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The biggest shifts in a business often come from decisions no one else sees.
Future Proof is a show for business owners facing the pressure to grow and the weight of legacy, often at the same time.
Hosted by Scott Eckart, each episode features honest conversations with leaders who’ve made bold moves, stepped into succession, or redefined success altogether. You’ll hear what they were up against, what they chose, and what they’d do differently now.
If you're thinking about what's next and want to build a business that lasts, this is the show for you.
Scott Eckart (00:02):
I'm Scott Eckhart, and this is FutureProof, a show for building something that lasts. Let's get into it. Hello, everyone. Joining us today on Future Proof, we have David Farie, the founder and CEO of Anson Belt, located in Beaufort, North Carolina.
David Ferree (00:18):
There's different circumstances where you're forced to, your back's against wall and it's either a decision of you can either dive head first in or you can go and find another one. And I chose to take that risk and to dive headfirst in. But I think you have to be smart about it in the sense that you don't want to just quit everything and just say, "Hey, this is going to work." Because if you have bills to pay, you need to be able to pay them.
Scott Eckart (00:38):
Our theme is a great American success story. You will hear from David about how he and his father took a simple idea and grew it into a company worth millions of dollars in revenue. Let's get into it. Welcome everybody to today's episode of FutureProof. Today I have with me David Farree, who is the CEO and co-founder of Anson Belts. David, welcome to FutureProof.
David Ferree (01:06):
Hey, thanks for having me, Scott. Appreciate you hopping on. This is going to be fun.
Scott Eckart (01:10):
Futureproof is a show for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs. So David certainly is one of those. So Anson Belts, if you don't know, is the coolest belts around according to my very humble opinion, but I'm actually an owner of those and I will tell that story here in a little bit about why. But David, I have to say I am absolutely captivated by your story. And I think it's an American success story. And here on FutureProof, I am so interested in celebrating innovation and celebrating entrepreneurs and you are truly an American success story. And so I am so excited to tell everybody about you- Awesome. ... and your family and the great work that you guys have done.
David Ferree (01:58):
Awesome. Well, I really appreciate the kind words. Thank you. Thank you so much. So yeah, happy to be here. And yeah, look forward to diving into it.
Scott Eckart (02:05):
So Anson is a cool name. And one of the first questions I asked David as we were doing some prep for this, I'm like, so how do you name a company? And it was a pretty simple answer, right?
David Ferree (02:15):
That's a great question because we get that a lot. A lot of people think it's my last name, but it's not. It's really, it's where my father grew up in Anson County, North Carolina. So he grew up in the Wadesboro area right around there. And so Anson County was home to him and he had the idea to name it Anson. And I said, "You know what? I had a pretty cool ring to it and I think it can work." So yeah, we went with it and I've been doing it ever since.
Scott Eckart (02:38):
Yeah, it does. So keep me honest here, you're in the 17th year, I believe, of the family business. Is that right?
David Ferree (02:44):
We are. Going on 17, really been working on it for close to 20 now. Back in 2006 when we really had discovered it and started working on changing some things that we didn't like, the original concept. And just give you a little bit of background in your viewers and listeners. My father had discovered the concept in Asia about 2006 and really didn't know what he had until he got back. And when he tried it on, he completely fell in love with it. He heard that click, click, click. And he said to himself, "Where has this been my whole life?" And so he was excited about it. He called me up. He'd actually gotten one for me as well. I didn't really know what he had until he put it on, but once he did, he wanted to share it with me and so sent one to me and I fell in love with it as well.
(03:28):
Yeah. So the concept's been around for 50 plus years in Asia and Eastern Europe, but yeah, we brought it to the US market and 2009 is when we launched Fully.
Scott Eckart (03:38):
So we have David, we have Kristen, your wife, we have Dad Frank. And also I understand your two best friends are in the business and this is a tight circle. Hats off to you guys for being able to work together and still speak. And I often say that the most difficult thing about family business is that you have to go home at the end of the day and see the same people, right? Yeah. And so really, really hats off to you there. So I do want to get in our time machine, as I'm fond of saying here on Futureproof. And every great story has, I think, a great beginning. And so I'm pretty interested in this too, and I think our listeners will be too. So your sister had an incentive trip, I think, right? She was in real- She was
David Ferree (04:20):
A travel agent, had won that trip and they said, "You can bring one person with you. " And so she offered it to my dad.
Scott Eckart (04:28):
And was it Hong Kong or Singapore? I
David Ferree (04:30):
Can't- It was China, but I believe Shanghai, I'm not sure if they went to Hong Kong. I know they saw the Gray Wall and all that stuff. So there's a lot of tourist stuff over there.
