The Importance of Humble Leadership with Jensen Brehm at Ombraz Sunglasses

In this episode, I sit down with Jensen Brehm, co-founder of Ombraz Sunglasses, to explore the transformative power of humble leadership in building a purpose-driven brand. Jensen shares how embracing humble leadership has guided Ombraz from its inception to becoming a standout in the eyewear industry. We delve into how humble leadership fosters innovation, resilience, and a strong company culture. Under Jensen's guidance, Ombraz has not only revolutionized sunglasses design but also earned #1244 spot on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list, highlighting its rapid growth and commitment to sustainability. Tune in to discover how leading with humility can drive both personal and organizational success.

• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 0:30Speaker 01

  I think the big one for me is to like, and like, yeah, I think it's appropriate on this like humble leadership is to realize like you don't know it all. You don't know anything, right? And you're constantly learning. You're constantly learning from mistakes, learning from other people. Like, I think having mentors, like, we really make a strong focus on our organization for across our team, regardless if you're doing customer service or like head of supply chain. Like, everyone has mentors that they can talk to. We have a rolodex of brands that we work with, whose like alike roles our team can tap into, into those brands. And just, yeah, just kind of be a sponge. Ask questions.

• 1:12Speaker 01

  I think for me, like, you know, I had no experience managing up until like, you know, when we started to hire. And I was lost and scared and didn't feel like I was doing a good job. And, and it's just really learning as you go and, and making it up on the fly and realizing you're going to make mistakes. But you have to be putting, you have to be willing to put in that work to grow.

• 1:37Speaker 02

  Welcome to Growth Think Tank. This is the one and only place where you will get insight from the founders and the CEOs of the fastest-growing privately-held companies. I am the host. My name is Gene Hemmott. I help leaders and their teams navigate the defining moments of their growth. Are you ready to grow? Today, we're going to talk about humble leadership. A lot of leaders would think they're humble. They would probably tell you stories about being humble. But are you truly humble? Are you authentically humble? Well, only you can answer that for yourself. But today's episode is about humble leadership. We have co-founder of Ombraz's. They are an armless sunglasses company, which is very innovative. If you think about it, they've got a cord that keeps the glasses on your face and it makes

• 2:21Speaker 02

  an incredible experience. I will let you check out the brand if you want to, but Jensen Brown, the co-founder of Ombraz's, shares with me his perspective on what makes his company grow, the leadership principles, and one of them being central to that is humble leadership. Being humble in a, you know, one little sentence is being willing to say, "I don't know the answer, but we can figure it out together." And imagine that is a core to your culture. Not everyone knows the answer to the problem in front of us, but if we figure it out together, we're a team, we can overcome the challenges. You know, two brains are smarter than one, maybe seven brains are smarter than two. You get the idea. Being humble leadership or being a humble leader is a very important trait,

• 3:06Speaker 02

  I think, to being successful in your company and having the kind of company that you are inviting others in the journey with you because they feel included. And that is a part of the culture of humble leadership. My name is Gene Hammett. I'm a CEO coach. We do executive coaching and leadership development for fast growth companies. We've worked with more Inc. 5000 level companies than anyone out there in terms of leadership development and really love what we're doing. And if you are facing a new headwind, a new challenge, then I'm going to offer up a free gift call for you. This is where I would treat you like my best client. I try not to sway you in any specific way, but I use my coaching skills and frameworks to help you see where

• 3:47Speaker 02

  you're going more clearly, to build confidence and to truly remove what's, you know, getting in your way or has a grip on you. Now, if you're curious about what these sessions are like, all you have to do is send me an email, [email protected]. Inside that conversation, I will probe into what's really going on. You will answer some questions. They will be difficult. I'm not here to be your friend. I'm here to challenge you to think differently, see differently, and show up different. Now, if you're curious about that, all you have to do is send me an email, [email protected]. I only do one of these per week, but if you send the email, I will put you in queue and you can have that call with me absolutely for free and I promise not to sell you anything. All that being said, now let's have the interview with Jensen. Jensen, how are you?

• 4:31Speaker 01

  Hey, I'm doing well. How are you doing?

