Meeting a Need - Hippy Feet

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in a clothing line but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sam Harper, co-founder of Hippy Feet, located in Minneapolis, MIN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Hippy Feet is a sock company on a mission to help homeless youth. Since we launched in 2016, we've been able to provide transitional job opportunities to over 150 young people (ages 16-24) who are experiencing homelessness. This year, we're celebrating our 6th year in business. We've been able to grow sustainably and are constantly evolving the way we serve the homeless community.

Tell us about yourself

My main responsibilities are driving Hippy Feet's marketing and finance. It's easy to find purpose in our work. Every day, I get to have a direct impact that benefits the people who need it the most.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I can say that there are young people who are no longer experiencing homelessness because of Hippy Feet. We've been able to step in and provide income, job training, and other crucial forms of support that have lifted people up in their moments of adversity.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

As a business owner, there's no safety net. You're radically accountable for your own performance and how well you can adapt to changing environments around you. We've been fortunate to survive this long and grow in a very competitive market, but it hasn't been without stress.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Just start. I see too many people get caught up in perfecting an idea without ever bringing it to fruition. Your likelihood of succeeding in building a business increases when you can get real customer feedback and address real challenges.
Execution over ideas. There are a lot of brilliant ideas that could change the world, but the vast majority aren't unique. Someone has probably thought of your idea already. Your job is to execute it better.
Build sustainably. I doubt you're starting a business and planning on it being defunct in a year or two. Plan on being in it for the long haul. This means managing your energy, relationships, and resources in a way that allows you to build over the course of months and years consistently.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website:
https://samharper.co/
https://hippyfeet.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharper12/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notsamharper/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maybesamharper
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-harper/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.