We recently connected with Chad Beck and have shared our conversation below.
Chad, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?
One of the most beneficial things we did early on, was interact with our customers to hear directly from them. We were blessed to be a vendor at the Tomball Farmers Market for 3-1/2 years, during which time we had the opportunity to talk to thousands of people about their beards; what was working for them, what they were struggling with, and what they were looking for.
Corporate America would classify this as a study group, or test group, I guess. What we ended up with was hundreds of friends and acquaintances that we got to visit with every few weeks. We loved it!
So one thing I would always ask the bearded guys is ‘What kind of products are you using now?’ What we heard from customers (it seemed like every Saturday, and sometimes multiple times in the 4-hrs the market is open) is ‘Whatever they have at [blank] store.’ You can fill in that blank with any big chain store name from the big W to the red bullseye. My follow-up question was always ‘How’s it working for you?’, and inevitably it was a negative response. Either, ‘My wife thinks it stinks.’, or ‘It irritates my skin.’, ‘I quit using it because I didn’t see any benefit.’.
That is what Corporate America gets wrong. I can go to any chain store, and in their men’s section I will find various beard-related products, and not one of them made with the intent to help men’s beards. Their number one goal is long shelf-life, so the products are packed with all kinds of chemicals that allow it to last as long as possible on the shelf. I don’t think they even care if men like their products to be honest. Because they know, if it is shelf-safe for 5+ years, enough guys will walk by and give it a try. Repeat customers are not a priority.
How we approach beard and shaving products is quality first. There is zero need for preservatives in beard products, which is why we keep our products all-natural. It also allows us to operate with complete and total integrity. I’ve looked many a skeptical man in the eye and said ‘If you don’t like the product, or don’t notice a difference, I’ll refund your money, no questions asked.’. I’ve never been asked for a refund.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Cady and I moved to Texas in 2015, and one of the things I noticed right off the bat was the amount of big beards I saw. Now I’d almost always had a beard of some type, but never ‘off-the-chin’ as we’ve come to call it. So I decided in short-order that I needed to grow one of these mammoth beards.
What I learned is, it’s not as easy as just hanging up your razor. There are all kinds of factors you need to account for when attempting the long beard. I jumped on the internet and started searching for beard tips, that is when I entered the world of beard products. Oils, balms, waxes, washes, conditioners! Holy cow, what did I get myself into? lol
As you do I dipped my toe in and soon had achieved the lengthy beard I had aspired to. After a while, I got the urge to try making some of my own products. I spent hours online, researching different oils and butters and fragrances. Then began the experimentation that would become Beck & Co. Beard Gear.
We started out with a balm and an oil, sharing it around to our friends to get their feedback, which was really positive! We started talking about throwing up a website to sell these things, but not before we prayed about it, and put it God’s hands. Cady and I both agreed and still do, that this is God’s company. If he wants it to grow, it will grow. And if he wants us to put it down, we will. We say we’re a ‘faith-based company’, and we try to put that first in every step we take.
So, we developed some branding (the first iteration was scrapped after 3-4 months in favor of our current look) and in December of 2019, received our tax permit to start selling! To say that the first 6-months was abysmal would be putting it lightly. I literally thought it would be as easy as putting up a website and the sales would start rolling in. Looking back, I just shake my head.
Then in the middle of 2020 we were accepted as a permanent vendor with TFM (Tomball Farmers Market) which was pivotal. It brought us exposure to thousands of people every week, without which we wouldn’t be here today.
As I said, we began with an oil, and a balm. Very simple. Along with all the discussions we had with customers, came a lot of questions. ‘Do you have something that will do this, that or the other thing?’. Listening to, and identifying the ones we heard most frequently is why we have the catalog of products we do today, including: Heavy Hold Balm, Beard Wax, Mustache Wax, Beard & Body Soap, shaving soap, solid cologne. and of course the oil and balm that kicked it all off.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Of course the biggest and most beneficial strategy for us was getting that one-on-one time with customers at TFM. Not only did we get to meet them, but after they fell in love with our products, they would buy for dad, grandpa, brother, etc. etc.
But one thing we did that I really enjoyed was a partnership with another entrepreneur. The barber I’d been going to for some time decided to open his own shop (Steve’s Barber Studio in Vintage Park). Of course he already had a large clientele of his own, but I proposed that he come to the market once a month to set up beside our space and provide free beard trims to our customers, to help get the word out.
It was great! We got to help our customers (some of whom had never had a beard trim) see what their beard could be, and Steve got to meet potential customers that I know are now life-long customers, as I run into them when I go for my weekly trim. We both won.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When we began vending at TFM, it was mid-2020 and well into the Covid dilemma. There were all kinds of rules we needed to observe like, not being allowed to hand things to customers, booths had to be spaced apart, and who will ever forget the masking…
When it came to masking, I had an issue that I learned was unique to all ‘off-chin’ beards. All the typical masks out there covered your nose and tucked under your chin. What’s the big deal? I’m glad you asked. If you’ve never had a long beard, picture yourself with one (beard guys know where I’m going already with this) and then picture what it looks like when you take off a tight mask after several hours of wearing. The condition is formally known as ‘beard dent’. So, with the help of my wife’s sewing skills, we designed a mask that came straight down off the nose and hung just past the chin, as opposed to hugging it. The Bottomless Beardmask™ was born.
Before masking requirements came to an end (praise Jesus), we were selling so many units my wife wasn’t able to keep up. For several months we hired a seamstress to supplement our inventory to keep up with demand. In addition to serving our customers by providing a solution to the specific issue they and I were struggling with, we were also able to send samples of our beard products with every order and showcase our other products.
Although it was a very good revenue generator, the day Cady was able to put away her sewing machine was a joyous one, and we hope to never resurrect the Bottomless Beardmask™ again.
Contact Info:
- Website: thebeckandco.com
- Instagram: beckandcomensgrooming
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebeckandco
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beckandcobeardgear/
- Twitter: @JesusandBeards
- Youtube: @beckco.beardgear851