The Uncommon Life

Uncommon Personalities: Meet David Bolotsky

April 11, 2014

UncommonGoods Founder & CEO David Bolotsky

David Bolotsky, UncommonGoods Founder & CEO

My Hometown is…
New York, New York

My childhood dream was…
To create a sanctuary for unwanted animals and to start a business to pay for it. I became a vegetarian when I was 11 and volunteered at a nature center caring for rats, raccoons, ferrets and birds. And I spent several years working at an animal shelter in high school and college.

As a kid I caught the entrepreneurial bug early, starting a baseball card business when I was 10. I also had a paper route and later began my own lawn mowing business, Dynamow.

Something I value most is…
Independence and looking out for the underdog. I encountered a lot of bullies as a kid. That led me to want to be self-reliant and to look out for others who don’t fit in with the status quo.

In college I…
Studied a little bit of everything. My major was political science, though I also took history, English and business classes. I also ran the campus record store, Slipped Disc, where I was paid in vinyl (the equivalent of $0.60/hour).

The most interesting place I’ve visited is…
India. While there are cosmopolitan cities and big businesses, there’s also so much that’s unique. Early in 2014 I travelled there with my wife and our young sons. We had the opportunity to visit a village near the foothills of the Himalayas where some of UncommonGoods’ wooden objects are made. It was moving to see first-hand how our purchases support a generations-old craft and help boost the entire economy of the village.

Dave Meeting Artisans in India

Dave meeting artisans in India

 

I founded UncommonGoods because…
I learned about the Internet in the mid-90s and thought it was the most exciting new development I’d ever seen. I was a research analyst covering the retail industry at the time and began writing about investment opportunities in Internet retailing. Pretty soon, I decided I’d rather be building a business than writing about one, and so I began looking for an idea.

I visited the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington DC in 1999. It was packed with shoppers and when I asked them why they were there, many talked about looking for products that spoke to their individuality, as opposed to mass-produced items they’d find in the mall. In talking to artists, I saw how the Internet could provide a more efficient venue to showcase their work 24/7, instead of just one weekend in April in a single location.

I got the idea for our name when…
My wife still jokes about the weeks of interrupted sleep we had while I was searching for the company name. I had a notebook by the side of the bed, and every time I had an idea at night, I’d turn on my flashlight and start jotting away. Or I’d run into the other room and fire up the computer and our 56k modem to see if someone had already taken the name.

The hardest part about starting the business was…
Nearly running out of money in 2001 when the so-called “Internet bubble” burst and funding dried up for start-ups. We had to shrink from 35 to 5 people and while most folks left voluntarily, I still had to let a few people go. It was very tough to fire someone for making the mistake of believing in your vision. I vowed to do everything in my power to avoid getting in that position again. Since then, we’ve taken on no debt and have grown at a sustainable pace.

Since founding the company I’ve learned…
How much I have to learn about just about everything. It has been humbling, exciting and gratifying. Much harder than I imagined, but also more rewarding. Perhaps the biggest insight is the positive impact we can have on people’s lives – our team members, our customers and our suppliers – when we do things well.

My favorite thing about running UncommonGoods is…
That we are constantly working to improve our impact on the lives of our workers, suppliers and customers, as well as minimizing our environmental footprint.

26 Comments

  • Reply Your Graduation Gift Questions Answered | UncommonGoods April 18, 2014 at 9:00 am

    […] overseeing a global internet retail research study (that’s when I met UncommonGoods founder Dave Bolotsky), to working in Customer Service (and reporting on company operations) for a holiday season at […]

  • Reply phyllis stuart July 6, 2014 at 2:44 pm

    David,
    Reading your story is not only inspiring, it’s motivating. I applaud you for spending your life to embrace the world into a sustainable business for artists and those who love artists.Although 96% of Americans value ART in their communities and lives, only 27% value ARTISTS. So the need is clear — in order to close the gap between the love of art and the ambivalence toward those who create it, artists need champions. Artists need advocates. Artists need you…so do elephants….If ever there was an underdog it is the ELEPHANT. Please check out ELEPHANT DAZE…let’s save them from extinction!

