“You are not your business. Your business is an entity in and of itself. Yes, you created it, but to find success, you have to turn it into a self-sustaining organism.”
Garrett Peters Tweet
Garrett Peters is the Co-Founder at Duncan & Stone Paper Co. Garrett has spent more than 10+ years working with brands at Walmart & Sam’s Club. He has managed a wide range of brands in his career across multiple categories and industries. The current focus is growing the brand he helped start – Duncan & Stone. Garrett & his wife Stephanie have three rambunctious sons and live in Fayetteville. They enjoy all things sports, the Hogs and being outside.
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Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up?
Garrett Peters: The first year for our business was extremely difficult! We started the business in 2019 and officially launched online in the spring of 2020. February 2020 was the first sale on our website actually, so we are truly a “covid brand”! The entire first year of Duncan & Stone, I was still working a full-time job for a sales agency in NW Arkansas. Duncan & Stone was a “side hustle” but quickly grew and required a lot of work. I was working most nights after I put my kids down for bed, and weekends as well.
The hardest time came during the holidays of 2020… I was fulfilling all of our website orders and was not expecting the volume that we had that year. It was complete chaos for us! The amount of work was overwhelming, and I had a mental breakdown after the holidays. At the start of 2021, I was ready to give up on the business…. I just couldn’t handle the stress and workload that was happening as our brand grew.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons you learned from that?
Garrett Peters: The first year for our business was extremely difficult! We started the business in 2019 and officially launched online in the spring of 2020. February 2020 was the first sale on our website actually, so we are truly a “covid brand”! The entire first year of Duncan & Stone, I was still working a full-time job for a sales agency in NW Arkansas. Duncan & Stone was a “side hustle” but quickly grew and required a lot of work. I was working most nights after I put my kids down for bed, and weekends as well.
The hardest time came during the holidays of 2020… I was fulfilling all of our website orders and was not expecting the volume that we had that year. It was complete chaos for us! The amount of work was overwhelming, and I had a mental breakdown after the holidays. At the start of 2021, I was ready to give up on the business…. I just couldn’t handle the stress and workload that was happening as our brand grew.
Has the pandemic and transitioning into mostly online shopping affected your company positively or negatively?
Garrett Peters: We launched our business right at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. So, honestly, we don’t know much except existing in this new world. I would say that the growth in online shopping has positively impacted us. Ecommerce has seen such growth in the last few years, and I believe Duncan & Stone wouldn’t have grown as much as we have without that reality. The other positive impact for us is that people were at home more and looking for new hobbies/activities. As a brand that sells keepsakes, prompted journals, I think we launched at a very lucky time.
What is most important to your organization—mission, vision, or values?
Garrett Peters: This is a tough one because mission, vision, and values are so important for us! But I would say MISSION is the most important piece for Duncan & Stone. We spent a lot of time working on our mission and how that mission impacts everything that we do as a team. Why does Duncan & Stone exist? … “In a world that chases the momentary, we believe in capturing what matters most. Our easy to use prompted keepsake journals to allow you to document your life experiences to share with generations to come”
What do you consider are your strengths when dealing with staff workers, colleagues, senior management, and customers?
Garrett Peters: We recently went through the Gallop Strengths Finder together as a team. My top 5 strengths were activator, belief, positivity, relator, and harmony. For me, my strengths in “relationship” and “relationship building” are key – not only internally but externally. My focus over the next year is growth and sales. Focusing on my strengths will allow me to build deeper relationships with customers, encourage our team with an optimistic attitude and connect with partners.
What have you learned about personal branding that you wish you had known earlier in your career?
Garrett Peters: I have learned how important personal branding is over the last 24 months. Following incredible founders and leaders on LinkedIn has helped a lot with this…. I pay close attention to brands that are further ahead than us, and I am learning as much as I can along the way. For me, developing my brand is more about networking and learning from others than just growing your business. Yes, I do think it is helpful for founders/owners to invest in their brand because that has an impact on the growth of the business; however, there is so much value in developing friendships and relationships as well.
What’s your favorite leadership style and why?
Garrett Peters: Servant Leadership. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with incredible servant-leaders over the years that taught me what it looked like to humbly serve others. Leadership is all about serving! Being a leader isn’t about a “position” or followers…. It’s about impact. Impacting people by the way you treat them, the way you listen, the way you serve them and help them.
Do you think entrepreneurship is something that you’re born with or something that you can learn along the way?
Garrett Peters: I have thought a lot about this question over the last few years. Mainly because I would have never considered myself an “entrepreneur“… I think certain people have more of a bent toward entrepreneurship based on their personality, life experiences, etc. BUT do I think that entrepreneurship is something you are born into – No. I think it is something that you can learn on the way. I can attest to that, as I have had to learn it myself. I am only a few years of this, and there are many days that I am not sure it is something that is for me!! It is tough and takes a lot of courage and humility. I think anyone can learn it and grow in it!
What’s your favorite “business” quote and how has it affected your business decisions?
Garrett Peters: “You are not your business. Your business is an entity in and of itself. Yes, you created it, but to find success, you have to turn it into a self-sustaining organism.” ― Gino Wickman, Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
I am learning a lot about this currently… There has to be a healthy boundary created between the founder/owner and the business itself. It is so easy for those lines to blur! Trust me, I know that too well. I am in process of learning how to create healthy structure, healthy habits, and just a general health perspective on our business and life outside of that business.
Mike Weiss, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Garrett Peters for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Garrett Peters or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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