Nickel City Gritty: Parkhurst Brand
Before every interview I do, I get a little bit nervous. Okay, maybe a lot of bit nervous.
Especially if it’s someone who I’ve never really interacted with before.
Sure, I’ve interviewed some of my friends, but most of my subjects I’ve never really gotten to “know” know, ya know? And that’s one of the things that I love most about my Nickel City Gritty series. While you are reading and learning about these incredible people for (possibly) the first time, I’m also doing the same.
I met Andrew Svisco a few weeks ago at an event at Oxford Pennant. Andrew is the owner of Parkhurst, a handmade men’s boot company here in Western New York. Not only he the owner, he’s also the designer and handles all of the marketing, social media, shipping, web, customer service, content creation, etc. He’s a one man show!
I remember I was sitting at Public prior to our meeting and going over the questions I was planning on asking him. I texted two of my friends that, “I want to get weird, but I don’t want to scare him.” They told me to get weird and just see what happens. So I got weird.
Lucky for me, Andrew didn’t seem to be swayed by my questions at all, or maybe he was and he’s just a REALLY good actor. He shared so much more than I would have ever expected, and I left our interview with new knowledge of the man behind the brand- his family and friends mean the world to him, we have the same exact taste in music, he’s extraordinarily passionate about his business, and he’s pretty sure he knows what the opposite of a koala is.
Check out his playlist below and read on, friends!
This is Nickel City Gritty, and this is Andrew Svisco of Parkhurst Brand.
Tell me about how you started Parkhurst.
I was sitting at my desk (at work) and I was watching a lot of my coworkers come in and out of our job and stepping away from their desks and I noticed the shoes that everybody was wearing. I was looking at their shoes and thinking that these are from brands that aren’t particularly known for making high-quality, bespoke, made in America men’s footwear. So I started thinking to myself, hey, I have a crazy idea. I was looking for a quality made men’s boot or shoe at the time and the problem I was running into was either the boots or shoes were way out of my price range or everything just kind of looked the same. It was all the typical oversized and clunky style of boot. It seemed like one or two of the quality style of boots that I found were around $600 which I wasn’t prepared to spend at that time. I did some research and went on to different shoe blogs to see what people were saying about these different brands and I thought that there might be an opportunity there.
Just for the hell of it, I wanted to put together my own designs and start talking to a couple suppliers just to see what the process would be in making something like this. I finally came across a shoe factory and they made shoes exactly the way that I wanted to make them. The factory was 40 minutes away from where I lived so I thought, what if I just call their customer service line and say hey, I got this idea, I want to make shoes this way, can you guys make a prototype for me? They were kind enough to take me on and not only did they respond to my email and return my phone call, but the owner of the factory invited me in to speak to their management team to see if my idea was viable or not. I was very grateful to have been taken on by their team. That was about two years ago now and the rest is kind of history, I guess!
One of the coolest things so far was that I got invited to go to New York Men’s Fashion Week in the fall of 2018 and that was really the first time I got the chance to showcase my products to these big buyers and other big brands out there. I went to New York with my boots in zip lock freezer bags and I shoved them in my backpack and, here I am, trying to dress as best I could, and I’m running around the floor with my boots in my freezer bags and taking them out and showing everybody that I could and telling them about the product and how we’re making them differently and how I’m designing them myself. I create my own shoe moldings and create my own patterns. I’m just pitching these ideas to everybody left and right and talking everybody’s ear off and I made some of the best connections that I could have made and got some incredible feedback and I ended up gaining a few mentors out of it, too. I didn’t sell anything on the spot, but that wasn’t my objective, I was going there to test the waters. I couldn’t have been more grateful for that opportunity and to be able to speak to the people that I got to speak to.
How did you come up with the name?