    • Reply Catherine December 19, 2016 at 3:52 pm

      Dear Ms Stuart,
      I love the items curated by Uncommon Goods; it is always a go-to for special gifts. This Season, I called your Customer Service Department with a question, and, while holding for an available Agent, heard a message from Mr. Botolsky during my wait. Hearing the voice of a caring, down-to-earth CEO, set a very high bar for the personable and earnest Rep I spoke with. Having spoken with UG employees, and read more about Mr. Bolotsky (personally, I too, lost amazing colleagues during the economic downturn), I was also so impressed that he his a business leader who shows his customers how to make business goals actionable, and even travels abroad with his family to teach his children the wonderment of different countries and respect for their cultures. The strength of a company is always based upon the abilities, compassion and devotion of its leader. I look forward to learning more about UG and it’s terrific personnel.

      • Reply Emily G. December 20, 2016 at 8:29 am

        Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, Catherine! We’re definitely lucky to have a leader like Dave here at UGoods. 🙂

  • Reply Handmade in India: Wooden Designs from Najibabad | UncommonGoods August 8, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    […] by the designs produced by this region, our founder and CEO, Dave Bolotsky, took a trip to India to see how the artists work within their community. “Most moving for me was […]

  • Reply Just Like the Sign Says: Business for a Fair Minimum Wage | UncommonGoods September 12, 2014 at 11:23 am

    […] Founder and CEO Dave Bolotsky supports raising the federal minimum wage. So do many business owners across the country. Check out […]

  • Reply Better to Give: Thanks A Million! | UncommonGoods December 6, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    […] operating out of one warehouse in Brooklyn. One of the fundamental reasons that our founder Dave Bolotsky started this company was to prove that capitalism could be a force for positive change in the […]

  • Reply 3 Takeaways from 3 Days with B Corp Champions December 18, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    […] inspiring example is Juan Pablo Larenas, who our founder Dave and myself had the pleasure of sharing a cab with. He spoke about the annual International Festival […]

  • Reply How is UncommonGoods Improving Sustainability? December 19, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    […] including our seasonal team, above the minimum hourly wage. Back in September, our Founder and CEO Dave Bolotsky participated in the #RaisetheWage campaign with Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. To show your […]

  • Reply 2014: a Last Look at a First-class Year | UncommonGoods January 2, 2015 at 5:53 pm

    […] they know they’re valuable, and that’s the most important thing that UncommonGoods does. Tom or Dave [company founders] will walk into the warehouse and say that the people closest to the customer are […]

  • Reply Making a Difference through Handmade Designs | UncommonGoods July 13, 2015 at 10:05 am

    […] Boomie, a long time vendor and producer of traditionally made wooden goods. Our founder and CEO, Dave Bolotsky, took a tour of their artisan community in India, prompting a personal relationship with both the […]

  • Reply La'Shay September 16, 2015 at 10:46 am

    Reading about why you started the company and your calling and they way you desire to serve your employees as well as fair across the world is inspiring. I wish you all the best!

  • Reply Tasha September 16, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    Hello Mr. Bolotsky,
    I am doing a paper for school where I have to write about a company and the companies owner. I have chosen Uncommon Goods as my company to write about which means I am also writing about you. I have one question for you. Have you started your animal sanctuary now that you have a successful business to help with all the expenses that come with an animal sanctuary?

  • Reply Dave Bolotsky September 16, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    Tasha,

    Thanks so much for writing about UncommonGoods. My dream changed a bit and instead of starting an animal sanctuary, I helped start an education non-profit that provides educational, financial and social support to less-advantaged NYC high school students. It’s called Comprehensive Development Inc. and it works with 3 high schools in Manhattan and has helped thousands of students graduate and go on to college and productive careers, many of whom were previous drop-outs or first-generation immigrants. One of the students I tutored years ago even consults with our company. You can learn more about CDI here: http://www.cdi-ny.org/

    As far as animals are concerned, we don’t sell any products that involve killing animals (no leather, suede, badger hair, down feathers, etc.). And I’ve contributed to many worthwhile animal-friendly organizations, include the zoo that my best friend from high school runs – https://brevardzoo.org/. We worked together at the local nature center – I took care of the rats and he fed them to the snakes he cared for. And we’re still friends 40 years later.

  • Reply Veronika November 19, 2015 at 2:32 am

    My name is Veronika. I represent a company who produce jars, breadboxes, boxes, plates mirrors, barrettes, bracelets, baskets and other products from natural birch bark from Russia(Siberia).Birch bark products are amazing things created by skillful Siberian craftsmen from natural materials – bark (the top layer of birch bark). Each piece is individual and unique, as is done manually. We would like to offer for sale in your shop our products. I have etsy shop, where you can see some of our products. The link is http://www.birchbarkeco.etsy.com We can give you discount 30% from price in our etsy shop if you order products for min 400 USD. Also Free Shipping by AirMail from Russia.

