From Side Hustle to Working with the World’s Biggest Sports Teams - Daneel Steinmann

Johnnie Walker Africa Presents The Inside Show Daneel Steinmann, co-founder and CEO of Old School, joins George Avakian to trace the brand's path from a side-hustle jersey giveaway to a global leisurewear and sports supporter business. He discusses the early legal challenges with SA Rugby, how the company learned to work with major rights holders like Liverpool and the NBA, and the mindset shift that took the business from a side project to an all-in commitment. The conversation also covers Old School's growth in team size and store count, its approach to company culture, and Steinmann's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer 00:01:18 Intro 00:01:26 Catching up and recent travels 00:03:15 How Daneel describes his work 00:05:09 Origin story: the first Springbok jersey 00:09:30 Learning how sports licensing works 00:12:30 The 2023 decision to go all in 00:15:01 SA Rugby dispute and rebuilding trust 00:22:34 Building relationships with global sports brands 00:26:30 Liverpool and Real Madrid: handling rejection 00:29:36 Old School today: team size and stores 00:31:52 International expansion plans 00:38:02 Vision to become a global sports fashion brand 00:44:07 Building a culture without policies 00:48:41 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and pricing 00:53:10 Outro Follow Carl: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlwazen/?... LinkedIn:   / carlwazen   X: https://x.com/carlwazen?lang=en Follow George: Instagram:   / georgeavakian   The Inside Show's Instagram:   / theinside_show   LinkedIn:   / george-avakian-53b904bb   Hosted by George Avakian