On today's show I sat down with Christian Resiak, founder of Indianapolis leather goods brand Howl + Hide, launched in 2014 after he taught himself leatherwork.
Resiak grew up near Michigan City's Lake Michigan shoreline, moved to Noblesville, and left Purdue after six months to pursue retail management roles in Peoria, Illinois and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he learned branding, merchandising, and store operations.
After returning to Indianapolis in 2012, he worked briefly at Verizon and Angie's List before discovering leatherwork in 2014, starting with hand-sewn wallets and bags, and transitioning from Etsy to his own site in 2015.
He left Angie's List, bartended to pay bills, joined a Mass Ave makerspace incubator, opened early retail/workshop spaces, and used trade shows to land wholesale and corporate opportunities, including John Wayne wallets.
The business expanded into retail, corporate "collab" products, and an in-house factory, working with brands like Jet Access, Wilson, and NBA teams including the Pistons and Pacers, while emphasizing culture, EOS processes, and scaling without losing the brand's soul.
If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.
You are going to learn about:
The Origins of Howl + Hide
Expanding Business into Retail
Collaborating with Major Brands and Professional Teams
Thank you to our partners:
ClusterTruck (use code GETIN at checkout for $5 off orders of $25 or more)
Kirklin
Check out these great clips from the show:
01:23 Guest Introduction: Christian Resiak, Howl + Hide
