Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore, shares his inspiring journey of taking on sportswear titans Nike and Adidas. He reveals the innovative strategies that helped Castore rise in nine short years and how he secured tennis star Andy Murray as a brand ambassador. Tom discusses the challenges of building a brand from scratch, navigating sports sponsorships, and adapting to market dynamics post-COVID. His insights into resilience, authenticity, and the importance of storytelling in business make for an engaging conversation in the competitive sports industry.
01:11:50
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Finding the Gap
Castore saw opportunity in a market others deemed impossible, challenging Nike and Adidas.
They recognized that the giants couldn't serve every sports team well, creating a niche.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Humble Beginnings
Tom Beahon and his brother started Castore with £25,000 and no experience.
Ignorance and passion drove them; they didn't know any better, so they just went for it.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Castore's Origin Story
Castore's name comes from Greek mythology, symbolizing their challenge against the giants.
Initially, they hustled, sending personal emails to every customer and partnering with gyms like Equinox.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'Only the Paranoid Survive', Andrew S. Grove discusses the concept of 'Strategic Inflection Points' – moments when the balance of forces shifts significantly, requiring businesses to adapt rapidly to survive. Grove draws from his experiences at Intel, including the transition from memory chips to microprocessors and the handling of the Pentium flaw, to illustrate how these inflection points can be managed to emerge stronger. The book emphasizes the importance of constant vigilance, experimentation, and decisive leadership in navigating these critical moments of change.
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight
Shoe Dog is a memoir that chronicles the journey of Phil Knight as he builds Nike from its humble beginnings as Blue Ribbon Sports. The book is a personal and detailed account of Knight's experiences, from his early days selling Japanese running shoes out of the trunk of his car to the global brand Nike is today. It highlights his relentless work ethic, the challenges he faced, and the key relationships with his partners and employees that were crucial to the company's success. The memoir also touches on Knight's personal life, including his family and the emotional struggles he encountered along the way[1][3][4].
Tom Beahon, the co-founder of Castore, reveals how he took on global giants Nike and Adidas—and won—in just 9 years.
Tom takes us behind the scenes of Castore’s rise, revealing what really goes on in the world of sports sponsorship deals and how he navigated a highly competitive industry.
He also tells the fascinating story of how he convinced tennis legend Andy Murray to sign with Castore over more established brands, even when no one had heard of them. From the challenges of building a brand from scratch to competing with the biggest names in sportswear, Tom offers invaluable insights into the mindset and strategies that made Castore a major player in the industry.
Secret Leaders 
