About this episode

Tom Patterson discusses building Tommy John from a $5K idea into a nine-figure brand in the apparel industry.

This week, Jason is joined by Tom Patterson — co-founder of Tommy John — for a conversation on what it really takes to build a nine-figure brand from scratch in one of the most overlooked categories in apparel. Tom shares the full story behind Tommy John — from walking away from a stable six-figure career in medical device sales to betting everything on a simple idea: fixing a problem he personally experienced with men’s undershirts. With no background in fashion, no industry connections, and just a few thousand dollars, he set out to create a better product — one that would eventually disrupt the entire category. He breaks down the early days of the business — spending roughly $5K to create his first 200 shirts, selling on consignment, getting rejected by retailers, and relying on sales skills to get in the door. From folding inventory himself to traveling store-to-store training sales associates, Tom shares what it actually looked like to build the business from the ground up. Tom also dives into the financial realities of entrepreneurship — funding the business with savings, 401(k) money, and credit cards, going years without paying himself, and navigating the constant…

People in this episode

Host: Jason

Guest: Tom Patterson

Topics covered

• entrepreneurship
• apparel industry
• business growth
• financial challenges
• marketing strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tommy John, The Howard Stern Show

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