Founder of Sporty & Rich: How To Build A $50 Million Empire At 26 (Emily Oberg)

On December 19. Based on the best selling novel, Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star in the Housemaid. A wildly entertaining thriller about a live in housemaid and the wealthy Winchester family experience a twisted world where perfection is an illusion and nothing is as it seems. The shocking twists will leave you guessing until the very end. Can you keep a secret? The Housemaid Rate Rated R only in theaters December 19th. Get tickets now.

Insurance may all seem the same on the surface, but having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm. It's like getting a granola bar with a candle in it. When you wanted a three layer birthday cake, you wouldn't settle for just any dessert on your birthday. So don't settle for just any insurance. When it comes to getting the help you need, State Farm is the real deal. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

I remember I would like get mad at customers and I would just like go off on them. The next year was like 6 million and then it was like 12 million and then it was like 30 million. The growth was fast. You know, I still own 100% of my company and I've never taken on investors. It's definitely more noticeable how much the world dislikes women.

Today we're joined by Emily Oberg, the founder of Sporty and Rich.

Hi, I'm Emily Oberg, founder of Sporty and Rich. Welcome to the Burnouts.

Take us back to when you were first working at Complex. So what did that look like and what were kind of the early beginnings of your career?

Yeah, I mean, so I was working retail in Canada, where I'm from, and I was, you know, really into streetwear from a young age and I was doing photo shoots with friends just like for fun, as like a hobby. So I was working retail and I randomly got a call from Complex. So they offered me the job of it was like editorial producer. They were launching their video platform at the time. This is when like all media companies were making like the pivot to video. So. So every online brand was like, you know, it was print, it was online, and then it was digital, it was video YouTube that was like the big push. So I took it and it was like the best four years ever. And yeah, that's kind of how I guess I got started with the brand that I do now.

And then you moved to Kith. Can you tell us about that?

So after Compla, I mean, I knew Ronnie because we obviously like covered Kith a lot at Complex and you know, we had a personal relationship and I kind of mentioned that I wanted to.

Venture into the brand side of things and get out of media. That's never really where I saw myself long term. So we discussed, you know, he was launching his women's brand at the time, and we discussed, like, what a role would look like and if I could help. And he brought me on as, like, creative director of the women's brand. So that was a huge opportunity. So I left Complex, was really sad about that, and then was at Kith for about a year.

I mean, these are, like, incredible roles and jobs you've had. I feel like something we hear from, you know, a lot of people is like, there's, you know, how do you choose to leave a good job, to go all in and to be a founder yourself? Do you remember, was there a moment when you made that decision?

I just don't think, like, the corporate world is for me. And, you know, there. There's, like, a lot of politics. There's a lot of just dynamics that I felt weren't aligned with. With where I wanted to go with my life and who I was. And I kind of just always had this instinct of, like, wanting to build my own path.

And then what did that look like? So you're at Kith, and then Sporty and Rich was a blog at that time. Right. So walk us through the process of how does it become a blog? Turn from a blog into a company?

Yeah, So I. I was on Tumblr, like, early on, and then started sporting Rich as, like, a Mood board account. Now there's so many of them, but it was definitely one of the first. I started that account probably in 2015, like, a year after I moved to New York. And it was just a hobby. It's just something I did for fun and, like, kind of like the inception of an idea. I had, like, no intentions of turning it into a brand. I never. I was kind of turned off of brands because covering them on Complex, I saw so many come and go, and I just saw, like, how hard it was, and I was like, oof. That just seems like a world that I don't want to touch and that I don't really know anything about. So it was really, again, just like a passion project. I, like, produced all the content I wrote. I, you know, found people all over the world to contribute, just people whose work that I liked and admired. And so, yeah, it was a magazine, and I did four issues. And then in that time, I would sporadically do, like, a sweatshirt or like, a T shirt or a hat. And it was. It was just like Very random. And it was, it was still just me at this point, but I had my full time job too, so I wasn't able to even dedicate that much to it. So yeah, it was kind of just like always on the back burner.