Scott Eckart (04:41):
And your dad says to you, "I am going to find an idea and we're going to make a bajillion dollars." He
David Ferree (04:48):
Says, "I'm going to find something I can make a million dollars off of. " And that was just his entrepreneurial spirit and just kind of mind that he said, "You know what? " He said, "He just was sure that there was something over there that they were using that we weren't, and that we hadn't been introduced to or been exposed to. " And so he thought to himself, "Hey, I'm going to find something pretty cool over there." Because he was at a very pivotal point in his life with having been a realtor and around that time, real estate was in pretty bad shape. This was like 2006, seven, eight. The market was not looking good for realtors. And so he thought, I need to figure out something else to do here. And so hey, maybe there'll be something over there that I can make a million dollars off of.
Scott Eckart (05:31):
Okay. And remind me, how old are you now at this time when he's going off on this crazy dream in Asia?
David Ferree (05:38):
So I was probably 23, 24, just about graduating college.
Scott Eckart (05:45):
Okay. And then what was your major? What had you thought you were going
David Ferree (05:49):
To do? Well, I was a communications major, had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew I needed a degree and I wanted to graduate with a degree and really didn't know exactly what, but all the things with communications interested me. I liked the idea of the public speaking and the being on camera and then just learning about media. My major was media studies. And so all that really interested me. So I said, okay, that's something I can lean into and get this degree. And so really didn't know how much that would lend to my future and to what I ended up doing, but it really introduced me to a lot that helped me down the road.
Scott Eckart (06:28):
Okay. So there are folks listening to the show that are thinking about a lot of things. One of them is higher education. What do you have to say to them in terms of if they're just not sure? Should they go to college? Should they not? I mean, I know that's kind of a loaded question, but what are your thoughts on that? What's your advice to this next generation of potential entrepreneurs and leaders?
David Ferree (06:51):
I'm a little biased because I had that experience. I had that college experience, so I know what that can be. I know that that can be different for so many different folks and really it can be different obviously from school to school. And so that really can, it just kind of depends on the experience that you want. But I also, I'm a huge proponent and think that trade schools and two-year colleges that you learn a trade is extremely valuable. And I think that moving forward, trades are becoming harder and harder to find people that are skilled in trade. So going to school for that, I think it can really set you up for a great skill and job that they can be very useful for the rest of your life. So there's that kind of college, and then there's the traditional kind of four-year degree, a bachelor's of science in something, or maybe even more than that.
(07:39):
But I also think that that's a good fit for people that don't exactly know what they wanted to do. You're doing a lot of growing up in those years and you're still finding yourself, you're still trying to figure out what your interests are, what you like, what your passions are. And so I think that time is a great time to find yourself in that. And you don't have to know exactly what you want, but you're going to learn about yourself a lot in those years. And I think that a lot of people seem to find that path as they're navigating those years after high school and in between becoming a full-fledged adult with real build and all this. And a lot of people have that while they're in college, but if any way you can get any kind of scholarships or any kind of help with that and be able to focus on getting that education and then finding yourself along the way, I think a lot of times that can happen.
(08:27):
And it's an amazing experience. And of course, I met my wife there, I met all my best friends for the rest of my life, so I wouldn't have changed it for the world.
Scott Eckart (08:35):
Just here's just kind of a fun story. The night before my oldest daughter got married, I was trying to think of a way to make it kind of a special experience. So I wrote her a letter. She went to Purdue University and I wrote her a letter from the university and I put her back in time and I said, her name is Annie or dear Anne, thank you for applying. We've accepted you to Purdue University. I'm going to try to keep it together here and not get super emotional. But I said, of course, now she's graduated. And I said, "Here's just a preview of some of the things that your four years is going to include."
David Ferree (09:20):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Scott Eckart (09:22):
And I went through and I said, because I knew her friends, her lifelong friends who were in her wedding and she was a nursing major, which was her lifelong goal and she's got this nurture. Oh, that's right. That's right. She's a nurse practitioner, so is Annie. And I just tried to make it kind of the thing where if you could just see into the future and as scary as that was, and then I kind of ended it and I said, "Oh, and by the way, you will meet the love of your life as well."
David Ferree (09:56):
That's awesome. What a cool way to do that.
Scott Eckart (09:59):
It was really hard for me and I read it to her and I was like, "Wow." Yeah,
David Ferree (10:02):
Yeah.
Scott Eckart (10:03):
But you just don't know when you go and you learn academically, but it's all the other stuff. So a question for you then, you're sitting in the classroom and you're doing the mundane thing. Did you ever think, okay, David Free, founder, CEO, did you ever imagine-
David Ferree (10:19):
No.
Scott Eckart (10:20):
Did you aspire David to become a CEO of a really successful company?
