Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Miller.
Justin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey began with a simple idea… one day I was staring at a new pair of Vans slip ons that I had recently purchased and thought to myself “these would look really dope with my dogs on them” so I grabbed my markers and paint and voila! My first pair of #JustFurKicks was born. I posted them on Instagram and immediately had folks messaging me asking where I got them… that was the light bulb moment. Since then, I’ve designed over 300 pairs of shoes for animal loves around the world from celebrities to people memorializing a pet that’s passed to folks to who simply want to walk around all day with their best friend. Each pair has its own unique story and each pair is made to order.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road hasn’t been the smoothest but it’s been A LOT of fun! The concept started as a hobby but then the floodgates opened (I had a large account on Instagram share a pair I made for him and my account went wild!) I wasn’t set up to scale – keep in mind it’s JUST me and my art supplies, so scaling this is nearly impossible. In addition, I had to follow all of the steps to set this up as a proper business – hire a bookkeeper and an accountant, ya know. 🙂
The biggest challenge is meeting the demand and ensuring that each and every pair exceeds the expectation of the client.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I make custom, one of a kind, shoes featuring YOUR pet! I’m most proud of the charity work I’ve been able to offer as a result of this business – specifically in the world of dog/pet rescue. Last year alone, I was able to donate over $10K from shoes I created. That in itself has been an incredible reward.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck always plays a role in any business. I don’t believe you can succeed without at least a little, right? The luck with mine was having the right person at the right time order a pair and then post my creation to their hundreds of thousands of followers – that truly kickstarted my business.
Pricing:
- My custom shoes start at $250/pair which covers shoes+art+US shipping
Contact Info:
- Website: instagram.com/imjustinmiller
- Email: imjustinmiller@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ImJustinMiller
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