Meet Joshua Moore

We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Moore recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My partner Odini and I started Res Ipsa in 2013. We’ve seen it grow from keeping all our inventory in Ikea bags in our loft to eight stores and operations in three countries. The universe has been generous with us.

I believe our generosity comes from two things. First, you get back what you put out. This principle is stated in different ways across multiple cultures and religions. It’s a law of the universe. If you put out generosity you get back generosity. If you put out smallness of spirit, the universe gives you very little. When you practice gratitude, the universe gives you more to be grateful about.

Second, generosity is an offshoot of having an abundant mindset as opposed to a scarcity mindset. Scarcity mindsets are very common. If you were raised in a home where a scarcity mindset prevailed, it becomes your default operating system and offers narratives like “this is not going to go well” and “we’re going to run out of money” and “what if it doesn’t work out”. These are stories we are told, and then we continue to tell ourselves. In scarcity systems, you have to conserve because there isn’t enough and you’re going to run out or disaster is right around the corner. Generosity feels scary because there’s not enough to go around.

People who adopt an abundant mindset have a different default operating system. The stories they tell themselves are different. “What if it all works out better than I imagined?” and “There’s more than enough for me and everyone else” and “I will always have what I need.” When your mindset is abundant, generosity is not an existential threat. You can start to see money like water in a river. You scoop out what you need and let it flow to others.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Res Ipsa was founded by two lawyers, Odini Gogo and Josh Moore, who concluded that the world needs fewer lawyers, but better shoes. The Res Ipsa name comes from the Latin phrase res ipsa loquitur, “the thing speaks for itself.” The res ipsa doctrine applies when something is self evident.

Our brand is travel. Inspired by our travels to the great cities of the world, Res Ipsa is the destination for premium handmade travel leisure goods. We pride ourselves on sourcing the most interesting materials for products that are durable, comfortable and self-evidently stylish.

Today Res Ipsa has its own retail stores in Nantucket, Aspen, Los Angeles, Malibu, Vail, New York, and Paris.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

We’ll flip this answer around. I think what you don’t know is the most important. If you knew how hard it was going to be, you wouldn’t start. If you knew all the reasons why you are supposed to succeed, you wouldn’t begin. I think most entrepreneurs are successful because they don’t know it can’t be done. Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. Every entrepreneur who “made it” (whatever that means) used the skills and experiences that were unique to them to carve out a path. It’s hard to follow anyone else’s path because it’s personal to them and the time they were doing what they did, but the example we always draw is: if they can do it, so can we.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Without a doubt, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho has played a huge role in our entrepreneurial journey. “The Alchemist” is influential to entrepreneurs because it emphasizes the importance of pursuing one’s dreams with resilience and recognizing that the journey itself, with its lessons and challenges, is as valuable as the destination. When you are walking the path that you have been called to walk–your personal legend, as the book calls it–the universe rises to meet you and help you in ways that you couldn’t predict and better than you can imagine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.resipsausa.com
• Instagram: @resipsausa
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/resipsausa
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/resipsausa

Image Credits

Courtesy of Res Ipsa