Summary
Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast!
Beau & Kourtney Barrett, Founders of JUNK Brands, join the Startup Junkies Podcast for episode 274. Beau and Kourtney detail the start of JUNK Brands, and how it grew to become the nationally recognized headband company that it is today. They discuss the importance of listening to the market and providing customers with authentic products that leave them coming back for more. Beau and Kourtney also explore the subculture that helped them scale, and how to use your community as leverage to keep growing. They are huge advocates for the entrepreneurial community here in Northwest Arkansas, and we cap off the discussion talking about what new venture is brewing in the Barrett family, and the “What’s Next!?” question that they have been asked a thousand times. Enjoy!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(1:34) Introducing Kourtney and Beau Barrett
(1:54) It all starts with chickens.
(6:09) …But How did it turn into headbands?
(11:16) Branding “JUNK”
(12:54) Living the Entrepreneurial Dream
(15:32) Scaling and selling in the early stages.
(23:50) The good, bad, and the ugly
(36:52) Advice on Starting Up
(38:38) Wrap Up
Links
Michael Iseman
Quotes
“As we thought through it [branding the headbands as JUNK] the more we really liked it. That the brand didn’t take itself too seriously, that it was fun, that it was high quality and just kind of represented our attitude about the whole thing.”
(11:56) – Kourtney Barrett
“When you first create a product, when somebody authentically buys that product, who is not your mom, your brother, or somebody that you know is doing it out of obligation… That is all an entrepreneur needs to fuel the fire.”
(14:14) – Beau Barrett
“Finding the subcultures where you can become relevant and grow organically (especially in apparel) is super important.”
(23:21) – Beau Barrett
JUNK It Up with Kourtney and Beau Barrett
“I think one of the most satisfying feelings in the world is seeing someone you don’t know with your product on, enjoying it, unexpected.”
(13:19) – Kourtney Barrett
From chicken coops to one of the most well-known headband brands, Kourtney and Beau Barrett take us on the wild ride of their entrepreneurial journey in this broadcasted episode.
You have probably heard of the brand JUNK, and if you had not, you now probably know why people have a bumper sticker on with that word. To get to that point, we have to look back to the 2010s when Kourtney and Beau were in the business of chicken coops. The startup blood was always in Beau and Kourtney’s veins, which granted them to explore many ideas and opportunities before landing on JUNK headbands. One of them being a backyard urban farming concept. Thus, the chicken coop.
Simultaneously, the JUNK headband was being sold at stores around Northwest Arkansas, including Fat Tire, Lewis and Clark, Rush Running, and a few small business events. Their time and energy were mainly going to the chicken coops, and when they started selling through Amazon, this expanded their reach far outside of NWA and up to the Northeast. After shipping costs determined them, they took the opportunity to travel cross country. The idea was to bring the headbands along to meet potential new customers, but they had no idea what would be in store for that side project.
Rewinding a bit further, we asked Kourtney how the headband truly began. As an active person, loving CrossFit and other activities, she wanted to have a piece of fabric that held back her hair like the typical headband but that was comfortable and practical for exercise. She actually was not using a sewing machine at the time and just folded and cut up the material that she found the most comfortable. She lovingly would refer to it as “junk” when looking for it around the house, and the branding had begun. Before the idea of creating it for others was even on their minds, they would often be stopped by friends and strangers alike about the origin of the headband, where to find it, and if they could buy it off her head. Then, like any promising entrepreneurs, they leaped and began to monetize it, even though they had many other projects going on.
Back to the chicken coops, they were in the Northeast with a batch of coops and a batch of headbands and found that the headbands had far outsold the coops. Though the time and joy of backyard farming had been their original venture, they decided they needed to give the people what they wanted. Diving headfirst into a clothing and retail business was new territory, but the key things they relied on were quality and authenticity.
Moving from concept to sales was all about customer interactions. Just as the idea finally happened after enough engagement with potential clients, they moved the product into arenas of interested people. CrossFit was indeed the catalyst of interest. Beau and Kourtney both enjoyed the workout and knew the owner of one of the gyms at the time, so they began bringing the headbands to competitions.
“People like a story and people like to feel like they’re being a part of something.”
(16:03) Beau Barrett
By authentically retelling the story of the headband creation, they not only got customers who wanted it but customers who related to it. The headband was made out of a need, and they were sold to meet that need. Then as new designs, sizes, and fabric were being asked for, that pushed their scaling and selling rather than just the monetization.
As they made the product, heard the raving feedback, they both believed that they not only made a great product but made the best one on the market.
Another catalyst to their brand came when they had to say no to their first ample opportunity. In the beginning, they were sewing and using heat transfer to put on the branding name. It was tedious but worked. Upon being asked to create a large order for a massive marathon, they had to say no. It was impossible, they both concluded. Rather than believing their brand would stay small, they used that experience to research what technology they could employ to never say no to an opportunity like that again.
With technology and a process that could create larger orders, CrossFit helping them find what it is like to sell to a niche authentically, they began to push their product more and more. Whether it was finding subcultures, telling their story, or letting word of mouth do the hard work, they watched JUNK become a known and beloved brand not just in Arkansas but across the country.
Now, as empty nesters, when it comes to both the JUNK headbands and chicken coops, they realized the same thing that most successful entrepreneurs do… that they have to start again. Keep up with Beau and Kourtney, and you will be keeping up with a slew of new ideas, products, and services that are shaking up the market. We loved having them on the show back in 2018 and had to share this story again just in time for the holidays.
“We came to the conclusion, you know, we’re born to be on the racetrack. We’re going to do something again.”
(30:11) – Beau Barrett
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