Tim Brown once had a thriving career as a pro soccer player. But the New Zealand native had a curiosity about merino wool and a passion for design that had him walking away from one career in favor of another, founding Allbirds in 2016 with friend Joey Zwillinger. For episode 134, he gives me the lowdown on how it all happened, creating a smarter sneaker that we know today as the wool runner. He talks to me about the brand's original Kickstarter that caught on fire but resulted in the "worst year of his life," and the big lessons he's learned along the way to growing a thriving company. Fun fact: Today, Allbirds — a once-e-comm only brand — has 20+ stores globally, selling much more than a single sneaker. Just last week, they launched their debut clothing collection including T-shirts, crewnecks, and cardigans.

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