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

Nick, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I created Wise River after working in apparel for some of the world’s largest companies for nearly 10 years. As I became closer to supply chain practices, I was pretty disheartened to learn how wasteful and polluting the industry was altogether. Everything was focused on achieving the lowest possible cost and the fastest possible production, which clearly comes at the expense of the environment along with everyone who has a hand in making your products.

With Wise River, I wanted to do things a different way. We create outdoor gear that’s kind to the outdoors.

Now, what does this actually mean? As a team of passionate outdoorsmen and women who love to spend our free time enjoying the abundant natural beauty that this world has to offer, we feel it’s our responsibility to protect and preserve it.

Our development process starts with the materials that we use. We scrutinize every fabric that we consider by looking at its environmental impacts, its development process, and its performance features. Some of our favorite materials are hemp, recycled nylon, recycled polyester, Tencel/ Lyocell (made from eucalyptus trees), and 100% of the cotton we use is certified organically grown. We take these materials and cut them into versatile silhouettes that span a variety of settings. We design everything so you can beat it up outdoors, but also dress it up for a night on the town. With this notion, we embrace the idea of fewer, well-made products that are built to last; Therefore, you can own less and get more use out of your gear, which exemplifies our sustainability-focused approach.

As a founder, I’d feel that our mission would be hollow if we didn’t ensure the social wellbeing of everybody that is involved in our supply chain from concept to finished good. Working with the right suppliers is of paramount importance to us as a brand. We only work with facilities that have achieved social compliance designations from independent auditors, ensuring that all employees have access to fair wages, reasonable working hours, and safe and harassment-free work zones. I’ve personally been onsite at every facility that we work with, and it’s been great to develop a personal relationship with the wonderful and talented people that are making our products.

Lastly, one of our founding principles is “preserve what you love.” It’s our goal to develop longstanding relationships with organizations that are doing truly great conservation work. We’re a proud member of 1% For The Planet, where we donate a portion of every sale to American Rivers. We also did a collaboration with Trout Unlimited that was immensely successful, where we co-developed a product and donated 100% of all proceeds to the amazing work that they do. We are always seeking out similar partnerships.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I actually never saw myself getting into the apparel industry. Upon graduating college in particularly rough economic times, I found myself pursuing a number of different avenues. A few conversations with some people in the industry opened my eyes to the opportunities for creativity and innovation that are perpetually available, and I knew it was something I wanted to pursue. I was fascinated at how much detail goes into designing each product, whether it be what sewing method you have to use to join two different fabrics together, or the idea of strategically constructing a garment pattern to maximize mobility.

The thought of going off on my own to start Wise River was terrifying, but I always had a clear idea for the brand that I truly believe in. With Wise River, it’s my goal to show that the apparel space, an otherwise dirty industry, can actually be a vehicle for positive impact. We’re not a volume-focused company. Instead, we make fewer, thoughtful pieces that encapsulate the idea of versatility, using only eco-friendly fabrics. Our core products are made from repurposed plastic bottles, recovered commercial fishing nets that are pulled out of the ocean, and highly renewable materials that require very little water and have no toxic byproducts such as hemp and eucalyptus trees. In doing this, we’re creating products of no unnecessary environmental harm that truly have you covered no matter where your day takes you.

As a young, bootstrapped startup, we embrace the mentality of being scrappy, but we’re proud of the direction we’re going. We saw really nice revenue growth in year 2, but there’s still lots of work to be done. We continue to pay close attention to the latest innovations in eco-friendly material development, and look to invest in these new technologies wherever possible. It’s been a truly rewarding experience to be able to connect with our community on a personal level, learn and gain feedback, and continuously improve our core product line as a result. It’s also pretty cool to see people wearing Wise River out in public.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Launching a business during a pandemic was definitely a trying experience. Our first production facility was based in Guatemala, and we felt great about the relationship we were building and the quality of their work. As we progressed through 2020, we had our entire product line approved, all materials onsite and ready to move forward.

With the onset of Covid, the Guatemalan government imposed strict regulations that made it very challenging for businesses. We were certainly understanding and accepted the delays, but as time progressed, our partner had gone silent. I actually went 3 months without hearing a word from the facility owner, despite reaching out 3+ times a week. More than anything I just wanted to know that everyone at the facility was okay, but the lack of response definitely created a highly stressful situation. I thought our entire investment was gone, and that we would never see any of our materials again. Essentially, I thought Wise River was over before it even started. Suddenly, the facility owner reached out and explained that the facility was going to close its doors permanently. During this time, I began to pursue other options, and was able to develop a relationship with an absolutely outstanding facility in Honduras that we still use today. I was able to arrange for all of our materials to be moved from Guatemala to Honduras, but it essentially brought us back to square one. We started the sampling and approvals process all over again, going through a few iterations before we were ready to move to bulk production. It cost a lot of time and money, but we are super grateful for our facility in Honduras and feel that we are extremely fortunate to be able to call them partners.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started off managing the Wise River social media platforms, but realized before too long, that it’s not my strong suit. Social media is critically important and ever-evolving, and it’s hard to keep up with how to optimize your performance against the algorithms. This was the first thing that I outsourced actually. I did my due diligence, and sought out people whose values and aesthetic aligned with the brand. The people that I’m working with now are valuable members of the team, and understand the brand and our community as well. I give them full autonomy to manage our platforms the way they see fit, and they deliver. A few things I’ve learned from them is as follows: consistency is key- make sure you’re telling a consistent story, develop your tone/ language and stick with it. Figure out what your mood is- you don’t want your page to be all over the place, and look for consistency in the colors, tones, aesthetics of your posts. Create compelling content in terms of your messaging in a way that resonates with your audience. Listen and ask for feedback, encourage engagement, and be ultra-responsive. Developing a sense of community among your base can turn out to be one of your most powerful tools. When it comes to social media, sweating the details is critical. Don’t post just for the sake of posting- have purpose behind everything you post!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wiseriverco.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/wise_river
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiseRiverApparel/

Image Credits
Andrew Braker Eric Braker Nate Dodge Declan Rogers