Aaron Spivak Turned 1 ‘Cool’ Idea Into a $50M Weighted Blanket Empire

IIn this week's episode of Turning Pro, we had an insightful conversation with Aaron Spivak, co-founder of Hush, a company that redefined the weighted blanket industry. Aaron’s journey began as a young hockey player, transitioning into business with his first venture, a juice company in Toronto. But his entrepreneurial breakthrough came when he co-founded Hush and introduced weighted blankets to the mass market.

Aaron shared how a downturn in Hush's sales led him to personally call over 2,000 customers to understand their needs. This feedback inspired the creation of a cooling weighted blanket, which propelled Hush into a $50 million business within just four years. Throughout the episode, Aaron highlights the importance of momentum, team trust, financial discipline, and personal wellness in scaling a business, while also discussing the challenges and rewards of being a young entrepreneur.

Find Season 2, Episode 19 of the Turning Pro Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

10 Key Lessons We Learned from Aaron Spivak:

1.  Listen to Your Customers: When faced with a steep drop in sales, Aaron didn’t just guess at the problem - he called his customers. Their feedback helped him realize the product's flaw and inspired the cooling weighted blanket, which became a game changer for Hush.

2. Innovation Can Save a Business: Hush’s cooling blanket wasn’t just an improvement, it was a new category in the market. Aaron proved that innovation, even under financial pressure, can lead to massive success if you’re willing to take risks.

3. Persistence is More Important than Perfection: Aaron’s journey showed that building a business often involves setbacks and failures. But by persisting through challenges and refining the product, Hush was able to rebound and thrive.

4. Momentum is Everything: Aaron stressed the importance of keeping energy high within the company. Whether it’s within your team or with your customers, momentum is contagious, and once it’s lost, it’s difficult to regain.

5. Embrace Direct-to-Consumer Channels, but Be Ready to Pivot: Hush found initial success as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand, but Aaron quickly realized the importance of diversifying into other channels like retail and Amazon to scale further.

6. The Power of Delegation: Aaron discussed how true delegation is about finding the right people for the right roles and giving them the space to excel without micromanagement. For him, delegation is about trust, not just task handoff.

7. Focus on Financial Discipline: Aaron learned early on to always be aware of his company’s financials, down to the last dollar. Knowing your cash flow inside and out allows you to make smarter, faster decisions, especially in times of crisis.

8. Personal Growth Fuels Business Growth: Aaron emphasized the importance of therapy and personal reflection, which helped him understand his strengths and weaknesses. Personal growth, he believes, is integral to business success.

9. Manifest Your Success: Aaron practices goal-setting and visualization, detailing his plans down to the smallest details. This approach allowed him to turn ambitious goals into reality, from scaling Hush to buying his dream home in Miami.

10. Success Requires Sacrifice, but You Don’t Have to Go it Alone: Aaron highlighted the loneliness that often comes with entrepreneurship. His advice? Build a community, seek therapy or coaching, and surround yourself with people who can help you grow.

Aaron Spivak’s journey from struggling entrepreneur to co-founder of a $50 million company offers a masterclass in persistence, customer focus, and the power of innovation.

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