David Ferree (10:27):
I think that I always liked the idea of being my own boss and I knew that I didn't really particularly want to work for somebody, but right out of college, that was the plan is you go and you get a job and you have a boss. And I did. I was working for a real estate company in Raleigh doing marketing for them, which I really enjoyed. I like the marketing aspect. That's one of the things that I like most about my job now is the marketing, but I never really aspired to be CEO or that we're going to sell millions of dollars worth of belts online. That's not what I thought. And because back then online wasn't happening like it is now. Yeah, it really wasn't. Selling online, you maybe bought your books from Amazon back online. That to date myself, that's where Amazon started, is selling books and textbooks.
(11:16):
And so that's where we would buy our textbooks and if we're really cheap. So yeah, I didn't really aspire to it, but the idea of owning my own business, and that had always been what my parents had done. They had always owned their own businesses. So that kind of entrepreneurial mindset that was ingrained in me, I think, but not really ... They didn't try to push it, but that's what my life was like as a kid.
Scott Eckart (11:41):
Well, let's go back. Let's talk about that because your folks are pretty cool folk people, and they did lots of neat things. So can you share with the listeners a little bit more about stuff you saw them do? Because they were around and they went to your games and did this stuff, right?
David Ferree (11:56):
Yeah. Yeah. So again, my mom owned a gift shop in Greenville back when we lived there, and then we moved to Highlands and she opened a gift shop there. So she had a gift. It was a gallery and garden shop, but she had that there. And my father, he had record stores when he was in his 20s, and then he had a music and video store when I was growing up. And that was kind of what ... When I was growing up, he had a video source. The coolest thing ever for a nine, 10, a teenager throughout high school where you get sent the demos that are the movies before they come out on tape. And so they'd come out in the theater a couple weeks later, we'd get the demos. And so I had all the movies all throughout growing up, but he always owned that.
(12:39):
And so owning your own business was kind of how you made a living as far as I was new.
Scott Eckart (12:45):
So were you proud of your parents? Were you proud of your dad or did you think that was just normal?
David Ferree (12:50):
I definitely didn't realize how hard it was, and I don't think that never fully fell on me as far as how difficult it was to own your own business. And when they were probably going through with everything that goes on with owning your own businesses and those struggles. But yeah, of course, proud of being able to say what they did and going to my mom's shop and riding my bike around town and going there, I was proud to do that.
Scott Eckart (13:21):
Then kind of looking forward, so your dad comes back and was it like the last day of the trip he's like, "Ooh, I need to get something for David." So he goes to this, what, bazar, the stall or outdoor market or something?
David Ferree (13:34):
Well, he was walking down the street and lots of shops on your left and right and he was kind of looking around and he said he just kind of stopped at one and he looked and he just was drawn straight back and he just went straight to them and started looking at the belts and was kind of wondering, what are these? And because they were different than any other belts that are sold here in the US. And honestly, I wasn't a fan of the original Buckle. It wasn't attractive to me, but I loved the concept. I thought this is an awesome idea, but the buckle just wasn't attractive. He bought it that night, didn't know what he really had because he wasn't able to try it on with our belts and the same with those that he bought, you have to trim to fit. So they come to an extra long length and then you'll trim them to fit your exact waste.
(14:18):
So he didn't have any scissors at that moment. He didn't trim it until he got back. And so once he got back home, that's when he tried it on and heard that, I've got one here, but heard that click, click, click. He was like, "Wow, where has this been my whole life?" Yeah.
Scott Eckart (14:35):
But you're working, you're doing something else. And were you kind of like crazy old man or was this like, what were you thinking?
David Ferree (14:43):
I mean, I knew how much of a good idea was because I hated my belt and my belt was hideous. I actually, I have it on the wall behind me. I don't know if you can see, but it has five holes that I made all of my own holes and it was hideous. I had trimmed the end because it was too long after I made my own holes. And I knew that, okay, this could be something because I knew how much I struggled with belts. Even as a young man, I had hated belts the whole time because they never fit right. They were never in the right spot. I was always in between holes. It was too tight, it was too loose, and then I would gouge the holes and then they looked tedious. So I knew it was a good idea, but I didn't really like the look of it.
(15:20):
So I wanted to work with the industrial engineer to redesign that and to make it just a sexier buckle and better looking buckle.
Scott Eckart (15:28):
But you have two jobs. You have your day job and you have this job.
David Ferree (15:30):
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I was working full-time because I had to pay the bills and I needed to have a job because this was many, many, many, many years from making us money. Even after we launched, I mean, I still didn't pay myself or get paid for a good probably seven to eight years. I mean, it was a long time that I was just putting this into just putting the work in and hoping that it would pay off. But yeah, it was quite a while before I actually started taking a paycheck.
Scott Eckart (16:04):
Now, is that something that you guys could get a patent for? Was that a thing?
David Ferree (16:08):
That's the first thing that came to mind is, okay, let's try to look into getting a patent on it. And so we spoke with a handful of different patent attorneys, and this particular concept had been used in the open market without a patent. So it's what they call an open market concept, and that's the magnetic mechanism that we use, which we thought is definitely the more superior than a spring loaded that they can tend to break. But those have been used in the market as well. So when we launched ours in 2009, after redesigning some things we didn't like, but yeah, I explored that, but it was an open market concept at that point.
