Breaking Sock Industry Norms

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in clothing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alexis Centrone, owner, and founder of TONE SOCKS, located in Pea Ridge, AR, USA.

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

Like every other person in the world at one point or another, I found myself ready to buy some new socks. I began searching online and realized my purchase decisions lie between choosing black, white or crazy colored socks. I thought to myself, "why do all of these socks stand out so much? Is this what I want to wear? Are these what other people want to wear?" Just like that - the idea for TONE SOCKS was born. TONE SOCKS has set out to break sock industry norms. From Vanilla to Espresso, we have hand, or better yet, foot tested and selected 4 neutral hues to best match all skin tones. Featuring a variety of styles from tall adult crew socks to ankle socks and even baby socks, we are aiming to get a pair of skin tone socks onto feet all around the world.

Tell us about yourself

I started my entrepreneur journey at the age of 8, buying small bags of nick-nacks and selling them for a quarter out of my desk in school. Honestly, I don't even remember whether I made a sale or not, however, I do recall how excited I was to curate my "store’s" selection, choose the price and market my tiny goods to other students. Fast forward to my final year of college, I started another small eCommerce business that took off much further than a full-time college student could handle. Mind you, I had no idea what an entrepreneur was at the time, so this felt like a hobby to me. Upon graduating from college, I moved on to work for a start-up, then a Fortune 500 company, focusing primarily on DTC (direct to consumer) and B2B (business to business) eCommerce sales.

eCommerce has always been my passion and entrepreneurship runs through my blood, so once I had the vision for TONE SOCKS it felt like my destiny. I quit my corporate job and haven’t looked back since.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would say my biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been inspiring others. So far on this journey, I have connected with so many different types of people. I found that taking the time to teach and inspire others who want to take hold of their life and follow their dreams has led me to do the same.

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

The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is the first leap into starting your business. It's that step between having an idea and making that idea a reality. Change is scary, but change is how we grow. I once heard someone say how scary it is to do something new because of the fear of what others may think, but what's even scarier is getting to the end of your life and realizing you lived for everyone else and not for yourself.

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

1. If you don’t know something, learn it – being self-taught has not only saved me and my business a ton of money, but it has also given me the confidence to propel my business to places I could have never even imagined. Being self-taught is, in my opinion, one of the most important skills for an entrepreneur to possess.

2. Be unique – although red oceans are where the majority of businesses succeed, setting yourself apart from others is where real success happens. You don’t have to be the first to do something, but you shouldn’t just do what everyone else is doing.

3. Go for it – this is what sets the successful apart from the unsuccessful. Like Wayne Gretzky said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Follow your dreams because no one else is going to do it for you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.tonesocks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonesocks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonesocksofficial/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexie-betzold-775b6b14b/

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.