Anatomy of a Startup

Here is Hambleton’s story followed by advice from three catalog industry veterans.

“A Shop Became Open”

In 1980, a store near Hambleton’s home became available, and he and a partner started selling T-shirts, flip-flops and sunglasses. In 1985, Hambleton bought out his partner and began growing a retail chain. At one point, he had five beach shops in Florida, three of which were self-funded.