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“I seek out people who inspire me” – Jeremy Moon
When I first arrived in New Zealand last month I did a quick informal survey of my Kiwi friends about who the most interesting people in NZ were that I should have on the show. The one name that came up most frequently is today’s guest!
Jeremy Moon is the founder of Icebreaker , a New Zealand based merino wool clothing company started in 1994, which now sells clothing in over 4700 stores world wide. The New Zealand Herald named Jeremy as one of the country’s top business leaders, and Icebreaker has been the subject of two Harvard Business School case studies.
Today, we are going to get into the early development of the business, including how Jeremy used word of mouth marketing and generated hype among the New Zealand outdoor gear retailers. We will also get into the initial business and financial structure, and why merino works as a good product in the first place.
Icebreaker is also known for it’s Baacode, an innovation that allows you to track which wool station (farm) in New Zealand your garment came from, so you can see the living conditions of the animals. When I surveyed my Kiwi friends before the interview about what they wanted to know about Icebreaker, they all said sustainability, so I asked Jeremy to discuss the importance of environmental impacts, social ethics, manufacturing ethics, and animal welfare.
This is a fabulous story of seeing a great market opportunity, and steadily growing a business to be the widely acclaimed, sustainable, international brand it is today.
Quotes:
“Icebreaker is a symbol of how we feel” – Jeremy Moon
“I’ve never not had people who are actively shaping my world view” – Jeremy Moon
“The world wasn’t looking for wool” – Jeremy Moon
“Don’t do business with people you don’t like” – Jeremy Moon
“I’m good at asking the right questions and getting people to help” – Jeremy Moon
“I seek out people who inspire me” – Jeremy Moon
“Adventure is the same as innovation – seeking New + Better” – Jeremy Moon
“Adventure teaches you something to be a better person” – Jeremy Moon
“Adventure reminds you what it is like to be a human being” – Jeremy Moon
“We are on a quest to find our inner truth, and business is a great opportunity to do that” – Jeremy Moon
“Icebreaker is the story of what New Zealand is known for: nature, adventure, and sheep, told in a fresh way”- Jeremy Moon
What you will learn in this episode:
-The key traits of a successful founder
-How word of mouth marketing helped grow icebreaker to 45 countries
-How Jeremy decided to found Icebreaker
-The keys to ethical manufacturing and social policies
-How to be transparent about your business process
-How clothing effects the electrochemistry of the human body
-How merino wool works as an ideal clothing fiber
-How to surround yourself with the right people to inspire and teach you
-How travel influenced Jeremy’s business development
Continue the adventure:
Sir Peter James Blake, one of Jeremy’s heroes, won the America’s cup for New Zealand, and wore a prototype Icebreaker top and leggings for 40 days and nights in a row while setting a world circumnavigation record.
Thanks Jeremy Moon!
If you enjoyed this session of The Art of Adventure Podcast, let Jeremy know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout out on Twitter:
Click here to thank Jeremy via Icebreaker on Twitter!
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You might also like these episodes:
AOA 044 | Aaron Hurst | The Purpose Economy
AOA 024 | Rachel Faller | Environmentally and Socially Responsible Fashion
AOA 065 | Andy McLean | Social Entrepreneurship And Global Citizenship
Did you enjoy the episode?
Jeremy is really easy to talk with, and clearly on top of his game. I was really impressed that he was able to grow Icebreaker entirely through word of mouth and the outdoor shops that sell his garments. How can you increase sustainability or word of mouth interest in your business?
Icebreaker is known for striking catalogue cover photos
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