[Voiceover]: Welcome to the checkout. We catch up with previous add to cart guests and ask them five quick questions to get to know them better and leave you with a little extra inspiration to get you through your Friday.
Nathan Bush: Today's checkout features Greg Taylor, founder and CEO of Step One. Step One is a brand that's reached cult status making comfortable, functional and ethical jocks. The company listed on the ASX has gone from 0 to 6% of the men's underwear market since it launched in 2017 and is expanding rapidly into the US and the UK Greg, thank you for joining us on the checkout. We've heard all about your journey on Step One, which was fascinating. But we're here to learn a little bit more about you. Five quick questions. Number one, what's the weirdest thing that you've ever bought online?
Greg Taylor: I would say at the time when I bought it, it was crypto. It was about 2016, 2017. And I remember going, okay, I'm going to buy this thing and it's, it's money, but it's not. It's a piece of code, but you can't keep it. And so at the time I had people look at me going like, you've grown a third leg. So if I go back in time, I would say that would be the weirdest thing that I've got a reaction
Nathan Bush: from buying and did you. Hold on.
Greg Taylor: No. Isn't it hodl. I actually didn't. I saw that guy got maimed for like buying a pizza for like 34,000 bitco coins or something. So no, I think I, I sold out about fourteen hundred dollars with my five bitcoins. But history is history, right?
Nathan Bush: It would have been a great ROI at the time.
Greg Taylor: Yeah, exactly.
Nathan Bush: All right, number two, who's your favorite retailer?
Greg Taylor: I would have to say I think that allbirds have done an incredible job at what they do. But in terms of starting ecom, moving into bricks and mortar and the whole brand story, I'd have to say my favorite would be Lululemon.
Nathan Bush: Two great examples, great retailers. Number three, which E commerce practice do you wish was history?
Greg Taylor: I'd say dropshipping. It really just taints the industry so much and it still obviously sticks around a bit today. But once they finally get rid of that, I think it will make things a lot better for consumers to trust people and brands.
Nathan Bush: I feel it's dropping off a little bit, especially with the less returns people are getting out of Instagram and Facebook.
Greg Taylor: Oh, absolutely. No doubt. Compared to when I started, it wasn't there, but we still do. You don't remember when we started that I actually had Australia Facebook call me and say, you have to send a photo of you standing in the warehouse or your factory with an order that you produced today. I was insane. Yeah, it was like 2018 or something when I just went through and called all the E Comm brands, sorry, all the drop shippers.
Nathan Bush: Wow, that's pretty cool. Number four, can you recommend a book or a podcast that our listeners should immediately get into?
Greg Taylor: I think I've read two books and finished two books in my life. One was Matilda by Roald Dahl, and the second one was an amazing book called Body Language by Tony. I forget it's got a yellow cover, but there's a really good book called Body Language, which I think is fascinating.
Nathan Bush: Beautiful. We'll find it. We'll put it in the show notes. And last one I have for you. Finish this sentence. The future of retail is edible underwear. Yes, I've been waiting for that answer to come up.
Greg Taylor: I think that the future of retail will be some form of way in which you can try on a garment for talking, say garments, try on a garment being sort of like the Metaverse type of thing. But I think also, if again, talking around the fabric or clothing textile industry is 3D printing, I think that there's a lot that will go on there where you wake up and go, I want to print this outfit, this pair of jeans, and it will get sewn or printed. And this is my George Jetson years or the Jetson family look forward. But you wake up and you scroll through whatever it is and go, I want to wear that today. And it'll be 3D printed in your wardrobe and you'll wear it that day.
Nathan Bush: That's cool. I'll let you know when this episode's going live, because edible undies might send your share price soaring. So you just got to keep an eye on that.
Greg Taylor: I'll look at it for you, man.
Nathan Bush: Thank you, Greg. Appreciate you joining us on the checkout.
Greg Taylor: Thanks, mate.
Nathan Bush: To hear more from Greg, jump back into episode 235, where Greg shares the problem that led him on a journey into underpant design. He also shares the tricks he's learned for making sure manufacturing is truly ethical and why the founder's journey isn't always the stuff of unicorns and can sometimes involve sleeping on a mate's couch. Thanks for listening, and until next time, keep adding to car.