Scott Eckart (16:43):
So along the way, what was your North Star? What were your beliefs? What kind of kept you going? I mean, why didn't you give up?
David Ferree (16:50):
I knew that this was a concept that as long as we could introduce it to people, that they would love it. And so we kept seeing that time and time again. We would show it to somebody, introduce it to them, give them one, and they would fall in love with it. They would rant and rave about how amazing this belt was. And so there kept being proof in that pudding that, okay, these people really like this belt as much as we do, so now we just have to figure out how to tell more people about it. And so that was the hardest thing was just getting the word out because people weren't looking for them. And so it's easy if people are looking for your product and then you can just find out where they're looking. Yeah, but Google wasn't quite the machine it is now with advertising and people weren't searching for this type of belt.
(17:33):
It was called an auto belt in Asia. They also called it a ratchet belt, which both of those I didn't love. And so, but that's what they called them, auto belts, ratchet belts. And so we coined and made the term micro-adjustable belt that was not being used and we ended up getting a trademark on that, but that was not being used at all as far as a term to describe this belt. But we thought it described it perfectly in that it's micro-adjustable, small adjustments to get the perfect fit every time.
Scott Eckart (18:03):
Okay. So one of the things we talk about here on FutureProof are some pivots. So let's go to one of the first big ones and you had to make some decisions, I think about fulfillment and you were internet only, you did not have a storefront, is that right?
David Ferree (18:21):
Yeah. So I mean, I guess the biggest pivot, I think I was working full-time and we had moved to Morehead City where we live now and just got married in 2010 and was working customer service with a wholesale sporting goods retailer here in Morehead City and had moved up within that position and then got a promotion. And then they figured out that actually we don't really need that position because we're doing so well in the international sales that ... So ended up getting laid off. And so that was something that I had wanted. And I told them in my exit interview, I said, "I've been wanting to quit for months." I was like, "I get a severance." And they're like, "Oh yeah." I was like, "This is great." And they were relieved because they really liked me. They didn't want to do it. It wasn't coming from them, but super relieved that I was happy.
(19:05):
I was like, "Look, I'm going to dive headfirst into Anson and not look back." And my wife was like, she kept telling me, "I can't quit and I can't get fired." And I was like, "Perfect. I got laid off." There
Scott Eckart (19:16):
You
David Ferree (19:16):
Go.
Scott Eckart (19:17):
There's a third option here.
David Ferree (19:18):
Yeah. Yeah, there was. That was my opportunity to dive head first and to really take it by the horns and make it my full-time job. That's when we started, we went from doing zero advertising to spending 10 grand a month or so on just radio advertising. And so that was kind of our first dip into advertising and into spending marketing dollars, but I knew we needed to make some way to start bringing in sales because I needed to start making a check, so we had to figure it out.
Scott Eckart (19:51):
So again, any thoughts, advice for folks listening? How do you know when it's time to go all in? You can't serve two masters probably for long, so how bad does the pay need to be before you decide, okay, I'm going to give every moment of my day, of not my tired hours, but my good stuff to my dream.
David Ferree (20:15):
I think once you figure out, okay, can I financially, will I be okay without having that source of income in? If you're going to quit that one job that is bringing home dollars that you're using to pay for bills, and if you take that away, are you still going to be able to pay those bills? So if that's the answer, and if you say, no, there's just no way, then you still need to do it. And so fortunately, I was in the position where my back was against the wall, I didn't have that job that I did, and then it was either, okay, hey, go out and get another job or make this work. And so I think there's different circumstances where you're forced to, your back's against wall and it's either a decision of you can either dive headfirst in or you can go and find another one.
(20:57):
And I chose to take that risk and to dive headfirst in. But I think you have to be smart about it in the sense that you don't want to just quit everything and just say, "Hey, this is going to work." Because if you do have bills to pay, you need to be able to pay them. So I think you do that as long as you can. And then as soon as you are able to take that risk and it's going to be a risk, it's always going to be a risk, but I think that risks are okay and I think that they're necessary in order to truly move forward in life or in business. So once you're comfortable and can financially take care of yourself, I think that's when you do it. And then from there, it's either you always have a backup plan, always have a plan B that, "Hey, if this doesn't work, I'm going to do this and I'm going to hop right back into it.
(21:44):
"
Scott Eckart (21:44):
And probably your truest business partner is Kristen. She had your back.
David Ferree (21:49):
And that's why and how I was able to, fortunately, she was a nurse practitioner, and so she was doing well and it wouldn't have been able to last forever, but it was enough that, okay, you have a few months to figure this out and to make sure. So if you can get that kind of wiggle room and that kind of relief to concentrate on it, then that's going to be your best shot.
