Hear how a love of mountain biking – combined with a passion for building strong communities – resulted in an 8-figure online store, a swag of industry awards, and recognition at the highest level of e-commerce in Australia.
"We’re all here for the same reason, everybody loves mountain biking, so we have a shared passion and a shared language from the get-go which helps immensely.”
Jen Geale is co-founder and General Manager of Mountain Bikes Direct – an online store which sells Australia’s largest range of mountain bike parts, clothing and accessories.
Mountain Bikes Direct is a very unconventional business and Jen Geale is a very unconventional business owner, making the story of Mountain Bikes Direct a very interesting one.
This 8-figure business, which started in 2012, has no physical shop-front and all staff work remotely from the comfort of their own homes. It’s all part of Jen’s goal to ensure a high level of ‘kumbaya’ across the business. In fact, even on their biggest sales day ever, Jen and her family were kicking back on the beach.
So, how does Mountain Bikes Direct manage its customers remotely? It comes down to choosing the right technologies. Customers won't find a number to call if they have a question or complaint, yet the customer service offering is exceptional.
Jen’s key takeaways
In this chat, Jen shares her lessons when it comes to:
- Defining a vision of success
- Building a strong company culture
- Maintaining a focus on exceptional customer service
- Finding the right technologies for your business
- Creating the work-life balance you want
Jen’s key takeaways
In this chat, Jen shares her lessons when it comes to:
- Defining a vision of success
- Building a strong company culture
- Maintaining a focus on exceptional customer service
- Finding the right technologies for your business
- Creating the work-life balance you want
More about Jen
Jen Geale is co-founder and General Manager of Mountain Bikes Direct – an online store which sells Australia’s largest range of mountain bike parts, clothing and accessories.
Mountain Bikes Direct is a very unconventional business and Jen Geale is a very unconventional business owner, making the story of Mountain Bikes Direct a very interesting one.
This 8-figure business, which started in 2012, has no physical shop-front and all staff work remotely from the comfort of their own homes. It’s all part of Jen’s goal to ensure a high level of ‘kumbaya’ across the business. In fact, even on their biggest sales day ever, Jen and her family were kicking back on the beach.
So, how does Mountain Bikes Direct manage its customers remotely? It comes down to choosing the right technologies. Customers won't find a number to call if they have a question or complaint, yet the customer service offering is exceptional.
Next podcast
Joshua Nicholls on building a customer-first franchise
The Platinum Electricians founder shares how he overcame years of hurdles to create a franchise group with a $60M turnover.
Listen now
Related article
Business and Money Management
Business strategy: Part 3
Get important tips from Andrew Banks on how to keep your revenue stream flowing and manage your cash flow from the driver’s seat.
Read more
Become a Card Member
See how your business could make the most of American Express Card Membership.
Share the Idea Exchange experience
Have a business contact who could benefit from the Card Member experience? Refer them, and if they’re approved, you’ll both earn Bonus Points.1
1. Member Referral: Don't Spam! American Express discourages spamming. You should only send referral messages to friends and family who genuinely want to receive them. By participating in 'Refer a Friend', you agree to these 'Refer a Friend' Terms and Conditions:
a) Only Friends & Family: You must only send referral messages to close friends and family.
b) Ask Their Permission First: You must ask the person for their permission to send them an email about your Card product. Sending emails to people without permission is considered spam.
c) Cap Referrals: You may only send referral messages to a maximum of 20 friends and the amount of Membership Rewards points you may receive under the ‘Refer a Friend’ program is capped at 200,000 points per year.
d) Your friend must apply from the referral link we have given you. If your friend applies from a separate link or applies independently (i.e. if they visit www.americanexpress.com.au directly) you will not receive your points.
e) You must not market or promote this offer through paid advertising channels or to the public at large (i.e. on public blog sites, search engines or in sponsored ads).
f) You will only receive points if your friend's Card application is approved (in accordance with our usual Card application processes and assessments). Note: We will not tell you if your friend's Card application is approved or declined for privacy and confidentiality reasons.
g) You cannot refer a friend who already has one of our Cards or has held one in the last 18 months.
h) You must be enrolled in the Membership Rewards program to receive Bonus Points.
i) It may take 8 to 10 weeks to be credited Bonus Points if you are successful.
The Apple logo is trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
American Express Australian Limited (ABN 92108952085) 12 Shelley Street, Sydney NSW 2000. ® Registered trademark of American Express Company. © American Express Company. All rights reserved.