Beyond A Million

228: How Tommy John Became a 9-Figure Underwear Brand with Tom Patterson

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Episode notes

Today, I'm talking with Tom Patterson, founder of Tommy John, the underwear brand that turned a frustrating problem into a 9-figure business.

Tom started the company after getting tired of undershirts constantly coming untucked while working in medical sales. What began as a simple fix turned into one of the biggest direct-to-consumer apparel success stories of the last 15 years.

In this conversation, we break down how Tommy John bootstrapped its way to over $100M in revenue before taking meaningful outside capital, why Howard Stern and Kevin Hart became game-changing growth channels, and what founders misunderstand about building premium consumer brands today.

Tom also shares lessons on raising capital, balancing wholesale with direct-to-consumer, building a company with your spouse, and why experience can actually become a disadvantage in fast-changing markets.

Key Takeaways

(01:27) Leveraging Howard Stern's Audience

(03:08) Pioneering Podcast/Radio Marketing

(04:25) Starting Tommy John with $100 and a Sketch

(07:27) How Useful is a Patent?

(11:12) Evolve and Innovate

(13:49) AI's Future In Product Development

(15:04) How to Defend Against Knockoffs

(18:01) Wholesale Vs DTC Margins Explained

(21:33) Why Women Became 30% of Sales

(26:26) How Tommy John Financed Growth

(30:47) Kevin Hart's Unexpected Partnership

(33:08) The Kobe Bryant Deal That Fell Apart

(36:05) Selling A Minority Stake

(38:20) Running A Business With Your Spouse

(42:36) Experience Can Be Your Worst Enemy

(44:38) Handing Off The CEO Role

(46:53) Avoiding The Post-Exit Crisis

(48:24) Lifestyle Businesses Are Changing

(50:23) The Truth About Raising Venture Capital

(52:06) Advice For New Entrepreneurs

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/879q12wejtw

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