Meet Colbi Maxwell | Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Colbi Maxwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Colbi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started Linq’d because I couldn’t find a secure and stylish phone strap, and I knew there were other women (and men) who wanted a trendier way to carry and protect their phones while out and about, other than a purse. My goal was to prevent phone theft, since my phone had been stolen out of my purse on a night out.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
This is my first business, so it has been a learning experience, but I have welcomed the challenge. Overcoming the challenges and learning new things to build and scale Linq’d has been immensely rewarding.

Linq’d has been in the works for almost 3 years, but it has only been on the market official as of February of 2024. I spent a long time developing and testing the product to ensure that it is the highest quality materials to protect your phones. It has been a challenge! I struggled before launching with a prior partner who didn’t carry their weight, which delayed the launch. I almost killed the whole thing, at one point out of fear!

I’ve learned to keep trying new things, and fail fast, so I can learn new things to implement. What works for other businesses may not work for mine, and vice versa.

Seeing girls at events wearing my phone straps and having people ask me if I’m the Linq’d girl makes all of the struggles and challenges worthwhile! I love hearing the feedback from customers who tell me how much they rely on Linq’d when they are out and about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to my favorite coffee shop, La La Land. They have the best matcha lattes in town! I love the butterfly matcha latte!

We’d have to have a dinner at Nobu Malibu, for the experience, the best sushi in town too! It’s such a beautiful location.

I’d have to take you by The Woods in Weho, so they could see what the cannabis lounges are all about. The Woods has the best ambience and is even owned by Woody Harrelson. Followed by Pura Vita for dinner, even though it’s vegan, it’s the best Italian food in LA.

I would take them out one night, likely to KissKissBangBang on a Friday, for disco night. It’s a literal Time Machine, transporting you back to the 70s, complete with a roller show at midnight!

You can’t come to LA without a day at the Santa Monica Pier and the Venice board walk for people watching.

I’d force them to take a shuffle class with me at Gravity LA, it’s always such vibe and a great way to meet new people while burning calories.

If you’re hanging with me, we’d likely hit the town one night and go to my favorite clubs to see the hottest djs. Sound and Academy are some faves.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate my shout out to phone thieves, without you, I would not have started my business!

I’d also like to dedicate my shoutout to my mom who has supported and guided me as I have started Linq’d.

Website: https://www.linqd.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colbicat

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/colbimaxwell

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/colbicat

Other: https://www.instagram.com/staylinqd

Image Credits
John Tucker
Nesha Torres