This is something we talk about all the time is that it's really interesting because social media, you might, you know, have a big following, but there's a difference in how loyal that audience is. But versus like a podcast, it's so intimate. Like if someone is actually taking, you know, an hour out of their week every week to listen to us, you know, talk to other founders, like that's a very like intimate experience versus, you know, social media is like the highlight reel. I'm curious as you think about now, how social media has transformed and become, you know, largely like algorithm based. For someone who's starting a brand today, how would you advise them to start out?

Well, one, I think that there's a lot of people who maybe want to do it for the wrong reason. I, you know, when I started I wanted to do it because I loved researching like archival images and clothing and just kind of like looking to the past for things that I, I was so inspired by, I guess. And yeah, my intention was to never build like this like million dollar business and have, you know, a team and have like a full apparel line. That's never like what I wanted. But I think what made me happiest is and what still does is like creating imagery and building this world. So I think one, it's like make sure you actually want to do it because you love it. And two, I would say start with, just start on like a small scale. Like we started on a pre order model because I didn't have money to you know, fund a huge production run or do like a crazy marketing push. It was literally just like I would do photo shoot for like $2,000 for the model, for the photographer. I would like do the hair and makeup, I would do the styling. I would like bring food to set. Like it was all so run and gun. And we did the pre order and that helped a lot because we could obviously take everyone's orders and then produce everything and then ship it out.

I would say, you know, I still own 100% of my company and I've never taken on investors any sort of loan or debt.

And I think what a lot of people do now that I'm seeing is they, they start with like this huge amount of money from VCs or whatever it is they raise and then they Go. And I think that's just tricky because there's a lot of pressure. Turn a profit really quickly. And I think when you have that pressure, you kind of lose, like, the sense of authenticity and, like, why you're doing it. There's not really a sense of you or, like, heart in that.

And how much money did you start the brand with?

Honestly, it probably was. I mean, to do a Shopify site probably was like a couple thousand. The photo shoots were, like, no more than, like, a couple. I would say, like no more than like, $5,000.

Wow.

Because all the pre order, you know, they would. The factory would. I think we had good terms at the time. Like, they would just produce everything and then we could pay at the end. And, yeah, it's. It was just like me doing everything. So I think that also helped. Like, I didn't need a lot of people to run things at that stage.

You were mentioning you have your operating partner. How did you originally end up meeting them?

Yeah, so my operating partner is from Paris, and he had his own brand. He had a couple brands prior to mine. And I actually really liked the brands. Like, I was always a fan and, like, I actually covered them at Complex. I wrote about them.

Wow.

Yeah. So it was very serendipitous. And then one day we met. Um, I kind. I just actually reached out randomly. I was like, I love your brand. Like, I'd love to do something for you. And at this point, I was. I was still figuring things out, and I was doing some art direction for brands, like, on a consulting basis. Um, so I offered that. I was like, I'd love to do this if, like, if you ever need help with that. And I did a shoot for the brand, and then we just started talking more and more and we started dating.

Oh, my God. No way. Oh, my God.

So that's definitely. Yeah. People are always like, how to do that. Yeah. We started dating and the brand was still super small and early, but he, you know, he had the expertise and he had, like, he had a team, you know, he had the expertise of wholesale and logistics and production and E Com and backend and those things. So it definitely helped. And it allowed me to just, like, do what I do best. And so that was definitely like, a big. A big part of the brand's success.

If you don't mind me asking, are you guys still dating?

No.

Okay.

How does that work with business?

Yeah. So we were together only, like, a couple years, and this was, like, seven years ago.

So, you know, we eventually, like, our relationship just Became about work, obviously. That's pretty natural.

We just talked about work all the time. We'd work together all day, and then at nighttime, it would just be like conversations about work. So I wouldn't recommend that. I think it works for some people, but I think at the time it was just like, okay, we're probably just better business partners.

