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And Why You Need to Wake Up
Stop making excuses. Learn how Broken Shed Vodka conquered the US market with grit, contrarian strategy, and resilience. Actionable steps for NZ founders.
Stop Whining and Start Selling.
Stop Whining and Start Selling.
Most founders fail because they fall in love with their product and ignore the war zone that is the actual market. You think your idea is special? So did the five other people who walked into the bar before you.
Mark Simmonds, founder of Broken Shed Vodka, didn’t build an internationally recognized brand by sitting in a shed dreaming. He did it by getting rejected, fixing his mistakes, and realizing that manufacturing is only 10% of the battle. The rest is psychological warfare and relentless marketing.
If you are tired of playing small, here is the blueprint on how to callous your mind and conquer your market, using the hard-fought lessons from a Kiwi legend
The Founder’s Journey: Embrace the Rejection
The Founder’s Journey: Embrace the Rejection
The Hero’s Journey isn't about smooth sailing; it’s about the "Ordeal." For Simmonds, the ordeal was the pavement.
Early on, Simmonds walked into a bar, proud of his bottle, only to be shut down immediately by a bar manager who said, “NO! You’re the fifth vodka that’s come in... go away.”
Most of you would quit right there. You’d blame the economy. You’d blame the "saturation." Simmonds didn't. He sat down, ordered a drink, and let social proof do the work. By simply existing in the environment and letting patrons discover the product organically, the manager was forced to pay attention.
The Lesson: Resilience is a Strategy
The Lesson: Resilience is a Strategy
You cannot "hack" experience. You have to earn it through failure.
Psychology Check: This is the Mere Exposure Effect. Persistence breeds familiarity.
Your Move: Stop hiding behind email. Go to where your customers are. If you are afraid of the rejection, you aren't ready to lead.
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Market Research: Your "Kiwi Accent" is Costing You Money
Market Research: Your "Kiwi Accent" is Costing You Money
Simmonds failed early in the US because of a cognitive disconnect. He introduced himself as being from "Broken Shed." But because of his Kiwi accent, Americans heard "Broken Shid."
They didn't get it. The messaging failed.
In Market Research terms, this is a failure of encoding and decoding in communication. Simmonds had to go "narrow and deep." He rewrote his marketing materials after realizing that what worked in Wanaka didn't work in Wanaka, USA.
Environmental Scanning & Adaptation
Environmental Scanning & Adaptation
You need to test your assumptions before you burn your cash.
Don't Guess: You might think your website is clear. Your customers think it’s a mess.
The Fix: You don't need a million-dollar focus group. You need a Web Page & Blog Post SEO Audit ($49.99) to see if your language matches what your customers are actually searching for.
Define the Problem: Are you solving a problem they care about, or a problem you think they care about?
III. Strategy & Execution: The 90% Rule
III. Strategy & Execution: The 90% Rule
Here is the hardest pill to swallow from the interview: "Making the product or offering is only 10% of the equation — the remaining 90% is marketing."
If you are spending all your time tweaking your logo or perfecting your product features, you are procrastinating. You are hiding from the real work of Promotion (one of the 4 Ps of Marketing).
Different is Better than Better
Different is Better than Better
Broken Shed succeeded because they employed a Contrarian Strategy. Everyone else was doing slick, expensive PR. Broken Shed went the opposite direction.
Differentiation: If 95% of startups fail doing "Thing A," why are you doing "Thing A"?
Resource Allocation: Stop wasting money on fluff.
Need a brand identity? Get a Logo Design ($49.99) and move on.
Need to explain your value? Get an Icon Intro Video ($39.99).
Stop overthinking. Speed of implementation is the only metric that matters.
CreativeStartupNZ Accelerator: Don’t burn your runway on expensive agencies. Use our Start-up Consult (1st hour free, then $75/hr) to build a roadmap that focuses on that critical 90%—marketing and sales.
Motivation: Unrelenting Discipline
Motivation: Unrelenting Discipline
Simmonds says: "Timing is everything... eventually, toughing it out paid off."
You have to be willing to suffer while you wait for the market to catch up. Simmonds had a sustainable product before "sustainable" was a buzzword. He waited. He ground it out.
The Reality Check
The Reality Check
Own the Lows: When sales drop, it’s your fault.
Own the Highs: When you win, reset the bar higher.
Discipline over Motivation: Motivation is a feeling; it comes and goes. Discipline is doing the Social Media Audit ($39.99) on a Friday night because you need to know why your engagement is down.
The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
Mark Simmonds didn't win because he had the best vodka. He won because he outlasted the noise, adapted his communication, and treated marketing as the lifeblood of his business.
You have the same opportunity. The market doesn't care about your feelings, but it rewards your grit.
Your Immediate Action Plan
Your Immediate Action Plan
Stop perfecting the product. It’s good enough.
Start the 90%. Shift your focus to aggressive marketing.
Audit your "Accent." Ensure your message lands with your audience.
Ready to stop dreaming and start executing? Don't launch blindly. Secure a Start-up Consult (1st hour free) with CreativeStartupNZ today. We will help you find the "Broken Shed" angle in your business.
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