Scott Eckart (22:11):
Well, and that's where we have a definite connection. I would never have made it as far as I have without my spouse. There's no me without her
David Ferree (22:19):
100%.
Scott Eckart (22:20):
Yeah.
David Ferree (22:20):
Fortunately, and then I was able to return the favor. She eventually was able to quit that and to stay home with our kids and then to help me with Anson. So it's been great that she's been able to do that. So yeah, it's nice. That's beautiful.
Scott Eckart (22:33):
That's a full circle for sure.
David Ferree (22:35):
It is. It really is.
Scott Eckart (22:36):
So David, you mentioned kind of going all in on the advertising, there was a morning drivetime show that you've ... I don't think they exist anymore, but Armstrong- No, they do. Oh, they do?
David Ferree (22:49):
They do. Yeah, they're syndicated all over the US and certain markets, but yeah.
Scott Eckart (22:54):
Tell us about them. This is definitely pivot number two.
David Ferree (22:57):
Yeah. So we needed to start ... We weren't spending any money on advertising and knew that we needed to get the word out there. And so in my mind, one of the easiest and best ways to reach, at least then, was radio. And they were kind of the influencer marketing before influencer marketing was a thing. And I knew that it needed to be an ad on their show, but a testimonial from them and an endorsement ad from the two guys, Armstrong and Getty. So we had reached out. Long story short, my brother-in-law listened to them and they had mentioned how bad they hated their belts and that they needed some new ones. And so we reached out, sent them some new ones, and then they can't talk about it without being a paid advertiser. So they talked to send advertising with them, and then the rest is history.
(23:46):
But we started weren't spending anything, and then we're spending 10 grand plus a month on advertising, but went from having a couple orders a week to 10 a day, and that was just absolutely crazy and really kickstarted things for us.
Scott Eckart (24:03):
And then let's talk a little bit about e-commerce and how did that go for Anson?
David Ferree (24:09):
Yeah. So one thing that we kept getting funny looks when we would tell people that we're going to start a belt business, and they would ask where we're going to sell them, "Oh, we're going to sell them in Belk or Macy's and no, no, we're going to sell them online." And they were like, "Online." And back then it was like, "I don't trust online. I don't want to give my card my credit credit card." And I'm like, "But you'll give it to a waiter or a waitress and let them walk around the corner doing who knows what with it for 10 minutes." And then people were very hesitant to shopping online, but I knew that that was the future. I knew that that's where things were going, and I felt like that was going to be the best place to put our time and investment.
(24:50):
And I also liked the idea that it never stopped. So we never shut down, it's never closed with the storefront, you have open hours and then you're closed. But with an online business, you can sell all over the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So I thought it was just the greatest thing ever in the future. So we started working with a web designer, not really even designer. It was a guy that knew how to do some code. I mean, it was-
Scott Eckart (25:17):
Thank goodness for him, right? Yeah.
David Ferree (25:19):
Yeah. Yeah. So it was very archaic, but we built the site and then built the cart and launched our website. Actually on my honeymoon, I remember when it went live, we were in Vehicus, Puerto Rico. And Anson Belton Buckle at the time was the full, because that was before you really knew that, okay, you need to make a shorter URL. So it was ansenbeltanbuckle.com, and now it's just Ansonbelt. But yeah, we launched into All My Honeymoon.
Scott Eckart (25:47):
And so now we have another issue, and that is fulfillment. And so I know a lot of people, entrepreneurs, businesses have struggled with, do we go offshore, do we not? Where do we source? And I know that was a journey for you guys. So that was, I think pivot number three was fulfillment, where do we do it, and how do we do it?
David Ferree (26:08):
Definitely. And that would be looking at how do we make this thing? Who's going to manufacture this? Is it going to be made in the US? Is it going to be made overseas and who's going to produce them for us and who is making them? And Asia is really where this idea started, the concept of a ratchet microadjustable holist belt in Asia. So they were making them and they were doing them in high quantity. They were experts at it. They've been doing them for 50 plus years. So we couldn't find anywhere in the US that was making anything like this, or especially that would start with the quantities that we needed because they were very small quantities to start with. So it was hard to find. And really, what we ended up doing is working with a global trade broker to find those factories. So I'm not sure if you're familiar with a global trade broker, but basically they have relationships with factories all over the world in all kinds of different facets.
(27:02):
So whether it's machining or textiles or whatever it may be that they have connections to these factories and/or they speak the language and they can communicate with them easy. So we worked with one of those for a couple years, and that's really how we started because even the things like Alibaba and even the internet of trying to look at a Chinese website back then, I mean, you could have never found the people that are making these things back then. And so we worked with a global tradebroker that connected all that. And that's really our first relationship with factories, but it wasn't great. They were good. The global tradebroker was good, but the factory, we kept having problems. And so there would be issues with shipments for one thing or another. And so when another manufacturer approached us that was selling this style of belt and can make them and offered to send samples, we jumped on it and started that relationship, which ended up being the greatest thing we've done because we're still working with them.
