Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Yates and Josh Florence.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
BY – I was ready for a change after 12 years at a previous company. The plan was to take four months off and just enjoy being a dad and husband that wasn’t on the road every week. Right before I left, I had a conversation with Josh Florence about the decision and told him about my plans or lack thereof. He mentioned feeling the same way and wanting to go in a different direction with his career as well. In that conversation, Josh mentioned a thought he had had of starting a brand called Outside Texas, all about getting back to nature and create some cool apparel to compliment the mission. That sat heavily in my head and the next day wrote him an email with a million thoughts. We sat down a few days later for lunch to discuss some ideas, and we were off. After a few months of design work, sourcing materials, finding a local screen printer, building a website, etc., we ended up launching in Oct 2019.
JF – After working as a small business owner for 15 years in the restaurant/bar/festival world, I, too, like Brandon, was ready for a change. I wanted to create something that would make me jump out of bed in the morning. In my personal time, I love to hike, bike, camp, climb and paddle. It’s good for my soul. It centers me. And for me personally, I feel a greater connection to God when I’m surrounded by nature. I wanted to create a concept that would center my focus on those things that I loved. So, Outside, Texas was conceived. But it wasn’t truly born until Brandon came on board. Once he and I got together and I saw how much the concept resonated with him, we were off to the races.
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?
BY – While we were trying to find our groove with e-commerce, vendors, pop-ups, fulfillment, we were also trying to build a growth strategy. Like many startups, this can be quite the balancing act, especially for a couple of dudes who were just dipping their toes into the apparel world. We were able to keep our heads down and plow through the holidays. Once January hit, sales dropped dramatically. We weren’t sure if we had broken something or what had happened. Then towards the end of January, things started to pick back up. We procured a spot at the Dallas Farmers Market every weekend to get in front of people and talk about our brand and mission and sell some goods. We felt like we were just starting to turn a corner, then like the rest of the world, everything shut down due to COVID -19.
It was also a very strange time to be a company that celebrates getting outdoors and enjoying what it has to offer for us, but the government is telling you to stay inside, the parks were shut down as well. We knew we didn’t want to push any direction that was against those ordinances, so we just starting celebrating our customers and our products through a series on Instagram named “People of Outside, Texas.” We felt like we were back to building a community again, then sales stared coming back and restrictions started lightening up a bit. So, in September, we were back in action at the Dallas Farmers Market and the reception has been overwhelming. We are so proud to be able to talk to people in person (socially distant with a mask on, of course) again.
JF – There have been tons of challenges but nothing we haven’t been able to overcome yet… including a worldwide pandemic. We have to learn an entirely new industry, which has been both daunting and a ton of fun.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Outside, Texas – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
BY – Outside, Texas is a brand that celebrates the outdoors, specifically in Texas. We want people to get up and get outside when they can. If you are an adult that used to be active or used to get dragged inside when it started to get dark out, then let’s find a way to get you back to it. If you are a parent, kid or adult who spends too much time online or staring at your device, then put it down and get outside when possible. We aren’t saying that you need to abandon those things, just be aware of it and try to get some fresh air in those lungs when you can. Whether its hiking, biking, camping, climbing, paddling or just a walk around the neighborhood, if that’s all you can do, then do it! When we started, we knew we wanted to have a giveback to our customers that was parallel to this mission. We settled on giving away an annual Texas State Parks Pass each month to a random customer. We hope to double, triple, etc. this effort as we grow.
JF – Ultimately, we want to inspire the people of Texas to hike, bike, camp, climb, paddle and preserver all the great places this state has to offer. And we’ll help you look good while doing so in your Outside, Texas gear.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
BY – We want to continue to build out our e-commerce platform while growing our market pop-ups around the state. We are currently in the process of hiring someone to run the Dallas market so we can hit the road and start growing our other major markets in Texas. We’d love to have a retail location in the near future, but we’d really like to spread the word by growing our presence in other cities first. It’s such an honor and a blessing to be able to talk with people about your brand and mission on a daily basis. We are all in and hoping to make Outside, Texas, a true homegrown startup success that we know it can be.
JF – At some point, we would like to incorporate more of an education arm to the business as well to be a hub for information where people can come and find out about all the great places to enjoy Outside, Texas.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.outsidetexas.com
- Email: info@outsidetexas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outside_texas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outsidetexas/
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