Mar 10, 2021
Think back to when you were a kid. Do you remember
your flip-flops falling off and scraping your feet along the
concrete? Guess what? Kids still have this problem.
My guest today took his own footwear problem and
decided to actually do something about it. Carter Waugh, 11, is the
founder of Critts, a customizable flip-flop clog hybrid
designed for running, jumping and climbing. His dad, Ryan, also
joins us for the interview.
2:53 – Carter 101
- He loves lacrosse, skateboarding, golf, tennis,
sometimes basketball, and, of course, designing shoes.
- Carter was on a family vacation in the Caribbean.
He wasn’t happy with his flip-flops or Crocs and asked his dad,
Ryan, if he could design his own shoe, called a Flip Critt.
- His dad told him to create a business plan.
5:30 – Ryan’s reaction
- Ryan was amazed by his son’s business plan and
drawing and his emotional intelligence
9:50 – How Carter designed the Flip Critt
- Carter didn’t realize how time consuming and
difficult it would be to design a shoe
- He met with a Los Angeles shoe consultant, who
helped with the process, and then met with manufacturing
consultants in China
19:02 – What Carter has learned
- At first, Carter thought, “Wham, bam, I’m done.”
But the shoe-making process took longer than he realized.
- “At first I was just like, ‘It’s a cool idea. I
might not be able to do it. I mean, I’m like 8. Who makes a shoe
when they’re 8?’ But once I got into it, I started liking shoes. I
started liking them a lot.”
- Besides learning a lot about shoes, he has also
learned a lot about doing interviews and talking with adults.
23:18 – What Carter’s parents have learned
- Ryan said he has learned more from his son than his
son has learned from him.
- He says his son is a special human who sees the
good in everybody and everything around him.
- Carter’s initial mission statement was: “To spread
happiness, safety and security to all critters.”
26:22 – Carter’s methods
- Carter’s approach to life is refreshing and
fascinating, according to his dad.
- He wants the business to be simple so people can
enjoy his shoes.
32:02 – Critts Cares
- Carter has created Critts Cares. Every time someone
buys a pair of Critts shoes, $2 goes back to his old elementary
school.
33:45 – Get to know Carter
- What song hypes him up? Lil Nas X, Holiday
- What actor should play him? Someone with orange
hair, obviously
FEATURED
QUOTES
“This was a real life thing, organically, that came
out of the mind of an 8-year-old that was like, ‘Wow!’” – Ryan
“After a while, like two years, I finally perfected
it to what I have today. And now I’m selling it and hearing tons of
feedback on it … and a lot of people love it.” – Carter
“At first I was just like, ‘It’s a cool idea. I might
not be able to do it. I mean, I’m like 8. Who makes a shoe when
they’re 8?’ But once I got into it, I started liking shoes. I
started liking them a lot.” – Carter
LINKS:
https://critts.com/
ABOUT CARTER:
Founder, visionary and overall goofball is a talented 11 year
old named Carter “Critt” Waugh. He is a very active leader with an
active imagination. He loves sports and is a talented
lacrosse attackman. He loves his friends, his family and basically
he loves anything that gets him dirty and sweaty. He has been the
perfect test subject for his creation.