• 4:33Speaker 02

  I am great. We're gonna have a great conversation about humble leadership and what role that plays in the growth of your company. But about your company, tell us about Umbra's.

• 4:42Speaker 01

  Oh, man, that's a loaded question. Basically, like, we just are an armless sunglass company that's designed to solve kind of the frustrations of sunglasses. Sunglasses tend to pinch your head, fall off, slip down your nose, and those are really frustrating parts of sunglasses that I experienced and everyone's experienced. But sunglasses are a piece of gear that you you need if you want to protect your eyes and protect that, like, you know, vulnerable skin around your eyes outside. And so, yeah, like, we basically just kind of solve those issues by removing the arms

• 5:20Speaker 01

  and attaching a built-in cord that wraps around your head and then keeps the frames, like, secure to your face. But also, like, they're super comfortable. They don't, like, people are inherently skeptical of the design until they put a pair on and try them, and then they're like, oh, whoa, these actually work. Why hasn't this been done before? And I think that, yeah, it's just like, kind of, kind of like getting experience with sunglasses that, like, you gotta put on to realize that it just is a better, it's a better piece of gear, it's a better experience. And it kind of was, like, born out of necessity. I was on a camel safari in India. Someone sat on my sunglasses, and the sidearms broke off, and so I MacGyvered a piece of string around the broken hinges and wore them like that for, like, the four-day expedition. And while, like, during that expedition, I kind of realized that I liked

• 6:05Speaker 01

  this MacGyvered pair more than my my pair with arms. And so, replaced that string with a leather cord when I got back to civilization, wore that same pair for five years, and enough people, like, peers and people off the street and friends just asked about them and asked where they could get their own pair, or, like, asked me to make them a pair, that I realized that there was a market for this, and it was just because it really did solve a problem and serve a purpose.

• 6:29Speaker 02

  I love the innovation behind this because as you said, and as we all probably experienced, we have one type of sunglasses. We've seen the same thing over and over and over. You, I love the story that, you know, the genesis of this brand and the idea. Five years later, and you finally get, you know, enough validation from friends and family to go, all right, this could be a business.

• 6:51Speaker 01

  To keep a pair of sunglasses for five years was like insane. Like you're talking to a guy who loses his car keys once a week before I got an air tag. So yeah.

• 7:01Speaker 02

  You look like a guy who loses their car keys.

• 7:06Speaker 01

  No offense taken.

• 7:08Speaker 02

  I, I just love the story. I want to ask you just one little follow up question about the brand and the product. Like you're having to educate people on this and it's a physical product. So it's not something, they have to really take a leap. Your marketing is strong and bold. What have you found have been most helpful when it's an innovation like this that has to be experienced? What would you say to another company that has a similar type of idea? But you've, you've made, you've made it work, obviously, but what would you tell us about marketing and innovation like this?

• 7:39Speaker 01

  Oh man, it's also a loaded question. I'm loving it. Uh, let's see. I think like probably I would say most importantly, it, it from like the econ, like digital space, we launched, we, we launched an Indiegogo and we've like, up until last year, we've been like 95% direct to consumer online. So like we're marketing through digital.

• 8:01Speaker 01

  And I think really it's, you know, that landscape has changed quite a bit over the last six years, but relatability is a big one and just entertainment like, and like for me, like I, I like, it's easy for me because I kind of like almost in a sense embody like our brand, but like that's not, not every founder embodies their brand, right? And so for me, I'm just like creating stuff that I would like to see that I, that I would find entertaining, that I would find that would resonate with me and like people like me. But I think ultimately it comes down to, yeah, just being relatable and, and, and, and serving a purpose, like solving a problem. I think that's like the, like in, in educating and what that problem is you're solving.

• 8:44Speaker 01

  Cause that's your unique value prop. That's why people are going to be interested.

• 8:48Speaker 02

  Well, it's fascinating. I know you made the Inc. 5000. You've been recognized by media and certainly by your clients as something that is a product that's better than maybe what it originally started out with. So excited to have you here. Jensen, we always bring in people that we find fascinating, brands that are making a difference, and we look at the leadership principles that make them successful. How would you define those leadership principles for you and your company?