(28:01):
So yeah, that's been good. And I think a lot of companies probably end up like that. They're working with a global trade broker and then they're introduced to factories that find them after they're online and have been selling it for some time.
Scott Eckart (28:14):
And one of the secrets to your success, I think, if I understand, was your profit margin when you could bring fulfillment back. And then you were really able to recoup a lot of that when you guys were able to take control of that, correct? And keep me honest here, and then your profit actually grew, correct?
David Ferree (28:32):
That's in the present right now. So that is happening as we speak in the sense that we just kind of made that move this past summer. But rewinding back to 2014, 15, 16, I'm shipping it out myself and it's getting to be a little bit too much for me. And so we're advertising on the radio, we have a Christmas, Father's Day is always big for us. We have a huge Christmas and I'm like, I can't do this myself anymore. So we were either at a point where we had to get a warehouse and hire employees and have some help. Or I had the idea to use what they call a 3PL or a fulfillment center to do all that shipping for us. So in looking back at it, it was a great move and something I would do again because it allowed me to focus on growing the business.
(29:18):
So they were focused on getting the orders out and I was focused on getting the orders to come in and the customer service. And that's really what I ... I was doing all of that myself. And so it really allowed me to focus on building the business, building the customer service, building the brand, expanding our product categories. But if I was shipping out orders too, I never would've been able to move forward as fast as we'd been.
Scott Eckart (29:43):
Yeah. So effective delegation and understanding part of your unique passion, and we'll get to that in a minute with your focus on customer service because that's definitely paying off. So David, I have a maximm or a phrase that I say to my family business clients and coaching is that Either a family runs the business or the business runs the family. Let's talk about your dad. Let's talk about Frank a little bit. So a lot of families cannot work together. They cannot get in the same room and talk about the weather and not disagree. You have made this work and it's a beautiful story. It's a really lovely thing. Have you and Frank been able to make this work? He's in his 70s now, I guess, right? And you are this CEO and you ask him questions, I understand, and he's still part of things. What are the secrets?
(30:34):
Tell us, how did that work?
David Ferree (30:38):
Gosh, it hasn't been easy, that's for sure. Nothing worthwhile is easy, but it's been fun, but it has been hard. We both have our strengths and we both know what those are in the sense that he trusts me with running the business and the marketing and the moving it forward and the day-to-day. And he has so many years of experience of owning businesses. And that is just worth so much in itself of just having been through a lot in his time of owning a business. So it's always going to be hard, but it's been a lot of fun.
Scott Eckart (31:14):
Good, good. And you have kiddos and families. So how do you do work-life integration? I've stopped talking about work-life balance a long time ago. I prefer the phrase that I learned from a dear friend of mine, work-life integration. What does that look like for you and Kristen? How do you do that?
David Ferree (31:33):
Well, now that she is helping me with the women's line and all of that, she's been amazing. The reason why we've been able to do what we have for all kinds of reasons, but so supportive in everything that we do and knows that when things are really, really busy, that we all jump in and we help. And she's constantly helping, but Christmas we'll have nights where the whole family goes to the warehouse and the kids just hang out and we're boxing up orders. But she knows that this business is our livelihood. And so she's all in on it as well and really enjoys our Anson belt for her side of it and the social media with that and handling all that. So I let her do her thing there and she's supportive of me in any way that I need for this side. So yeah, it's a good balance.
(32:19):
I think that we all know what our strengths are and even weaknesses and help each other with what we need, but we all kind of bring our own piece of the pie to that to make it old.
Scott Eckart (32:32):
And two best friends, I think, are part of the business. Tell me about that.
David Ferree (32:37):
Yeah. So John and Kenny, John, I've known them both practically my whole life. Kenny, I was in first grade with, and John was a fourth, fifth split with him. And we went to a K through 12th school. It was a pretty small, tight-knit community up in the mountains of North Carolina. But I knew that John was the first that I brought on and I knew that when I started needing some help. And I think we had even joked back in the day when we were kids that, hey, if one of us makes it, we got to bring each other along.
Scott Eckart (33:07):
So what does John have that you don't and vice versa? Why does that work? Oh
David Ferree (33:11):
Man, he's one of the hardest working guys I've ever met. And that comes from his family. And having grown up on a farm and he was getting picked up on weekends at my house after staying the night and he goes to work in the picking cabbage and while we're still sitting down there sleeping. But yeah, he's a incredibly hardworking guy that I could not do what we do without him. He is my right hand. And so he's just a incredibly hardworking individual. So it's hard to explain. Yeah. And Kenny is amazing. He's like I said, we've been in school with Kenny since first grade, one of my best friends, and he has just amazing talent for customer service. And that's what he's doing now. He was working with Costco back before I hired him and was just excelling at that. And if you know anything about Costco and their level of customer service, and he was one of those guys on the floor that was talking to people and greeting, and he was just a people person.
