Big Red Car here. Hey, a bit crisp and cool here in the ATX but, well, we like it very much. Bit of 50F right now but headed to almost 70F later today.
Niiiiiiiiiiiice damn weather, ya’ll! Did I mention sunny?
So one of The Boss’s brilliant CEOs launched his new website — no, it was NOT Obamacare. [Haha, you crack yourself up, Big Red Car.]
Wander & Trade — www.wanderandtrade.com
The new website is Wander & Trade — an eCommerce platform really — and the brilliant young CEO is one Brandon Burns.
Hey, Jeff Bezos, remember that name BRANDON BURNS cause he’s going to be eating out of your chili bowl soon.
Here’s a look at the front door. <link, ya’ll. OK, go look but come back quickly so I can tell you the rest of the story.
If you go there right now, the Big Red Car has a $10 gift certificate waiting for new members — actually Brandon has it waiting for you but WTF can’t a Big Red Car take a bit of credit for things? [Haha, Big Red Car, get it together. It’s not all about you. STFU already and get on with the story.]
The Vision
What struck The Boss was how clearly Brandon articulated his Vision for his business. He had a clear, precise and understandable Vision.
He had a keen understanding of how he wanted to position this eCommerce platform in the market and knew where he wanted to be in relation to Amazon, Etsy and a myriad of others in the same space.
Brandon — whose background is just incredible — was leveraging a rich life experience having worked for big ad agencies in a global footprint [the guy ran some of the biggest agencies in the world in CHINA] and being a devotee of great design into a unique and differentiated web presence in which the pleasant graphical presentation and ease of movement just makes folks want to spend time on that site.
This is reflected in the eclectic mix of goods, manufacturers and other subtle real world considerations. Like professional photography by a world class photo assassin — a real shooter.
Lean as a string bean
You do not need to whisper anything about “lean startup” philosophy to Brandon Burns. The guy has bootstrapped this entire operation the old fashioned way — he saved his money, he husbanded his money, he applied it sparingly and thus he owns the whole damn enchilada.
Sure, he’s going to be out in the market for some money shortly as soon as he has a holiday season under his belt.
If you are a smart VC contact Brandon Burns at brandon@wanderandtrade.com and slap him with a checkbook. Now. Hey, I’m not above doing a bit of pimping. The guy is going to be a big winner but make your own decisions. You will anyway.
Launch the torpedoes
On his launch, Wander & Trade grades out at about a 8/10. [Secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, you listing, honey? Cause you should be, darling.]
He has a tendency to beat himself up a bit — first time CEOs will do that particularly the best ones — and he has one or two things to work on but hey the torpedoes are swimming hot, straight and true.
Listen for the impact.
Out on the ledge
Brandon is a real founder and CEO and like anyone approaching the launch sequence was checking, doublechecking, re-checking EVERYTHING.
Was there a bit of drama? Sure, wouldn’t be launch day without it. That’s what The Boss is here for. Why CEOs pay him to advise them. He gets them down off the ledge and back to work.
But — PRO TIP — Brandon had tested it very well [Katy S, you listening, babe?]. It worked right out of the box.
So, go take a look at Wander & Trade. See if you can suss out what Brandon Burns is trying to bring to you. You will love the site.
But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. I did get that little tool kit. Damn it’s cool. Be kind to yourself and reward yourself over at Wander & Trade and drop Brandon an email if you see something amiss or there is some type of goods he should be looking for for you personally. Of course, you deserve it, Old Sport. You’ve been damn good lately. I know. I’ve been watching.
