Beyoncé and Morgan Wallen Are Fueling a $200 Million Cowboy Boot Renaissance | Executive Exchange

On the latest episode of Executive Exchange, Leadership Editor Ruth Umoh sits down with Tecovas founder Paul Hedrick and CEO David Lafitte to discuss how Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter has fueled cowboy boot sales, why more and more people are drawn to western wear, and the fashion trend of brides wearing cowboy boots to the altar.

Paul and David discuss how Tecovas launched in 2015 as the first and only digital-first cowboy boot brand in the market. In the early days, Paul would drive up with his mom to his former elementary school and sell boots out of their car. He was looking to create a brand that could fit into his everyday lifestyle.

David breaks down their consumer, which are known as the "Millennial Trailblazer," which appeals to the 25-35 age gap. In 2023, Tecovas crossed over $200 million in sales and is expanding their reach into the Northeast by opening shops in Philadelphia and Boston. They currently have 32 stores in operation, where they created an environment that they call "Radical Hospitality" by offering customers free drinks and custom designs on their boots.

They also talk about how recent trends, such as Beyoncé's new album and country music's popularity, have given the brand a boost in recognition, especially customers going down to the Sun Belt and southern states in the U.S. David feels that the trend will continue and Tecovas is gearing up to ship their products internationally in the near future.

00:00 - Teaser
00:39 - Tecovas Intro
01:25 - Inception
04:22 - Paul's Vision For Tecovas
05:43 - Northeast Expansion
06:24 - Target Demographic
07:03 - Where Consumers Are Based
07:40 - Disrupting The Cowboy Boots Space
09:02 - Selling Boots Out Of Paul's Mom's Car
11:08 - From Hoka's To Boots
12:45 - David's Day-To-Day As CEO
14:45 - Elevating Tecovas To The Next Level
16:24 - Company Culture
17:48 - Opening Brick And Mortar Stores
20:22 - Near Future Expansion Plans
21:42 - Growth In Austin
23:14 - Creating The Name
25:04 - International Expansion
25:30 - Long-term End Goal
26:06 - Next Generation Of Western
27:33 - Innovating Boots
29:00 - Financial Growth
29:54 - Wearing Boots To The Altar
31:53 - Animal Skins
33:00 - Paul's Next Chapter
34:11 - How Tecovas Names Their Boots
35:50 - The Next Brady Collab?
36:05 - Worst Leadership Advice
37:15 - Un-ironic Yeehaw

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