That's how the romance between us died.

Right, Sophia?

Right, Sophia?

We're not lovers anymore, unfortunately, it works for some people.

The sport died for me first. It was, I ended it.

Some people, it worked. Like, there's a lot of founders who are in relationships, and it works.

I don't know how people do that.

Yeah, it's tough. It's tough. But we, you know, the breakup, it was, you know, it was difficult for a moment having to go through a breakup and run a company at the same time. So we made it through that. And, you know, I think it's just like, people are put in your life for a certain reason. And I definitely think that was his reason for my life. And it helped the brand so much. And yeah, it's like, you know, we've both obviously moved on and we have a good friendship now, but we're, we're, you know, really complimentary business partners, I would say.

And so you still are business partners on Sporting and Rich. Oh, wow.

Is that ever awkward.

If you're entering a new relationship, you're like, hey, my co founder.

And I know.

I feel like you'd have to unfortunately bring that up every time you get in a new relationship and explain that for sure.

I mean, there's definitely been guys on my side, and I, I, I don't know about his side, but guys on my side who, you know, don't love it. I can't say that I would love it either.

What did they say?

I mean, you know, there's like a bit of jealousy, naturally. Not all guys, there's been some, but jealousy and just kind of like, you know, I, I'm so close with this person. I talk to him every day. I would probably be crazy jealous, too, if that was, if the roles were reversed. But I think it's like, when you have the understanding of, like, there's, I think you can only be friends with someone if there's like, literally zero feelings left. And it's just strictly like, I like you as, like, a human, then it's fine because there's no residual of, like, they're not over you or like, they're jealous. There's none of that. It's just like strictly, like you're a great business partner. Like, let's just keep doing this. Yeah, let's go make millions together.

Let's. Let's bring it home.

Exactly.

So win, win. And I'm curious, so in the early days when you guys first connected over all of this, when did the conversation turn into business? And when did the conversation turn romant.

Support for Unwell comes from Google Pixel. Okay, so I recently had one of those Sundays where I convinced myself it was a great idea to reorganize my entire closet. And of course, halfway through, I found myself sitting on the floor surrounded by clothes, completely overwhelmed. So I pulled out my Google Pixel 10 Pro because it comes with Gemini built in on the phone. I launched my camera using Gemini Live, showed it my crazy closet, and I asked for help. And immediately it hit me up with all sorts of pro organizing tips like what to hang, how to fold stuff, and even helped me decide which items to donate and where to drop them off. It was a lifesaver. Ladies. Okay, but while I was neck deep in hoodies, I totally lost track of time until I got a text from Matt saying, hey, what is the address for dinner tonight? Fortunately, the Google Pixel has this feature called Magic Cue that just pulls up the info you need without you having to dig through old emails and stuff. It popped the address right into my text for me and tap it was sent. Daddy. Gang, we could all use a little help making Sundays less scary. So get outside of your comfort phone and try the Google Pixel 10 Pro. Check it out at google store.com these AI features are for users 18 + check responses. Availability and results vary.

On December 19 based on the best selling novel, Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star in the Housemaid, a wildly entertaining thriller about a live in housemaid and the wealthy Winchester family experience a twisted world where perfection is an illusion and nothing is as it seems. The shocking twists will leave you guessing until the very end. Can you keep a secret? The Housemaid Rate Rated R only in theaters December 19th get tickets now.

Insurance may all seem the same on the surface, but having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm. It's like getting a granola bar with a candle in it. When you wanted a three layer birthday cake, you wouldn't settle for just any dessert on your birthday. So don't settle for just any insurance. When it comes to getting the help you need, State Farm is the real deal. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Yeah. So I would say the romantic part happened pretty fast. Like pretty soon. After we met and business, you know, it was sporting was still really small. So again, like, I wasn't really thinking about turning it into this big thing. But he definitely, like, encouraged me and pushed me and was like, you should try, like, just see if, if there's something real here. And, and so I remember doing like a, a pre order launch, like the first pre order launch. And it, it did pretty well. So I think we were both like, whoa, this is maybe something. So he was like, okay, well, I'll help you with these things. And it kind of just worked out.

