Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Lane.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ryan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After I left being a pastor for ten years, I had no clue what I wanted to do or would even be qualified for. In 2011 we moved back to ATL from Ohio to be close to family. I applied to over 400 jobs in the ATL area and didn’t hear back from any. Long story short, With our last $46 dollars to our name I started Dream Beard on the dining room table of my father in laws house. Within three months our shop we started on Etsy first was selling in 30 countries. We were the first product labeled a Beard Oil (and have since expanded the line).
From there we kept growing and growing to now over 100 countries. I eventually was asked to sit on the Euntrepreneur Advisory Board for FedEx, Spoke at IRCE the largest eCommerce Exhibit in the world last year about Dream Beard and how our real human interaction tactics have been our anchor of success. I will be speaking there again in June about my podcast Life Gets Hairy, which generate over 400,000 monthly listeners with guests like Chef Kevin Gillespie, Doug Shipman (CEO of the Woodruff Foundation) Tiny Doors ATL and much more. Lately, I have become more of the face of Dream Beard while my wife runs day to day operations. This allows me to focus on the podcast and my visual art brand Dream Now where I recently shot Tpain last week. I love storytelling and it’s something I’ve down in every capacity and venture in my life.
Has it been a smooth road?
NOT AT ALL! Lol, The first few years we blew up so fast due to so many factors and catching the wave of the beard movement. (Duck Destiny, Hipster beards, Beard competitions, etc.) It all happened so fast that we really didn’t have a game plan for growth. When we started to stabilize, we realized we haven’t thought long term as much as we should have which became a struggle in itself. We had to figure out how to stay relevant past the popularity of beards. Also, we were working with a Fortune 500 (That I can’t name legally) That put us in 6 figure debt after backing out of an agreement to help put us in every Target and Walmart in the world. It took the last three years to pay off the debt and there is still a little left. I actually stop taking a paycheck from the company to let it recover. Small Business is rarely as glamours as an Instagram filter may make it out to be.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dream Beard story. Tell us more about the business.
We were the first product labeled Beard oil. Using oil in a beard dates back to ancient time, we do claim to have invited the idea. But took a very old concept and updated it. Add essential oils we found would be highly beneficial. This was even before the big Essential oil wave so there was limited knowledge then and we have to do a lot of digging on the internet.
Honestly, I’m just honored to be along for the ride. I never thought I would be a business owner or an entrepreneur. I never thought I would get a call from Billy Gibbons from ZZ top, or have a beer with Kid Rock, become friends with so many crazy talented, cool people and make so many connections in life. I feel truly honored. I believe at the end that is what this life is about. Connections. This life continues to amaze me.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think my industry has leveled off a lot. There will always be men with beards, but I think the trend itself has died off for now. Who knows in ten years. We could hit another wave, we might all just be in the matrix growing digital beards. In the end, I try to live right now at this moment as I type. I try to make the best possible decisions for my life and the things I have going on right now. I believe at the end that will lie me to the best possible outcome for my life and business in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dreambeard.com
- Email: info@dreambeard.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/dreambeard
- Other: www.lifegetshairy.com
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