CAREER & MONEY
ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT St . Louis Residents Start Men ’ s Accessories Brand
Gazelle typically spotlights female entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs who provide products and services to women . However , every now and then , we are inspired by the zest of the entrepreneurs we come across who market toward men .
Never Back was formed by three friends - Jon Woo , Patrick O ’ Hara and Stephanie Zipp . They describe themselves as fashion lovers , finance gurus , sports enthusiasts and marketing pros who do not take life too seriously . " Gazelle " spoke with Jon about the emerging brand .
ENTREPRENEURSHIP We started creating our business about a year ago and are in the midst of launching it . Never Back was the brainchild of our founder , Patrick O ’ Hara , someone who frequently wore preppy needlepoint belts . He loved them because they told a story and served as fun conversation starters . I joined the team because I ’ ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit , and I saw this as both an opportunity and a challenge .
FEARS Our biggest fears were that no one would buy our product , but with a strong business and marketing plan and supportive friends and family , we are disproving that fear and are excited to grow the business .
MOTIVATION I legitimately enjoy this work . My business partners are close friends , which makes the work fun for me . Being an entrepreneur
98 GAZELLE STL