That's such a win win. I, I'm so happy to hear that because I was curious also for him. So did he ever make a conscious decision to stop working on his other ventures to focus on yours? Oh, how did that happen?

Yeah, so, I mean he. So he had a brand new way before me that, that ended, that stopped. And then he started another brand. And eventually it was just like, it was such a nice brand and I loved it, but I think it just lacked like, I think the, the world and the kind of like strong identity. The product is great, the designs were great, but there was just something missing. And I think at some point, like, he just, you know, Sporting Rich was doing better at a certain point, so he just made the decision to close his brand. And, you know, Sporting Rich is so big now that I think he's happy with that decision. But it definitely was tough because I think, you know, it was like his baby. And I think it was maybe difficult to have to choose one over the other. And, you know, it worked out professionally. But I think, like, you know, in your heart, if you have something that's like your baby, you want that to succeed, obviously.

And for the first few years of the business, when you guys are working together, how fast does the growth happen?

The growth happened really fast.

I mean, we did pre orders for maybe like six months and we would do maybe like $40,000 a month with that.

And then we started to get some wholesale accounts. So Selfridges was our first. And it's funny because they're our biggest account today. It's like, yeah, still, like, they are our first and they're now our biggest. And so, you know, I always like, love and value those partners and relationships so much because it's like just that kind of visibility and reach was so crucial at the beginning of the brand when we were just like, had like, I don't know, five SKUs. So, you know, we started to do wholesale and. And it grew more and more and I think, you know, I think the first year we maybe did, like, I don't know, a hundred thousand in sales, and then the next year was like 6 million, and then it was like 12 million, and then it was like 30 million. The growth was. Yeah, it was fast. So a big part of it was wholesale. And then it was Covid, and Covid was like a turning point. It. It just blew up.

Why? What do you think made it blow up?

Well, I think during COVID everyone was home and online shopping and everyone just wanted sweatsuits. And that's, like. At the time, that's literally all we sold. And then, you know, just kind of like these IT girls and models and celebrities wore the brand.

And it just kind of became like. I mean, I hate to say this, but like, an Instagram brand. I mean, when Covid started, I was like, the brand's gonna die. There's no way people are gonna be spending money right now when they're, you know, not working or just, like, at home doing nothing. But I think it was the opposite for a lot of businesses.

The legendary Crewneck drop got like, 600,000 in one day. Can you walk us through what that felt like? Were you, like, panicked, excited, worried? Okay, can the supply chain, you know, still deal with this scale and orders? What did that look like?

Yeah, I mean, it was a combination of all those things. It was excitement, it was panic. It was like, holy shit, how are we going to make this happen? Like, there's no way. But it was also like, okay, wow, we've, like, we've really built something here. Because that, like, at the time, I mean, that's still, like, to do that many sales in one day is, like, crazy, I think, for any brand. And I was definitely scared. And we. We were like, you know, we spoke to the factory and we were like, okay, you're used to making this many. We now have this many. And they were kind of just like, yeah, we can't do that. Like, there's no way. So we, like, had to scramble. We had to find a new factory. We had to find, like, a logistics center. At the time, we were using some, like, guy in downtown LA who was just, like, shipping things out with, like, a friend of his. And it was so random and, like, so bad. So then we had to find, like, a real warehouse and set up all of these different systems on the back end, like netsuite and all of these different systems and backbones to the company that I had no idea about. And it was really, like, a scramble. I remember it Was like a month of like, okay, we need to like figure this out. Otherwise we're not going to like, this brand is not going to exist.