• 9:18Speaker 01

  I think the big one for me is to like, and like, yeah, I think it's appropriate on this like humble leadership is to realize like you don't know it all. You don't know anything, right? And you're constantly learning. You're constantly learning from mistakes, learning from other people. Like I think having mentors, like we really make a strong focus in our organization for across our team. Regardless if you're doing customer service or like head of supply chain, like everyone has mentors that they can talk to. We have a rolodex of brands that we work with. Who's like alike roles our team can tap into, into those brands and just, yeah, just kind of be a sponge, ask questions.

• 10:00Speaker 01

  I think for me, like, you know, I had no experience managing up until like, you know, when we started to hire and I was lost and scared and didn't feel like I was doing a good job. And, and it's just really learning as you go and, and making it up on the fly and realizing you're going to make mistakes. But you have to be putting, you have to be willing to put in that work to grow. And, and I think like not, you know, like even it's so easy to, to micromanage or feel like this is my way or the highway. And it's really like just asking questions, asking your team questions, empowering and trusting your team. That's been huge for me.

• 10:41Speaker 01

  As well as, as well as just having, you know, like, and you learn how to hire as well. I mean, this so it's, I could go so far into this, but it's, it's just, just learning.

• 10:51Speaker 02

  I love the fact that you feel like you're always growing and you're willing to make those those failures because I think, I mean, you look at your product. I'm, I know in order to get this to work right, you started with some kind of string, then you went to leather and then you figure out other little things. It was, it was you constantly innovating, which requires you to be okay with failure. Is that fair to say?

• 11:14Speaker 01

  Absolutely. Yes. Like, I mean, when we started, I was baking these cotton cords with cedar beeswax in my parents' oven. Cedar beeswax in my parents' oven to make them waterproof because I liked the feel of cotton. And I was like, this doesn't make sense. Let's go to nylon. And like, okay, nylon's polymer, like, let's use recycled fishing net. And it's just this constant evolution across everything, everything you do. You're constantly just like trying to improve. Um, and that's kind of like part of our core values and principles as a brand. Um, is that like constant improvement and that constant like do it better mentality. You know, we're trying to like create a brand and a business that stands the test of time and is respected and loved by our customers and revered for our environmental stewardship.

• 11:58Speaker 01

  And that comes with just like, you know, just trying to do better, cultivating that trust and continuously improving.

• 12:06Speaker 02

  Now, Jensen just said something really incredible and I wanted to, to highlight that. Be okay with failing. Here's the, the truth from my perspective. Every business owner I've ever known has innovated in some way. I'm sure there's exceptions, but my world, my circle, they're innovating. I'm innovating within my own business. My clients are innovating. I would imagine you're innovating too. You never will get to the innovation if you're not okay with failing. Failing is a part of the journey. Failing is where we get that feedback and we learn. And we learn what works, what doesn't work, and then we move forward. We keep iterating and that is innovation. And so not only you have to be okay with failing, but you have to make it okay with your team. I had one of my interview guests, I can't even remember, it's been so long ago, but they said that they celebrate failures

• 12:51Speaker 02

  that led to a new innovation. Now, think about that for a second. We celebrate failures. They actually at their yearly retreat had an award. That a team would win because their failure was a catalyst to some other idea, some other innovation. Think about that for a second. Failure is actually to be embraced, not to be avoided. Back to Jensen. Jensen, don't take this wrong, but you're fairly young. You're probably half my age. I'm 54, so give you an idea.

• 13:19Speaker 01

  I'm not gonna take that wrong. Thank you.

• 13:22Speaker 02

  I appreciate it.

• 13:22Speaker 01

  Most people say otherwise.

• 13:24Speaker 02

  And I think a lot of us have a lot to learn with someone your age, because when I was your age, I was looking for the idea and I didn't have it. I waited till I was 30 until my idea hit me and it was, I was pushed and that was the reason why I had to find my idea. And I'm glad I did. But you talked about core values and that's something of an experienced entrepreneur. Where did you pick up the importance of a company core value and a brand expressing those values and hiring people to align with those values? Did you read it in a book? Did you find it from a mentor? Or is it just something that was innate in you?

