Today BRUNT is celebrating its birthday. Exactly 5 years ago we shipped our first pair of boots to a paying customer. A lot has happened since then, and I’ve learned more from building BRUNT these past few years than I did my entire life spent in a classroom. Partially because my capacity to focus in school was damn near zero, and also because it’s when you take a leap without having everything figured out thats when you really learn to fly. So today, as I look back on everything the team and I have built together, I wanted to share what I think could be the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from this experience that has enabled us to create a brand that is completely disrupting an entire category: 1. Invest in your brand - when you set out to build a brand, dig deep inside of yourself to figure out what your true mission and purpose are. Don’t just hire an agency to come up with some cool colors and logo options - do that later. At the start, truly find your “why.” If that idea wakes you up every day then you’ve got something. If it gets other people excited to join you on the journey, then you’ve got something special. If it excites your customers to support you and your business, then you’ve got a brand. Brand is what you stand for at your core. It’s the purpose and personality of the business, and I’ve learned you either have that or you don’t.  2. Invest in your product - obsess over every stitch, every eyelet, every zipper and wash tag. While not every customer will notice the obsessive attention to detail, it shows your team how much you care about the product, and in turn they will put even more time and attention into what they bring to life. Your product is literally the physical representation of your brand. It shows your customers what you stand for, what you believe in and care about, and ultimately who you are. Most people from the industry say “product is king,” because in the end, it really is…(continued in comments)