Parkhurst is the name of the street that my grandparents live on in Tonawanda. The reason why I chose that name is because my grandfather was a steel worker his entire life, but the problem he kept running into was that the steel mills kept closing. They were outsourcing production and manufacturing to China so my grandfather was without a job. People say that those were the “good old days” and people had more security in the manufacturing sector back then. I wanted to create something that was going to resurrect that memory and have Parkhurst be sort of a testament to my grandfather’s happiness when he was working in the American industry. I was literally on the way to their house one day and I turned on to Parkhurst Boulevard and I was like, you know what, that’s gonna be it.
If you could describe your personal style, how would you do it?
Quality basics. I mean, that’s where the fashion industry has taken a turn to over the years is to quality basics. Look at what I’m wearing right now…a black long sleeve tee shirt and jeans, and my boots of course. I admire high fashion and I love reading about designers and I always love seeing what Versace and Gucci come out with. I’m always interested in seeing stuff like that, but honestly I don’t buy that type of clothing. I’m into more quality, American-made basics. My jeans were made in the USA and this shirt, I’m pretty sure this brand is also made in the USA. So pretty much just well fitted and basic, that’s what I’m all about. I feel like a lot of fashion is about wearing something that’s either super skin tight or something that’s baggy and going down to your knees. I try to strike that happy median. I try to do that same thing with my shoes. Refined casual.
I like that you wear your own product!
I try to, yeah. It feels weird whenever I wear sneakers, though. I feel like I almost can’t wear a pair of Nike’s or something. I think, oh if I’m wearing these then I really should be wearing my own boots! I actually wish I could wear sneakers more often and just be cool with it. But it’s fall now, so it’s boot season. Although, I have worn my boots in the summer.
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with your extra time?
Ummm….work. *laughs* I mean, I know it’s kind of a lame answer, but that’s like what we were talking about before, like you have this thing that you create and you have this vision and you just want to stay focused on it. I mean, right when I get up the first thing that I do is look at my email on my phone and look at what’s happening on social media and I have a couple business emails so I’ll look at all of those, and I do this all while I’m laying in bed! Same thing before I go to bed at night. I know that this could probably be a criticism, but right now a lot of my life is this. My company is in its infancy and I want to make sure that it doesn’t fail and that it continues to grow. So if I wasn’t sleeping, I would be figuring out how to provide even better value to my customers, even better customer service to my customers, make a product for them that’s going to be worth their time and worth their money. I want people to look in their closet and say, “Oh, I’m definitely wearing the Parkhurst boots today.” Sure, they can have other boots and shoes from other brands that they are gonna wear, but I don’t care about that. I want to make sure that they are going to have a “Parkhurst kind of day.” That, for me, is enough.
What is your most prized possession?
Physical possession?
Anything! Interpret it as you will.
That’s a very good question. I’ve never really thought about it before. I have many things in my life that I’m grateful as hell for. But I think my most prized possession is…the grit and willingness that I have that’s been given to me by my parents and my family. If I could expand upon that, I think that I am so grateful to have been raised the way I was raised and guided the way I was guided. I think that what my family gave to me is the motivation and the ability to make a decision when I was drastically unhappy, in a very dark place, unhappy with what I was doing. Sure, the money was great, but it was bad. I’m very grateful that my family and friends helped me find the courage to step away from something like that and pursue what makes me happy. Without that, I wouldn’t be where I am. I mean, I’m nobody today *laughs* I’m not gonna act like I’m some huge whatever, but I genuinely think that without possessing the courage that my family and friends gave me to make the move and to go out and create something and design something and take criticism, I wouldn’t have done it. They gave me the courage to make the biggest move of my life in leaving a secure job and start something like this on my own. I couldn’t be more grateful to have that as part of being who I am. So I would say, yeah, that’s my most prized possession given to me by others.
What is your spirit animal?
I hope this doesn’t sound too overly masculine, but I’d probably say a tiger. And the reason I would say a tiger, or maybe even a lion, ironically I’m not a cat person *laughs* but hey! I would say one of those two animals because they wait very patiently and carefully until it’s time to strike. That’s what I had to do with my job, I had to work for five years and I had to wait, and I didn’t want to wait. I wanted just to go start this thing, and it took so much time to develop everything, and doing it on my own it just took more time. I knew that in order for me to follow this dream and be happy, I needed to have the most incredible amount of patience that I’ve ever had in my entire life. I had to know when the time was right to strike.
