Jamie Montz – Wild Business Growth Podcast #239: Shoelace Specialist, Founder of The Original Stretchlace

You don’t need to be crazy passionate about your product category to invent something cool. That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Jamie Montz. Jamie is the Founder and Owner of The Original Stretchlace. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 239: Jamie Montz – Shoelace Specialist, Founder of The Original Stretchlace

Jamie Montz, the Founder and Owner of The Original Stretchlace, joins the show to share her journey from owning a toy store to creating the elastic shoelace that turns any shoe into a slip-on. Hear how to add products to your mix, market your product as an accessory, find your most important customer segments, TMI about toes, and a weird voice for the ages. This episode covers everything from pee to whistling while smiling. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What was Zeebi’s
• How did Jamie get into the educational toys space
• Shoes vs. Sneakers
• How did Jamie develop the actual laces
• Morton’s Toe
• What did Jamie learn from looking at Average Order Value
• Love Island
• What’s the #1 reason to visit Boise, ID

Connect with Jamie at TheOriginalStretchlace.com.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Toy Store
  • [0:29] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:39] Connect with Jamie at TheOriginalStretchlace.com
  • [2:00] Congrats, Jamie!!
  • [2:52] Gotcha!
  • [3:20] What was Zeebi’s
  • [3:49] Renaissance Man
  • [4:25] Brick & Mortar, Amazon
  • [4:35] Third-Party Selling
  • [4:42] Technology (Tech), eCommerce
  • [5:02] Target
  • [5:25] Entrepreneur
  • [6:31] How did Jamie get into the educational toys space
  • [7:11] Playmobil, LEGO, HABA
  • [8:03] Pleasantville, Cheers
  • [8:37] Drugstore.com, Method
  • [9:25] Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyer’s
  • [10:11] How does Zeebi’s tie into the Shark Tank story
  • [10:24] Pokémon Cards
  • [11:12] Delta
  • [11:18] Snoqualmie, WA
  • [11:23] Robert Herjavec

• The Original Stretchlace Story
  • [12:29] How did Jamie think of an idea in the shoelace space (ha)
  • [14:40] “Loop de Loop” from SpongeBob SquarePants
  • [14:53] Eczema
  • [15:24] Converse
  • [16:06] Commodity
  • [16:25] How did Jamie develop the actual laces
  • [17:43] Supply Chain
  • [18:05] Elasticity
  • [19:32] 80/20 Rule
  • [19:51] Nike Blazers, Air Jordans, Converse High Tops
  • [20:38] Bombas
  • [20:58] Shoutout, Dana!
  • [21:18] Air Force 1s
  • [21:18] I say shoes, not sneakers
  • [21:32] But I just said sneakerhead
  • [21:46] How do you keep adding products to your mix
  • [22:08] Emails
  • [22:52] Crease Protector
  • [23:49] Guilty
  • [25:01] Buckle up
  • [25:11] It’s very long
  • [25:48] Long Middle Toe aka The Max aka Morton’s Toe
  • [27:01] How does Jamie approach positioning as an accessory
  • [27:29] Toe-tally
  • [27:41] oh my
  • [27:47] Advertising
  • [27:57] Average Order Value (AOV)
  • [28:09] Internet
  • [28:30] LTV (Lifetime Value)
  • [30:35] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [31:27] How do you unplug outside of work
  • [32:05] Self-Help Books, Business Podcasts
  • [32:18] The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch
  • [32:47] Duolingo
  • [33:32] Survivor
  • [33:34] Shoutout Andrew, Sam, Josh, and Matt!
  • [34:04] Jeff Probst
  • [34:16] Love Island
  • [36:04] Audible

• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [36:48] How awkward is the Shark Tank stare-down
  • [37:12] Desiree Haller – Wild Business Growth Podcast #223: Sandwich Protector, Founder of SubSafe
  • [38:40] Awkward with the Sharks by Jamie Montz
  • [38:52] What’s the #1 reason to visit Boise, ID
  • [39:43] Biggest cities in the U.S. (Phoenix #5)
  • [40:11] What’s a Weird Talent Jamie has
  • [40:46] Ventriloquistling
  • [41:03] AAAAAAH!
  • [41:18] What does Jamie call that voice
  • [41:46] FiveFingers Shoes
  • [42:48] Yay Jamie!!
  • [43:06] Connect with Jamie at TheOriginalStretchlace.com
  • [44:03] What are Jamie’s Final Thoughts
  • [44:54] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [45:10] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [45:13] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [45:16] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [45:21] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Jamie Montz on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And gift them The Original Stretchlace. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!