Trying to achieve perfection is usually a recipe for disaster. Living Adventurously 23

Brant Richards is the Co-Founder of HebTroCo which smashed Kickstarter funding targets and grew into a Made In Britain menswear brand from the ground up.
Brant Richards is the Co-Founder of HebTroCo which smashed Kickstarter funding targets and grew into a Made In Britain menswear brand from the ground up.
With a career path started from rummaging in the garage, through writing in back bedrooms, editing and launching national magazines, to leading the design team for a leading global bike brand, Brant's CV is as intriguing and meandering as our conversation (which took place, for a reason I forget, on his kitchen floor following a run through the local beech wood).
Shadowing founders and giving direction and assistance, working from "three blokes in a shed" to staff of over 150, from napkin drawings to Far Eastern sourcing and manufacturer inspections: Brant has done it all.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIVING ADVENTUROUSLY PODCAST

(It’s completely free, zero hassle to do (click here), but really helpful for me trying to get a new podcast off the ground. If you’re feeling extra kind, please leave a review on the app – that really helps.)
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn (“Alexa, please play the Living Adventurously podcast”) or on your favourite podcast platform such as Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Castro.

SHOW NOTES

  • If you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a coffee here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreys
  • Keep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/more/subscribe
  • Say hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreys
  • @shedfire 
  • @hebtroco
  • @ononebikes
  • @planetxbikes
  • I became a journalist by writing to a magazine and telling them their bike reviews weren't very good. 
  • I try to go into things with an open mind and goodwill
  • Poacher turned gamekeeper - I used to review bikes, then started making them
  • Holding off and trying to achieve perfection is usually a recipe for disaster
  • At some point you need to start selling things, so you need to get the product out there
  • Sell things for more than they cost you, and plough the money back in again
  • I always try to work with people who are really good at what they do
  • Make your stuff different to make them stand out and give them some personality
  • Quite happy to begin things he has not really done before
  • Cashflow is a crucial thing to monitor when you are starting a business.
  • I like selling things that people think are fun or nice or good value
  • When you design bikes it's hard to go for a ride without constantly thinking about bikes. Running was a pleasingly simple counter to that.
  • I run for health, to destress, to fight off the dad bod (I like beer and curry)
  • Not having a job contract and not having a pension feels like living adventurously!
  • Oblique Strategies - cards and app
  • All Quiet on the Orient Express

THIS PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY KOMOOT

Your very own outdoor experiences are waiting for you. Go explore more with komoot. Use the voucher code ADVENTUROUS to claim your free region maps bundle.
The personalised planning and navigation tools ensure you plan the adventure that’s perfect for you. Komoot is Europe’s number 1 outdoor app, with route planning and navigation functionality, and strong community-driven inspirational features in the form of recommended Highlights and inspirational route Collections. It is used by nearly 10 million adventurers worldwide. Komoot is becoming the app of choice for cyclists and hikers the world over, with rapid community growth in the UK, the US and other parts of Europe.
You can see my ride’s route on komoot here.

★ Support this podcast ★

Join our newsletter

checkmark Got it. You're on the list!
© 2019 Alastair Humphreys