Turning your hobby into your profession. A dream for many, but it became reality for Jelle Lemmens of Crownboards. He started skating at 11 and quickly developed a passion for it. Together with his friends, they regularly attempted new stunts, filming and posting them online. Unfortunately, in 2010, things took a turn for the worse when he overlooked a kerb and broke his leg.
In need of a logo
“Skating was out of the question for a while, so I immersed myself in another passion: woodworking. I inherited this interest from my grandfather, who was a carpenter. With plenty of time on my hands and feeling bored, I retreated to the basement and crafted my first longboard, all by myself.”
“When my leg fully healed, I was able to return to skating, this time with my new board. My friends were immediately impressed and asked if I could make one for them too. Initially, it was just a hobby, and I occasionally made a board for myself or friends. But soon, friends of friends began approaching me for personalized longboards as well. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I was quickly inspired to turn this into something more. To create a brand, I needed a logo. I have Crohn’s disease, which is pronounced 'kroon' in Dutch, so I chose a crown as my logo. The name Crownboards followed shortly after.”“
Now, 10 years later, it still feels surreal that I’ve gone from working in a basement to having my own studio to make my boards. And to think that I’ve never had to work for a boss in my entire life is truly amazing.”
The power of social media
"Longboarding is really a niche sport. It’s not very well known yet, so I had to find a way to get my product in front of the right people. Since my boards are visually appealing and I enjoy taking photos, I knew I had to jump on the social media bandwagon. It used to be enough to share beautiful pictures on Instagram, but now you really have to think about creating engaging reels if you want any visibility at all. Moreover, it’s hard to predict what will resonate. Sometimes you think you’ve made a cool post and it only gets a few likes. Other times, you share something simple and it completely blows up, getting over 1,000 likes. That’s the power of social media."
Tackling international shipments with DHL Express
“As Crownboards became more well-known, I needed a reliable partner for international shipments. One day, I received a call from Joeri at DHL Express. He explained that they offer a special service for small webshops, guaranteeing the fastest delivery at a good price. Naturally, I wanted to test it out myself.”
“I have to admit, it’s really easy. I make a request on the website, prepare my parcel, and within 2 hours a courier is already at my door to pick it up. Everything moves super fast, and my customers appreciate that too. It’s true that DHL Express is a bit more expensive than some competitors, but the service is definitely worth it in my opinion. You have to ask yourself if saving 5 euros is worth it when a parcel takes almost 2 weeks in transit, compared to just 2 days with DHL Express. Also, with DHL, I’ve never had a parcel arrive damaged or lost, unlike with some other carriers.”
A funny anecdote
“I was already on my way to France by car, and in Belgium, I had scheduled a late pick-up for a board that needed to go to Mallorca. Eventually, I got a message saying that the board had already been delivered while I was still on my way to France. Really crazy!”
“I realize that I am just a small fish to DHL Express, but I never feel treated that way. I have my own contact person, and the service feels very personal. I haven’t thought for a second about switching. Even the couriers are always very friendly. Personally, I think a personal touch is really important. I use your boxes for this too. The yellow box is already much nicer to receive than a grey or brown one, and when I tag them with my own logo, they really stand out.”
Dream for the future
“There are a thousand more ideas running through my head, but unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day. My dream for the future is not to become the biggest. I believe the strength of my company lies in its exclusivity. For example, only 10 of each board are available worldwide. People love that quality and uniqueness. But as long as I enjoy it, I will hold on to that strategy.”
If, like Jelle, you want fast delivery at a good price, be sure to check out our website.
