4 the Love
Owner: Dave Wanpue
Business champion: Ann Ruschy
Type of business: Luxury streetwear, branded apparel, accessories, entertainment/media
Website: 4 the Love
Facebook: 4 The Love
Twitter: @4theLove612
Address: 387 West Market, Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
Phone: (612) 457-7389
Dave Wanpue, a North Minneapolis entrepreneur, wants to inspire individuals and advocate for social change. He’s all about spreading love and positivity. His retail space at the Mall of America showcases his brand’s feel-good apparel and accessories. Dave also knows a great opportunity when he sees one. After he met Megan Tamte, co-founder and co-CEO of Evereve, a national retail chain, the two were inspired to collaborate on a limited-edition sweatshirt. The proceeds support 4 The Love’s brand and mission. 4 the Love has also been gaining visibility in the news media and with sponsorship of events like the Twin Cities Pro-Am featuring some big names in basketball. Dave coached a team that included some rising stars, including Tre Holloman of Cretin-Derham Hall, who is signed to Michigan State. Dave describes himself as “a visionary, I’m very optimistic.” As he shared in an interview with MyTalk radio: “I’m a big dreamer” – and he is nonstop. He wants to expand to more stores and eventually take his brand nationwide.
Quotes:
“My business champion [Ann Ruschy] helped me understand that I’m not crazy for being a big dreamer. It was frustrating before to hear from business mentors – I would tell people what I wanted to do, and they would say ‘you’re all over the place, you can’t do it all at once, you need capital.’ And I’m like ‘That can’t be true!” I just started two years ago, June 2019. I told everyone I was going to have a store at Mall of America because it makes it so much easier to showcase my brand. Everyone told me it wasn’t going to happen. But I’m there. I’ve been doing amazing with direct-to-consumer relationships. It makes them want to support me. I provide them with excellent customer service.”
“Ann has connected me with people for help about legal questions, trademark, marketing, PR, sometimes people at billion-dollar companies. I was able to get answers to my problems. She’s connected me with the people who understand what I want to achieve.”
“I want to create products that people want to buy, but also inspire a mind-set that inspires people to achieve their dreams.”
—Dave Wanpue
“[As a business champion] I’m not here to tell you how to run your business. I’m here to be a sounding board and hold you accountable for what you say you want to do. [Dave and I] meet every week; I keep a list of what we’ve been working on and check in on the progress. My number 1 priority is to help him grow his business and mitigate any risk for him. My role is to hear what he needs, think ahead, connect him with the right volunteer and then get out of the way.
I love working with entrepreneurs. They have an idea and a goal, then 16 other ideas on the way to the goal. I love helping them get focused on what they want to achieve. Don’t allow people to tell you you’re wrong or to slow down. That’s your gift. I want to meet you where you are, understand where you want to go and support you along the way.”
—Ann Ruschy