Wow, that's crazy. That it was actually a turning point that kind of was a little slight, scary. I, I do want to know what do you think are some of the best decisions that you guys made business wise that other people can learn from?

I think you need to definitely know what you don't know. So I think some people like want to do it all. Some people want to like be the founder and be the face and do the design and do the marketing, but also like do the finance and like help with production, like the logistics. But it's like no one can do all those things. Like, there's just no way.

So it's like I knew what my strengths were and I knew what they weren't. And so it was like, okay, let's get people, the best people to fill these roles and to handle these things and let's work with the best partners, whether it's like a good factory, the good logistics center, who we still, I mean, we still use, all the same ones to this day. And yeah, I think just like surrounding yourself with people who know how to handle the things that you're not good at and that will really help scale the business. I think you went from, you know.

Five grand in savings to a Soho flagship and even now a sexual wellness brand, sensual sport.

Yeah.

How do you decide when it's the right time to go into a new category? Can you share any numbers or proof points that showed you. Yes. Okay, beauty is working or yes, retail is working. Let's now expand.

We were, as I said before, like such an Instagram brand and like an online only brand. And I think a lot of brands have succeeded when they have like a physical footprint. I mean, you see that with a lot of brands. It's not every brand, but most brands, especially like legacy brands or brands that, you know, have been around for a long time. And I think for us it was kind of just a feeling of like, okay, this is the right time. Like we want to be more than just like an online brand. We want to kind of show people what the sporting rich world feels like and what it looks like. And you know, it's. I think that's such an important part of building a community is having that like physical, in person touch point where people can come and, you know, hear what kind of music a sporting rich door would play or like at the cafe, what kind of smoothies we would Serve or what the staff look like and how they treat you and obviously just like seeing the clothes in person, that's like the easiest one. But yeah, I think for me it was just like, okay, it's time for, like, the next phase. And I think that was the next phase for our brand. You know, we're lucky because we're able to test so many things because we are quite a small team and we don't have a lot of, like, red tape, I guess, like big corporations have, where it has to go through so many departments. It's like I'm kind of just like, oh, I like this. We should try it and see if it does well. And then we'll try it on a small scale and if it does, you know, we'll go further into that and if it doesn't, it's like, not a huge loss. Again, this was just something where I was just like, this is a fun product category and a world that, like, I'm kind of just personally getting familiar with myself. So, like, let's try it and see if, if this would be something.

And what has that experience been like so far?

I love it. I mean, I love. Again, I think what I love the most is building a world and building like a strong, like, visual identity. And that's, you know, that's what I've done with Sporting Rich and what I continue to do with Sporting Rich and what I've done with Central Sport now. And I think just building this world where people can see themselves in and a world that doesn't really exist and, you know, just again, like, creating those images and that product and the packaging that, I don't know, for me, it's just so exciting. I'm so visual and I just love, like, beautiful things. And so for me, that. That's like a big part of it. And it's been, it's been fun.

I want to know also for you, was there ever a moment when someone like a celebrity wore your brand where you just were so, like, incredibly shocked and excited? Yeah.

I mean, there, honestly, anytime anyone wears the brand, even when I'm out and like, I'm meeting friends of friends and they're like, oh, I know, Sporting Ranch. And I'm like, that's crazy. Like, to me, it's still such like a small passion project of mine that when someone has heard of the brand or knows the brand or has bought the brand, it's like, whoa, that's crazy. It's like a pinch me moment every time. And yeah, there's been celebrities I mean like, you know, the models there's been like Rosie or like Amrada or Elsa Hosk, like all those girls.

But I think it's more just.

And how did those moments happen? Were they organic? Did you guys seed it?

I think back then like this was when the brand was small, when they were wearing it, like at the early phases we didn't have pr, so I think they just maybe discovered it and found it and bought it or yeah, we weren't really doing gifting at that time in a big way. Now, you know, we have a PR team so people get sent stuff. But I think the fact that people like just discover it on their own is like super cool.