(34:10):
And so he can talk to anybody and he's just really good with people. So I knew that he would excel at that role and he really has and has really taken that on and under his wing. So he handles a lot of our customer service. We have some help with that, but he does a lot.
Scott Eckart (34:25):
Well, another kind of a fun kindred spirit thing here is that my wife has a very dear friend from kindergarten, first grade that she was just talking to the other day. And I do as well. We're not in business together, but we were just kind of remarking that how many people actually have somebody from first grade that they know. And my friend from first grade, we were laughing about doing a podcast about what we were like in first grade and how hilarious that would be. And we know way too many stories about each other, so I'm just going to leave it there. We're not going to go there. So David, there are four stages of every business. So you have startup, you have growth, you have maturity, and then you have exit into the horizon. So you've made it through startup. Your growth curve is doing quite well and you're heading into maturity.
(35:13):
So as you are coming up over the next hill, a question I love to ask business owners is, what are you most excited about now? Because you've been through some amazing things. You've fallen, you've gotten back up, you've recovered, you've bloodied your knees, you've lived to tell about it. What are you most excited about?
David Ferree (35:34):
The biggest thing is, you touched on, but I haven't spoken to only much, but are you bringing fulfillment in- house? So for many years, we had had a 3PL doing all of our fulfillment, and this past summer we brought that in- house. And so it's a whole new turn to the business and a whole new page or chapter or whatever you want to call it. But going from it just being my father and I and my wife and a family business and then my two best friends, and that was pretty much it. I mean, I had lots of great partners that I worked with, but as far as employees, that was it. And then now bringing on full-time employees that are working with us day-to-day and becoming family and building that culture and just building that family. And that's exciting to me because it's totally new and it's something that I'm still learning and still trying to figure out how to navigate and how to do it.
(36:26):
But it's a lot of fun. And I think that it has even more potential to make this more fulfilling and being able to have people that enjoy their job and enjoy coming to work and they're also making a living. And I think that's awesome too. If you actually like your job, then that's pretty cool. And there's not a lot of people that they can say that they do. So if I can provide a place like that, that people like to come to work, they like their job, then that's pretty cool. So that's exciting for me.
Scott Eckart (36:55):
Yeah, it's a gift. Well, that's great. And so one of the things that you mentioned that you do really, really well that I want to make sure people know about is, so I have one of your belts here. It's very nice though.
David Ferree (37:10):
So this is-
Scott Eckart (37:11):
Traditionally gun metal.
David Ferree (37:12):
Yeah.
Scott Eckart (37:12):
Yeah, this is my dress version I have. Yeah, that's the
David Ferree (37:15):
Croc Ufalo.
Scott Eckart (37:16):
The Crocket
David Ferree (37:17):
Island Boston Buffalo
Scott Eckart (37:18):
Litter. Okay.
David Ferree (37:19):
Beautiful.
Scott Eckart (37:20):
So I think it's worthwhile telling people how I have this because I love this story, but I do have a question for you. So have you read the book, Unreasonable Hospitality?
David Ferree (37:32):
No, I haven't. Okay. No,
Scott Eckart (37:34):
I'll definitely
David Ferree (37:34):
Write
Scott Eckart (37:35):
It down. Well, I thought maybe you had because of the way you treat people, and the subtext is the power of giving people more than they expect. So this is the story of David Free and Anson Belts. Okay, so here we go. So I had been on a weight loss journey and lost a fair bit of weight. And one of the things that happens is that your belts don't fit anymore. And when you move them down and the wear spot, as you had mentioned, looks kind of bad. And I had put an extra hole in it and that looked kind of terrible. And as the Instagram ears work, it ear thing, and somehow, David, I don't know how the internet works, this belt showed up on my feed. I still don't know how this happened. I think I do now because you guys work with men's fashion's influencer, which is very smart on your part.
(38:35):
Anyway, so I'm looking at your stuff and I'm like, it's a cool belt, great price point, but I'm a little leery because I'm like, well, maybe it comes from overseas and it's never going to get here because I have ordered stuff that never arrives. So I'm like, I look at your stuff and it's a pretty cool website and I get two things and I bought the hangar too because you have this really cool hangar deal. So I get my belts, they're packaged beautifully. They come and I show my wife and I cut them and I measure and they click, click, click, right and they fit perfectly. So then I get as a part of your regular routine, I get an email from customer service except for the fact that your name is on it and it says, "If you are not satisfied or if you have any feedback for us, please call me directly, David." And you said in your story, "We're a family owned business and your number." And I'm like, "This can't be real." I am bold enough and I'm like, "I'm calling this guy." Some man answered, which of course was you, and it was your voicemail and said, "I'm just probably out in the warehouse, but I will call you back." And so I left a message and I said, "This is Scott and I'm a satisfied customer.
