I’m a regular listener to the Guy Raz podcast ‘How I Built This’. I listen whilst out walking the streets of Tooting and across the muddy Common with my faithful dog, Stan.

It’s full of uplifting stories of how entrepreneurs created successful businesses.

One episode that I loved was about Jo Malone. How she worked tirelessly from an early age to create her iconic global brand, initially from her house in Bexleyheath, southeast London. It’s a story of success against the odds. Click the link below to listen to it. 

 https://www.npr.org/2020/05/15/856800432/jo-malone-london-jo-malone

There was one anecdote I particularly loved. 

It was how she was allowed to open a Jo Malone concession in the luxury Manhattan store Bergdorf Goodman. It was her big break and a chance to crack the US market. 

She had no money but needed this launch to succeed. Jo and her husband Gary then came up with this brilliant idea, which she called ‘walking the dogs’.

She arrived in New York in advance of the launch with a stash of branded Jo Malone bags – 1 000 of them. She contacted people she knew via friends and colleagues and asked them to take the Jo Malone bags for a ‘walk’ whenever they were in fashionable districts of Manhattan.

Eventually, the bags started to become recognised – despite the fact they were empty. By the time Jo Malone opened the concession, people thought the brand was well known and there was a store somewhere in New York. 

It was the beginning of a success story, but it started with zero advertising budget and a clever idea. 

So, what can we learn from this anecdote?

1 Constraint Breeds Creativity

If they’d had access to copious funds, Jo Malone would probably have resorted to more conventional forms of advertising. Instead, her lack of cash forced her to think differently. To think creatively. All great entrepreneurs don’t let their constraints hold them back. They thrive in these situations. Maintain this frugal, DIY mindset even if you do have money to spend. 

2 Ask For ‘Free’ Help

People are generous. True friends and family are keen to see you do well. If you need help with your business, ask for it. This could be professional advice from an ‘expert’ friend. Practical help to do a specific job. An introduction to someone influential. Even the loan of money. 

All entrepreneurial stories involve friends and family helping out in the early days. Don’t be afraid to ask.

However, there are 2 golden rules.

1)  Don’t exploit. Ask once, but be wary of asking twice. Goodwill can easily become exhausted and you may lose friendships. It’s not worth it.

2)  Pay it back. If you’ve got no cash, offer something in exchange. As a favour, I once helped an artist friend with his business plan. He gave me a painting as a thank you. I was overjoyed.

If you borrow money, pay it back when you become successful. With interest. 

3 Experiment

Some ideas work, some don’t. You’ll never know unless you give it a go. Have courage. Put stuff out there. If it gains traction, great. If not, move on to something else. In another podcast story, the founders of Headspace, the meditation app, originally started with meditation events before they decided to create their app. They learnt and then moved on to something more successful.

4 Steal Ideas

As I’ve written in a previous post, there’s no such thing as an original idea. Whilst I’ve never seen the ‘walking the dogs’ idea before, the idea of people displaying ads on the streets is not new. We can all recall the ‘sandwich board’ ads – people acting as ‘walking billboards’, in the early days of advertising. 

This is simply an updated (albeit brilliant) version of the walking billboard. Equally, if you think the Jo Malone idea could work for your business, simply copy it.

Summary

I would recommend anyone to listen to stories of entrepreneurial success via your favourite podcast. There are lots out there. You get to hear the real voice of the founders and experience, their ups and downs. Written business case studies often airbrush these details.

The Jo Malone story teaches us that success starts with a scrappy, have-a-go mindset. A willingness to come up with a fresh approach when lacking funds. 

Remember that friends and family are there to support you. Ask for help. They’ll feel flattered and do their best for you as long as you don’t exploit their goodwill. Remember to pay it back.

Finally, be brave and try something new. What’s your version of ‘walking the dogs?’