Paul Hedrick

Paul is the Founder & CEO of Tecovas, an Austin-based western footwear, apparel, and accessories brand. Since launching the brand in 2015, Paul has raised over $50M in funding from Plus Capital, Blue Collective, and others.

On the first hour of his morning.

I used to be an ‘evening exercise’ guy before we hired a team and I realized I wanted to be around for them in the evenings.

I start every morning with a workout at 6 am.

Most days I’m showered and refreshed before 8. It used to be a struggle, but now it’s a habit I can’t live without — and it’s a great time to reflect.

The first thing I typically do when I get to the office is write down any of the ‘shower thoughts’ I had while working out (or showering).

On pushing through volatility.

There are plenty of stages of uncertainty, strain, and stress.

Since the beginning of Tecovas, I’ve taken free time seriously, dedicating time for friends and family on the weekends when I can really unplug.

There are always ebbs and flows, so I make sure to take full advantage. 

The good thing about Austin is that it’s an amazing hospitality town, from food to drink to concert venues — perfect for unplugging.

On Austin's work culture.

I grew up in Texas, so Austin feels more like home than other places I have lived (like NYC, Boston, and Chicago), which I think is an important element to be true when starting an entrepreneurial journey.

Austin is a very active startup town per capita, meaning in many ways it feels even more startup-friendly than larger cities like NYC and LA.

People definitely view life a little differently in Texas.

I think they value living in a city where there is more work-life balance than a non-stop city, which is good but can also be a challenge for culture.

What matters to me is that everyone I know in this town is happy to be living here, which makes a huge difference for the choices they take in their lives.

On customer-centricity.

I definitely view setbacks as learning experiences, and we’re lucky to have had many, many of those learning experiences.

One of the fundamental roadblocks that has had an impact on how we approach the brand is that it was not at all easy to convince investors, friends, and family that it was a good idea at the beginning.

We have never operated with the benefit of the doubt, which means we have had to work extra hard to make sure we are succeeding in our most important mission: pleasing the customer. 

Having to put blinders on and focus on that mission helped our team in the early days, even if it meant operating with a chip on our shoulder.

These days, it’s a little more obvious that Tecovas is a meaningful brand for a lot of people, but we are still built on the idea that we are making a positive difference for the only folks that matter: our customers.

On raising venture.

Taking on the capital we recently raised at this point in the business was definitely the right move for both our team and our customers.

It has allowed us to reach the customer in ways we weren’t really able to invest in before — via retail or a team to support the supply chain.

Culturally, there are more people in the room, but our mindset is the same.

We hire for the same type of people that have worked well since day one: humble, hardworking, emotionally intelligent, customer advocates.

As long as we keep doing that, I don’t think it will matter how much capital is on the balance sheet — we will still be Tecovas!

On his nightly routine.

I wish I had a better nightly wind-down routine, honestly, but I have found that the best way to get away from work stress bleeding into sleep and dreams is to read or watch TV for 30 to 60 minutes before the lights are out.

I don’t have a TV in my room by design, so any Netflix or HBO is naturally curtailed by having to get up to go to bed.

I do believe in getting a good night’s sleep, so I always plan and follow through on at least 7 hours.