James Reed

But there was something about what you were doing that you really loved.

Because you obviously persevered.

What was it that kept you going?

The Cross is a great posh shop in Notting Hill Gate.

So you knew you were onto something here?

I don't think I did.

What did you think you would do?

To ask a crass question, how much was the order book?

So, yeah, definitely.

He was... He was frightened off by this, wasn't he?

And did he or did you have to find someone else?

So that's not very helpful.

No, no.

You've got to fulfill all these orders.

Oh, so fairly early on you found your production partner.

Listening to you though, we had a jewellery designer called Kiki McDonagh on our podcast a while ago and she said that her first collection was very much aimed at friends and her advice to people starting out was make something you think your friends will like and buy and if you can do that, then you know you can then grow from there.

Listening to you, it sounds like you were really close to the ground in terms of,

talking to people hearing what they wanted asking them what they would like you know they wanted blue suede or a different type of design but you were very very close to the customer and that in a sense got you going so quickly it seems is would you say that's a lesson for someone starting you still feel i still feel that i still feel i'm very close to the customer how do you achieve that now because obviously the business has grown and you've got shops and

What if doing good was the smartest business move you'll ever make?

I'm James Reid, CEO of Reid.