Paola R. Shah is an entrepreneur, travel-lover, and mom, born in Colombia and has lived in places such as Paris, London and New York. She currently calls Colorado home where she is the founder and CEO of Tucketts, a high-performance athletic sock brand with the mission to elevate women through their feet.
Creating a sustainable product and finding the balance between people, profit and planet has been Paola’s mission since day one. She believes in the importance of diversifying the manufacturing industry and allowing consumers to have a positive impact with their purchase. She has successfully built a tight relationship with her factory in South America, achieving high quality productions as well as growing her business across multiple selling channels and countries.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is Tucketts all about?
Tucketts is a women-run business with a love for sustainability, a passion for spreading the message about the foot-brain connection, and the mission to elevate women through their feet. Tucketts are high performance, toeless grip socks that enhance the barefoot connection and give the confidence to step into any barefoot activity. Tucketts socks were patented in 2016 because of the unique open-toe design that retains the barefoot sensation while enhancing the foot-brain connection.
The feet are the root of the body, and many times they get forgotten, hidden or disregarded. Tucketts brings awareness of the importance of the feet, and the impact created when people engage them as part of any workout. Tucketts allows sensory feedback to uphold best posture and balance. Easy to put on, the cotton blend wicks away moisture for all day comfort as the open toe design gives unrestricted wear-ability, regardless of toe shapes, sizes or asymmetries.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
It was a moment in my life of new beginnings. Among them, I was living in a new country and welcoming motherhood. Whilst researching Pilates for a friend, I noticed toes don’t have a standard measure or shape. Once I realized this, I was inspired by my own barefoot workouts, like Pilates and barre, to free the toes in order to keep the barefoot sensation and connection with the brain. In sharing these thoughts with other practitioners, instructors and podiatrists, I came to understand that they too were not satisfied with the available socks options for barefoot activities. Immediately, I just knew I had to create a more comfortable and higher performing grip sock, with the environment and people leading the way. Tucketts was born in 2014 with a patented design that allows the toes to stay engaged and connected to the rest of the body.
What are your plans, how do you plan to grow this company?
Tucketts is a global brand. Our clients are our main motivation. There is still so much potential for growth here in the US and internationally. We plan to increase the number of distributors and partnerships on all 5 continents as well as our own presence in marketplaces around the world. We are constantly launching new products that continue to open new doors for us.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
There are certain expenses that are necessary, such as legal set up, regardless of how positive one is about their new entrepreneurship adventure. From the legal identity of the company to intellectual property my advice is to do it as early as possible. Time is key!
Since time is key, especially when there is only one person running the entire show, I advise to embrace technology early on to automate certain tasks that will save time, money and headaches, while, at the same time will get you more organized. Putting systems and processes in place are important. They can evolve over time, but it’s crucial for the operation of the business to have a clear structure.
People are what makes a company successful. Hire slow and fire fast. But, before firing, take a moment to reflect on where you may have failed as the employer or leader. Is that person doing the job for his/her ability? Have you given the right directions, specifications and goals for the job or task? Is that person good at something else that could help the company grow? One of my mentors asked me all these questions when I was on the verge of letting someone go from my team. After careful analysis, I changed her tasks and asked her to focus her time on what she is really good at (which I discovered way after I hired her). Now she excels at what she does!
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
Tucketts has a very unique patented design that enhances the foot-brain connection. When someone purchases a pair of Tucketts, it’s an investment that goes beyond socks. We know the impact that each purchase has on the environment and the community. Our mission is to elevate women through their feet, from our clients to our workers at the factory.
Tucketts is one of the very few companies (if not the only) that manufactures outside of Asia/China. Our socks are made in Colombia with state-of-the-art technology. Our factory belongs to a local “clean production agreement” with a tight-knit web of suppliers. We strongly believe in diversification of the apparel industry to increase sustainability of manufacturing.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
One of the things that I do daily to grow as an entrepreneur and as a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and human being is to work on my mindset; breaking old habits, patterns, fear or pride. I do it through meditation and journaling. It is very important to have a strong personal foundation.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
- Start with “Why” by Simon Sinek
- Sara Blakely teaches “Self Made Entrepreneurship”
- “How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs” by Guy Raz
If you only had $100 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
First, I would make sure I am working in something I am extremely passionate about! Then, the $100 would go to:
- Website domain + hosting for a year – Bluehost $4.95/month
- Theme template for the website – Bluehost $19.95/month
- Logo through Fiverr $5
This would allow me to run the website for a minimum 3 months. As a physical product based business, I would start pre-selling with the specs. It is about “the story.” When people are really engaged, and identify with the story, as well as why you do what you do, they are supportive and patient.
Test the idea with who the ideal client would be. Look for them and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most people want to help and want to give their opinion. Just choose wisely who to ask! Get used to cold calling and cold messaging. Share what you do with everyone. Your next client, mentor or investor could be closer than you imagined!
How can we get in touch with you?
- Company: Tucketts
- Instagram @lovetuckett
- Tucketts on Facebook
- Paola R. Shah on LinkedIn
- Email: info@tucketts.com
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