Business
In this episode, how a young teenager with a love for brands went on to create, in record time, a household name in the Australian underwear market. Ben Goodfellow loves brands. In fact, from a very early age, when other kids were swapping footy cards, Ben was sitting at the kitchen table, with his Dad, talking branding. Well it’s paid off, as he’s now responsible for the iconic Tradie underwear brand. Launched in 2010, what started off as an underwear range for men, has quickly expanded into an empire of categories including women’s underwear, workwear, babywear, tools and beauty. Thanks to some clever marketing, and a never-say-die attitude, Ben’s business has experienced 45% growth year-on-year, employing over 50 staff and will turnover in excess of $100 million this financial year. I caught up with the tall, and highly enthusiastic Ben in the boardroom of his outer Melbourne headquarters and distribution centre surrounded by all sorts of men’s and women’s apparel. “I had to make the strategic decision that all this profit is just dead money … it’s not going to be around in the future. You’ve got to have courage, but you’ve got to back your gut instincts as well.” Ben Goodfellow - TradiesSupport the show.