• 13:57Speaker 01

  It was part, it was like an innate part. I think it's really helpful in building a brand to like stick true to those core values and focus on those core values. Otherwise, it's so easy to lose track of where you're going and what you're trying, and what you're trying to achieve. And I let my people go surfing. Yvon Chouinard, kind of like, you know, so to speak, like Bible on, on, like, you know, condone business unconventionally. That's been our company bible and our North Star. And I think that that has really aligned us with our core values. And then, yeah, also having strong mentors who will also just,

• 14:39Speaker 01

  we can take this pause out. But having mentors who also just like emphasize the need for those values as well and like, help you steer the ship. I think that's, it's so crucial. It's so important to have that focus.

• 14:55Speaker 02

  I want to come back to the mentor thing, but one of the things that stood out, and really it's kind of the theme of this thing, is humble leadership. Everyone probably has a different definition for humble, because it's not the most used word in our vernacular. What's your definition of humble leadership?

• 15:12Speaker 01

  I mean, I almost feel like I talked on it earlier, but uh like, you know, I think the definition of humble is like having a showing modest or a low view of one's importance. And I think that that that is just reflected in realizing that you don't know everything and you don't know anything and you're constantly having to learn. Um, and so really that would be my definition is is just being willing to to to learn, willing to know that you you don't have like it's not like your way or the highway. Um, it takes it takes a village and it takes you have to surround yourself with smart people and you have to learn from people. And people have had more experience than you. People have um different perspectives than you.

• 15:54Speaker 01

  And I think like, once you open your eyes to those different perspectives and realize that like you might look at something one way. It's like if if two people are like staring at an elephant, right? And one person's like holding the the the tusks and one person's like, oh, this is like this hard, like like this must I, you know, this is a tree branch. And then one person's like standing at the leg of the elephant and they're holding it and like this is the tree trunk like you're both touching the elephant, you but you both have different perspectives and neither of you are wrong. And so I think like, um, yeah, like kind of just realizing that is is that that that puts you on the same playing field as your team, as um and as as everyone you're working with, your vendors, your clients.

• 16:36Speaker 01

  And you're all just trying to trying to make each other better and make each other like stress free and happy. That's the ultimate goal, right?

• 16:44Speaker 02

  I do a lot of research. It started with this podcast when I started interviewing founders. Uh, it was probably around episode four hundred where I really exclusively looked at Inc. Five Thousand founders like yourself. And in that first initial thing that what came out of that is we want employees not to just take responsibility for the work. We want them to feel a sense of ownership. And as I dug deeper into this, I started finding out what are the core principles of of an employee who feels like an owner? And one of them is inclusion. And what you're describing, without saying the word, is you have a culture where it's not just your ideas that win. You're including everyone else's voice and that probably gives you a different type of culture, which gives you a different performance than your peers.

• 17:27Speaker 02

  What would you add to that? Would you agree or disagree or?

• 17:30Speaker 01

  No, that's great. That's well said. Yeah, I think it really it comes down to empowering like, and that comes with cultivating trust, good communication, and having the right people on your side, right? So building that, building that network around you.

• 17:44Speaker 02

  Now, let me break in here for a second. Jensen talked about the importance of empowering your people, and I wanted to reiterate that. Like, you cannot have the kind of company you want, the business of your dreams, be the leader that you want to be, that you see for yourself, if you're not willing to empower people. I have a chart that I've used for ages. If you want it, I'll send it to you for free, but it's called the five levels of leadership, and it goes through different levels of empowerment. The first three levels are really focused on work, and that is a big part of a company's success, the execution of what we do. But there's also two other levels above that, which are really about leadership and about developing people, and that's another version of empowering. And you have to understand what they are, and that it serves as a map. So if you're curious about the five levels of leadership,

• 18:29Speaker 02

  send me an email, [email protected]. I'll send it to you for free. A little training that goes along with it, just ask for it absolutely for free, and happy to help you. But empowering your people is a necessary part of your company growth, the business of your dreams, and you having the business that you want, maybe even someday you want to sell. Empowering others is the way. Back to Jensen. Jensen, you have probably been through some inflection points in your own leadership. You've got this brand that's taking off. I can see that it's going to continue growing because it is innovative. Is there an inflection point that you could share with us today that, that, that really demonstrates where you have grown as a leader?

