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The business of sneakers: Q&A with teenage entrepreneur Noah Vitale - Anaheim High School Sports There's something unearthly magical about buying a pair of limited-edition, rare or highly sought-after sneakers. It comes the moment you crack open the lid around the quality-crafted shoebox, peel back the uncrinkled tissue paper and lay your vision on your brand new kicks (don't even get me started about the glorious smell of new leather, when combined rubber and Velcro!). Pretty near to heaven, right? One individual that knows this exact feeling is Noah Vitale, a sophomore at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga. The 16-year old has found a way to capture that part of sneaker-heaven and convey it to sneakerheads around the world through his upstart company, Vitale Kicks. Not only is Noah an honors student, maintaining a 4.5 GPA and member of the Grizzlies' team, he's also a consummate professional who can be found hours before school starts at his desk filling out orders, answering customer emails and searching for exclusive sneaks for any fanatical subculture of sneaker aficionados. In just 6 months time, Vitale Kicks has earned over $250,000 dollars in income, thanks to a low-supply-high-demand market and plenty of hard work and commitment from Noah. Recently I sat down while using young entrepreneur to speak about how he turned his or her own sneaker obsession right into a thriving business. Quesiton: I love your organization logo. Who designed it? Noah Vitale: My brother Nick designed it. He's 18 as well as a senior at Los Osos. We sat down together one day and just build it. People apparently like it in order that it worked out rather well. Q: So what exactly is Vitale Kicks? Noah: Basically it's this - Nike and Jordan brands will release a series of limited shoes whether its shoes from Air Jordan or Nike Running or anything that way. And because they're limited, you will see a huge need for them. So we find ways to buy them from retailers and then mark them up after we have them in your hands. So, say there exists a shoe that retails for $160 dollars, and sold out to get all across the United States. We'll take that shoe and then sell it for maybe $230 dollars on our website. We are capable of doing this because there's such an enormous demand and also you can't go right into a retail store and get them. So, the one choice is to purchase it coming from a so-called reseller, which is somebody like us. Q: So, if Nike drops a small edition Air Force 1, and I shouldn't sit looking at Undefeated for two days, I can phone you up? Noah: Yeah, exactly. We actually have individuals who do sit outside of stores on release day after which once they obtain the shoes we'll sell them a little bit over retail. So yeah, definitely almost any shoe such as an Air Force 1 we are capable of doing the same exact thing. Q: As a consumer, I think that's well worth the mark-up at that time because that has the time to sit looking at a store for days? Noah: Yeah, definitely. Q: So do you employ people to sit down out in front of stores? Noah: Yeah occasionally we do. I'll pay friends say $20 bucks for just one night to camp out with us. That's just one of the many ways we're able to get the shoes. Q: What are various other ways? Noah: We get them online and direct from retailers like Footlocker or NikeTown. We'll enter raffles. They're not the simplest to get. It's a complicated process. Over time we've accumulated friends plus a network of people like store managers and the like. Q: It actually sounds fun. Noah: It is fun because you're meeting new people and it's thrilling every weekend to try to have as many shoes as possible and at the same time frame I'm with all my friends. It's a good experience, in addition to making a good profit every weekend. Q: So basically, you've made a business from the hobby. Noah: Definitely, since it all started with an interest during these type of limited-edition shoes. And then realizing that there is a big potential opportunity to create a business and create a little money. But it all originated as a hobby of collecting and wearing these shoes. So, it is a business plus a hobby at one time. Q: When do you start it and the way old had you been? Noah: Well I was fifteen years old and I started the company in April of 2013. Q: Do you remember the actual moment the concept sparked? Noah: It started when my father and I were outside a Finish Line one night, where we were holding doing a raffle and now we were able to pick up two pairs of Air Jordans. As soon even as we walked out from the store a few people stopped us and offered us an enormous $150 dollars over-retail for the kids. We were like, 'Wow did that basically just happen'? It motivated my dad too because usually whenever you tell a dad or mom about doing something similar to this they'd say, 'Nah, there is not any way! You can't go obtain a shoe that's in a local store and resell it for more.' But the moment somebody on the sidewalk stopped my dad and said, "Hey, I'll take those for $280 dollars today," I think that basically kind of lit the spark for everything. Q: It really helps you to have your dad on your own side doesn't it? Noah: Yeah it will be did assist to have dad on my side. When someone how old irrrve become is starting off they're not going to have the revenue to be able to get 100 pairs of shoes. So having my pops to help me out (and his awesome credit card) was definitely a large help. But, my parents will almost always be supportive of whatever I do. When I told my father I wanted to get this done, he was all for this because when I was a younger kid I had another business and the man saw how well I did your. Q: What's the most high-priced shoe you've sold? Noah: Nike includes a foundation with Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon. At the first with the year they released a shoe called the Nike Air Doernbecher that retailed for $250 dollars so we sold it for $1300 dollars. So that would have been a very large profit. It was type of tough to discover a buyer while we found one for your price it was satisfying. And we were able to obtain a couple pairs of people. That was definitely our biggest sale. Q: What's been one of the most interesting shoe you've sold? Noah: We're taking care of that at this time. We have a very shoe referred to as Nike Air Yeezy that is a collaboration between the hip-hop artist Kanye West and Nike. The shoe retails at $250 dollars and it's really currently reselling on an average of around $4,000 to $5,000 dollars. We have one pair in our hands right now so we're just waiting to discover the right buyer that will pull the trigger. But that's definitely our most valuable shoe that we've ever endured. Q: How do you start selling a shoe that's worth a great deal? It sounds almost dangerous. Noah: Right! We've had it inside our possession a bit over a month and also the challenge with a shoe such as this is you