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Brian Smith

The Birth of a Brand Hardcover – December 2, 2014

by Brian Smith (Author)

4.8 80 ratings

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Brian Smith's story as the founder of the world-renowned UGG Australia brand is a hero's journey and roadmap to success with stories of achievements, failures, lucky breaks, and near disasters.

Brian's guiding principle: You can't give birth to adults. Every company is conceived as an idea and birthed into reality, and the baby business grows through its infancy, toddler years, early youth, and tumultuous teens, to eventually arrive at maturity.

For those who have yet to set their dreams into action or those who are already on the rocky road to success, this book is a candid, colorful, outrageous, enlightening adventure in product development, world-wide brand recognition, and star-struck fame and fortune.

A mentor and advocate to business leaders and entrepreneurs, Brian Smith shows how you can find your passion and follow it to a rewarding, happy, fulfilling life. Written with time-worn truisms and business acumen, Brian's amazing story proves that you can stick to your guns, authenticity, and spiritually and still grow a wildly successful career and company.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Beyond Words Publishing
Publication date

December 2, 2014
Dimensions

6.38 x 0.98 x 9.29 inches
ISBN-10

1582705356
ISBN-13

978-1582705354
See all details

Tom Wheelwright
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Entrepreneurs need this book. Yes, even if they re hyper successful already. Why? Because Brian Smith is one of them, he feels the fears and frustrations they feel, he has faced the tough decisions they will face. He s dreamed the huge dreams and been through the painful periods just like them. And...he won! UGG® has become not just a brand but also a cultural phenomenon. He s not done yet but he sure has figured out how to do it. Learn from him, you ll like having him as your new business friend, or make that 'Mate.'" --Jim Cathcart, Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame, Author "Relationship Selling"

Put simply, this grippingly powerful book is required reading for all entrepreneurs, especially those struggling in the infancy stage of business where most people tend to give up. Brian is a true trailblazer in the world of entrepreneurship he copied no one, learned as he went, and triumphed over great adversity. The Birth of a Brand is a tried-and-true, must-read roadmap for growing a thriving enterprise and Brian s description of the seven stages of the business lifecycle will forever illuminate the way you think about your business. --Ivan Misner, Ph.D., NY Times Bestselling Author and Founder of BNI®

"A captivating and compelling read! This book shares the story of the grit and determination that it takes to build a massively successful business! Brian Smith teaches lessons that not only help you to grow your business, but also to grow yourself. Read it and re-read it -- I highly recommend this book!" --Dr. Willie Jolley - Best Selling Author, "A Setback Is A Setup For A Comeback and An Attitude of Excellence!" CSP, CPAE (Member-Speaker Hall of Fame)

About the Author

Brian Smith was born in Australia, where he developed his love of surfing. A chartered accountant, he studied at the UCLA Graduate School of Management, and with $500 of start-up money, he founded UGG Imports to bring sheepskin footwear to America. A passionate innovator and entrepreneur, Brian is one of the most sought after business leaders in the country today. As a media guest and inspiring speaker, he is committed to teaching his breakthrough business strategies to entrepreneurs and translating personal vision and spirituality into company culture.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beyond Words Publishing (December 2, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1582705356
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1582705354
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 0.035 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 0.98 x 9.29 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #885,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.8 80 ratings

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Brian Smith

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A mentor and advocate to business leaders and entrepreneurs, Brian Smith shows how you can find your passion and follow it to a rewarding, happy, fulfilling life. Written with time-worn truisms and business acumen, Brian's amazing story proves that you can stick to your guns, authenticity, and spiritually and still grow a wildly successful career and company.Brian Smith was born in Australia, where he developed his love of surfing. A chartered accountant, he studied at the UCLA Graduate School of Management, and with $500 of start-up money, he founded UGG Imports to bring sheepskin footwear to America. A passionate innovator and entrepreneur, Brian is one of the most sought after business leaders in the country today. As a media guest and inspiring speaker, he is committed to teaching his breakthrough business strategies to entrepreneurs and translating personal vision and spirituality into company culture.

He can be reached at Brian at Briansmithspeaker DotCom.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

80 global ratings

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KW

Exceptional Must-Read for Bootstrapping Founders! It’s book you need right now.

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2023

Verified Purchase

Must-read for every self-funded and bootstrapping founder. A candid, self-reflecting and hugely impactful read from a true brand builder. Not just a wonderful founder story from an amazingly talented, instinctual and gritty founder who vastly underestimated himself - but a retrospective on being a brand founder and the resultant choices of being bootstrapped and the impact of being constantly underfunded. This is the advice that self-funded founders need and from the mentors they hugely desire.

Helpful

Sunrise

The Definition of Savvy

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2014

Verified Purchase

Australian surfer, Brian Smith, had a job as an accountant and a life that left him feeling empty and uninspired. When he was surfing, he was at one with the universe, but life on land was only becoming more of an uphill struggle. As in Pink Floyd’s song “Time” he realized, at age twenty-eight that he had “missed the starting gun.” As if comfortably waiting for the perfect wave in the wrong spot, unaware that it would never come.

