Nate is our good mate and co-founder of ICHPIG, a local Melbourne street wear brand. Starting out in his mother's garage in 2010, Nate started ICHPIG with his younger brother at a young age.
Nate went to school for industrial design, just like 3D-Dyl! ICHPIG grew from a counter culture of devout youths and a relentless DIY work ethic, all thanks to Nate's endless commitment to the brand.
He's got experience in all aspects of the business from manufacturing, sales, web design, garment design, content creation. If you can name it, Nate's probably done it!
ICHPIG on Instagram:
@ICHPIG
ICHPIG Website:
www.ichpig.com
Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.
“You're convincing people to, to part with their hard-earned, and they're choosing to spend it on you. There's a million things in this world they could spend it on, and they chose you.”
“That's what I'm addicted to. I'm addicted to the progression. I'm addicted to getting better at something, you know, refining my craft, whether I'm good or not. I don't give a shit about that.”
“the one that asks you for free shit and discounts, fuck them right off.”
“I always say that, you know, money exaggerates the type of person you are. You're either a fucking prick or you're really generous.”
“businesses being speedboats rather than these massive oil tankers that take forever to react to anything.”
How do you get past feeling awkward charging friends or customers for your product?
Nate says it's hard at first but you have to learn that real friends want to see you succeed and are happy to pay; people who only want free stuff or discounts aren't worth keeping around.
When should a growing business cut underperforming products or staff?
Nate compares it to airplane oxygen masks — you have to secure the core business first (even if it means painfully cutting profitable-seeming product lines or staff) so you can keep helping everyone else.
How can you get free help, advice or opportunities for your business?
Nate recommends actually answering honestly and specifically when people ask what you're working on, rather than giving a vague 'good, busy' response — this surfaces connections, advice and opportunities.
Nate recounts withdrawing $1,000 and nervously walking up Smith Street to buy discontinued jumper stock from the manufacturer they still use today, which they then cut and resewed into longer garments in their mum's garage.
In Itch Pig's early days, Nate and Alex wore balaclavas in all their photos and at pickups so the clothing, not their faces, sold the product, before eventually dropping the practice.
After a customer made a fraudulent order using a friend's address, Nate personally showed up at the house late at night, met the shocked parents, and confronted the kid directly in his room.
Nate sent about $700 worth of product to a skater in Canada he trusted, who then sold all of it rather than using or promoting it, which he describes as a hard early business lesson.
Drawn from the episode transcripts.
Nate Swinefeld and his brother Alex learned to crochet beanies and sew while working as snowboard instructors in Japan, then began lengthening jumpers by cutting and resewing them, selling out of their mum's garage in Melbourne's western suburbs before eventually hiring outside sewers and taking a warehouse lease.
From episode 321→Nate explains that paying fair wages throughout manufacturing means products must be marked up several times their production cost, so brands trying to pay workers properly can't compete on price with offshore fast fashion that cuts costs via cheap overseas labour.
From episode 321→Tommy mentions Jules Lund advised a mutual friend's clothing label to DM customers directly and build real relationships, which significantly increased revenue — Nate says Itch Pig had already been doing this kind of direct, personal customer engagement for nine years.
From episode 321→Every episode featuring Nate Swinefeld on The Daily Talk Show.
