In the late 1970s, Brian Smith was a hardworking accounting student living in Australia with a deep passion for surfing, music, and meditation. One day, he heard an introspective song on the radio, which sparked an idea to change his life, abandon his corporate career, and travel to California. When he arrived in Southern California, he was inspired by the sense of freedom and the countercultural surf scene. He noticed his surfer friends didn’t wear sheepskin boots like Australians did after chilly morning surf sessions. This was when his idea for the UGG brand was born. Within a decade, Hollywood took notice, and celebrities wore UGG brand products on red carpets and in paparazzi shots. The brand Brian Smith created became so popular that he began looking for a company to take it even further.