When A Brand Grows Bigger Than You Imagined

Remember that old saying, “you’re too big for your britches?” I often think of that when I think of building a brand. To me, the grandmas who used to tell that to their grandkids were saying that the child was acting older or showing off more than they had a right to, and it’s not unlike the naysayers who try and tell people that their vision is too big. Who has the right to tell us what is and isn’t right for us? No one has the right to judge the audacity of our dreams. Our dreams belong to us. Remember this when thinking about some of your favorite brands. Imagine how many of them wouldn’t exist today if the person who created that brand believed their dreams were too big to achieve? A brand has to start with one person’s vision. 

When I came across this story about brand evolution, I immediately thought of one word: audacity. I love that word. Danny Taing started in his living room, stuffing subscription boxes with his mom when he first started out. He had 20 customers. He eventually grew to 200 subscribers, and, fast forward eight years, and he’s got 30,000 subscribers a month! 

His company is valued at over $100 million, and he is growing his brand universe in remarkable ways, which I’ll touch upon in a future post. If he thought growing from 20 to 200 subscribers was all he could do, he’d never have created a company that brings unique and delicious only-in-Japan artisan snacks to people all over the world. He’s fusing his passion for Japan with his desire to create a business and aligning both with his desire to create a company culture that matters to him. It has taken Danny eight years to achieve these results. 

Growing a business takes time. There is so much effort needed to germinate an idea. Often, one idea grows into many others we didn’t see at the beginning, when we were steeped in the minutiae of growing something. 

Have you seen this with your own business? What have you learned about growth and patience in your own journey?