4 minutes of eComm Wisdom: Libie from Fulton

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Okay. So my answer is kind of a non answer because, we have kept Fulton super lean. And I think that has been really important for us. So Fulton right now is just myself and my co-founder, Daniel.

We're the only full time employees. and I think maintaining that super lean mindset, despite our growth has been really critical in terms of maintaining profitability, in terms of being agile, and staying focused.

We do work with some incredible contractors. I think that's not to say that we could do all that we do on our own.

And I think that we've been really lucky with some of the contractors and agencies that we've worked with. For example, Progress Labs with Patrick Johnson He is incredible. He built our website and he continues to be an incredible resource. And our media agency Hype10, led by Max is incredible.

So, I don't think Fulton would exist without those people, but I also think that maintaining a certain level of lean mentality has been really critical for us

I think If you're looking to go into mass retail, I actually don't know that a hire would be necessary. I think maybe like a, a broker (is all you need). We just actually finished this Target accelerator program and we learned so much about Target and how it works. And we got a really good insight into how the company works, I think a key thing that we took is the need to hire a broker to manage the relationships with a mass retailer.

Okay, I have two. I think the first is just the luck of having a product that is under one pound and is light and easy to ship. That just makes shipping so much more affordable And that's just like the nature of the product. So I think if I were to start a company again, one thing I would prioritize is a product that's not something super heavy and not something complicated to ship. Um, with no refrigeration, nothing, >10 lbs, anything like that.

But I actually think when I was originally thinking of this question, the thing that. Immediately came to mind was our 3PL. so that's 'Highline Commerce'. They're based out of New York City.

We were originally literally shipping the packages, packaging them from Daniel's apartment in Philadelphia when we were still in school that lasted for 2-3 months and we just realized that is absolutely not sustainable, no matter how lean we want to be, that's not the way to go.

And then we got incredibly lucky of finding a warehouse that really is not just a 3PL, they truly feel like a partner.

Part of that is the fact that they're based in New York City. So we can hop over there, just like literally take the subway and see all of our boxes, see all of our inventory, talk to them, see how things are going.

But, they're also just like an incredible partner overall, and it feels like an extension of Fulton. And another great thing about them is that, as of this week, their shipping is carbon neutral. They're offsetting their shipping, and that is just so well aligned with our values. So yeah, again, shout out to Highline Commerce.

Yeah, I mean, I think in general, it is such an amazing experience to run a business that you truly believe in and are truly excited about.

I don't really think anything could beat it. I'd say 1 thing that really is exciting for me is talking to customers. I really just love interacting with them, hearing their stories, hearing how Fulton has impacted their lives, how they've learned about Fulton, their experience with foot pain, with insoles... It's always so interesting and so fascinating. And I love just hearing like the impact that we've made on their lives.

I also think it's super interesting when we are developing new products, I absolutely love like the process of customer research and customer insights to think through like product positioning, product packaging.

Um, yeah, ​

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