Culture and Craftsmanship with Sabah Founder Mickey Ashmore
Mickey Ashmore, founder of Sabah, discusses how he built a retail brand around reviving traditional Turkish shoemaking craftsmanship. The conversation explores how cultural authenticity and artisan partnerships drive both brand identity and sustainable business growth. Ashmore shares insights on balancing heritage with modern consumer expectations.
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Key takeaways
Sabah is built on preserving traditional Turkish handcraft techniques, specifically hand-stitched leather shoes made by artisans in Turkey.
Cultural authenticity — rooting a brand in genuine craft heritage — can be a meaningful differentiator in the modern retail landscape.
Sustainable business growth can be achieved by maintaining direct relationships with skilled craftspeople rather than scaling through mass production.
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In an age where mass production dominates, the art of craftsmanship and its profound impact on culture and community is increasingly rare. This rarity has brought craftsmanship into the spotlight, as consumers and creators alike seek authenticity in a digital world. At the heart of this movement is Sabah, a brand that has successfully merged traditional craftsmanship with modern entrepreneurship, gaining the attention of major media outlets like the New York Times and Esquire.
What does it take to build a business that is deeply rooted in craftsmanship and cultural authenticity? How can companies merge traditional craftsmanship with modern entrepreneurship, and ensure that they maintain quality and authenticity while scaling up? These are some of the questions explored in the latest episode of Tuesdays with Morrisey.
Hosted by Adam Morrisey, this episode welcomes Mickey Ashmore, the founder of Sabah, a lifestyle brand celebrated for its unique footwear. Ashmore shares insights into how Sabah has woven craftsmanship, culture, and community into the fabric of its business model.
Ashmore shares insights into how Sabah has woven craftsmanship, culture, and community into the fabric of its business model.
Here's what to expect from the conversation:
– The journey of Sabah from a passion project in a New York apartment to an international presence.
– The role of hospitality in transforming customer interactions into memorable experiences.
– How genuine enthusiasm for the craft has naturally fostered a robust community around the brand.
Mickey Ashmore's background is as intriguing as his business philosophy. After a stint in corporate finance, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to turn a cherished gift of Turkish slippers into a thriving business. Ashmore's approach to Sabah as a "hospitality company that sells shoes" and his hands-on approach with customers have been pivotal to the brand's success.
Ashmore's approach to Sabah as a "hospitality company that sells shoes" and his hands-on approach with customers have been pivotal to the brand's success.
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About the author
Strategic thinker, continuous learner, and connector. Experience working with high growth and established businesses in strategic, financial, managerial, and operational capacities. Track record of excelling amidst ambiguity, across differences and in a variety of industries and environments. Adam is currently Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Shipshape, a rapidly growing start-up out of Austin, TX focused on helping homeowners monitor and maintain the critical systems of their homes through the application of AI and IOT technologies, with the ultimate goal of making homes smart enough to take care of themselves. Shipshape empowers homeowners with powerful data to help them make smarter decisions about their home and connect them to other service providers in the home support industry. In Adam’s role, he seeks win-win outcomes with strategic partners in the service contractor, manufacturer, insurance, real estate, energy, and smart home sectors. Prior to Shipshape, Adam was a Director at Trumont Group, a privately held investment firm with offices in Dallas and Phoenix. Adam attended Miami University (Ohio) and started his career at PwC. In the community, Adam works closely with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Beyond the Ball and Social Venture Partners. In his free time, Adam enjoys reading, writing, traveling and hosting the "Tuesdays with Morrisey" podcast which facilitates conversations with authors, entrepreneurs and thought-leaders.
