What led you to start your own business?
When I was 22 – I had just graduated from Occidental College – I started bartending in downtown Los Angeles. After a few months on the job, I thought to myself: How do I get on the other side of this bar? So I began thinking about what types of jobs and projects I could create for myself and eventually Strolling Wild was born.
ADAM LAWRENCE, 25
Strolling Wild, an e-commerce sock business
Employees: 3
Financials: Profitable
Where did you get the startup money?
The money has come from a handful of other jobs and endeavors, particularly a small creative marketing firm and social display ad company that I started with the same guys I brought on long ago to help build Strolling Wild.
What’s been the biggest challenge so far?
The lack of capital has always been an issue for us, especially in an industry as competitive as e-commerce. We are building web pages, product lines, supply chains, etc., out of blood, sweat, tears, and spare change.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?
Keep learning. I’m in my mid-20s. If there’s one thing I think I’ve learned, though, it’s that nothing can replace grit – success in business is predicated on persistent execution. It’s this work that often separates people with ideas and websites from people with companies and functional business models.
How many hours a day do you put in?
I work around 14 hours a day. Slightly more, if you count throwing a football around in the middle of the night and talking over crazy ideas.
Has your youth led to any awkward situations, such as when you supervise employees who are older than you?
No, and I think if one does, it says something about the supervisor that isn’t too good. If you’re managing someone who is older than you, I think it’s imperative to think from their perspective: How would it make you feel if your boss was a generation or two younger than you?
Would you start another company?
I already have.
Could you ever work for someone else?
Of course.
What do you do to unwind?
I’m a big golfer and I’ve never met a bottle of bourbon I didn’t like.
— Henry Meier