What's one mistake you made early on that you'd warn, you know, every 22 year old or any woman starting a business against?

Oh, there's a bunch. I mean, I've made so many mistakes early on. This was during COVID This was when like all of the courier companies were had an influx of, you know, orders and deliveries and packages and we had major delays and we had, you know, people DMing us and emailing and getting so mad. And at the time I didn't have a customer service person, it was me.

Support for Unwell comes from Google Pixel. Okay, daddy gang, listen to me. Let me set the scene. You are on a girls trip. Everyone's dressed up. It's the perfect golden hour lighting and somehow it is impossible to get a group photo where everyone looks good.

Okay?

One person's blinking, another hates their angle. And of course the one where you look amazing is the one that your friends absolutely hate. So relatable. That is where The Google Pixel 10 Pro's camera comes in. This thing is wild. Let me explain it to you. Okay? It has auto best take that automatically finds and combines similar photos into one where everyone looks great. I know this is literally a dream. So all of those blinks and look aways are replaced with picture perfect smiles. And you know how you always take great photos of your friends but they can't seem to take a decent picture of you? Well, the Google Pixel has a feature called Camera Coach that literally coaches you on how to take the best photo. Left, right, zoom in, step back. It maps it all out. So when you ask someone to take a photo of you, you know it's going to look good. It's the girls trip essential I didn't know I needed, but now I've got it. So yeah, get outside of your comfort phone and try the Google Pixel 10 Pro. Check it out at google store.com camera coach results may vary. Your home should show off who you are, telling your story in every detail, meeting you where you are. Ashley has styles that balance timeless appeal and modern trends to bring your personal look home. Pairing eye catching design with features like stain resistant performance fabric, Ashley offers well crafted, affordable pieces built to stand up to real life. Plus they provide fast, reliable white glove delivery right to your door. Visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style.

Insurance may all seem the same on the surface, but having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm. It's like getting a granola bar with a candle in it. When you wanted a three layer birthday cake, you wouldn't settle for just any dessert on your birthday. So don't settle for just any insurance. When it comes to getting the help you need, State Farm is the real deal. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

So I was running the Instagram and the DMs and the emails and I, I remember I would like get mad at customers and I would just like go off on them and I'm not proud of it. But like when you're bombarded with like thousands of messages a day of like people blaming you and like accusing you of like taking their money or like stealing, it's like it wasn't that at all obviously. It was just like we were barely keeping our head above water, you know, Obviously you should never talk to anyone the way I talk to some customers. Like, I would just go off sometimes and lose my temper. But I was, I think I was just like so, so overwhelmed at the time and so frustrated and just like wanted people to understand that like one, it's not our fault. Two, it's like the factory, I mean the factories were also, I think everyone was just like bombarded. It was like the factories, the logistics, the shipping companies. And it's kind of like at some point it's like you need to just like give people a bit of grace. Even sometimes when you know, small brands, my order's delayed by like a month or I'm like, it'll get here. Like it's fine. I understand people want their, their stuff. But like at the end of the day it's like it's not the end of the world, it's not life or death. So I think definitely having a customer service person running your own customer service and again, just like knowing what you're not good at, I'm not good at that. I shouldn't be like dealing with customers on a support Email or the dm. So, yeah, I think that was definitely a huge one, but there's so many. I think as like, an entrepreneur, that that's what your life is like. Making mistakes and learning from them and hopefully just getting better from them.

And being a female founder can be so hard. People are incredibly tough. There's a lot of scrutiny. How do you feel you've been able to navigate and deal with that?

