Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Max Boutry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Max, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
It’s normal for any business owner or creator of any kind to question themselves when getting started on their journey. Will anyone really use this? Is my price point correct? Am I capable of providing what I’ve promised? I came across the Steve Jobs quote that I think is very helpful for budding entrepreneurs to hear: “everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.” Creating something from scratch requires blind faith in yourself and a belief that your idea will be useful and successful. This faith is what will push you through the times when the hard work has not yet paid off and you feel like it never will. But if you continue to push forward and advance your business, you will reach success. My journey has taught me that in business, when it rains, it pours. Once you get that first win, you can’t wait until you get the next, and that will be all the motivation you need. While you’re working towards that first win, don’t be afraid to ask for advice and help. Not knowing something is normal and no one is immune to the learning process. It was extremely valuable for me to find people who were farther along in their entrepreneurial journeys and to ask them for guidance. Without fail, they would offer advice and resources, and I would always be happy to reciprocate whenever I had the opportunity. This not only helped me feel like I was paying back a favor, but also increased my confidence and built up my network. Even the most successful people can fall victim to imposter syndrome from time to time so it’s essential to have a supportive network, have faith in your company and yourself, and remind yourself of how far you’ve already come.
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?
My name is Max Boutry and I am 26 years old. I went to UC Berkeley and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering before going into work for the National Ignition Facility in developing the first successful instance of inertial confinement fusion in a laboratory setting. I left after 3 and a half years after having achieved our goal to go take a break and start on a journey to figure out what I wanted the rest of my life to look like which I’ve realized is very common among people in their mid-20s. I moved back home and decided to start the broom business my dad had been talking about starting for years. He moved to America from France 30 years ago to marry my mother. In those 30 years, he never found a French broom in any American store which shocked him. How could they not import such a good product? They brought baguettes, croissants, even French onion soup but no brooms? We spoke to manufacturers in France who had been making brooms for more than 80 years in a small village right outside of Paris and were able to make a deal for our first order. At the same time, we customized the broom and make it our own, adding engravings, leather sleeves for the handle, a leather cord to hang it, and even got the manufacturer to use biodegradable plastic to make the brooms not only more elegant but more sustainable than their plastic counterparts. After speaking with several engravers, graphic designers, printers, seamstresses and leatherworkers, and learning how to sew myself, we created the first broom prototypes. We fell in love with our product right away.
Then began the paperwork. We created a website, took pictures, updated it incessantly, filed for licenses, filed an LLC, opened bank accounts, credit cards. It was enough to drive anyone insane but it felt so good to have everything in order. Then, we went on vacation to the South of France and as I came out of the water one day and lifted my phone off of my towel to dry off, I saw the notification “You have 1 new order for the French Broom” I couldn’t believe it and neither could my dad. We were ecstatic and what better place to be when we got our first sale. We were able to get my sister to send the broom and completed our first sale. That first sale made us hungry for the next and we pushed to increase our sales. Our inventory arrived December 19th and we started shipping right away, learning about customs, digital advertising, SEO, and social media marketing in the process. We keep finding new ways to grow our company by adding new products (like dustpans) that were in high demand by our customers and that would bundle well with our brooms. We also are pitching to larger retail chains to be able to get more exposure and ship bigger quantities and have started working with larger and larger social media influencers in the home decor niche that have a following that closely aligns with our target clientele.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most impactful qualities were resourcefulness, perseverance, and proactivity. Being proactive is arguably the most important because there will be so many forks in the road that can cause a lot of people to lose momentum while they try and decide what is the best course of action. Of course, it is important to make educated decisions, but doing so without losing steam is essential. Quick decision-making and prioritization will keep your business on track. It is also common to lose momentum from dealing with burnout. There could be long periods with little to no results but it is important to be perseverant and keep pushing forward. Think of the farmer who continues to work the soil and plant the seeds for future harvests, waiting months to harvest. Giving up on tending to your business and watering your ideas only ensures that all the seeds you have sown will amount to nothing and that all your hard work will have been wasted. If you persist, however, you will reap the rewards of your hard work. Being resourceful was extremely important for me because it allowed me to save time. Your time is one of the most valuable things you have and being resourceful allows you to make the most of it, whether that be delegating tasks that can be done by others, learning a new skill that can save your business money or help in a pinch, or asking others for advice and help. Being resourceful is about collecting as much information as you can about different options for your company so that when you run into an issue, you have a better idea of where to go to resolve it.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are looking for retail businesses, people working in the interior design or environmental niches, and high-visibility individuals who can help us get our name out as much as possible. We believe that we have a quality product that is a better option for your home and your environment. We want to grow our brand and need to get in the public’s eye as much as we can. Working with retail businesses, we believe that we could help not only with the sales of our products but also with complementary products like dust pans, brushes, and other cleaning products. We would love to work with environmental agencies to address the issue of the plastic pollution filling our oceans and landfills and would love to offer our alternative that can biodegrade in 10 years compared to several centuries for a plastic broom.
Contact Info:
- Website: frenchbroom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefrenchbroom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552422795631&mibextid=AEUHqQ
Image Credits
Max Boutry, Vianney Boutry, Maddie Dickerson
