May 26, 2022
This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove.
The folks at Manmade aren't fashionistas - they just know the essential needs of their male customers, says Anthony Ciavirella, co-founder of Manmade.
Right now, that comes in the form of boxer briefs and low-cut socks - simple but relatable, Anthony says.
"We're not huge designer brands. ... It's simplicity. We're always going to go with simple colors," Anthony says. "We're about providing men with the essentials they need without the BS. ... It's why you got four guys to quit their finance careers to go deep into this project and build this brand."
Manmade teams up four long-time friends living out their careers in the corporate finance world. Though they each enjoyed success in their jobs, there was a mutual entrepreneurial spirit among them.
The spark for Manmade came from an uncomfortable summer day in a cabin, where the four friends were brainstorming ideas for a new business. The conversation turned to their uncomfortable underwear, and a brand was soon born.
"We did a bunch of research. We ordered every underwear on the market you could think of. We tried on underwear almost daily," he says. Eventually, the group came across Modal fabric, a super absorbent but breathable fabric derived from the beech tree.
"I remember clearly putting on this modal boxer brief and being like, wow, this fabric is amazing. But it was expensive," he says. The search was on for an affordable solution.
Fast-forward 10 months, 34 fabric samples, and 34 iterations, Manmade found a manufacturer in Sri Lanka that fit the bill.
Though Manmade's partners were confident in their product, they realized they were still four finance guys with little or no business building a brand, Anthony says. To that end, they decided to focus on being able to educate and entertain.
"Those are the two facets that we wanted to make sure that we target, and that's exactly why people would follow us or listen to our story or listen to our brand or want to know more about our brand," he says.
In Part 1, Anthony talks about:
* Gratitude to his business partners for their daily
support.
* The simplicity of Manmade's mission.
* The origin of the brand.
* The quest to find a product and an affordable but comfortable set
of underwear.
* The challenge of building a brand from scratch.
Join Ramon Vela and Anthony Ciavirella as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.
For more on Manmade, visit: https://manmadebrand.com/
Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.
*
This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove.
It’s time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering...
That’s why innovative brands like Peet’s Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove’s subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue.
From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story.
Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/