    Have a nice day and hope for cooperation.

    Best wishes Veronika.

  • Reply Vikki November 21, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Hello David, I recently received the “Uncommon Goods” in the mail. I love your “goods”. I noticed your last name, and my father’s family has the same last name. Are you related to the Lakewood NJ Bolotsky family? It’s not the most common name, so I was hoping that I have stumbled upon more of us.

    Thanks.

    Vikki

  • Reply Dave Bolotsky November 25, 2015 at 6:21 pm

    Vikki,

    I am related to the Lakewood family and I’ll shoot you a note to see how we’re connected.

    Dave

  • Reply Cassie November 25, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    Hi Veronika,

    Thanks for your interest in working with us. I passed your product submission along to our merchandising team, and they will be in touch if they think your designs are a good fit for UncommonGoods.

    Best,
    Cassie

  • Reply Jude January 24, 2016 at 4:39 pm

    Hello Mr. Bolotsky,
    I received your catalog recently and I’m so impressed about all the beautiful things here. I wished I had known about your company sooner, anyway I’ll be shopping here from now on. Your story about looking out for the underdog and being bullied it brought tears in my eyes as a mother of one that’s gone through same ordeal. I pray for you and your company to
    grow because the world needs a champion like you.

  • Reply Uncommon Impact: UncommonGoods’ Animal-Friendly Choice – The Goods | The Official Blog of UncommonGoods March 9, 2016 at 10:14 pm

    […] when I joined the UncommonGoods team in 2014, a principle that is also important to our founder, Dave Bolotsky. As a vegetarian since 1974, Dave felt it was important to establish a cruelty-free character for […]

  • Reply Why it's Better to Give with The International Rescue Committee - The Goods | The Official Blog of UncommonGoodsThe Goods | The Official Blog of UncommonGoods June 20, 2016 at 6:12 am

    […] mentioned is a driving force in our business.  As part of this commitment, our Founder and CEO Dave Bolotsky asked members of our Sustainability Steering Committee to research aid organizations responding to […]

  • Reply Allyson Mayo November 11, 2017 at 11:22 am

    YOU are inspiring. I am overwhelmed with the your ability to articulate inclusivity and integrity into a business idea propelled by curiosity and compassion. Nice work. Cheers to this business model and excellent dedication to being a continued learner. Allyson Mayo

  • Reply Richard wilkie December 26, 2017 at 4:08 pm

    I bought my wife a candle from you for xmas and when she opened the box it was children’s books. I don’t find contact information for UncommonGoods. How can I contact your company to correct the error

    • Reply Cassie December 28, 2017 at 4:08 pm

      Hi Richard, thanks for your comment. We’re so sorry about the mistake! It looks like a member of our customer service team has already taken care of it. The replacement is on the way and is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. If you have additional questions or comments, you can reach our customer service team at help@uncommongoods.com or at 1.888.365.0056.

  • Reply Kevin Cameron December 26, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    David,

    Both my husband and I have bought a few things from your company. I went on line last week and found what I thought was a perfect gift for ken, The Sand Art, ordered it on Dec 20, paid for 2 day Air via UPS. Yes, late in trying to get a perfect gift, but, your company promised it would be here before Christmas. Well, the plane was delayed, so Friday was not an option for delivery here in Dallas. Well, it was put on a truck at 3:37AM on the 23rd. I called UPS twice on the 23rd, and both times they stated, I will get the package. Well, guess what… Just received it today, Dec 26 at 5:45PM. No comfort from your team during this ordeal (maybe a simple thing, but this was a very special gift). I have not had an email or call from your team. Very disappointed in your org at the moment. Thankfully it arrived, and we are trying to get it set up. Ken is very happy with it, but I am not happy with your customer service. Will be thinking twice about ordering again from your team. I have requested a refund of normal shipping against the 2 day Air. Least you all could do. Thankfully we had many other presents to open, but your company has always provided unique ideas. But others do as well…

    • Reply Cassie December 28, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      Hi Kevin, Thank you for reaching out to let us know about the issues you had with your order. We’re sorry that you had a less-than-perfect experience and we’ve refunded your shipping. The refund was processed on Sunday, but it does usually take 3-5 business days to post to your account. If the refund hasn’t appeared already, it should post shortly. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

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