We recently connected with James Tulin and have shared our conversation below.

James, appreciate you joining us today. How did you find your key vendor or vendors? Maybe you can share the backstory and share some context and the relevant details to help us understand why you chose them, why they chose you, etc.

Having spent a lifetime dealing with manufacturers I learned many years ago that the cliché of “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is many times misguided. I always followed the same formula of striking relationships with forthright and genuine people who also happened to be suppliers. I based my selection on who I partnered with much more so on their integrity and commitment to the process than I did on anything other. What it basically comes down to is being a good judge of character as price and nice samples should never be the determining factor as to who you select to join forces with as invariably you will always be let down. I followed the same rule of thumb that I have my entire career and was fortunate to find wonderful partners that were committed to our vision and excited to be part of our journey. I did my homework and selected our manufacturers through referrals, significant research, and then a comprehensive vetting process to determine if it was a good fit. The net result is experience in dealing with a buyer-seller relationship has a great deal to do with your future success as you know what to look for and what are the key elements when selecting who to entrust your business too.

James, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have spent my entire life in the men’s fashion world. Our prior company was the largest men’s and ladies’ accessories company in the world that spanned an illustrious 115 years. Our former company was a moderate-priced firm and have always wanted to develop an exclusive high-end men’s luxury apparel and accessories brand of varied classifications that reflected my passion for creative design and innovation. We created Oxford Hounds as a continuance of a family legacy that has now spanned four generations. We decided long before the demise of brick and mortar to build a direct to consumer business model for a variety of different reasons of which first and foremost is to be able to create the type of product that we could genuinely say we were incredibly proud of, and more so to provide a significantly better value proposition to the consumer by means of not having to address the retailer’s margin requirements. We had selected only the finest Italian artisans to manufacture our product from only Italian materials which allowed us to design and develop a product that we knew was missing in the market at a realistic price point and not in accord with many of the famous luxury brands that simply gouge the consumer because they can. We put every possible effort into developing the most superior classically inspired product in the marketplace today that we feel fills a niche that presently does not exist with a massive customer following base who we are confident will love our product and value.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

To paraphrase the late Steve Jobs there is a quote that says “I am convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” Starting a new company is extraordinarily hard and it is a 24/7 proposition. It is a veritable roller coaster ride with significant highs and lows along the journey. It takes a special type of individual who embodies the “harder they fall the faster they rise” mentality. Clearly, in starting a new company significant capital is required which may be the most difficult challenge of all. The amount of “no’s” you will hear is such that without incredible perseverance, dedication and resilience there is no possibility of being successful unless you are mentally equipped to deal with constant rejection. It takes an enormity of strength and perseverance to continue along the path after hearing “no” four or five times a day. The challenge of starting a new business takes an extraordinarily special type of individual that is fearless and willing to take risks. The net result is I have personally endured more rejection throughout the course of raising capital than I ever imagined. Each time I heard the word no it only pushed me harder which wound up becoming a passion of sorts as no one was going to stand in the way of my fulfilling my dream.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

BE WHO YOU ARE……….and never hustle the consumer as they are not stupid. It seems today companies spend more time trying to find the right pitch hustle than they do on being genuine and authentic. I recognize that authenticity in today’s business environment is constantly talked about, but in my opinion, it’s done so more as a cliché than as a mantra for what the company truly believes in. The consumer has an incredible amount of choices. If you think about it if you are genuine in your corporate strategy that will immediately translate into how you vie for the consumer’s trust and loyalty. The strategy is not as complicated as many digital agencies will tell you. You start off by developing a fabulous product with a great value proposition by doing your homework and market research. You reach out to the consumer in a non-slick forthright manner by presenting your product. You provide incredible customer service in actuality not in promises and follow through with it to the nth degree. Customers will flock to your brand if in fact, you have followed the aforementioned steps with no compromise whatsoever as your customers are the lifeblood of your business and matter more than anything else.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oxfordhounds.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oxfordhounds/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oxfordhoundsinc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-tulin-02baaa98/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/oxfordhounds
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC2SHvGsMq14mqp6XtTJ3KQ
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/oxfordhounds/