When a company is thriving, no one wants to think about potential roadblocks or dangers ahead. But when disaster strikes, the right response can be the difference between a business closing its doors or fueling future growth. Whether it’s a new competitor in the market, shifting consumer patterns or even a global pandemic, how can you quickly adapt to the unexpected?
Kicking off the first episode of season three of But Who’s Counting?, longtime host Dave Hartley is joined by his new co-host, Missy Kelley, for a conversation about grit and perseverance with Michael Weiss, owner of Big Shark Bicycle Company in St. Louis, Missouri.
This episode digs into how Michael took his business from chasing demand to creating it. He explains how his company took proactive steps to embrace the sudden surge in demand during the pandemic while still looking ahead to solve issues before they created roadblocks. The wide-ranging conversation also included:
- Why businesses should examine their relationship with demand: are you driving it or is it driving you?
- Weaknesses of big box retailers and how small retailers can differentiate themselves
- How Big Shark Bicycle Co. was able to take advantage of timing and luck to get ahead of consumer trends
- The importance of understanding your business’s vertical while also being instinctual to recognize opportunities
- The key to connecting community efforts to business goals
- How a passion for expanding outdoor culture turned into working on a festival-length film that celebrates American Criterium Racing
“If you’re just doing things at a zero-revenue model, you’re not valuing yourself, you’re not investing in the future of growing a business or growing the market.”
Michael Weiss
Watch the episode on YouTube:
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