have to be careful regarding how you flip it because with such a tremendous demand, it's dangerous to satisfy up to get a shoe that's worth $4,000 dollars. So you have to be careful. But we're definitely keeping it safe until we find the right buyer. That will be nice if we let that go. Q: Nice payday! What do you generally do with the profits you cash in on? Noah: I'll occasionally buy myself clothes but most in the money is set aside in my banking account and saved up for college. Also, I just bought myself an Audi. So, that's one helluva first car for me. But apart from that, I just put it away for college. Q: How amazed are you if you sit back and see the success you are able to create from reselling sneakers? Noah: It's amazing. When I was driving home from buying my Audi, I was just thinking, 'Wow! This thing that I'm doing has led to me having this car.' It's just great to see effort pay off. Q: What do friends and family think about Vitale Kicks? Noah: You know my pals are actually people who I'll bring when camping to pick up shoes and I'll outlay cash for coming when camping. I'll text them some nights and say, 'Hey everyone down to go to Los Angeles when camping this weekend to grab some shoes? I'm paying everybody so-and-so quantity of dollars.' And sometimes, they don't even wish to be paid given it's simply a thrilling experience to go right down to these populated areas and be around these those who are crazy for sneakers. And it's fun simply to walk out of the stores with exclusive shoes and everybody's investigating us saying, "Oh look, look, look, they got a." So my friends have definitely reduced the problem be where I am today and have been a resource of support and have reduced the problem throughout all this. And an important feature about it is, some of my friends have actually started their own sneaker reselling businesses over a smaller level. It's cool to determine that influence spread throughout every one of the group of my friends and to see them have success too using what they're doing. Sometimes they'll ask me for help and I'm delighted to help them. Q: Are your customers surprised after they find out that you are a secondary school kid? Noah: Well, I only tell people I'm all-around but when I do inform them I'm 16, they're very surprised. If anything they believe it's really cool that someone younger than them may be doing similar to this. Q: The testimonial page in your website is merely photo after photo of super-stoked people showing off the shoes they bought in you. How satisfying is that? Noah: The customer appreciation is fairly cool. That's one of the best parts is to determine the customer testimonials. They're really a major help to our organization and its rewarding once we get those back. Sometimes we'll even provide discounts if customers post a testimonial because that pulls a lot of other individuals who haven't purchased in us. People will look at that and say, 'Oh those guys are legit ' they are fully aware what they actually do.' Q: What's the biggest challenge you've faced as being a young entrepreneur? Noah: My biggest challenge is maintaining school and the business at the same time frame. I'm taking all AP and Honors classes and hold a 4.5 GPA. When I get home I usually have 3-hours of homework and when I'm playing soccer I won't get home until 5 p.m. Then I'll have 40,000 people on social networking that are emailing and contacting me about their order or about these comfortable shoes that are released and asking if I'm getting certain shoes. So that's definitely hard looking to balance all that. But I think I've sort of found that balance. I require time out in a certain hour to respond to emails, to obtain back to customers, and also to post up on social media. Then of course, I get other time for it to do school work and other things which are more important. Q: Time management is surely a skill don't you think? Noah: Yeah, it's something I've learned to do. Q: What are your plans after high school? Noah: I don't know what college I want to head to yet, but I plan to visit right in to a 4-year school. I also intend on hopefully running multiple businesses when I'm out of high school graduation. But I definitely will check out college with the Business or Computer Science Major and hopefully have other businesses on my own hands in those days. Q: Who are a few of your influences or individuals who have inspirited you? Noah: I would say operator like Mark Cuban. Or if you watch the show Shark Tank, dozens of people on the. It's inspiring to find out how successful they are and just how they're in a position to help people out with businesses and stuff. Q. Ever think about taking Vitale Kicks on Shark Tank? Noah: Not really. You know, there's over 10,000 people who do the same exact thing as Vitale Kicks. It's not like we're some unique thing. We've just found a method to be successful. Q: What have you learned is probably the most important aspect of creating a successful at-home business? Noah: How big social media marketing is in relation to how it can help a business. I started last year with one follower on Instagram now I have over 40,000 followers. Social media has really helped grow my business and it's definitely one in the most important factors for virtually any business these days. Also the value of good customer service is huge. Like I said earlier, because these comfortable shoes are so expensive, folks are sometimes afraid to spend a great deal money. I can be nervous too if I was spending $400 dollars or maybe more. When you talk to a customer, you will be making them feel comfortable about their purchase. So, without a doubt social media marketing and good customer satisfaction are the two most important things in having an enterprise. Q: A lot of young people think of starting their own business or doing something entrepreneurial just like you. What sort of advice can you give a young individual who has a excellent idea and wants to take it to the next level? Noah: I would tell others to check around and discover what other individuals are doing. Because when I was starting the business, I explored to other resellers and learned at their store. So one in the most important things is to take advice and learn from others and build upon that. And also, not be afraid of just starting. Get out there and understand it going. Because you can have so many thoughts when creating a company and be thinking, 'I want to accomplish this and I want to complete that.' But you just have to visit and do it. Eventually all this works out. So my advice could be learn and take advice from others and believe in yourself and be afraid to simply start. Take a chance and merely start. Q: Just do it! As the famous shoemaker says! Noah: Exactly! Just undertake it! To find out more on Vitale Kicks and take a look at their extensive number of limited-edition shoes, take them into consideration at Vitalekicks.com. And connect with Vitale Kicks on Twitter and Instagram. |