273: From Barbershop To Retail Powerhouse: The Story Behind Scotch Porter​​

Ever Feel Like A Million Bucks After A $20 Haircut? Today’s Guest Knew That Feeling, And It Led Him To Create A Product That Hit More Than $1MM In Sales In Just 12 Months. 

Calvin Quallis is the Founder of Scotch Porter – a 7-figure New Jersey-based men’s grooming brand now on the shelves of major retailers like Walmart and Target. 

The brand’s early beginnings trace back to his mom’s barbershop where Calvin noticed men couldn’t help but walk out with an entirely new pep in their step. Since then, Calvin has been on a mission to help men feel their best.

Calvin joins us on this episode to talk about what building Scotch Porter has been like, the struggles and challenges they’ve faced, marketing strategies that have worked for them, and so much more. 

If you’re an ecommerce entrepreneur interested in going into retail, this episode is for you.

Enjoy! 

Episode Highlights

• 6:34 The power of a $20 haircut: What inspired the Scotch Porter brand
• 10:19 Creating a mission you can get behind
• 12:17 Laying the groundwork for Scotch Porter
• 15:29 The key characteristic you need to solve your startup problems 
• 17:27 What Calvin wishes he knew before signing major retail contracts
• 21:29 Two things Calvin would approach differently if given another chance
• 23:15 The lengthy process of landing inside Playboy magazine
• 25:35 Scotch Porter’s marketing strategies to gain traction
• 27:55 How Calvin would launch a second brand with what he knows now
• 30:23 4 invaluable resources Calvin recommends for your entrepreneurial journey
• 32:26 Why Calvin will hop on a call with any entrepreneur
  34:39 The benefits of bootstrapping vs being funded
• 36:29 How you can get in touch with Calvin and learn more about Scotch Porter

Links and Resources:

• Scotch Porter Website
• Scotch Porter on Instagram
• Scotch Porter on Facebook
• Calvin Quallis on LinkedIn
• [e-mail]
• The Tim Ferriss Show
• The BoF Podcast
• Glossy Podcast
• Masters of Scale Podcast
• How I Built This Podcast
• Brand Growth Experts
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes