The Eureka Moment
I’ve always liked flip-flops. For as long as I can remember, I’ve never been a closed-toe shoe kind of guy. Flip-flops are just easy. The beach, the pool, the college, the stroll, whatever. I should have known my life’s professional career would involve flip-flops. But the way that it’s happened? Never in a million years.
Get this.
So I graduated from Loyola New Orleans with a BBA in Marketing in 2003. At that time, though, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. What I DID know was that I liked ideas and creativity. I always got a sudden burst of energy when a cool idea came to my mind. And most of the time, my ideas came while wearing flip-flops. Perhaps it’s the comfort, the relaxation, the breathability, that allowed my mind to just ‘go.’
Unsure of post-grad plans, I took a job as a record producer for a local label here in New Orleans. Why? I dug music, and still do. I always felt that music was the epitome of creativity, and I was drawn to that. So I did it. I produced five albums and wore flip-flops all day. Totally cool.
My buddy Lee and I took a road trip to Austin, Texas, for The South by Southwest Music Festival. Some of our artists were playing there, plus we were doing some A&R. That experience, though, led me to move to Austin. I loved the scene there, and I was drawn to the music, the food, the outdoor activities, and the flip-flop wearin’ college kids. Austin is definitely a city full of people wearing flip-flops.
So I moved in June 2004. I took a job in Small Business Sales at a computer company. Good experience, but I’ll put it to you this way: I couldn’t wear flip-flops. In fact, I had to dress up. Should’ve known it wouldn’t be for me. The half-glass full perspective, however, is that it allowed me to experience Austin. That is a feelgood thing.
After 9 months of cubicle culture, I put down the headset and walked out. Not phased at all, the one commitment that I made to myself was that I wanted to do something completely opposite of what the cubicle job was. Without a backup plan and plenty of bills to pay, I headed to the aid of Craig’s List. I always thought that the creators of Craig’s List wore flip-flops. Who knows.
In my searching, I found a posting from an old man named Les. Les was a born and bred Texan, and just loved food. He had had his own restaurants all of his life, and his latest venture was a small hot dog cart vending business that he ran out of Austin. Well, at 81 years old, I guess he couldn’t handle the labor. Hence, the ad on Craig’s List.
Bingo.
I responded to the ad, and next thing you know I am managing a hot dog cart vending business in Austin, Texas. Striped shirt, cargo shorts, flip-flops. Not kidding. I hired a few kids who were looking for a similar lifestyle. T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops kind of guys.
One night, I took one of our hot dog carts out to Downtown Austin. It was a Saturday night, and a night that would change my entire life. As I was grilling some fresh onions on the cart, a young backpacker walked up to me.
“Hey man, do you know where a Thai restaurant is?”
“No, man. Sorry, I don’t.”
I paused for a moment.
“Want a hot dog?”
He laughed, I laughed.
His name was Luke. Luke was a true traveler. He lived in Connecticut, ran a seasonal courier service, and spent the remainder of his year traveling. At 23 years old, this kid had traveled the world. Not a bad gig, right?
He was traveling in the States for a month, and he had made a stop in Austin. But, having recently returned from Thailand, he was just jonesing for some Thai food. It enthralled me, and we started talking about Thailand. And we were both wearing flip-flops.
So that night, I made the decision. I was going to end my stint as a hot dog vendor, sell my car, and use the money to buy a one way ticket to Thailand.
And I did it.
So, when I was 25, I threw some clothes in a backpack and bought a one-way ticket to Thailand to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime. I spent an entire year there, living like the locals. I ate the delicious local food, learned the difficult – but beautiful – language, and developed lifelong friendships. It was phenomenal, and Thai people love to wear flip-flops. It was my place in life, at that time.
While teaching English in the lower-northern city of Phitsanulok, I received a call from my good buddy Joel who was teaching English in Bangkok at the time. Wanting more cultural immersion, he packed his backpack and bought a one-way bus ticket to Phitsanulok to teach English with me. We rocked it in P-Town, and you know it: rockin’ flip-flops.
During the experience, we often remarked about how we had to find a way to give back to this country that was giving so much to us. We just had to.
Upon a subsequent trip back to Thailand, we unexpectedly found a way: Flip-Flops.
I’ll never forget the moment. It was late-December 2007, and I was walking around the local markets shopping for a new pair of flip-flops. After exhausting some time in this one large market, I came across this display of flip-flops that were marketed as “Thailand’s most comfortable, all-natural rubber flip-flop.”
I tried a pair on, and that was it. Lightbulb.
I tracked down the supplier, and I learned that Thailand is the world’s leading exporter of natural rubber. Our supplier claims that every Thai person has at least one pair. Now that’s a lot of flip-flops. Because of this vast natural rubber supply, there is excellent quality at great value. And I found the most comfortable flip-flop in the world.
I called Joel, and together we hatched a plan.
This was December of 2007. And now, here we are, combining a passion for Thailand with a passion for flip-flops.
Welcome to Feelgoodz™!
- Kyle Berner, Owner of Feelgoodz™
