Who is Byron Young?

Meet Byron Young, Owner of Corda Roys!

About Corda Roys

Featured on Shark Tank, Corda Roys is a leading manufacturer of high-end bean bag chairs. The product line is noted for featuring stylish designs that are incredibly comfortable. While the bean-bag concept lays at the heart of Corda Roys’ offerings, you’ll find a wide array of options available on their website, from dog beds, to “crash pads,” and more. 

Byron’s Journey

Byron's path to entrepreneurship was far from conventional. After high school, he briefly worked before following his girlfriend to the University of Florida, where he enrolled in a challenging building construction program. However, his academic pursuits were soon overshadowed by his involvement in the emerging rave scene.

"I realized I wasn't very good at school, and I was really good at going to raves back then," Byron recalls. "And that was when the word rave first came out, and I was really, really good at that." His party lifestyle eventually led to academic troubles forcing him to reassess his future.

Faced with the need to make money, Byron found himself at a crossroads. Perusing newspaper want ads, he had an epiphany about his true calling. "I thought to myself, ‘I can't work for anybody else. I just won't do it. And what am I good at? And it turns out I am good at making things," he explains. 

This realization set him on a path of creativity and entrepreneurship, leading to his current venture of making guitars. Byron humorously adds, "If I was on a Disney movie, I would be either Tinker Bell or one of the other tinkerers. I make things. That's what I do. I'm like MacGyver. I can make anything."

Unconventional Roots

Byron landed on bean bags, inspired by a unique foam-filled "marshmallow chair" he had owned in college. Recognizing its novelty, Byron decided to manufacture them himself. He moved back to Gainesville and transformed his garage into a makeshift bean bag factory.

Without the aid of internet search engines, Byron's resourcefulness shone through. "My Google was the magazine section at Books-A-Million," he explains. "I found a company out of Canada that worked with Lazy Boy... they were willing to hear my sob story and sell me some fabric."

Byron's determination led him to learn sewing from an 80-year-old woman at a local quilting shop. "She told me what machines to buy, and I started making these little bags," he says. This hands-on approach became the foundation of his business.

A chance encounter at a festival called Harvest Fest led to his first retail partnership with a local head shop. "I'd come back and he'd hand me a wad of money... and he's like, 'I need more bean bags,'" Byron reminisces. "From that day on, for a long time, all I knew was that I needed more bean bags. That was my biggest problem for a long time."

As the business grew, Byron and his team ventured into mall kiosks, breaking rules unknowingly. "We thought we could do that and it turns out when we did it, it looked like plywood and conduit and it was horrible," he admits, chuckling at their early missteps.

Despite the challenges, Byron's innovative approach to customization set his product apart. "You had to pre-pay for the bean bag... but you got to pick your colors and I would put them together however you wanted," he explains.

This unique selling point attracted an investor, leading to rapid expansion. However, Byron soon learned that growth came with its own challenges. In 2009, he made a pivotal decision to close all physical locations and focus on E-Commerce. "That was the best thing I ever did," Byron reflects, marking a turning point in his entrepreneurial journey.

Business Growth and Revenue Strategies

Byron's company, like many E-Commerce businesses, has faced challenges in the post-pandemic market. After a period of strong performance during COVID-19, the company is now grappling with increased customer acquisition costs, particularly in social media advertising.

"We're kind of a one-trick pony," Byron admits. "We've been doing a lot of social media advertising, which was fantastic. It worked really well. But now the cost has gone through the roof with that." This shift has prompted the company to explore new marketing strategies and invest in rebranding efforts. 

Despite current sales not meeting targets, Byron remains optimistic. "We probably have more fantastic things going on as a company than we've ever had in 26 years," he says. He emphasizes the company's strong financial position, noting, "We have no debt. We don't operate with any debt. All of our inventory is paid for." 

Innovation and Adaptability

Innovation is a driving force in Byron's business approach, fueled by his naturally active mind and supported by a capable team.

"It's just my nature for sure," Byron says of his innovative tendencies. "My brain's constantly going, but it doesn't mean I actually follow through with stuff every time."

He credits his team for helping turn his ideas into reality. Byron explains, "I have an operations guy now named Robbie... he's great at when I'm saying or coming up with anything, he will jot it down. And next thing you know, you know, Daryl has it, who is our products guy, and he's already sent it off to the people who make the products."

This collaborative process has streamlined the journey from concept to creation. "I show up for work one day, and there's that thing that I talked about that's, you know, in front of me now," Byron marvels.

While their main product remains bean bags that convert into beds, Byron hints at future developments: "We've got all kinds of things in the pipeline now... We do have a lot of really, really cool designs and things that we're coming out with." He suggests that these innovations will likely continue to revolve around their core competencies of "fabric and foam."