You can brand—it’s within you! January 11, 2010

Friday, January 8th, 2010
by Joe

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So you think you can’t brand your own business or venture idea? I would like to tell you the story of Michelle Juza whose vision I believe is going to generate throngs of adoring fans.  I met Michelle and her husband, Tom, just before the holidays. They called me because they developed a footwear product called “Okobos” and were struggling to create awareness.

I asked Michelle about the journey of starting from scratch and getting to this point with product in-hand and ready to sell.

What I heard blew me away. Michelle painted me a picture of her vision, which was to create a product that would benefit charities of the purchaser’s choice. “Huh?” I thought. “Walk with a purpose!” is the slogan she came up with and is completely fitting for this brand. Michelle’s vision was so deep and yet detailed that our team was totally blown away. She has a 40,000-foot high view of the Okobos brand. It’s inspiring! She can give you compelling, meticulous explanations as to why she chose the stitching pattern on the sandals.

She and Tom have even had pictures taken with major celebrities and their product. I thought, How did they do that?  The answer was simple: They called and reached out! Can you imagine! They took action and got it done.

They have been asked to bring some Okobos shoes as gifts for the stars at this week’s Golden Globe event in LA. Unbelievable! It didn’t take a high-powered agency to create this opportunity. It just took their passion and fearless action.

It’s true we’re helping Michelle with her vision to make people aware that they can purchase a pair of Okobos and help a charity of their choice at the same time—now that is “Walking with a purpose!”

Creating product from scratch certainly does require financial resources. However, picturing the brand and bringing the story to life through detailed description can only be accomplished by its creator. So, Michelle is a perfect example of an entrepreneur who leads with purpose … the money will follow.