Justin, Julian and J.R. of LD West: Today’s Notable Young Entrepreneurs

Today’s Notable Young Entrepreneurs are Justin, Julian and J.R. of LD West, who’ve perfected a stylish and functional line of holsters ideal for fashion-forward young professional gentlemen. What was the inspiration behind the idea? Find out in today’s profile…

Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
As a team of three, we encompass all the facets of a business – product design, business operations and marketing of the LD WEST brand.

Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
Our inspiration was first borne out of the idea that we all love working with people and not for people. As an entrepreneur, the early stages are never easy, but when we realized the potential of marrying fashion with technology, we soon found out that LD WEST was a venture worth going all in for.

What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
The best part of what we do is seeing the company build momentum with each passing day and knowing that an eight-hour workday is not something we can relate to. When you love something as much as we do, it truly doesn’t feel like work much of the time. However, the challenging part is sometimes having to work beyond “normal” hours to the detriment of other social aspects one would want to have more regularly. Work doesn’t just end at 5pm Monday to Friday.

What is one sign that you’ve seen over the years to suggest that your work/life balance is off?
One sign that we’ve noticed to indicate that our work/life balance is off is that you lose a sense of routine that on occasion can be quite comforting. The truth is that there can be an unpredictable quality to running a business that puts you in a different world than people who are employed within companies.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
We see ourselves running LD WEST globally through mostly the power of e-commerce, gaining some cross-branding with labels we admire, and having cultural icons who become enthusiastic ambassadors of our brand.

What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?
One major challenge in our career has been getting the design of the product to the level it needed to be where it was undeniably great in both its aesthetic and functional purpose. The design, trial and manufacturing period took us approximately two years and almost two dozen prototypes until we ended up with the perfect design that was ready for the public.

What does success look like to you? Does Money = Happiness?
Success to the three of us is Moments = Happiness. Money is no doubt important, but you cannot take that to the grave. A rich life is one of many great experiences, relationships and milestones shared.

What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
So far, the most memorable milestone in our career has been when our first shipment of holsters came in for the first time. It was unreal to see an idea on paper turn into a cargo of actual product with beautiful packaging. It was the moment when we actually realized that our vision had become a reality.

Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
If you do what you love, maintain focus and be open-minded to change because chances are you will lead an authentic and fulfilling life that will reward you in the strangest ways. Never give up no matter how difficult it gets, and don’t let anyone ever bring you down! Everything is possible with the right attitude. Stay positive and always give back as much as you can.

Where is your favourite place to wine/ dine in your city and why?
We don’t really have a favorite spot at the moment; however, we are always trying new places around the city. Anything goes!

When you’re not working, how do you love to spend your “Me” time?
As three different personalities, we each spend our “Me” times in different ways. We are all drawn to music and spending time up at the cottage with family and friends.

Where is your favourite place to travel? Why?
Our favourite place to travel varies with all three of us, but we will agree that there is a certain allure to California. The culture, weather and conduct of business are all things we find incredibly appealing.

If you had to choose a theme song, what would it be?
The Beatles’ “Revolution”.

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing, what would you be doing?
If we weren’t doing what we were doing we’d be on wildly different paths, but we would all be respectively involved in some sort of entrepreneurial pursuit, no doubt!

Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
We don’t support a specific charity as of now, but we are always giving back in some shape or form to individuals or organizations by donating either in monetary form or with time to various charities and causes.

What to you is notable?
What is notable to us is discovering that people are genuinely passionate about our brand and our products and they support our vision and what we are striving to accomplish.  

Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
All three of us carry Android phones – Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Note III and the Nexus 5.

#NOTABLE | (Live Your Notable Life)

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