520: How An Elite Footballer Built A Billion Dollar Sneaker Brand | Tim Brown [VIDEO]

DTC brands have had it hard. But AllBirds co-founder Tim Brown doesn’t care. For him, his business isn’t about labels, trends, or headlines—it’s about striving toward a mission that took seven years to develop. In this episode, Nathan Chan chats to Brown about what gave him the confidence to take on the uber-competitive shoe industry and how the brand plans to bounce back after a challenging year.

In this interview, you’ll learn: 

• How Brown’s sporting career helped him bring AllBirds to life
• The slow seven years burn of AllBirds as a side hustle 
• How doubt can be an advantage in business 
• Why Kiwi culture keeps Brown grounded
• The benefits of criticism 
• Tackling the competitive shoewear industry 
• Why celebrating the little wins leads to long-term success 
• How Brown’s reacted to recent setbacks at AllBirds 
• Why “DTC” doesn’t matter 
• The best parts of entrepreneurship 
• Why founders need to refresh their vision over time 
• And much more founder and brand advice…



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