Okay so this one’s kind of weird. If you were a planet, what would your core be made out of?
Probably something that’s not completely liquid and something that’s not completely solid. What’s the term, malleable? My uncle is in the precious metal industry so I should know these terms! But I failed chemistry in college and high school…but wait, I think I passed in high school because I probably wouldn’t have graduated if I didn’t pass. Either way I sucked *laughs* But anyway, I wouldn’t want it to be liquid, because a liquid core gives the impression that you’re bouncing around and you’re soft, and you can’t be soft in business. But at the same time I don’t want to be too dense because I want to take in guidance and advice from others. I need to be able to bend and shift gears when the time calls for it.
Now see, I thought you were going to say chocolate.
I wish, oh my god. I feel like that would be a very happy planet. Anyone who eats a piece of chocolate is always happy after! Unless it’s really bad chocolate when it’s all wax and no chocolate.
What’s on your playlist? What do you like to listen to?
Ummmm…okay this is probably gonna throw a lot of people for a loop. I’ve been asked this question before and the reactions that I get are pretty wild. So here I go. I listen to a lot of old school, and this is me just being totally honest or whatever…look, this is what I listen to so I don’t give a fuck…I listen to a lot of pop and rap music from the early 2000’s.
*Lindsay loses her mind* THIS WAS THE BEST ERA FOR MUSIC.
It WAS the best era for music! All of the shit that’s coming out now days, I can’t stand it!
I’m going to say on the record that YOU are my spirit animal right now.
*laughs* I just talked to somebody who’s, like, 21 years old and they were naming all of these rappers who are huge right now…I don’t know who the fuck they are! Like, who are you?!? So listen, I’m talking 50 Cent.
Yes.
I’m talking old school Eminem.
YES.
That stuff? Like, it gets me going!! The intensity of the music and the fact that the people who are making this music, Eminem for example, are telling stories of their own struggles and what they’ve done and how they’ve built something for themselves. For me, that’s more inspirational than any motivational fucking speaker. That’s just the way my brain is working right now. I also don’t mind listening to a little bit of electronic music sometimes, but it has to depend on the genre of it. But honestly, my driving music is that early 2000’s stuff. Those were the days! I listened to Disco Inferno and High All The Time on the way here, like literally as I was parking my car, so that’s just me. I mean, I’m not high all the time, but you know what I mean *laughs*
So to piggyback on the music topic, if a theme song played every time you entered the room, what would it be?
Man, you’ve got some good questions. It’s just crazy, because a lot of the music that I listen to for reasons being that I’m listening to this person who’s communicating their struggle and trying to create something for themselves throughout their entire life. It just so happens that their communication is in the form of a song. A lot of the music I listen to, I feel like I connect in a way like that. Honestly? I’m gonna throw you a curve ball right now. I’m gonna tell you it’s American Dream by MKTO. Their opening line says, “Do something with your life.” and when I was sitting at my desk in front of my computer screen working my ass off, we would have these TV’s above us with CNBC on, and there would always be these interviews with executives and founders and CEOs talking about stuff, and all the guys in the office would constantly say things like, “Oh I wish I was him.” or “I wish I was doing something like that.” For me, I had an idea of what it would take to get there, so I thought to myself, “Man you need to do something with your life.” I was sitting in front of five computers and I wasn’t happy, and what better way to do something with my life then to follow the American dream? We live in a country where we can fucking do anything. I started this business from my bedroom. The opportunities that we have to start a business and get mentors in this country…I mean come on. I was sitting there thinking that ten years from now, I don’t want to be like one of those guys. So every time I hear that song it reminds me of that.
What are some of your favorite bars or restaurants in Buffalo?
