Interview with Calvin Chan from The USB Lighter Company!

Who is Calvin?

Meet Calvin Chan, Founder of The USB Lighter Company!

‍About The USB Lighter Company

Founded in 2014, The USB Lighter Company focuses on beautifully designed products that contribute as little as possible to landfills, oceans, and pollution in general. The company’s electronic lighters have appeared on Oprah’s Favorite Things list, CNN, Good Morning America, The View, and the MoMA Design Store.

Calvin’s Journey

After graduating from The Art Center College of Design with a BFA in Film Production in Cinematography and Film/Video Production, Calvin spent three years working on a clothing label with two friends. His next venture was a Ramen shop in Hollywood. Experiencing success, his restaurant was in negotiations to take their recipe to New York and potentially Las Vegas. This all changed when his business partner had an unexpected accident leaving Calvin to reevaluate the trajectory of his career. “I didn’t know what I was going to do,” he says of that time. “But what I did know is that I wanted to be surrounded by creativity.”

Calvin decided to rent a warehouse space in Mid City Los Angeles where he could play poker and his artist friends could hold exhibitions, performances, and events. Before one event, he stopped by to say hi to his neighbor, Funky, who owned the tobacco shop next door. "Hey Cal, have you seen these new electric lighters?" "You mean like rechargeable ones?" Calvin asked. "Yeah, you can charge them from your computer or your phone. Come check it out," Funky replied. When Funky pressed the ignition button on the lighter and Calvin saw the purple electric arc, he was amazed. "Wow! Why didn’t I know about this?"

Founding an Electronic Lighter Company

Calvin went online to learn everything he could about USB rechargeable lighters. He thought he could use the product as an accessory for the small lifestyle brand he was designing, which would include a basic apparel line and a unisex fragrance. Calvin reached out to about 30 trading companies and eventually chose one for production.

“This was in March, and by early August, I had line sheets and samples of handheld pocket lighters,” he explained. Calvin tapped a friend who owns the luxury clothing store Union to sell the lighters on consignment. The reception was positive, and the lighters sold out quickly.

“Again, it felt like the universe calling…I had no idea that it would be electric lighters,” Calvin says. “I spent the next three years figuring out how to have enough product to sell.”

Business Growth and Revenue Strategies

Transitioning from Brick-and-Mortar to E-Commerce

The USB Lighter Company started out with a heavy retail footprint – Calvin waited to go into E-Commerce once he could afford the inventory to supply online demand. “I’m in a very exciting part of my business journey,” he says. “I’ve learned what it takes to sustain a business through a global pandemic, which created logistical and inventory nightmares for anyone in E-Commerce.” The socio-economic climate post-COVID has also changed the customer’s expectations regarding price and delivery leaving small E-Commerce companies to compete with retail giants. Calvin says, “You’re trying to innovate and capitalize on your innovation in a way which won’t be devoured by digital retailers that aren’t working off of the same margins as you.”

Establishing a Purposeful Lifestyle Brand

Calvin positioned The USB Lighter Company as a purposeful lifestyle brand focused on the gift accessory market. He explains, “People love candles, it’s a lifestyle. If I can get everyone who loves candles to use this lighter, that would be cool, there is a benefit to the technology regarding safety and sustainability. Ultimately, my goal is to change the way people think about fire, how they use it, and how it affects us and the planet."

The CX Philosophy at The USB Lighter Company

Calvin believes that customer complaints put a company in a place to connect, learn, and evolve. He explains, “It provides an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with our customers. Our customer service team then has an opportunity to correct an issue, turning anger into happiness, frustration into compassion.”

Empathy’s Role in Proactive CX

Taking a proactive approach to CX, Calvin encourages his team to not shy away from difficult interactions, maintaining they are “core value moments where we can grow.” Empathy, making sure the customer feels heard, and that they can trust you are critical in these situations. “We're going to do everything we can to make it right, and if we can’t make it right, we’re going to apologize again, be accountable and transparent, and hope they understand it wasn’t intentional,” he adds.

Many customer complaints are related to people not reading instructions and having issues turning on their lighter. All the lighters, except for the handheld/pocket model, have on/off power buttons for child safety, Calvin notes. In addition to addressing this ‘how to’ question and among others in FAQs, they are working on uploading demonstration videos to the website.

Innovation and Adaptability

Navigating the Ever-Changing E-Commerce Landscape

After 10 years in E-Commerce, Calvin admits it’s challenging to be 100% about your business when the landscape is constantly shifting. “How do you process that without having it destroy you? Your ambition, drive, and self-confidence.” He goes on to say that with time and experience, you start to choose your next plateau rather than the other way around. Moving forward, Calvin is focusing on his core customer base and market platform in the US over international expansion.

Further motivation comes from the fact that Calvin still hears stories weekly from people who have never seen or used his product. “When I give a lighter to them and see their reaction, I think, ‘Okay, there’s room and opportunity here.’” These encounters stimulate him to evaluate and strategize ways to increase the visibility and reach of his company.

Maintaining Perspective: Staying Grounded and Connected

Asked about what tool he can’t live without, Calvin shifts attention from technology to tools he’s employed in life to stay grounded and connected. He values “a physical practice that gets you outside, developing a mindset that focuses on yourself.” Otherwise, you get buried, which leads to bad decisions regarding business, health, and wellness. For him, the view that “you’ve got to feel good to do good” means sunshine, fresh air, and getting the blood flowing. He stays connected with his core group of friends, who also have families and busy work schedules, by playing fantasy football. “A strong foundation helps me realize that I’ve got a good life, friends, a community, and a business. If times ever get tough, I’ll have that to fall back on.”