It is tough, I think. I think, you know, in the past year, I. I don't know if it's, like, getting older my age or like our government or just the. The social climate, political climate, but it's definitely more noticeable how much the world dislikes women and how the odds are stacked against women. And, you know, it doesn't just come from men, it comes from women, too. It's like, it's kind of everywhere, and it's all the time. And I think naturally women are at a disadvantage, but I think that just makes us stronger. And I think. I think you just have to grow thick skin. Like, it's not gonna stop. So there's no solution there. It's kind of like, what can you do? And it's like, you can't worry about what you can't control. The world is the way it is. We can hope it gets better. We can do our part to make things better, not, you know, perpetuate it. But I think at the end of the day, it's like, you have to be a tough cookie, and if you're not, you might want to choose another job that's like, I don't know, be, like, hiding somewhere. Not so public basic.

Yeah, because for you, I think it's so interesting that you are both, of course, building the sporty and rich brand, and then you definitely also have your own personal brand and your own Instagram. What has that experience been like of building in public?

Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's tough. I think people just love to criticize. And I was actually talking to my therapist about this the other day. She's like, the lowest forms of thought are, like, opinion and judgment. And that is not like coming from a wise place or a place of love. So, like, you have to be above that. Instead, just, like, look at things with acceptance of, like, okay, this is the way things are. I'm not going to criticize. I'm not going to judge. So I try to do that. People. Most people don't do that, I think. But if you are ready to take it on, you can be an outspoken person. And, you know, sometimes I am probably way less than I was because you'll always get some sort of backlash or criticism. But I think you just have to kind of know who you are and be able to kind of stand by the things that you say and support.

But, yeah, you choose, like, what to post. Now.

I definitely don't want to stir the pot ever. So I think. And I think these days, it's like having an opinion at all is so controversial, no matter what it is. But I think you also have to remember, and sometimes I forget, it's like, you can never please everyone. We all have different opinions based on, you know, our family history, where we come from, what we've been through. And I. And that's okay. It's like, it's okay to have a different opinion. And sometimes when, you know, even I get upset if people don't agree with something I say, I get upset. But you have to remember, you have to be like, oh, this person is a totally different human being and has a totally different brain, so why should they think the way that I think? So in that sense, I think there's just an understanding maybe that comes with that. But, yeah, it's not easy out there.

I mean, I. Yeah, I love how empathetic you are, and I'm sure, sure that also bleeds into the way that you lead and the way that you build your teams. As we're coming up on on time, I also wanted to ask, what is your leadership philosophy? Like, how did you find early employees and people that you built sporty and rich with?

I mean, I think being a leader is such an important part of having a company and. And starting a company, being an entrepreneur, because, you know, people do look up to you and they look to you for guidance. And sometimes I forget, I'm like, oh, wow. Like, I have 40 people who are like, looking to me for, like, what do we do? Like, what is the answer? What is the solution and the strategy? I read this book really early on. I think I was like, 23. But everyone knows this book. Start with why by Simon Sinek. I love him, but he's. I mean, he specializes in leadership, so it's just all about, you know, why you do what you do. Leading with a purpose, leading with a vision, kind of empowering your team. And instead of the approach of coming at it like, oh, I'm your boss. I'm like, you have to do what I say. Like, I'm at the top. It's more of, like, empowering people to have their own opinions and ideas and inspiring each other and kind of, you know, being equals and on the same field and not looking down at people. You know, I've had bosses in the past. I mean, I've had so many random jobs like working retail or in restaurants where it's like they get off on this kind of dictatorship way of running things. And there's like an ego and being able to like, tell people what to do, I think, and being in charge. But I think you realize like the powers in the numbers and in the people. And it's not like the person at the top, it's. It's really everybody else, because it's everybody else who's. Their contribution is what's making this thing go around and making this thing survive and sustain and move forward. And I think when you realize that you lead to inspire rather than to, like, create some sort of fear, maybe. So I think that. I mean, that book is amazing. I can't recommend it enough. So I think anyone who wants any advice on leadership, don't. Don't ask me. Simon Sinek.

That's a great answer. We will link it in the comments.

Yeah, definitely do that.

So then final question would be where is the brand today and where do you see it going in the future?

