building a brand takes time — you’re on a journey and you must ride it out no matter how difficult it gets.