Back in 2008, up-and-coming artist, Valentin Ozich, started I Love Ugly out of his bedroom with zero experience in business or fashion. The brand experienced rapid growth, going from 0 to $10,000,000 in seven years. They had a flagship store in LA, Melbourne, Sydney, four flagship stores in New Zealand and a major license deal on the table in South Korea. They had seven global distributors with over 200 accounts stocking their products globally, plus an online store that was growing quickly. And then it (almost) all went away. For our season 5 finale, we sat down with Valentin Ozich to talk about his journey with I Love Ugly; the good, the bad and the, well, ugly. We talk about his journey of bouncing back from near-bankruptcy, the importance of working on yourself even more than you work on your business, and the mindset required to achieve ambitious goals and, more importantly, find happiness. 

Shop Waves Social merch: https://www.wavessocialpodcast.com/merch 

Show Notes:

1. When did Valentin get interested in art?
2. What kind of art drew him in?
3. When did Valentin move from street art styles to apparel?
4. How did I Love Ugly get started?
5. Does the name still feel reflective of the brand?
6. What inspired the iconic Zespy pant?
7. Developing a bolder mindset as a business owner. 
8. What to do when your product gets a cult following. 
9. How to find the right team size. 
10. Navigating the really tough times. 
11. Why Valentin chose to be honest and vulnerable with the I Love Ugly community. 
12. How to handle loneliness as a business owner or entrepreneur. 
13. Embracing the intersection where creativity and business meet. 
14. Valentin’s health and wellness journey. 
15. How to show up better at work. 
16. How to plan for your problems. 
17. What’s the best piece of advice Valentin’s received?
18. Who is making waves and why?

Discussed in this episode:

1. I Love Ugly: https://www.iloveugly.com/ 
2. I Love Ugly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iloveugly/ 
3. Valentin Ozich on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valentinozich/ 
4. Aimé Leon Dore: https://www.aimeleondore.com/
5. James Clear - Atomic Habits (book)

Waves Social with Mike (@mmmiiike) and Mitzi (@mmmitzi). 

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

Waves with Mike (@mmmiiike) and Mitzi (@mmmitzi).

For more from Arcade, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @helloarcade. https://www.arcadearcade.ca/

S6 - present Production by Morgan Berna, editing by Harrison Neef.