(39:59):
Love your product and I just wanted you to know that, but I'm intrigued by your story and I love family business and I have this little show and whatever, and I'd love to talk to you about it. " And I thought, "I'll never hear from this guy." But it's a nice little marketing thing. So I'm driving home from the office and I don't know when you call me six, six, whatever, 6:30. And I'm driving home, my phone rings and it's some North Carolina number. And I'm like, "What are the chances that it's this guy?" And it was you. And you said, "Hi, this is David Free, CEO of Anson Belts." I about ran off the road. I'm not kidding you. Okay? I was on 465 and I said, "I got your message. Sorry, I'm just now calling you back." It was only three hours later, same day.
(40:49):
And we had the most amazing conversation and I said, "David," I said, "I have to tell you, I am really amazed and impressed and I love your product and I told you my story and you listened and you were kind and you're the real deal."
David Ferree (41:09):
Well, I appreciate that. Thank you. Customer service has been one of the reasons why we've had the success that we have. It's I've made those phone calls for 17 years. My dad would answer them early, early on. He would have the phone and he would answer at the wildest times at night. It'd be 11 o'clock at night. Someone would call an Anson Belt and Buckle and he would answer and sometimes they would be surprised, sometimes they wouldn't, but he'd love to do it. And then eventually it got to be too much. He was just like, there was too much going on with changing orders and doing things. He's like, "I'm going to pass it off to you. " So he did. But I've done it for a long time. And I love building that relationship with the customer because as an online business, you don't get the chance to speak with your customers.
(41:55):
You never know them, you never meet them. So anytime I can speak with my customer through the phone and help them out and I can do anything for them. I can send them a new belt, I can issue a refund right away if anyone's not happy, I can do anything. So I still enjoy that.
Scott Eckart (42:09):
Well, you have a customer for life in me. Well, thank
David Ferree (42:11):
You. Thank
Scott Eckart (42:12):
You. And you do have a great product and I don't mind telling anybody who asks. Oh,
David Ferree (42:18):
I appreciate it.
Scott Eckart (42:18):
That's great. Yeah. So as we wrap up today, is there anything else that you want entrepreneurs to think about, to know, to remember? What words of great wisdom do you have or encouragement for folks?
David Ferree (42:33):
I just saw a guy that I have a lot of respect for, and he's just locally, but he's one of the most creative guys that I've ... And since I've known him, started five or six, seven businesses, just a business making machine. And this guy is constantly doing something new, something creative, something awesome. And he was just talking about how take that risk. Business is all about risk and take that jump, take that leap and take that risk because otherwise it's not going to meaningfully move forward without a little bit of risk. So it's going to be scary. And if you always wait for the right time or if you're always waiting, and like I mentioned earlier, obviously be smart about it in the sense that you can't just fall flat on your bills and not be able to pay rent, but take the risk to give it a try because otherwise it's never going to happen.
(43:22):
So if somebody's thinking about that idea and just move forward and you can even do it a little slow and just kind of be constantly moving it forward.
Scott Eckart (43:30):
Fantastic. Well, I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your very busy day to hop on Future Proof. And I hope people will check you guys out. I know that men's influencers have been talking about you guys and you have such a great product and people look at that and wish you all the best. Awesome. And I hope we can actually meet someday. Yeah, absolutely. Loves out in Durham area. Going down a bit to the
David Ferree (43:59):
Coast. Yeah.
Scott Eckart (44:00):
Yeah. Going
David Ferree (44:01):
Down to North Carolina.
Scott Eckart (44:02):
Yeah, for sure. So anyway, so remember, the future is bright and just keep at it and thank you again for your time. We appreciate you.
David Ferree (44:09):
Absolutely. Thank you for having me, Scott. Really appreciate it.
Scott Eckart (44:12):
During my conversation with David today, there are three key points that I really want to highlight. Number one, use a big mouth. If people aren't looking for your product or service, have a big mouth, show or tell them where it is and how to get it. Number two, play the long game. There are no get rich quick schemes. Do the hard work and have the courage to make the needed changes along the way to ensure your success. And number three, practice unreasonable hospitality. Give people more than they expect. Surprise and delight them, and you will have a customer for life. Head to the show notes of this episode to find links to connect with David and Anson Belt. And remember, the future is bright. I'll see you next time. Thank you for listening today. If you like what you've heard, please join us in the Velocity Network and sign up at www.velocoaches.com, which is a gathering of entrepreneurs, business owners, and people who desire to learn more about running and owning a business.
(45:26):
Also, you can subscribe to FutureProof on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.