500 Fervent Fans Beat 5,000 Fickle Followers. Every Time.
Niche vs. mainstream. Streamline or scale. Narrow your net or widen it. Depth vs. breadth.
Whether ‘tis smarter to size up significantly than suffer the slings & arrows of specificity - that is the question brands face. Constantly. & the pressure investors apply. Relentlessly. Especially for bootstrapping startups. (Apologies to Shakespeare.)
But I say: time out!
Carving out a specialized a.k.a. niche market segment has compounding advantages & can be crucial for long-term success.
It will differentiate you from competitors. Establish you as an expert & industry leader. Build a loyal, like-minded customer base. Make it easier to reach & respond to their needs. & pave the way for profitability. Not to mention save serious money on marketing that might otherwise miss its mark entirely.
Niche is your sweet spot.
Where your expertise helps you serve a well-curated corner of the market. Where your products & services are perfectly aligned with your audience. Where your message is more focused, your efforts more fruitful, your strategy more effective. You become more memorable. More meaningful. & when customers feel genuinely understood, they stop being customers. They become evangelists.
Better still, owning a niche is liberating. It relieves the pressure of being everywhere, speaking to everyone, all the time.
Ruthie Davis Owns Her Niche. Completely.
Perhaps no one knows this better than fashion designer & entrepreneur Ruthie Davis, who shared her seven secrets to building a profitable micro-brand at FashConPhilly. Her clarity was unambiguous.
Ruthie doesn’t design women’s dress shoes. Or high heels. Or even higher heels. She’s narrowed her offering to the most extreme platform heels of the highest quality - a category she created & now owns.
“I design heels for women who want to stand taller, take up space, & be impossible to ignore.”
Height. Presence. Power.
The courage to dream big. The confidence to command a room. The ability to feel strong, fearless, & unapologetically themselves. Her designs don’t just change how you look - they change how you stand, how you move, & how you show up in the world.
Comfort & wearability are built into every style, based on a core belief: you can’t stand out & stand strong if your feet hurt.
As a result of her absolute focus, Ruthie’s résumé is a wow: AAFA Designer of the Year. American Image Award. WGSN Global Fashion Collaboration Award. Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs. Plus many more.
Her platforms have been worn by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Zendaya, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Lindsey Vonn, & Alex Morgan.
Impressive? Absolutely.
But here’s what Ruthie made crystal clear: the awards aren’t what made her successful. Owning her niche did. A narrow, loyal, fervent base - women who need what only she makes is worth more than any trophy. The accolades are nice for a minute. But they don’t care if you fail.
Her 7 Secrets:
Keep your niche narrow. Create a unique product. Manage a curated, controlled brand. Learn to say no. Focus on your audience.
Design a standout product. Find a hole in the market & fill it with something totally distinct, recognizable, & consistently yours. Something people haven’t seen before & can’t get anywhere else.
Solve a problem. “How does my gladiator boot do that? Birthday dressing, baby! On special occasions - like their birthdays - my girls want to stand out. Be the star of the show. The center of attention. Taller than anyone else. You get these boots & BAM - you’re done.”
Become your own technology person. Know Shopify. Build your own website. Post your own social. Understand the backend of selling, backwards & forwards.
Run lean. As a micro-brand, I only hire freelance experts. I pay by the job. No fancy PR agencies on retainer. No showrooms. No expensive warehouses. No stylists. When Cardi B needs shoes, her stylist texts me. Simple.
Sell shoes. Cash flow is queen. Money coming in must be greater than money going out. Manage it daily. Calibrate accordingly.
Don’t worry about pleasing anyone but your clients. Don’t be swayed by awards & accolades. They may get you on the cover of Footwear News. They won’t keep you there.
I’m with Ruthie. People ask what kind of clients my agency, Insurgents, works with. My answer is always the same: Insurgents is an acquired taste. Niche & definitely not for everyone.
The best secret hangout spot in town doesn’t need a line around the block. It needs the right people to know where to find it.
Ruthie & I are fine with that. More than fine.
Resist the urge to appeal to everyone. Have the courage to define your niche & nurture it relentlessly. Then watch your business thrive.
Haven’t found yours yet? Happy to help.
Best, Robin
