How It Started vs. How It’s Going: Reflections on Year 1

How It Started vs. How It’s Going: Reflections on Year 1

Jason Ander

We’re celebrating one year of JB Ander - a full 365 days of the brand being live and operational.

That sentence alone feels surreal to write. What started as a daydream (classic Italian loafers reimagined for a new generation of style-minded, quality-driven tastemakers) became something real. Tangible. Worn. Loved.

But this note isn’t about leather quality or growth metrics (though I could talk for hours about both). It’s about what I’ve learned in the first year of building a brand from scratch. About what it really means to chase a dream.

Here’s what’s been on my mind:

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Joy is self-made.

Entrepreneurship has this romanticized glow about it. Being your own boss, building your vision, doing it your way. And yes, those parts are amazing. But even your dream career will have hard days. Maybe even more than that 9-5 you thought was killing you.

Stress is baked into any job. Critics will always exist. Things break. Campaigns flop. That’s life.

But I’ve learned that joy is something you have to create for yourself. You have to notice it. The unexpected email from a customer saying your shoes made them feel like a million bucks. A smooth production week. The quiet pride of seeing your logo stamped onto something that once lived only in your imagination.

If you wait for happiness to show up gift-wrapped, you’ll be waiting a long time. I’ve learned to find it in the little wins and to let those moments count.

No matter the scale or source of a positive vibe... acknowledge it and relish in it, even just for a second.

Read More: Meet the Founder

Be a leader. Even (especially) when no one’s watching.

I’ve learned that doing the right thing, even when it doesn’t benefit the algorithm, is non-negotiable. When the LA fires hit earlier this year, we had social momentum building fast from a couple of ongoing social media series.

But we paused.

We turned our attention to the people and communities who needed help IRL. Our social platform growth stalled. Showing up for our community during hard times, though, was just as important as growing community online.

There’s no shortcut to authenticity. And community is about more than metrics.

Read More: Global Citizenship

Do the thing. Today.

If I waited until everything was perfect, JB Ander would still just be a doodle in a notebook.

I’m a perfectionist. Always have been. But I’ve learned that v1.0 is better than perfect. 

The Japanese principle of “kaizen,” or “change for the better" / "continuous improvement," says that small, incremental changes, applied consistently, can lead to significant improvements over time. 

What matters is momentum. Every product, every photo shoot, every email campaign—we just started. And then made it better. And then better again.

Get it live.

Tweak it later.

Launch it today and then make it better every single day.

Nobody can do it alone.

I’m a collaborator at heart. I thrive on a team, in creative ping-pong, in community. So, truthfully, some of this journey has been lonely. A lot of days feel like I’m working in a vacuum. Just me, my laptop, and a mountain of ideas.

But growing something from the ground up means being intentional with sometimes even just finding basic human interaction. I don’t have a water cooler. There’s no bumping into coworkers and grabbing lunch at the food trucks. I need to seek out conversation, camaraderie, and connection. And what a difference it makes to have intentional time with those people whose input and collaboration I value so highly.

Intention is, in fact, a huge part of our brand identity as well. Our shoes are designed with intentional simplicity so that you get a stylistic timelessness with them. (Had to throw it back to the shoes there!)

What's Next?

After a year on my own, I can tell you this: we're only just getting started.

Every ounce of doubt, every sleepless night, every logistical mess has been worth it for the moments of impact, the connection, the craft—and this dream that became reality.

We’re so excited for the next chapter - including a big expansion to the collection with styles like a Chelsea boot, moccasin, and mule. And as we grow our community, we’re so excited to expand our creator network, adding visually beautiful and compelling brand storytelling.

Thank you to everyone who has supported JB Ander through our first year.

Much more to come,

~ Jason

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