Ep170 - The Snowys Story with Richard Wescombe

From shearing sheep and dishing pizza to doorsteps, to shepherding outdoor adventurers with the right gear, get-up, and guidance…Ben unlocks the rich, robust, entrepreneurial past of Snowys Outdoors founder Richard Wescombe, from his humble beginnings to today’s outdoor retail royalty. Richard’s early ventures with Dial-A-Dino’s pizza delivery service, Stanford Mowers, and Ring-A-Ling Brothers Chinese food together built the solid foundation of experience and know-how to found his proudest establishment and asset to every Aussie adventurer – Snowys Outdoors.From the inspiration behind the Snowys brand to the art of building a team that sticks around, Richard tells a story of true grit, Aussie wit, and team spirit, underpinned by his all-too authentic passion for people. Tune in for a feel-good, warm-and-fuzzy discussion about a business driven not by dollars and cents, but customer service, collaboration, and connection. Shortcuts:00:00 – Intro00:31 – Introducing Founder of Snowys Outdoors, Richard Wescombe02:12 – From Humble Beginnings on a Sheep Farm05:19 – Richard’s Business Portfolio06:06 – Dial-A Dino’s08:54 – Remembering Greg09:58 – Stanford Mowers10:46 – Ring-A-Ling Brothers12:04 – Building the Snowys Brand: The Inspiration, Name, and Logo16:01 – The Adelaide Market in 199518:15 – Richard’s Approach to Choosing the Right Team19:59 – The Evolution of Snowys’ Advertising21:51 – Ben: A Snowys Asset!24:56 – ‘Build Your Own Brand’: Richard’s Philosophy on Fostering Employee Growth25:52 – Branding Strategies27:55 – Snowys Brand Values: the ‘Why’ Behind the Business29:18 – Growing the Snowys’ Web Business and E-Commerce34:45 – Challenges and Set Backs40:27 – Business Expansion43:46 – Opening the Snowys Stores47:28 – The ‘Leaner’ Team of Today: Efficient, Committed, and Multi-Skilled49:09 – Phasing Out Footwear and Apparel52:58 – Doubling Down on Snowys Principles55:20 – The Feathers in Ben’s Cap56:11 – Running a Family Business01:00:15 – Richard’s Dreams for Snowys Outdoors01:04:05 – Summary  Join the conversation over on our Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/snowysHead to snowys.com.au for all your gear needs:https://www.snowys.com.au