Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Benjamin Kelly. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Benjamin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

My journey into clothing came while hunting for a different opportunity. I was in Los Angeles in 2015 thinking about working in media and making it in Hollywood. Meeting with people in the industry. They all seemed like they hated their jobs, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would to. But I kept taking meetings and looking, all the while spending my off time going to shops and drinking coffee. And it was here that I fell in love with clothing in a new kind of way. I always loved developing a personal. style, but interacting with brands that were designing and making garments made me realize that building a brand is the path to freedom. With a successful brand I can make anything I want!

I came back to Minneapolis and bought a sewing machine. An industrial single stitch Juki. I huge commitment for never sewing before. But I was determined. And I only knew one route to get the things I want.: Grind it out until the wheels fall off! These were skills I leaned from doing theatre and playing in bands.

I know there were a few ways to launch a clothing brand: mainly have capital from investors or elsewhere, and hire people who know how to do things. But I didn’t have those things. I had me. So I spent every day learning and making mistakes, which is still essentially how I work.

The brand, although always growing, has found pieces of success. Now I have knowledge and help to execute my ideas. But the first main ideas were the hardest. What to make? How to do it? Why do any of this when there are easier things in the world? As I have answered all these questions there are absolutely ways things could have been done better. But the hardened path was all time I used to hone skills, develop my vision, and reinvest my heart into what I wanted.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My brand is called Dinosaur Hampton, we make clothing and other designed goods. The brand also has been developing a lifestyle approach including outlets for music, food, entertainment. This certainly came about from a love for clothing, but also the need to invent, and the joy of creating. The goal is that everything in your house one day you will be able to buy from Dinosaur Hampton. Inspired by the style revolution of my hero: Ralph Lauren.

Any industry worth the time is going to have huge competition. Most of all is Fashion. To set yourself apart is difficult, especially when you are up against brands with enormous budgets. So for me instead of trying to compete, I revert back to a more artist driven mission. Which is to be honest with myself and my vision. Nobody will have that point of view better than me. So I trust that if I lean into that, and present pieces that I can fall in love with, then others will share my feelings and join the Dinosaur Hampton world.

I have a background in Music and theatre, and spending long nights searching the web. Which for years was thought to be a waste of time. But I feel it has been so important to me. To build a vision is to have a taste and aesthetic. And to build that authentically you need input from a lot of resources and many years to cultivate it. So every cartoon, music video, shopping spree, conspiracy theory, etc… is all fodder for my curiosity cocktail. Which if I drink enough will produce something truly special.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I think your relationship to money needs to be fluid. Sometimes its the most important thing to work towards, and sometimes it can cloud judgment for what is actually needed. This lesson I learn hard and fast daily.

I started my business in debt. So I had nothing but the ability to work. So my approach was to buy a brick and put it in the wall. Brick by brick. Which some would regard as inefficient. But I also needed time to develop and understand what I wanted. So any premature funding would have been hazardous to the longevity of my plan.

So I busted my hump for years. Slowly building a studio, a clientele and a reputation as someone to follow. It has toon, and still takes, a long time which is tough since I am often impatient. But the necessity to build slowly, has helped me finely tune and develop every a[sect of what I wanted. And it teaches you to be super scrappy when trying to achieve things. I often will have an idea, and not have the budget to execute, but I still want to make it happen. So I problem solve like the days of being in a crummy back box theatre for my one man play. Even at the highest levels those skills are important.

Now having grown some I have access to find funding easier. However using money from outside sources means you need to show that what you are doing to worth it. And a great way to prove is to show what you have been able to build from nothing.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

In person interactions are HUGE! People can see the clothes online, or at other stores. But when I am able to throw a party of put myself in the room with people, then I see growth. The growth is slow, but it has a lot more sustainability. If I can put a pop up together in another city. I might only sell a hand full of things, but personally connect with 10-20 people. Which even then they might not buy something right away. What makes me stand out from every other place they want to shop is that interaction we had. And there is a much higher probability that they could become a regular customer which will help sustain the brand way longer.

In addition to that you can get a lot of word of mouth success. That is an enormous way to gain a following that has meaning. Anyone can follow an instagram, but a cosign from the people in your life you love and trust is far and away better.

Contact Info:

• Website: dinosaurhampton.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/dinosaurhampton