How a 17 year old built his own skateboard and clothing company | Student Entrepreneurs
By Loreta Hasana
“If you want it bad enough, you have to be willing to lose some sleep over it.” A direct and simple idea that is thrown around here and there, but is yet very relevant when it comes to mixing studying with the burning desire to start a business. In order to gain a deeper understanding of what else besides losing a few hours of sleep, does it take to be a successful student entrepreneur, we bring to you our first Student Entrepreneurs feature!
So hi there and welcome! In our first feature we would like you to meet a fellow student entrepreneur, Alexander Lamb, who I recently had the pleasure to chat with in person. In addition to studying Advertising and Brand Management at MMU, he is also the man behind his skateboard and clothing company “Avenue”.
Originally from the island of Guernsey, Alexander grew up in an entrepreneur family. He witnessed his dad building his own construction and carpentry firm from the ground up. According to Alexander, it is for this reason that entrepreneurship is at the core of him now. Alongside this, another strong factor that has shaped him significantly is a little something he picked up 12 years ago — skateboarding. In fact, not only has this been a part of his life for 12 years straight, Alexander believes that it has shaped his entire way of thinking and he doesn’t know where he would be without it.
Now, you might be wondering how he went from skateboarding to running a company in his free time?
He started merging his creative eye with skateboarding by designing t-shirts and skateboard prints in sixth form. He found himself spending the majority of his free time in the art room. This eventually led to him studying Graphic Design at Plymouth University. During his time there, Alex decided that he wanted to give something back to the skateboard industry. He also wanted to consolidate his relationship with long-time friends; Ethan, Tristan & Kai — three inspirational and also very passionate skateboarders. Being only 17 years old at the time, he didn’t quite know where to start but despite that, he still put his foot forward and started his own “something”. Which has now developed from a quick business plan to Avenue!
Alexander started Avenue in 2011 when social media didn’t have the massive influence it has now. Nonetheless, he debuted his business on free mediums like Instagram and Facebook, which quickly gained traction. This lead to him building the official website for Avenue which also doubles up as an e-commerce platform. He added that the unique design of the website is a direct reflection of his creativity, which is at the core of everything he does.
Alex was inspired by and very generously passed contact details for German skateboard manufacturer, MDCN by professional skateboarder and fellow businessman, Pontus Alv. (Polar Skateboards). It was a combination of this and the help of another inspirational skateboarder/businessman, Bryce Campbell who helped push Avenue in the right direction and lay the foundations for what was going to happen. Starting small and gradually gaining exposure and sales, Alex has gone on to produce a whole collection of board series. Some of these with featured artists and friends, Luca A Longhi and Eloise Dörr. What started out as an idea to consolidate his friends has grown into a profitable business. Fast-forward to 2016 where Alexander, now 24 years old says, “Avenue is by far at the best it’s been so far”. Avenue skateboards can now be found across the UK in a wide range of big name independent skate shops, such as Skate Pharmacy, 3 Amigos Camden, Altar Skate Shop and Parlour Skate Store.
Alexander’s natural optimism really shined through when I asked him about challenges he’s encountered along the way.
“Throughout the years of being a student and having a job, there have been times where I’ve struggled to find motivation to balance work with Avenue. Running your own business is a lot of work and sometimes people forget that. However, I believe that where there’s a will, there’s a way and it is crucial to understand that if you truly want something, you have to work for it”.
He added that there’s only a rare few who are able to find a way to make their hobby profitable. Looking at it from that perspective, doesn’t make it feel like work. He truly enjoys everything from meeting with potential partners to wrapping boards, shipping them and doing emails etc. “I love what I do and the day I stop loving it, is the day that I will stop doing it”.
“It has taken a while for me to get it to where it is because I’ve done it in my free time and with my own money. Avenue has matured slowly but I like that and people like it too. You can see if something is being pushed too hard and too quickly.” This process has given Alexander the freedom to make mistakes and to be learning along the way. “Challenges are what makes us stronger and I always know that I can do better”.
Judging from his success you would think that there must be a team behind all of this. Although, Avenue is technically a one-man-show, the man himself doesn’t see it that way. “ I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for Tristan, Kai, my dad, mum, Bryce and all of the people who inspired me, helped me and backed me from the very beginning”.
My top 3 takeaways from Alexander Lamb:
• JUST START!
• Look at every challenge as an opportunity to grow and learn
• Make sure you surround yourself with positive people who truly support you
I would like to thank Alexander so much for his generous time and insights! It was such a pleasure chatting to such a smart, ambitious yet very humble individual. I wish him and Avenue lots of success in the future!
Check out Avenue skateboards and clothing here:
Website: http://www.122514215.com/home
Instagram: @avenue_skateboards
