Meet Joe Mimran, building brands, championing change and the thrill of it all
What in your work brings you the most satisfaction? How do you intend to create more opportunities to do this in 2020?
J. I love working with creative people and entrepreneurs. I love the challenge of building relevant brands and businesses. I love championing change and helping businesses reimagine themselves to better compete in a very challenging and competitive environment.
What were your biggest triumphs of the 2010s, both professionally and personally?
J. A decade that spanned some great triumphs such as the evolution of Joe Fresh, my three seasons on Dragons Den, my partnership at Gibraltar & Company, my work with entrepreneurs across Canada. I was fortunate to work on some great projects this year. I have many favourites, the reinvention of the Staples product lineup and brand introductions of new brands such as Gry Mattr and General Supply. Loved seeing the sales traction and momentum Sheertex has achieved this year. The launch of Lunata and distribution they were able to achieve. Also really enjoyed working with the Tilleys team on the new positioning and overall strategy. Very exciting times ahead. Also proud of the work done on behalf of St. Michaels Hospital.
What was your biggest failure of the 2010s and how did you learn from it?
J. My biggest failure was not buying the real estate I occupied space in. I kept thinking the market was ahead of itself and it just kept going. But I like to look forward and not dwell and what could have been. I also bet on some business ideas that were good but the actual operators weren’t. The good jockey will usually find a way to succeed.
With all your successes and achievements, what still pushes you out of your comfort zone? How do you intend to undertake more of this in the coming year?
J. I love working with creative people and entrepreneurs. I love the challenge of building relevant brands and businesses. I love championing change and helping businesses reimagine themselves to better compete in a very challenging and competitive environment.
What wellness lifestyle shifts do you intend to maintain, try, and/or improve upon in the coming year?
J. I am committed to my new Keto diet - I have a lot more energy!
What’s the biggest design trend that you’re feeling inspired by going into the new year?
J. The continued power of influencers and micro influencers.
What/who brings you the most inspiration on a day-to-day basis, whether it be related to style, business, or personal well being?
J. My wife Kim - she is always studying market trends and style in general - she has also taken up golf so we now play together. It works well because we love to play and walk the course so easy to get our steps in. I also love Pinterest - it brings the world of products and design ideas in an easy to use application. With the disappearance of magazines this becomes an important design inspiration tool.
In what ways do you sacrifice happiness for productivity, or vice versa? How do you manage these tradeoffs?
J. Being productive and challenging myself makes me happiest so it’s easy to make the tradeoffs - having said that I do wish time would slow down a bit but it seems to get faster each and every year.
You are known for your generosity. In what new ways do you see yourself giving back in the coming year?
J. I am working on an idea to help young entrepreneurs by offering a small amount of capital to worthwhile ideas. Still in the process of formulating the format.