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

Willie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Finding those key vendors can often be make or break for a brand. Can you talk to us about how you found your key vendors?

First I would like to start off by saying Thank you for allowing me to share my story with your readers. This is a very good question and to accurately answer it, I think it’s critical that to start with the most important part and that is the back story. Prior to me finding my vendor/team, I spent several years working with and selling products from Italian and European shoemakers. This choice served a dual purpose and that was to learn the craft and understand how to build brand identity. I always knew that I wanted to be in the high-end space.

After spending a year working with these brands, I begin researching the market to see if I could find a vendor that was suitable for my brand. I spent countless hours networking and researching because I wanted to ensure that I understood the market and where I wanted to go. During this time, I realized that in order to set my brand apart from others I needed a team of skilled artisans that were trained in the art of shoemaking and not your typical factory that mass produces low end products. I also realized that by taking this approach I would be faced with many challenges.

So about 8 months into my research I was able to find a small group of shoemakers that were just as passionate about their business as I was with mine and we’ve been working together for the past 6 years. One thing that I would like to note is that I carry the same diligence across the board when dealing with vendors. I ensure that their vision is comparable to mines because the same standard of excellences I carry for my brand is needed across the board in order for me to bring the best products to my clients.

Willie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As I stated earlier my name is Willie Franks, and I’m the owner of Franks International Footwear where we take pride in providing exceptional products to exceptional people. We offer a wide range of products from men/women footwear, large leather goods, small leather goods, made-to-measure shirts, and watches. All of our products are hand crafted and made to order excluding our timepieces. We source our materials from the top tanneries around the world. For example, our box calf leather is sourced from the top tanneries in Italy and our crust calf leather comes from Europe. Our watches, also known as The Franks Timepiece, are crafted by some of the world’s top watchmakers with decades of experience.

Our team is comprised of skilled artisans with over 20 years of experience in the industry and we also employ two of the world’s best Patina artist to bring you some of the most unique designs. If you’re not familiar with Patina, its the art of hand painting footwear to reach desired look as opposed to your typical vegetable dyed leather. With this added feature we are able to bring our clients some of the most unique and custom pieces you will find on the market.

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

Here’s a snapshot of what my resilience looks like on paper:

2002 Managed and R&B Group-Failed
2005 Restaurant venture- Failed
2008 Franks Construction- Failed
2009 Franks Development- Failed
2010 Franks Financial Services- Failed
2016 Franks Footwear Store- Failed
2017 Back Injury
2018 Filed Bankruptcy
2019 Franks Int. Footwear Reboot-Success

If you don’t remember anything else about me or my story, please remember that determination and consistency is key!!

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

I think the most effective strategy for growing your clientele is networking. You must utilize all available tools whether its social medial, attending social gatherings, or grassroot marketing in order to visible. Then you have to ensure that you’re not only concentrating on your niche but that you’re interaction with people across all socioeconomic backgrounds because you never know who knows who.

Contact Info:

• Website: franksbespoke.com
• Instagram: @franks.international.footwear
• Facebook: Franks International Footwear
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCnR4umHHBQtng-oBMZt_Rig