Cool Face Life sells flag-themed multi-use bandanas and accessories.
Customers can proudly wear their heritage with printed bandanas and sleeves featuring Caribbean, Latin American, and African flag designs.
R. Nick Walker is the man behind the brand: a young entrepreneur and self-proclaimed “nerd” from the island of Jamaica with a passion for marketing.
“I love and live for the puzzle of marketing, the lure of constantly trying to figure it out,” he says.
A programmer and digital marketer by day, Nick has run eCommerce stores for clients in a wide variety of industries over the last 15 years. From clothing to supplements, from cars to real estate, he lent his expertise to others’ ideas before deciding to focus on his own in 2018.
“I wanted something else that would compliment my consulting business, and that’s when I created Cool Face Life,” he explains.
“I have always loved ‘pride products’ as I like to call them – products that customers can wear and proudly represent where they came from.”
“Being from the Caribbean, I have always loved ‘pride products’ as I like to call them – products that customers can wear to proudly represent where they came from.”
Choosing his business niche, he set about building his online store with one goal: data. “I figured that, over the first six months, I would gather as much data as possible. From there, I would analyze and optimize this data to determine where, when, and how to strike”.
About five months in, Nick found his sweet spot, and the brand picked up momentum. “Customers would purchase their flag-themed products, take pics, and share with family and friends. This helped the brand become viral – not to mention our designs were unique and really catchy,” he grins.
Nick puts his heart into every bandana and printed arm sleeve he adds to the store. “When you don’t like my product or have something negative to say, it becomes my challenge to make you like my product.”
“I tried to use Magento, [it was] too heavy,” he confesses. “Being on WordPress, WooCommerce just felt like the best option. I’ve used WooCommerce for all my clients’ websites. I’m a programmer – naturally, I would lean toward a system that offers more room to customize, unlike Shopify and other platforms.”
“…it was an easy switch when WooCommerce Payments came about. I am a fan.”
Cool Face Life was an early adopter of WooCommerce Payments. Nick was drawn to the prospect of managing his store and payments all in one place. “Too much third-party integration can risk incompatibility, so it was an easy switch when WooCommerce Payments came about.”
“I like the seamless integration, the flow, the dashboard, the ease of downloading info, and fixing disputes. I am a fan.”
“My business has grown exponentially with WooCommerce.”
He feels that choosing WooCommerce early on was the right move. “My business has grown exponentially with WooCommerce. To this day, it amazes me how easily this software maintains million-dollar businesses.”
“The most rewarding [part] is the positive feedback of customers. Seeing a customer’s love connection to your product, loving the pictures, using your product the right way, understanding and connecting with the product that I made.”
Nick’s advice to fellow business owners and merchants is simple: “It’s all in the data. Have some fun too while you’re at it. Step outside yourself sometimes, and appreciate others’ views.
“Get comfortable in uncomfortable situations – that’s where you find gems.”
