Jeff Ng was a sneakerhead before they called them sneakerheads.
You mightve read recently about people collecting sneakers and reselling them for thousands of dollars over retail price?
Or kids sleeping outside a skate shop for days hoping to purchase a limited edition t-shirt?
I might be the person responsible for all of that.
I started STAPLE in 1997before the terms street culture or sneakerhead were coined.
And 23 years in this industry makes you a certified OG.
In 2005, I collaborated with Nike to release a sneaker with my Pigeon logo on it.
Its now known as theNike Pigeon Dunk.
The original price of the shoe was $72.
Today, youd be lucky to find someone willing to part with it for $20,000.
Whether thats product design, marketing, or strategic collaborations, we do whatever it takes.
Staple Pigeon is one the biggest streetwear brands out now.
We have over 1200 points of distribution globally and offer an entire head-to-toe assortment for the fashion forward crowd.
I also founded one of the worlds first lifestyle boutiques,Reed Space, in 2001.
This carried over into creative direction for other retailers such as Extra Butter and now Hypebeasts retail arm HBX.
In addition, I started a podcast calledThe Business of Hypeon Hypebeast Radio.
What are your job responsibilities?
I lead a team of over fifty people covering all different aspects of the various businesses I mentioned.
Each business acts as a completely separate entity.
Sometimes theres overlap and commonalities, but 95% of time, its separate.
So my job is making sure each company is running at its smoothest, most efficient and most creative.
It is a constant challenge to maintain that perfect balance.
I havent sent an OOO auto-reply email in over 20 years.
Take us through a recent workday.
Mondays and Wednesdays are dedicated to the clothing collection (in Midtown Manhattan).
Tuesdays and Fridays are dedicated to the creative agency business (which is located in Soho NYC.)
Thursdays are for the podcast, retail and flex.
Its not so strict that I cant work on a t-shirt design on Tuesday.
Nothing is worse than losing valuable minutes commuting.
I live in Greenwich Village: 12 min to Midtown.
7 min to Soho.
That is not by coincidence.
That is by design.
Im usually in the office around 10 a.m. Theres no such thing as weekends, holidays or vacations.
I havent sent an OOO auto-reply email in over 20 years.
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
One of the most game changing, mission critical apps in my life is Reminders.
I use the time and GPS location function ALL THE TIME.
At least 20 times per day.
The Notes app is also pretty key.
I have three foldersone for each businessand keep notes organized accordingly.
My email inbox is a disaster and Slack has basically become a second version of my email inbox.
WhatsApp is where the real work gets done.
I love the ability to reply to specific questions (why cant iMessage do this?!?)
and WhatsApp handles groups smoothly.
File Transfers on WhatsApp also just feel zippier than anything else.
And finally, I still use a Moleskine.
lol…
Pens have to be from Muji.
Whats your workspace setup like?
I am constantly on the move.
Im actually only in NYC about 45-50% of the year.
But I do have two main offices in the city.
Every single thing that inspires me is on display and accessible.
I might not even be using it for anything, but I like to have it near me.
I feel like creativity is absorbed through osmosis.
Everything radiates energy and I want to absorb it all.
My office at the Staple Design studio in Soho is more laid back and like a lounge.
Both office desks offer the ability to convert to a standing desk.
So regardless of sitting or standing, Im always headed somewhere or coming from somewhere.
Chargers, cables and dongles are everywhere.
Whats your favorite shortcut or hack?
The Reminders feature that pings you when youve arrived somewhere is so clutch.
I have keyboard shortcuts for often-typed messages like my address + shoe size (seriouslysize 10).
And I sadly have a shortcut for Apologies for the delay in my replyits SRY.
The Reminders feature that pings you when youve arrived somewhere is so clutch.
Take us through an interesting, unusual, or finicky process you have in place at work.
My assistant Kim has full access to my email inboxes.
So she is the first line of defense in screening emails.
Since allowing her access to this, I have given up on the idea of Inbox Zero.
Although in the way back of my head, I secretly still yearn to achieve it.
So Kim screens emails first.
