Before hitting it big, the folks behind Noosa had to learn from a few bumps in the road, says co-founder Koel Thomae.

"Noosa had an opportunity to expand to the New York market in our first 18 months, and it turned out to be too far too soon for our young brand. We ultimately pulled back and re-focused our efforts to key regions closer to home, where we could dedicate the appropriate resources to build retail relationships and brand awareness."

Read on.