• 19:09Speaker 01

  Let's see. I mean, I'm trying to think of like a really core example here.

• 19:15Speaker 01

  But really, I think it's just not a, not a, I can't think of like a specific key example to that inflection point. I think it's just like the small wins along the way that feel like we're doing it right. Like, in my gut, I'm like, this is, this is the, we're doing this the right way, you know? Like, we're not, we're not sacrificing short-term wins, or I'm sorry, we're not sacrificing. Long-term wins for short-term gains like we're like setting, laying the foundation for something that we hope stands the test of time. We treat like, wanna treat everyone that we work with well. And like, it's, you know, we're never like wavering off of that.

• 19:55Speaker 01

  And I think that goes to like sticking with our core values and just like in your gut, trusting that like this is the right way to do this. You know, we plant 20 mangrove trees for every pair we sell. Uh, we've, we're, we're approaching in like three or four days, we're actually gonna approach our two millionth mangrove tree planted. Um, since we started and it like, just everything we're like, all the decisions we make are based on just like, you know, doing the right thing. And I think that that is the inflection point. That's what makes me get, gets me excited, makes me feel creatively charged and passionate. Because it just feels like we're not just beating to the, everyone else's drum. We're not doing things because that's what everyone's doing. We're doing it because it's what we hold true to.

• 20:36Speaker 02

  We're talking about humble leadership with you, Jensen. And, and I get this sense and I, and I feel like I'm pretty good at reading people because of the work I do as an executive coach. Um, what keeps you grounded? Because as your company gets more successful and let's say it doubles or triples and quadruples over the next few years. What will keep you grounded as the leader of your company?

• 20:57Speaker 01

  Uh, I would say that like, knowing that it's such a wonderful creative outlet. And like, you get to solve problems and you get to sit with smart people and that you like, you know, that you're surrounded with, that you, that you've brought on. Um, and you get to continuously build and create. And for me, that keeps me grounded. That keeps me like, feeling like there's always something like that we could be doing better, be solving. And it's never like, we're on top of the world because we're not. There's like, there's all like, there's always something we could be doing better, always something we could like, we could, a process we could create, something we could streamline, something we could modify. Um, a, a role that we could like tweak to be more effective.

• 21:41Speaker 01

  There's never, there's, there's always something to do. And I think that's what keeps me grounded and keeps me so charged.

• 21:46Speaker 02

  Fantastic. I appreciate you being here, Jensen, sharing your wisdom, being a part of the podcast.

• 21:51Speaker 01

  Thank you for having me, Gene. I really appreciate it. Great questions, by the way.

• 21:55Speaker 02

  Wow, what a great interview here with Jensen. I love this topic of humble leadership. It came up in my house the other day with my son, who's really intelligent, who wasn't so humble. And I just, I just said what I thought. I think that in today's business world, being humble is a strong personal trait. Being able to say, I don't know, but being, you know, determined to figure out how to move together, either individually or with a team, is incredible humble leadership. And so, that being said, hopefully you enjoyed today's conversation. If I can help in any way, whether it be CEO coaching, executive coaching, manager coaching, leadership development, workshops, speeches, or you just want to buy a book, you wrote a book on how to have tough conversations, you can check that out. Make sure you do that.

• 22:39Speaker 02

  When you think of growth and you think of leadership, think of growth thinking. As always, with courage, we'll see you in a minute.

• 22:49Speaker 00

  Cash Flow Crunch? OnDeck's small business line of credit gives your business immediate access to funds up to $200,000 right when you need it. Cover seasonal dips, manage payroll, restock inventory, or tackle unexpected expenses without missing a beat. With flexible draws, transparent pricing, and control over repayment, get funded quickly and confidently. Apply today at ondeck.com. Funds could be available as soon as tomorrow. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval.