Can Plant-Based Cowboy Boots Compete With Leather? With Kristen Decker of Desert Bloom

What happens when you take on a product category that has relied on the same material for generations, and decide to reinvent it?Kristen Decker, Founder and CEO of Desert Bloom, is doing exactly that with one of the most iconic pieces of western wear: the cowboy boot. But Kristen isn't interested in creating an alternative that consumers choose simply because it aligns with their values. She's building a boot designed to compete on comfort, durability, performance, and style, too.In this episode, Kristen joins Brieanah and Johanna to talk about what it actually takes to bring an innovative physical product to market and challenge the expectations of a deeply traditional industry.Together, they dig into the realities of developing a product that didn't exist, finding and working with new materials, identifying the right customer, and navigating skepticism. Kristen even shares what she's learned about wearing all the hats as a startup founder, the moments that made her question whether to keep going, and how her definition of success has evolved as Desert Bloom has grown.Whether you're developing a physical product, building a purpose-driven brand, or trying to change the way business is done, this conversation is a look behind the scenes at what it takes to turn a better idea into a real company.Enjoying the show? Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with another vegan entrepreneur who has an idea for doing things differently. Sometimes innovation starts with simply asking, Why does it have to be done this way?Want to be interviewed? Send us an email, [email protected]! We’d love to chat with you.