I mean, we're opening L. A in a couple months, so that will be our second store.

I would like to, you know, expand retail in a bigger way. You know, just continuing to open our own stores. We have a lot of wholesale accounts. But I think retail is the best way to kind of be in charge and in control of your image and your brand.

I think just expanding the product categories.

Doing for those who aren't familiar, like, do you have any, like, proof points or numbers that you can share for, like, what does the brand look like, like, what are you guys selling, etc. It's a lot.

We do probably two. Well, we do two drops every month, sometimes three. It's a lot. And every drop has around like 35 SKUs in it. So, yeah, do the math. It's a ton.

So I would like to kind of scale that back a little bit because I'm. I've always been big on like, quality over quantity and I think like less but better. And it. I think it would be nice for me and for the team and just for everyone for the brand to kind of like, streamline things, I guess, a little bit more. And I think, I mean, it's hard because the algorithm wants new things all the time. So you get caught up in this cycle of like, okay, we need a New job, here, here, here, here, here. And it ends up being just like endless and non stop and you're just on this hamster wheel. But I think what I kind of want to do is scale back and just do things in a bigger and better way maybe to obviously sustain the growth in the sales that we're doing now.

But what does the growth in the sales look like, if you don't mind?

Yeah, so this year we're going to do around 40 million.

And then next year we're targeting around 60. And yeah, I mean the growth is steady and the growth has been, I mean I'm, I'm happy with the growth. And I think.

The thing about growth is.

You can have like, you can either have like a really big piece of a small pie or you can have a small piece of a big pie. And right now we don't have anyone else involved. And I think when you bring on investors and all these different people, you know, it's like you have a smaller and smaller piece. But I have so much control. And I think that's what a lot of people that I know personally who've raised money or have, you know, co co founders or people who have equity, you don't have that control anymore and you kind of lose some of it. And you have a board and you have to listen to people and you have like crazy targets that you need to reach. And that to me seems so stressful and just that would take away again like some of the heart of it. So I think we could grow a lot faster if we maybe had outside funding.

But sometimes I don't know if that's what I want to do. And I think you have to like make that decision. As a founder, it's like you could, yeah, we could probably be like a 500 million dollar brand, but like, I don't know how much equity I would have at that point, how much control I would have at that point. Would I be happy? You know, it's like that number sounds great, but like it, it comes with other things. And I think I'm still doing this because I love it. I wake up every day and I'm like so excited to work on whatever it is I'm working on. And I think maybe that would change if we, if we evolved into this like insanely high growth company.

And yeah, I just think for me that's not the intention for now it could change, but that's just where I'm at.

Well, thank you so much for sharing your journey and all your lessons with us. It was a such such a pleasure having you on today.

Thank you so much for having me.

Streaming is changing the way we watch live sports and your Internet connection can be the difference between catching the game winning touchdown as it happens or hearing about it from your neighbor's cheers. That's why Comcast is building the network of the future. Using cutting edge AI and edge computing technology. We're bringing fans closer to the action in stunning high definition with ultra low latency. It's not just fast, it's game changing.

Learn more@comcastcorporation.com sports PNC Private bank doesn't take unnecessary risks managing your wealth because we know that maintaining its integrity is important to you. But as humans, we crave a little adrenaline, so our advisors have some ideas.

Sometimes I book a hotel without reading the reviews.

Occasionally, when no one is looking, I double dip.

Once while driving, I came to a.

Full stop for 2 seconds instead of 3.

However you get your kicks, just know your wealth will remain steady and secure with us. PNC Private bank brilliantly boring since 1865 PNC Bank National association member FDIC insurance.

May all seem the same on the surface, but having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm. It's like getting a granola bar with a candle in it. When you wanted a three layer birthday cake, you wouldn't settle for just any dessert on your birthday. So but don't settle for just any insurance. When it comes to getting the help you need, State Farm is the real deal. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.