Relevant work ones are put in Slack in the appropriate channel.
Urgent ones get WhatsApped to me.
And then I either take care of it directly, or give her next steps on how to handle.
I still see all my emails, but I need that help to filter through everything.
I do try and get back to everyone.
But sometimes, emails get replies 6 or more months later.
Its sad I know.
BUT, there are so many other ways I communicate with people.
Some people I only have a Instagram DM relationship with.
Some its Twitter @s. Some its Line (Japan usually).
Or WeChat (China).
WhatsApp (everyone else and work mates).
And its interesting because each person has their own preference on which platform they like to communicate on.
My pet peeve though?
You might as well send me smoke signals!
I have over fifty people that help to make everything tick.
Without them all, this ship would not float.
On the Staple Design creative agency side: Matt is the COO and his addition has been immeasurable.
My problem before him was conversion.
Opportunities were abundant and thankfully they still are.
Matt can convert these opportunities and my visions and then translate them into realities (and dollars).
Kim is the only person that oversees pretty much everything.
Shes the only person who works across the various companies.
I see her as the last line of defense before getting to me.
Like I mentioned before, she has the keys to my entire inbox which is saying a lot.
Kim is the gatekeeper.
Apparel is a very complicated and fickle business.
One of the things Im most proud of with Staple?
In 22+ years, we have never skipped or missed a season.
This is unheard of.
If consistency is the key to success, these are the guys who make that a reality.
Also the team atBright Young Thingscollaborates with me on the content and flow.
Finally, none of this would be possible without my wife Liz and our crazy Schnauzer,Prius!
Whats the biggest mistake youve made at work, and how did you deal with it?
The biggest mistake Ive made is a doozy.
I once discussed the desire to fire someone over email…with THAT PERSON CCed!
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
Theres an organized method to the madness.
I should probably have a more streamlined way.
Or Call credit card to dispute a charge.
I also use Reminders for recurring things like Change camera battery and Ill set that to repeat monthly.
Or Weigh In which repeats every Friday.
I use Evernote for sensitive information.
I actually have one Evernote for Duane Reade and another one for Whole Foods.
And I have sections on the note for NY and LA.
Because sometimes Ill need toothpaste at one home but not the other.
I use Google Calendar for scheduled appointments.
Trust me, I did a TON of testing.
Its just not reliable.
Google wins hands down.
Slack and WeChat both have reminder features that I love.
They can re-ping you on an old message that was sent to you.
I wish WhatsApp and iMessage offered that feature as well.
So for that, I keep a note for each person in Apples Notes app.
Why do I use Evernote, Reminders, and Notes?
I have no idea.
I should probably consolidate at some point in my life.
How do you recharge or take a break?
Travel is my number one muse.
I get so inspired when I meet new people and see new sights in foreign lands.
Mind you, foreign lands can be as far as Kyoto or as close as Brooklyn.
Just getting out of my regular comfort zone is key.
I also find that working out gets my mind off work for a few minutes.
The amount of work I was doing took a toll on my fitness and health.
Were currently intermittent fasting along with a Keto Diet.
Were also working out 3 times a week using the5x5 Methodand alternating days with high intensity cardio.
Because IT IS HORRIBLE.
Whats your favorite side project?
My side projects quickly become main projects.
I once started a zine that turned into a real print publication, complete with advertisers.
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
My streetwear peer, Bobby Hundreds, has recently released a great book calledThis Is Not A T-Shirt.
Can you share a music playlist youve made?
Its 45 mins of soul, funk and classic hip-hop.Give it a listen on Soundcloud!
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Would love to hear fromVirgil Abloh.
He is also serving as the artistic director for Louis Vuitton.
He is truly representative of how high our culture can go.
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
I dont know what the secret to success is.
But I do know what the secret to failure istrying to hey everyone.
Whats a problem youre still trying to solve?
But the knowledge and wisdom theyve gained is priceless.
Conversely, a young creative has all the energy and drive in the world.
But they have a shortage in knowledge, wisdom and experience.
Im continuously trying to bridge this gap.
