Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff McLean.
Jeff, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Like most awesome ideas, Bramwell Sunglasses was concocted while throwing back a couple of White Russians at one of Encinitas’s finest establishments, Beir Garden. Yes, I said White Russians. About mid-day one of our friends, who happens to look exactly like Tony Parker, knocked his sunglasses off and they broke as soon as they hit the ground. Sparking the conversation of how sunglasses are either super expensive ($100+) or super cheap ($20ish), but were usually made of the same subpar materials. That is when the idea was born, design luxury sunglasses that are made from high quality materials, but were affordable.
The next six months were dedicated to doing research on design and quality. After looking at all the data, lens studies, UV protection info, potential competitors, etc… We decided our first style of sunglasses were going to be wood based. There are other companies that have wood based frames, we know, but like we said above, they sell for $100+. With our product offering ideated and our price point determined, we went into design.
We wanted to name and design sunglasses that reflect the different beach communities of San Diego. The San Diego beaches have different types of people and landmarks that really identify each one (like the Cardiff Kook). By designing sunglasses that reflect those communities we have come up with an initial offering of sunglasses that anyone can find a pair they like and identify with.
Finally, in May of 2016 we were able to combine all our work from the previous 6 months and launch Bramwell.co.
Today we are constantly keeping our sights out for newer styles and where the sunglasses trend is going. We have found a few staple designs that work really well, but are focusing on expanding out our product lines.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has and it hasn’t.
From a technical aspect, I come from a Digital Marketing background, so creating the website, setting up social accounts, planning email campaigns, etc… has all been pretty easy.
The most difficult part was creating the sunglasses themselves. Having to learn how to source material, learn product design, packaging, shipping logistics, etc… We basically spent hours each day learning everything we can, going on forums, and soaking up all the information that was out there. We still don’t feel like we have a true grasp on the process, but learning is half the fun.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Focus and persistence.
I can’t tell you how many days/nights we were sitting there going “WTF are we doing” or “How the F*#& do we do this”.
We found that every day, if you can create a list of items you need to do and focus on, crossing 1 or 2 off a day, it doesn’t seem like much, but it adds up over time. If you can consistently do that day after day, you realize how much you can actually get done.
Pricing:
- Sunglasses range from $25 – $50 per pair
Contact Info:
- Address: 687 S Coast Highway 101, Ste. 235
Encinitas, CA 92024 - Website: https://bramwell.co
- Email: jeff@bramwell.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bramwell.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bramwellco/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bramwell_co
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/bramwellco/
Image Credit:
Casey Lorz
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