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Episode 224: Drew Wolgemuth – Ring Ranger, Founder of Wove

Drew Wolgemuth, the Founder and CEO of Wove, joins the show to share his journey from suffering a training accident as an Army Ranger to creating the world’s best engagement ring shopping experience. Hear how to create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), offer the best customer experience possible, apply military techniques to your business, improve your memory, and the perks of having no front teeth for over a year. This episode covers everything from wedding rings to dishwashers. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What got Drew interested in being an Army Ranger
• How did he break his neck and jaw
• What convinced him to go all in on Wove
• How do you create your first offering
• What has driven Wove’s growth
• Is breaking your neck or jaw worse
• What was the best tropical fruit Drew’s grandparents grew on their farm in Vieques
• OPORD

Connect with Drew at WoveMade.com and on social media.

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

Show Notes

• Intro & Army Rangers
  • [0:32] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:42] Connect with Drew at WoveMade.com and on social media
  • [2:37] Podcasts
  • [2:48] Dana Branstetter – Wild Business Growth Podcast #213: Wedding Recap
  • [2:55] Congrats, Drew!
  • [3:22] West Point
  • [3:29] What got Drew interested in being an Army Ranger
  • [3:40] Army-Rutgers Football Game
  • [4:01] Koser Jewelers
  • [4:33] Ouch
  • [5:49] A real zinger
  • [6:03] What does it feel like being deployed
  • [7:19] How did Drew break his neck and jaw
  • [7:57] Ooh
  • [7:58] Culvert

• The Wove Story
  • [9:37] Did Drew want to become a jeweler when he was younger
  • [10:11] Stanford Ignite
  • [10:35] Venture Capital (VC)
  • [10:51] Series Seed
  • [11:01] Entrepreneurs
  • [11:08] Nice
  • [11:35] What convinced Drew to go all in on Wove
  • [11:50] MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
  • [12:22] Inventory, Clients
  • [12:45] Customer Journey
  • [13:11] Capital
  • [13:18] Advertising, Facebook Ads
  • [14:02] NVP (Nickelodeon Valuable Player)
  • [14:06] Silicon Valley “Minimum Viable Product“
  • [14:26] How do you create your first offering
  • [14:49] Goldsmith
  • [14:53] Zoom
  • [15:02] Contractors
  • [15:11] Employees
  • [15:15] Outsourcing, Upwork, Indeed
  • [15:33] Jewelers’ Row
  • [16:52] Website, Social Media
  • [17:16] How do you provide the best customer experience (CX) possible
  • [18:14] Warby Parker
  • [18:38] NPS (Net Promoter Score), Google, Trustpilot
  • [19:04] How often are couples using Wove together
  • [19:32] Hallmark Movies
  • [20:03] Marketing
  • [20:20] Secret Slack!
  • [21:18] Our engagement
  • [21:32] Shoutout, W. Kodak Jewelers for the initial help!
  • [23:12] Sales, Salesperson
  • [24:24] Startups
  • [24:50] Lancaster, PA
  • [24:56] eCommerce
  • [25:21] How do you raise venture capital
  • [26:29] Angel Investors
  • [28:34] What has driven Wove’s growth
  • [28:57] Generation X, Y, Z
  • [29:10] Roberto Blake – Wild Business Growth Podcast #208: Creator Economist, Create Something Awesome
  • [31:23] The Ring
  • [31:48] Operations Order (OPORD)
  • [32:10] 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
  • [33:10] What military techniques does Drew apply to Wove
  • [34:03] Manufacturing
  • [34:24] CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
  • [34:45] Production Line
  • [35:11] Common Operating Picture (COP)
  • [35:45] How do you be and stay creative
  • [37:03] Shoutout, Egebo & the endorphins!

• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [38:04] What is a weird talent Drew has
  • [38:14] Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
  • [38:56] Gotcha
  • [39:18] How do you improve your memory
  • [40:03] Compartmentalization
  • [40:12] Grouping Apps
  • [40:28] What’s a pet peeve Drew has
  • [40:29] “What Really Grinds My Gears” with Peter Griffin
  • [40:32] OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
  • [41:22] What’s a quirk Drew has
  • [41:43] Sci-Fi Novels, Fantasy Novels
  • [41:52] The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [42:31] The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • [42:38] Mordor, Helm’s Deep
  • [42:58] Burpees
  • [43:01] Ruck
  • [43:12] Peloton
  • [43:19] Is breaking your neck or jaw worse
  • [43:45] Tom Hanks in Cast Away, Lost
  • [44:01] What’s something surprising about being in the jewelry industry
  • [44:43] What was the best tropical fruit Drew’s grandparents grew on their farm in Vieques
  • [45:11] Shoutout, Mitchell’s mango sorbet ice cream!
  • [45:22] Shoutout, Andrew!
  • [45:36] Connect with Drew at WoveMade.com and on social media
  • [45:56] What are Drew’s Final Thoughts
  • [46:31] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And 5 stars on Apple Podcasts & Spotify if you’re feeling super nice
  • [46:50] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [46:53] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [46:55] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [47:01] 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 max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Drew Wolgemuth 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 try out Wove with them if that friend is your special someone. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!