We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathan Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Go Forth Goods is my third company, and I was looking for an exit strategy out of the Marketing Firm I was running. I stumbled into leather goods when I had a bag break on me while packing up for a family vacation. When looking for a replacement bag, I could not find an American made bag, with quality materials and simple design. So that’s when I got the idea to make my own.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started Go Forth Goods in 2014 in my basement. I would spend my day working my marketing firm and then would spend time with my family in the evening. Then after my kids went to bed I’d go down stairs and work on making leather goods 6-7 nights a week. With my marketing background the company took off pretty quick and with in 14 months I was able to transition from my marketing company to running Go Forth Goods full time. After 2 years we moved out of the basement and into a retail store location with a store up front and the work shop in the back. We continued adding products and have continued to grow by 40% every year. Last fall we moved in a much larger space where we have more room to grow. What makes us different is that we are a leather goods brand making our goods by hand in the USA and charging the same or less as many companies manufacturing over seas. So you get a superior product, made with love and attention to details, for a very fair price. Our Goal is to be a house hold name in leather goods in the USA. Bringing back American Made manufacturing and values that go beyond just making more money. There have been many challenges in running the business, too many to count or mention, ha ha, but I enjoy the process of growth involved in learning to solve each new challenge as it arises. With each new challenge I have learned something new that helps me solve the next situation that much faster or keep new ones from happening in the future.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Taqueria Tsunami on the Marietta square. Amazing latin-Asian fusion. The Marietta Market. Great unique restaurants and atmosphere. The Battery. So many great restaurants and bars. The Burn lounge is a great cigar bar and the new ASW location. The riding bikes on the Silver Comet. Ponce City Marketing for food and shopping. Hiking on the many trails around the Chattahoochee and Kennesaw National Park. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The community of Marietta City, and our local friends and family where a huge part of the success.

Website: www.goforthgoods.com

Instagram: @goforthgoods

Twitter: @goforthgoods

Facebook: @goforthgoods

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC85Oe8H1X2cZ8Rx_D3pKWIw

Image Credits
Nathan Martin

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