He desired a life that inspired him, and he realized his best bet would be to open himself up to the powers that be and let his intuition guide him. Almost immediately inspiration struck, and with it an undeniable understanding of his true calling. Brian quit his job, got on a plane and headed half way around the world. This leap of faith, into the unknown, was the beginning of an adventure that forever would remain more valuable than the multi-million dollar company, named UGG, he would soon create.

This book chronicles seventeen years of Brian’s financial, intellectual and spiritual insights. He tells the tale of how his success was built, not from the numbers of his bank account, but rather from an indestructible optimism, and his ability to continually put one foot in front of the other. Brian’s life is proof of what CAN happen when you learn go with your gut and trust yourself, instead of going for what is safe.

The Birth of A Brand is a book that every entrepreneur will enjoy reading. If you have been looking for a book with substance, this is it. It does not matter if you own a business, or would like to one day. This book covers everything you could ever want to know

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Bill Fanning

Page Turner

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2014

Verified Purchase

Just finished reading The Birth of a Brand within hours of it arriving at my door. Hard to believe a book about business could be such a page turner but Brian Smith's long and challenging struggles to develop the UGG brand is full of life's lessions. I am one of the rugby players Brian coached at San Diego State University in the early 80's as UGG was in it's infant stages. I still remember going to his house in Pacific Beach with several other players and Brian showing us the sheepskin boots from one of the hundreds of boxes that had over taken his house. We all had a good laugh when we left saying no one in sunny San Diego would buy them..... Over the years I remained friends with Brian as he used his charismatic personality, optimism and tenacity to develop the UGG Brand into a household name. This is a great read, not just for business people who want to learn from Brian's trials and tribulations but for anyone who has ever put on a pair of UGG Boots (without socks).

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Flash King

Amazing Adventure Starring an Amazing Person

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

This book is an entrepreneurship roller-coaster! We get to travel along with Brian on his incredible entrepreneurial adventures.

I love that the book includes his overall entrepreneurship story building Ugg and also lessons along the way that can help any entrepreneur. In fact, the lessons apply to anyone, including:
* Being a great person with strong values who wants to do the right thing
* Building a great product and brand while also pairing those with strong personal customer service
* Learning to overcome many types of challenges to reach goals.

As an entrepreneur myself (my friends and I built eBay's leading competitor and that company was acquired by eBay as their first acquisition -- and then I started a digital health company named SparkPeople to help people reach their goals), I could definitely relate to the stressful situations Brian encountered and then conquered to reach goals.

Highly recommended!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

MP

Mandatory Reading if you want to bring a product to market!

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

Brian’s book exemplifies the entrepreneurs journey in believing in your product and the mother of all traits- Persistence! I just finished reading the book and I don’t think I’ve ever screamed out loud at a book in my life 😆!!! What a roller coaster, yelling out “OMG! Brian, not again!!”🗣 📖

I can sooo relate and if you’re heart sings to bring a product to market, this book is a mandatory addition to your library! I thank him so much for sharing his entrepreneurial journey.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

C. Goodman

I love this book and I highly recommend it to entrepreneurs

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

I love this book and I highly recommend it to entrepreneurs! Brian Smith's story is compelling and inspirational. It is as if he is reaching back and giving a hand up to those who are struggling in the day to day, ups and downs. Not only was this book a great read, but the images and lessons stay with you, so that you can tap into them over and over to lift you up when you feel like you've hit a wall. Thanks Brian Smith for sharing your story!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Brad

Great Story with Business Advice Weaved In

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014

Verified Purchase

I LOVED this book! I loved that it was written as a parable rather than strictly a "business advice" book. Don't get me wrong, the book does have great business advice but it's also just a fun read.

A few highlights...
- Brian started UGG totally broke, just like any small business
- You'll learn a lot about branding, customer service, sales and marketing
- He had major cash flow issues that i think any business owner can relate to. He gave me hope that we can push through tough times.
- Learn about financing the growth of a business and finding investors

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Daniel Schainen

Excellent read! With the amount of hard work and ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent read! With the amount of hard work and sacrifice, Brian was destined to succeed despite the many obstacles he faced day in and day out. A true entrepreneur in every sense of the word. This is a great book and very inspirational. Whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner, sales and marketing professional this book applies to you! In all honesty, this book and Brian's story pertain to anyone with an urge to succeed regardless the industry. Thank you, Brian. A true inspiration.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Jh44

Inspiring and great!

Reviewed in France on June 12, 2019

Verified Purchase

Good book. I recommend

Sue Avins

easy insightful read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2015

Verified Purchase

Enjoyed this book from start to finish. As a business owner, I appreciated his candid account of his shortcomings and failures along the way. Great read - great boots!

Syd Chesson

Aussie Battler makes good

Reviewed in Australia on November 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

Interesting story of grit and determination starting with virtually no money and an unrealistic idea, overcoming adversity, cash shortages, costly capital, growing pains, seasonal fluctuations, opportunistic competitors and betrayal by apparent supporters. Pretty much the story of most small businesses.

Readers part way along a journey may draw inspiration from the pure example of "Aussie Stickability".

Adam B.

sound advice for early stage businesses!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2015

Verified Purchase

Highly recommended, I've learned several lessons that, although obvious once you think about it, were obviously not obvious to me before!

Amazon Customer

Great

Reviewed in Australia on December 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

All good.

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