Ep 4: Building a Blossoming Brand with John Tabis
- Author
- Arteen Arabshahi
- Published
- Mon 01 Feb 2021
- Episode Link
- https://the-on-ramp.simplecast.com/episodes/ep-4-building-a-blossoming-brand-with-john-tabis-H40_RqtX
Although people speak about failure more often these days, the conversations are still very theoretical. With phrases like ‘fail forward’ and ‘pivot’ thrown around all the time, it can be hard to know how to deal with failure in a more practical sense. As someone who has been laid off twice, John Tabis knows what it feels like to fail. He is the long-time CEO and Cofounder of The Bouqs Co., an online flower company founded in 2012 that has radically disrupted the global floral industry through modern branding, responsibly-sourced flowers, and a vertically integrated supply chain. In this episode, John talks about being laid off twice, how they differed, and what he took away from them. Although being let go from ShoeDazzle came at a time where the stakes were much higher, it ultimately led John to fully dedicating himself to The Bouqs. We talk about how he views failure and why he believes in the pursuit of ideas, knowing full well that not everything will land. Our conversation also touches on The Bouqs’ Shark Tank appearance and receiving funding from a shark despite being rejected on the show, as well as John’s evolved definition of success. This energy-filled, thoughtful discussion is one of our best. Be sure to tune in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Get to know John, his background, and what he is up to now.
- The fun fact about John being on both the football team and the glee club at Notre Dame.
- How getting cut from the soccer club ultimately set the foundation for The Bouqs Co.’s founding.
- Hear about the times John was let go, first from Bain & Company, and then ShoeDazzle.
- The difference between John’s first and second layoffs given his increased personal responsibilities and stage of life.
- Details of the day John got laid off from ShoeDazzle and his subsequent reactions.
- What John would tell his younger self about his layoff.
- The parallel path John set up working on The Bouqs Co. while still working full time.
- The timeline on getting The Bouqs Co. off the ground.
- What being on Shark Tank was like for John and the team.
- Getting a call from Robert Herjavec to do flowers at his wedding and the investment after.
- John’s definition of success and how it has evolved over time.
- The pride John feels in his relationship with his wife.
Tweetables:
“It all lands where it lands. For better or for worse.” — @JohnGTabis [0:06:41]
“People talk about failure in this very theoretical way of like, ‘fail fast and pivoting,’ that don’t mean anything to a human being. They mean something to a business person. Business people are not human beings. They are robots.” — @JohnGTabis [0:17:48]
“I’m the only guy who was the kicker and on the glee club at Notre Dame. And Bouqs is the only company to get rejected in the tank but get a deal from a shark later.” — @JohnGTabis [0:29:52]
“I see no downside in trying stuff because I am super curious about what the other side is going to look like.” — @JohnGTabis [0:30:18]
“It’s really about how you feel about now that matters and all the rest is fleeting.” — @JohnGTabis [0:34:14]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
