Episode 91: Become an Expert in Outdoor Living by Owning the Backyard with Christopher Anderson of Ledge Lounger
Today Brad speaks with Christopher Anderson, Founder and CEO at Ledge Lounger. The Houston-based company offers a line of in-water furniture built to withstand harsh pool chemicals, outdoor elements, and up to 16,000 hours of direct, overhead sunlight.
Ledge Lounger has enjoyed four consecutive years on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America and three years on Houston Business Journal's 100 Fastest Growing Companies in Greater Houston.
Christopher describes how Ledge Lounger found success in the pool industry, having started out as being named for the original “Ledge Lounger” product to growing its brand to the point that, much like the word “Xerox” has become a sweeping term for photocopiers, “Ledge Lounger” has become its own category of furniture.
He also discusses how Ledge Lounger was able to stay nimble in the past year and a half, having been focused on practicality over aesthetics, growing their internal resources, and solidifying their B2B cycle especially as COVID changed the nature of demand in the pool industry.
About Chris Anderson:
Christopher Anderson's diverse experience in the pool & spa industry drives his passion for outdoor design. He has served in roles including President at Anderson & Associates Exterior Design Firm, President of the Houston chapter of APSP, and has been published in Luxury Pools, Aqua Magazine, and Pool & Spa News. A graduate of Louisiana State University, Christopher founded Ledge Lounger in 2011, where he built the business from the ground up. Ledge Lounger Inc., which Christopher currently runs as CEO and Founder, has experienced growth of 3X year to year, grown from 2 to 124 employees, and continues to innovate products that help pool builders and designers enhance their projects.
Sponsors:
Topics Discussed:
[03:17] An introduction to Ledge Lounger and its growth beyond a product into a brand
[10:15] How Ledge Lounger nurtures its customer-centered company culture
[13:11] How Christopher got into the outdoor furniture space
[22:57] Staying versatile and on-trend as a business while having a specialty or niche
[28:19] How Ledge Lounger found the perfect balance of style and durability
[29:47] Choosing between speed, quality, and price
[34:10] Where Christopher developed his appreciation for product quality
[40:15] How COVID has changed Christopher’s business
[48:14] Keeping the supply chain intact as the business scales
[55:07] Staying innovative by focusing on the B2B cycle
[58:06] Christopher’s favorite Ledge Lounger product
Key Quotes by Christopher:
You’ve got to stick with your core [as a business]. You’ve got to stick with what got you here. In my case, it was the pool—it got us into the backyard. But what else could I do in this space?
As designers, we know that there’s practicality and function, and then there’s aesthetics. The further you go with aesthetics, the less practicality and function there is. You can’t have the extremes of both.
We’re trying to touch on the emotions and engage the purchase through that, as opposed to a consumer that is just shopping through best price. Speed, quality, price: Pick two. You cannot pick three.
Work on your business and not in your business. You work in your business all the time. Step away from it and work on it. Get out of it and think about it.
