How Joe Freshgoods Turned Viral T-Shirts Into a Global Brand

02 Oct 2024 (12 days ago)
How Joe Freshgoods Turned Viral T-Shirts Into a Global Brand

Joe Freshgoods' Early Career

  • Joe Robinson, also known as Joe Freshgoods, started screen printing t-shirts at 14 years old in Chicago. (31s)
  • Robinson's first t-shirt design featured the mugshots of NBA players who had been arrested with the phrase "I love this game" printed in the middle. (6m22s)
  • Robinson's designs were inspired by pop culture moments. (6m31s)
  • Joe Freshgoods began selling t-shirts for $20 each in high school. (6m53s)
  • He created the t-shirts by printing designs on paper and ironing them onto shirts. (7m9s)
  • Freshgoods worked at Leaders, a Chicago retail store, where he started as an intern and eventually got hired. (9m18s)

Joe Freshgoods' Brand Evolution

  • Joe Freshgoods decided to focus on his brand after a pivotal phone call, marking a turning point in his career. (12m33s)
  • Early in his career, Joe Freshgoods faced numerous cease and desist orders from brands like Champion, Kanye, and Rihanna for copyright infringement. (14m5s)
  • Joe Freshgoods' design philosophy evolved from capitalizing on viral moments to crafting a more cohesive brand identity after a trip to Paris with his roommate, photographer Trashhand. (17m29s)
  • Joe Freshgoods' "Thank You Obama" collection, released shortly after Chance the Rapper's Grammy win, marked a turning point in his career. Chance modeled the collection, boosting its visibility and sales. (19m18s)
  • The success of the Obama collection provided capital and taught Freshgoods valuable lessons about taxes, profit-sharing, and order fulfillment. (20m29s)

Joe Freshgoods' Design Philosophy

  • Freshgoods emphasizes the importance of gradual growth, maintaining transparency with consumers, and infusing personal meaning into his designs, such as incorporating family birthdays and significant addresses. (22m12s)
  • Joe Freshgoods wanted to create merchandise that told a story and drew inspiration from his own life experiences, such as the location of a former disco spot in Chicago. (23m35s)
  • Joe Freshgoods initially pursued wholesale but transitioned to selling directly to consumers through pop-up shops, finding that it generated more profit. (24m13s)

Joe Freshgoods' Early Success

  • Joe Freshgoods' brand gained early recognition and success in Chicago, with his presence and impact being widely acknowledged within the city's creative scene. (28m22s)
  • Joe Freshgoods was initially offended for not being included in the first ComplexCon event in Long Beach. He felt slighted for not receiving a call and expressed his displeasure by encouraging his network to spam ComplexCon's social media. (29m11s)
  • Joe Freshgoods's strategy of leveraging his network and creating a buzz around his brand led to ComplexCon reaching out to him. He eventually attended the event with Virgil's help and later secured a pop-up shop across the street from ComplexCon the following year. (29m41s)

Joe Freshgoods' Collaboration with New Balance

  • Joe Freshgoods's growing presence and popularity, particularly at ComplexCon in Chicago, caught the attention of New Balance. They saw him as a key figure in the city and a valuable partner for their All-Star Weekend campaign. (32m32s)
  • There are two hypothetical brand deals offered. Deal one is described as having a $250,000 design fee and a 50 shoe minimum order requirement. (34m35s)
  • Deal two has no design fee, a $150,000 marketing budget, but requires the signee to purchase shoes at wholesale and sell them at retail. (34m41s)
  • Joe Freshgoods' first shoe collaboration with New Balance, the 992, was inspired by his love for the brand and his desire to create a shoe with bold colors that would stand out. (37m11s)
  • Between his first and second shoe releases, Joe Freshgoods increased his production run from 800 to 7,000 pairs. (40m7s)

Joe Freshgoods' Business Philosophy

  • Joe Freshgoods believes the most important qualities in an employee are trust and vision. (41m29s)

Joe Freshgoods' Community Involvement

  • Joe Freshgoods started his non-profit, Community Goods, to give back to the community and help Black businesses. (44m39s)

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