At A Glance

Curtis Matsko, the founder of Portland Leather, believes any idea can be turned into a successful business! Curtis's narrative, which started with a chance conversation with his fiancée about e-commerce, serves as a lesson in seizing the moment and building relationships. He went on to create a brand worth $140 million. Discover how his unshakable perseverance and innovative ideas transformed a simple idea into a thriving community of leather enthusiasts.

Who is Curtis Matsko?

Meet Curtis Matsko, the Founder of Portland Leather!

About Portland Leather

Portland Leather specializes in high-end affordable leather handbags, available in simple designs. By focusing on sustainable sourcing and distribution processes, and by never compromising on product standards, Portland Leather has developed what they call a “cult-like,” following. 

Curtis’s Journey

Curtis’s journey began when he was dating a young woman who ran the world's first online daily newspaper at the University of Missouri, Columbia, the number one journalism school in the world.

“She would do that and I'd go up and I'm like, this internet thing, you should sell things on this," Curtis recalls.

Curtis wrote a book on the subject in 1995. He then started a company that ran different websites, which he eventually sold to a publicly traded company in 2000.

After the dot-com crash in 2001, Curtis took a step back and focused on personal growth, spending time in a Zen monastery and practicing yoga.

He founded Portland Leather in 2016. The way he tells it, inspiration came at least in part from his girlfriend. He’d watched her slog through a job she didn’t like and felt inspired to build something better that they could both be a part of. 

“I said quit your job. She said, what would I do if I quit my job? And I said, I've never told you I'm an e-commerce genius,” he says. 

His declaration, though tongue in cheek, proved accurate. “We took my idea and built it to 140 million a year,” he says. 

Curtis attributes this success to his formula for doubling every single year, but acknowledges that it's not always easy. "You had to become a new company every single year. And that's the one thing I'm good at. It's just a ridiculous change at all times," he states.

Business Growth and Revenue Strategies

Curtis, like many business leaders, believes in the power of connection. He argues that attention is fleeting, whereas connection is what people truly seek. "They want something to believe in. They want a community. They want to feel like they're part of something better than themselves," Curtis explains.

This philosophy is reflected in the way Curtis approaches his business. Rather than making the company the focus, he puts the spotlight on his customers, whom he describes as "phenomenal" and "more interesting than we are."

By listening to his customers and striving to provide what they want, Curtis has built a loyal community around his brand. "They keep telling us what they want. We keep trying to provide it,” he concludes.

Finding the right people for Portland Leather

Curtis places a high priority on surrounding himself with the right people–an expectation he establishes the moment he meets a new hire. 

Curtis begins every interview by stating that the odds are against the candidate. "You’ve got to be special. Because I am surrounded by special people. And one jerk can ruin the whole thing," Curtis explains.

That said, Curtis enjoys creating opportunities for people to grow. He has several employees who began at minimum wage and now play important leadership roles within the company. 

“The option to grow is here, but stop worrying about money and start worrying about, are you good enough to do this? Do you wanna be part of this team? Do you wanna do something that's gonna change your life?" he states.

Curtis also stresses the importance of trusting one's instincts when hiring and letting go of employees who don't fit in. 

"It is my duty to say, we think you're a fantastic person. There are a million opportunities out in the world. This isn't it. I'm going to allow you to stop pretending that this is your future and go out there and find your real future," he concludes.

Innovation and Adaptability

Curtis doesn’t only interview potential employees. He also carefully scrutinizes all of the potential service providers he interacts with. 

"The biggest thing I have is the empathy ability to talk to them and find out really what's going on in their business,” Curtis explains. "I try to think, how can they make us happy? Because they just say, yes, we want this big client, right? I have to talk to them as people to understand, well, we're losing some people, we're better at this and this."

By taking the time to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and goals of potential partners, Curtis is able to make informed decisions that benefit both parties. "Find out what they really want. Find out who they really are," he concludes.

Curtis tries to apply this same level of control at every stage of the supply chain. 

"We used to buy our leather from a little store in Portland when I was making little leather journals, right? And now we are very big. And so we have to do a lot of things. We find the best hides in the world, which are US hides, buy the trucks, and bring them to the tanneries ourselves," he explains.

By taking control of the supply chain, Curtis ensures the quality of the materials used in his products. His company also handles its own logistics, manufacturing, design, and customer service, as well as a robust e-commerce team that utilizes advanced marketing and retention strategies.

By exercising control at every stage of the process, Curtis ensures that he can continue bringing his vision to life. 

‍