Episode
The Betts Rebrand: Why They Closed Half Their Stores and Cut EVERY Brand But One (With CEO Michael Breckler)
- Podcast
- Built To Lead
- Published
- Jun 15, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3559
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://traffic.megaphone.fm/TBC8705420396.mp3
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Summary
Betts have just had a rebrand and chances are, you’ve seen it pop up on your social media. Behind that rebrand is Michael Breckler, the fifth-generation CEO of the 133-year-old Australian footwear brand, who has spent the last few years making some huge calls about where the business needed to go next. In this episode, Michael is sharing with me what really happened behind the scenes - from cutting half the store network and removing entire product categories, to tripling online revenue and rebuilding Betts into a brand the next generation actually wants to buy from. Key moments: 0:00 - How Michael became the fifth-generation leader of a 133-year-old family business 5:46 - When simplifying the business becomes the smartest move for growth 9:44 - The reality of closing stores, downsizing teams and making decisions that affect real people 12:42 - What it takes to reposition a legacy brand without losing the trust you worked so hard to build 17:14 - The hard conversations you have when family and business are so closely connected 21:15 - What Michael looks for when hiring A-players beyond skills and experience 25:14 - The tech, content and marketing changes that helped Betts triple online revenue 27:43 - Inside the rebrand process, from website and social content to packaging and product 30:57 - The key to staying culturally relevant 36:10 - Why being great at your job doesn’t automatically make you ready to lead people 38:25 - How to get your team on board with big business decisions (because people hate change!) 42:56 - Keeping your team accountable without holding constant meetings 50:53 - How to stay close to your customer when trends keep changing 56:13 - Modernising a family business without alienating the customers who got you there (it’s not easy) If you want to c…