Humble Beginnings Are a Launch Pad with Robert Vaughn

Robert Vaughn bootstrapped a pottery brand out of a 1950s garage to 1,000 retailers, then sold it. Here are his 13 optimistic notes.   Robert came in with thirteen written notes, and his reason for writing them is the episode's point. Most business podcast guests work at large, impressive companies, and if you are a small business owner or an employee, a lot of those lessons are not relevant to you. So he started at 11 and 12 years old, buying and selling on eBay before he had a debit card, handing cash to his 18-year-old football coach so the coach could run it through PayPal. He talks about bobblehead night at Angel Stadium, walking the concourse picking up the ones people left on counters, then standing near the exit offering $5 for a bobblehead he knew he could sell for 30. Adults kept showing up to Craigslist meetups asking for Robert Vaughn, expecting a 40-year-old. Then it gets into the businesses. Signing up as a dog walker on Rover for $15 a walk on his lunch break. Buying two rental properties in Bakersfield with a friend because the agent told them straight up, you guys are going to be slumlords. Starting a pottery company with his now wife with $1,000, a $250 Chromebook that couldn't run Excel, and a garage built in the 1950s that became their office and their warehouse. Their first sale arrived, in the customer's words, blown to smithereens, and that kept happening for six months until they got the damage rate under half a percent. That business ended with 17 employees and over 1,000 independent retailers, and they sold it in two pieces. He is honest about the year it closed: his dad died, his son was born four months later, and they accepted the offer the week after that. 1. Who is Robert Vaughn? He is the founder of a home decor brand and of Brand Launchpad, a boutique management consulting firm, and he has worked at six startups and six other small to mid-sized businesses with two exits. 2. What business did he build and sell?  A pottery and home decor company he started with his wife in February 2018 out of a one-bedroom apartment garage, which grew to 17 employees and over 1,000 independent retailers before selling in two pieces at the end of 2021 and mid 2022.  3. What are his 13 optimistic notes? They are the notes he wrote for this episode, covering genuine interest, humble beginnings, being a first timer, learning from others, the rewards of ownership, endless opportunities, selling great products, working with people you like, headwinds and tailwinds, business agency, presentation and perception, relationships, owning your success, and building a dream life. 4. What does Brand Launchpad do? It is his consulting firm, founded in early 2023, that works with startups through mid-sized companies at four inflection points: starting up, aggressive growth, turnarounds, and buying or selling a business. 5. How do you get in touch with Robert? He gives his email in the episode, [email protected] and his website is brandlp.com.  Where to find Robert Vaughn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertvaughn2/ Where to find Spread The Positive? Socials  https://www.facebook.com/spreadthepositive.net https://www.instagram.com/spreadthepositive/   Website:  https://www.spreadthepositive.net/