That’s tough because I’m a huge foodie. I’ve always loved Founding Fathers, that’s one of my favorite bars to go to. I was going to say Buffalo Proper but they are unfortunately closed. I really like San Marco, it’s a great Italian restaurant. I also like Black & Blue and Osteria 166. Both are great. Chef’s…who doesn’t like Chef’s? Hayes in Clarence…it’s a seafood restaurant and it is absolutely incredible. They have consistently fresh seafood every day. Every single time I go to this place it’s spot on. Phenomenal.
If there was a food that you could banish off the face of the earth, what would it be?
Artichokes. And olives. It’s tough, too, because coming from an Italian family, there’s a LOT of artichokes and a LOT of olives. I’m not a huge eggplant person either. I honestly don’t understand artichokes. Like, the idea of cooking leaves? And then stuffing it? But you can’t eat them, you have to like scrape them off on your teeth and then suck the leaf off your teeth. It’s way too much work and not a great payoff! You’ll have to eat, like, six of them to get full, and then do I want to put a pound of artichoke leaves in my stomach? Oh, and then you can eat the heart but you can’t eat the leaves? And then you have to go around the leaves to get to the heart? I’m not sure of the anatomy of the artichoke. Oh my god, and I can’t stand mushrooms! They always have a dirt taste to them. If you put just one or two mushrooms in a dish, the whole dish is ruined! It’s terrible. Never serve me a mushroom stuffed artichoke because I’ll probably pass out.
What is the title of the current chapter of your life?
I think I would say…Management. As cliche as it sounds, I’m learning to constantly manage everything in a way that I’ve never done before. It’s not just with the business, it’s with personal life, too. One of the biggest things I was pisssed off about when working my day job was that I never got to see my friends and family. I was working SO much. When Friday night came along, everyone was going out for drinks and dinner and I didn’t get out until super late and by then I’ve already put in a seventy hour week and I was going home and going to sleep. When the weekends came around I was catching up from the week that I just completed and I really didn’t have the energy to do a lot of stuff. I think that, outside of this, learning to manage my business and my personal life has been a little bit of a struggle. My friends and family have told me that I’m too wrapped up in the business and if I’m at a family function, as soon as I pull out my phone, they think its for business. I’m never going to break that image, it’s always going to be there. So as of right now I’m just trying to manage my business, things changing, new customers, making sure I provide excellent service, and making sure I stay in touch with friends and family.
When do you feel the most confident?
I mean, the most obvious answer would be when somebody buys my boots, right? But I don’t feel confident that they bought my boots, I feel confident that they thought my design and the components that I used was worth their time and money. You can always assign a dollar amount to anything, I think, and at the end of the day it doesn’t mean anything. The fact that they’re assigning their time to me, they’re handing over time and I’m putting in time to creating a product for them, it’s a beautiful exchange. It’s a different way to look at it. It’s the part that gives me the most confidence. But now that I think about it, a part that gives me even more confidence is when I see someone wearing my boots. That’s actually like really cool!
If you could choose a liquid to come out of each pointer finger for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It’s gonna be water and Sprite. The thing is, I drink a lot of water, like you need water to live. And then Sprite is my all-time favorite soda. I don’t drink a lot of soda, but oh man, I fuckin love Sprite. It’s so good.
What’s the opposite of a koala? I don’t have an answer for this, by the way.
Ummmm…I’m searching for one! A mongoose? So koalas are up in trees and mongeese…geese? Mongoose? So, like a mongoose is on the ground and they’re always latching on to things on the ground. I feel like whenever you see a funny clip it’s always a mongoose latching itself onto something.
And the last question that I always ask is, what do you want to be when you grow up?
I’m still figuring it out…we’re all still figuring it out, right? So like, when I was in college, I changed my major. Then I had a career and I left my career. I just want to be happy when I grow up. I don’t want to look back at the past 40 years or 50 or 60 years and ask myself, “Why did I spend this much time doing this or that? Why didn’t I use my time for something else that could have brought happiness to either myself or to others?” I just want to be happy, and I’m thankful to say that *knocks on wood* I’m on the way there. I guess only time will tell!