1. How did you meet Candace?
I met Candace when we were working in Meribel, France. It’s a small ski resort in the French Alps. We were both working in different bars in the evenings and snowboarding every day. It was awesome.
2. What is it like to work with your best friend?
It’s great! Who wouldn’t want to work with their best friend?!
3. How do you and Candace brainstorm new business ideas?
We don’t really brainstorm, we’ve always found that the best ideas come to us when we’re not trying to find them. We weren’t trying to think of a business idea when we started El Camino so we’ve just carried on that ethos.
4. What does your average day look like?
I like waking up early and before I do any work, I like to take my dogs to the beach. If we get there early enough we often have the beach to ourselves which is the perfect start to any day. After that I’ll work through the day, sometimes in the office, sometimes at home, or sometimes where I’m travelling. After that I’ll take the dogs to the beach again and see some friends, it’s a good life.
5. What has El Camino taught you about yourself?
It has taught how to problem solve. I’ve picked up many new skills in this department along the way. When we started El Camino we faced issues that I’d never even thought existed before, but luckily we’ve managed to overcome them all and learnt something from all of them.
6. What is the biggest business challenge you have faced so far?
The biggest challenge for me was giving responsibility to other people as we grew the business. El Camino is our baby. Collectively, we have built it from the ground up.
I have always found it hard to hand over certain tasks to other people. Fortunately, we’ve built a great team who all care about the brand.
7. Business highlight since launching the brand?
The first time we saw someone we didn’t know wearing an El Camino in the street. That was a great feeling.
8. If you were not running El Camino, what would you be doing?
I’d still be travelling!
Before we launched El Camino I was travelling and working around Europe, those were wonderful times but I wouldn’t change anything now, I love being a part of El Camino.
9. What brands do you take influence from?
We don’t really take influence from other brands. We steer El Camino in the direction of what we like in life. We’ve built El Camino in a way that represents what we’d like to see from a brand.
10. Who is your biggest inspiration?
I wouldn’t say I have a single big inspiration. I think it’s possible to learn something and be inspired by everyone I meet in one way or another.
11. Where do you see yourself in five years?
We’ll be continuing to grow El Camino in a way that is true to our roots, and in a way that ensures our staff, our lovely customers and ourselves all get a fair deal and are enjoying the brand.
12. What colour El Camino do you wear?
I wear a black El Camino, I’ve had it since we first started back in 2013. I don’t think I could be parted with it now.
13. How many friends and family members wear El Camino?
All of them! Before we officially launched El Camino we gave them all products to test out so we could get honest feedback. Friends and family are our best critics.
14. Lastly, what is the most memorable story you have been told by an El Camino customer?
I love it when people propose using an El Camino Custom Step. That has happened a few times since we launched the brand.
It’s amazing to see how the product we have created impacts someone else’s life in such a big way.