Vita Shoes: Daniel Abaraoha
A recent college graduate takes a socially-conscious approach to building a shoe brand.
What inspired you to start your venture?
My goal was to create a business that would not only help customers, but also people outside of our stakeholders. From a young age, I have always loved designing shoes. I knew I wanted to pursue that — I just was not sure if it would just be a hobby or possibly evolve into a career. I dreamed of creating my own shoe brand. Soon after, I decided to jump in and start the process. Thankfully, I was able to convince a few of my childhood and college friends to launch this company with me. At the beginning of the journey, we designed the product precisely and researched manufacturers. The manufacturing process was incredibly challenging for us. We started this venture five years ago, and the only manufacturers we were able to get in contact with were based in China. We could visit their factory, so that was stressful for us. We wanted to see the workers and the factory’s conditions. It was also difficult given the time difference. So, I would be up until 2–3 am at night on Whatsapp trying to get our product made. We had to talk to various manufacturers as it was really hard to get the shoe made correctly. Sometimes, the design would be wrong or the quality would be poor. However, over time, we were able to navigate our way through these hurdles. Currently, I am launching a new venture and we are in the process of talking to manufacturers again. I am able to apply the knowledge I gained with Vita. This time around, our goal is to create a full lifestyle brand with t-shirts and shoes.
What is the toughest part of being a student founder?
It is certainly hard to balance all of your time commitments. When you are a group of students trying to sell shoes, it is incredibly challenging to expand due to the minimal funds. We had to work hard to find people who wanted to support our product and mission. We didn’t have much money, to begin with. I did not have any discretionary income. Since we did not have much funding, we did not have the numbers to boast about in order to gain more funding. Moreover, people did not always take us seriously due to our age and experience. Now that I am an accountant, the calls are more effective and people are willing to help.
What drives you to keep pushing despite the obstacles that came your way?
I am an intrinsically motivated person. After 18 months of starting Vita, we finally made a profit. In the first iteration of our shoes, we learned that the material was not eco-friendly. So, I figured out a way to fulfill that goal and make it a reality as soon as possible. I would always discover new challenges and relentlessly overcome them. I was always working on growing the company and finding room to grow in order to expand our brand. I would thoroughly analyze all of the angles of the venture.
When was a time you failed, and what did you learn from that experience?
Through creating Vita, there were several mistakes that I made over the years. over time, the company became primarily philanthropic which took away from things in other areas we wanted to achieve. In essence, the brand’s identity evolved from what it was originally intended to be, which was discouraging to me. I was unable to navigate the changes that had taken place and the company became difficult to sustain. Therefore, I had to discontinue it.
What was a key factor that helped you get to where you are today?
The people around me — namely my family and close friends — have really empowered and shaped me into the person I am today. They motivated me to overcome challenges. They encouraged me to build things. I have gained so much knowledge from all of them. They have helped me identify what makes me happy and what will create an impact. I am so excited to see what impact I can make on the world. I am constantly seeking new challenges and figuring out ways to grow as a person. I am so excited to be building a new company and venture on this journey again. I have learned so much from creating Vita as it has led me to what I am doing today.
When you were growing up, what was an assumption you had about the world that ended up being incorrect?
I assumed that if you were passionate and felt that you worked hard at something, that the results would automatically follow you. I worked really hard in school, and I received A’s. I worked hard at work, and I earned promotions and was provided with more income. I assumed that these things would continue to happen throughout life. I learned that if you just put your head down and work, it does not always work out the way you originally expected. I felt like things would come naturally after I put in an enormous amount of effort. However, sometimes that just does not happen. I worked so hard with Vita, and things did not work out the way as I had intended them to. Despite how much hard work I put in, it just didn’t happen. You have to remember that it’s okay. You have to keep going regardless of the outcome. It is something that you cannot control. I know it is incredibly challenging to accept. You learn over time that there are things that just aren’t in your control. You can only worry about the things you can control.
About Daniel:
Daniel Abaraoha is part of the Assurance team at Ernst and Young. He graduated from Cornell University, where he pursued a major in Applied Economics and Management. From a young age, Daniel was always drawn to entrepreneurship and the idea of designing projects that would impact the world and serve others. Due to his large passion for shoes, his mission was to create a shoe brand and work in the world of footwear. He was driven to get involved in business and expand his skillset. However, he was determined to integrate social responsibilities into his business model to also help his community in any way possible. Daniel gravitated towards helping others and serving communities. So, he was adamant to find a way to combine both of his goals. As a result, he created Vita Shoes with the help of his close friends.
Transcribed by Reva Jariwala, ORIGIN Content Manager
