By Kalani Dantley
Steve Grear vividly remembers the first pair of shoes he took real care of: the Reebok Classics that he got in the second grade; the ones he cleaned every day with a toothbrush.
He cleans his shoes a little differently now, though, with premium, patented and state-of-the-art technology. And he makes a living in the process.
Grear, 43, owns and operates Reshoevn8r, a patented laundry system designed to clean sneakers and extend their lifespan. The Tucson, Arizona, native overcame a life of adversity to start the company in 2010. Now, Reshoevn8r offers some of the top premium shoe care products on the market – with more than one million YouTube subscribers and 650,000 Instagram followers to show for it.
“I’ve been entrepreneurial my whole life,” Grear said. “I just loved sneakers from an early age and keeping them clean… I developed this process over the years and I thought to myself if I would buy this, there have to be other people that would be interested in it.”
After the Light Bulb Went Off
Grear was raised by a single mother and became self-sufficient at an early age, albeit at the expense of his education. He disregarded school and eventually dropped out, leading to personal lows amidst a chaotic adolescence.
He was always interested in sneakers, though, and for years would clean shoes to sell them on eBay. He sought to develop a more efficient cleaning process, and with that, the seeds of Reshoevn8r were born.
Grear had no real business experience and started formalizing the idea for his company by buying some materials to test clean. He wanted his products to restore shoes, and subsequently named the company by playing on the word “rejuvenate.”
“I thought it was a little corny at first,” Grear said. “But everyone told me, ‘No, you have to use that name.’ That is what started it.”
Grear continued developing the brand by ensuring it was unique to its market. He raised $10,000 and filed a patent to protect his sneaker-cleaning system, noting the patent solidified the business.
He was offered $100,000 for 40 percent of the company while it was in its infancy, but declined the offer. Grear advises entrepreneurs in the early stages of their companies to partner with people who are familiar with the process of launching a business.
“I realized that I was looking for smart money and someone I could learn from to take Reshoevn8r to the next level,” Grear said. “We would have blown through that money and I was thinking ahead enough to know that I needed someone to help me take my business to the next step.”
Dealing with Adversity, Taking Reshoevn8r to the Next Level and Having a Social Media Presence
Grear was initially on his own with Reshoevn8r and said there were times he thought about letting the company go.
“I definitely thought about giving up, but I knew I had something,” Grear said. “I just didn’t know how to get it out there. I assumed that I would be able to build a website, people would find it and I would be able to sell my sneaker laundry system.”
He quickly realized that it doesn’t work that way, and learned to be strategic with limited spending money. The brand began building momentum when Grear hired a younger friend, who was privy to social media. The two brainstormed, and the company started to grow.
“It was right when Instagram was starting to take off,” Grear said. “Once we started utilizing the pages to advertise to relatively big audiences, we started to see some traction.”
Grear went “all in” on Instagram and created his YouTube channel. He credits the two platforms for the company’s growth, and continues to distinguish his business by focusing on customer experience and managing its online sales.
“We noticed that our competitors and other brands weren’t communicating with people on social media and weren’t answering questions or comments,” Grear said. “We’ve always tried to reply to every person who has had a question or comment.”
In order to retain control of the customer experience, Reshoevn8r doesn’t allow other outlets to sell its products online. Grear wants to remain accountable to his customers, and opts to personally deal with complaints.
“You know if you’re buying our product online, you’re buying from us and I believe that has worked out in our favor,” Grear said. “You want to be able to control your brand as much as possible. This is especially true with with social media–you really need to be on there because if there are negative comments, they travel so much faster.”
Building a Brand You’re Passionate About
Grear knows he’s been successful because he truly is passionate about his brand, and believes there is a correlation between passion and growth.
“If you’re not passionate about your company, it is not going to be as successful,” Grear said. “You have to almost obsess – especially early on. My business is all I thought about day and night.”
He added, “I enjoy it and I don’t personally feel like I’ve given much up. There are so many moving pieces and I need to be attentive at all times because of it.”
Running Reshoevn8r doesn’t feel like work for Grear, who swiftly balances work and life at home. He has a fiancé and is the father to a newborn baby girl.
He still makes time for exercise and loves listening to music. He is also passionate about philanthropy and is involved with several local charities – namely Bata Sole, a Chicago-based non-profit that donates new and gently-used sneakers to kids in the Philippines.
Words of Advice for Entrepreneurs with Little Resources
Grear never had any formal education, and has plenty of advice for fellow entrepreneurs who are in the same boat and have battled through adversities.
“It’s up to you and nobody else is going to do it for you,” Grear said. “You have to believe in yourself and it’s about taking baby steps. It’s about being consistent and trusting your gut. It’s about making those small improvements that will compound over time.”
Grear also offers encouragement for people who can’t afford an office, or don’t yet have the resources their competitors may have.
“We worked out of the house for the first four years,” Grear said. “You just have to be strategic and do lots of research to understand the industry.”
He added, “Make sure that the market you’re entering isn’t saturated because it makes it harder to weed through the masses. Lastly, be conservative with your spending and try to do as much as you can by yourself in the beginning.”
