Channel Mastery - Ep. 172: Joe Wold, Inventor & Co-Founder of LifeHandle
LifeHandle
successfully launching a new company during the pandemic with the help of friends, family, and kickstarter
"I know that a couple of the ambassadors recently had their own children, so they were testing the leash out for their dog and now they get to experience pushing a stroller with their dog and the benefits of
that. With our all-purpose handle they're now able to hold their kid or have their toddler hold onto the handle and go through on their adventures. And so they're working with the brand ambassadors and influencers has been really good and they've brought up new ways to use the all purpose handle and certainly showing us some fun, new things."
- Joe Wold
EPISODE PREVIEW:
I have been looking forward to introducing Joe Wold, inventor and Co-founder of LifeHandle to the Channel Mastery audience because he offers a very unique pandemic story. Like so many brands and specialty retailers, LifeHandle experienced supply chain issues in 2020 when they were expected to officially launch their first product. Rather than hiding under a rock, they shifted gears and introduced a Kickstarter campaign to ensure their product was introduced to the market and that they stayed in touch with their target consumers.
Through the Kickstarter campaign, they were able to tell the story behind product development, Joe’s personal need for it after a car crash and they actually discovered new uses and audiences perfect for the product. I’ve always thought the Kickstarter platform allows brands to get closer to your audience than traditional avenues and LifeHandle proves this to be true. Along with details of the Kickstarter campaign, you’ll also hear about LIfeHandle’s experience adding an influencer program to their brand and the discoveries made from that experience.
As always, thanks for listening. Enjoy the show!
GUEST PROFILES:
Joe Wold
Joe Wold is the inventor and Co-Founder of LifeHandle, a carrying assist and dog leash company that makes everyday life and adventures a little bit more enjoyable and a lot more comfortable. Joe is a geologist by training but has always been a tinkerer to make solutions for common problems. Joe grew up in Wyoming and is an avid fisherman, skier, mountain biker, hunter, and lover of the great outdoors. He lives in Boston with his wife Chelsey and two children, Wells and Tucker, and their Chocolate Lab, Bruin.
SELECT QUOTES:
“...we were working on something that helps you with holding your kids, walking your dog, and to have a baby come into the mix on all this was really, I think, a benefit for the product because we were able to take all the, the mishaps that, you know, the first generation had and really ideate, I guess, to make a better version each time. We definitely took all those unique aspects of life that we were living with through the COVID pandemic and really made a product that will help with so many activities. And as you said, it's lightweight, versatile, and comfortable.”
“The Kickstarter was, was the decision that we really were kind of forced to make in a sense, because our, our manufacturers said we've had so much delay due to COVID that we can get you a couple of hundred samples, finished, good product by December. And the rest is going to be later, maybe in April. Knowing that we were right there, we had finished product, but we were going to have to really scale down on the amount that we can get. That's where the Kickstarter campaign was super helpful in figuring out, how we were going to market this because we really didn't have initially that worked out with content and everything coming together, and obviously working with the team at Verde, we were able to really paint that picture and who we were going to be marketing it to.”