064: Kevin Lavelle – CEO of Mizzen+Main: Intellectual Curiosity Leads To Growing 500%

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Ryan Hawk

Business, Careers, Management

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2015

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Episode 064: Kevin Lavelle – CEO of Mizzen+Main: Intellectual Curiosity Leads To Growing 500%

Kevin Lavelle is an incredibly intelligent leader. He truly understands the importance of possessing three qualities as a leader: An overwhelming amount of optimism, an intellectual curiosity, and persistence. We are extremely fortunate to have Kevin share his knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.

Kevin Lavelle is an American entrepreneur and business executive. He is the founder of Mizzen+Main, a men's clothing brand where he serves as the company's CEO. Kevin was named to the 40 Under 40 list by Dallas Business Journal in 2013. He was also named to Men's Fitness list of Game Changers in 2014. Investors in the company, which makes its products in the United States, include Zappos founder Tony Hsieh's Vegas Tech Fund and Navy SEAL Marcus Lutrell. They have grown 500% year over year!

And most recently, he has partnered with NFL star JJ Watt on an endorsement deal that gives JJ an equity stake in the business.

Episode 064: Kevin Lavelle – CEO of Mizzen+Main: Intellectual Curiosity Leads To Growing 500%

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The Learning Leader Show

“I want to build the next great American brand.” – Kevin Lavelle

Some Questions I Ask:

What are the common characteristics of high achievers?
What is unique about Mizzen+Main?
How did you initially fund your company?
What effect did it have on your brand when you advertised on a podcast? (Tim Ferriss)
What do you say to critics who claim you should make your product outside of America?
Take us into your pitch meetings… What specifically did it sound like in those meetings?
What was it like negotiating with JJ Watt?
Why is the name Mizzen+Main?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The importance of: Optimism, curiosity, & persistence
Pitch meetings (to investors) and the specific verbiage used in them
The power of advertising on a podcast
Working with JJ Watt
Getting started… Specifically starting to sell immediately (prior to quitting day job)
Mentors and how they’ve helped
The importance of taking a complicated message and making it clear

“The best business decision for us is to make our products in America.” – Kevin Lavelle

Continue Learning:

Go To Kevin’s website: com
Read the article Kevin wrote about the power of advertising on a podcast: com/@kevinslavelle
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @kevinslavelle

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector With Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 034: Jimmy Hatch – Shot While Searching For Bowe Bergdahl And Sky Diving With Gabby Giffords

Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion

Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content. Kevin is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Biography

Transcript

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0:00.0	A true sense of optimism and possibility that you can defy the odds you can take on the
0:09.5	industries that you take on, that you can not worry about the competitors that might take you down or the
0:15.5	the odds that are stacked against you another is a sense of intellectual
0:20.1	curiosity you can be a phenomenal coder or designer or product person, but if you don't have
0:29.6	the interest to engage all forms of what it takes to succeed from the marketing and
0:37.2	creative side to the accounting and finance side to the supply chain side you can
0:41.9	only go so far.
0:43.6	Our leaders born or are they made.
0:45.9	Our host, Ryan Hawk, believes that leaders can be made through determined, focused work
0:50.7	on learning the art and science behind the makeup of other successful leaders.
0:55.0	Now it's time to inhale knowledge and exhale success.
0:58.0	You're listening to the Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk. Hey and welcome to the Learning Leader Show I am Ryan Hawke and I'm extremely
1:19.5	excited about tonight's featured leader but first I wanted to read an email that I just
1:24.3	received it was actually sent to my dad by a guy by the name of Joe Ryan and
1:30.0	here's what Joe said he said would you please share this email with Ryan,
1:34.6	regardless of whether he has time to reply or not, I want him to know that his work is changing lives.
1:40.3	I sincerely believe that in just one short month I have become a better husband, father,
1:46.3	employee, and person. I believe that my career trajectory has changed dramatically and my potential is limitless.
1:55.0	Joe, thank you very much for sending that email.
1:58.0	It means a lot to me.
1:59.0	It inspires me so much to hear from you, the of the learning leader so that it's had this
2:05.0	type of an effect on you and if you feel similar please don't hesitate to send me
	...

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