BUILDING A POCKET SQUARE EMPIRE WITH ANTHONY ORISSES | E028 PODCAST

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ABOUT THE GUEST

Anthony Orisses sits down with George Stroumboulis in Newport Beach, California on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to talk about all things business, pocket squares, scaling a business, apparel, garments, culture, Shark Tank and the hurdles of expanding his company Rare Cut.

Anthony Orisses is the visionary founder of Rare Cut, a brand that goes beyond crafting innovative pocket squares. Anthony shares his entrepreneurial journey, offering practical advice on starting a business as a side hustle while working a job to fund the passion project. With four years of dedication culminating in a successful launch, he emphasizes the importance of sharing the behind-the-scenes journey with the community, fostering anticipation and support.

Discover what sets Rare Cut apart in the market, from their proprietary technology ensuring pocket squares retain their shape to the brand's commitment to a mission, culture, community, and purpose. Anthony dives into the heart of Rare Cut's ethos, showcasing initiatives like "Shop Local," featuring local business owners, and donating a portion of profits to the Barstool Fund, demonstrating a dedication to social responsibility. Join us as we explore the highs and lows of Anthony's entrepreneurial experience, the unexpected success of Rare Cut's crowdfunding campaign, and the overwhelming support that made launch day one of the best days of his life. This is an inspiring journey of innovation, community, and success in the world of fashion entrepreneurship.

Rare Cut’s’ Instagram
Rare Cut’s Website
Anthony’s Instagram
Anthony’s LinkedIn

“So I remember my attorney when I first came up with the idea. She goes when do you think your company will be up and running? And I go oh, one year from now. Now, I’ve never product yet, but I think it’s okay to have that. I think it’s okay to have aggressive goals.”
— Anthony Orisses

MEDIA RELATED TO THE EPISODE

Anthony Orisses sits down with George Stroumboulis in Newport Beach, California on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to talk about all things business, pocket squares, scaling a business, apparel, garments, culture, Shark Tank and the hurdles of expanding his company Rare Cut.

Anthony Orisses created custom pocket squares branded with George’s company logo, Ideoli and brought them along on his visit to Newport Beach, California.

Anthony Orisses building his pocket square empire.

George Stroumboulis chopping it up with his guest, Anthony Orisses.

Showing off the custom (patented) pocket squares from Anthony’s company, Rare Cut.

ABOUT THE “INVIGORATE YOUR BUSINESS” PODCAST

The Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis podcast features casual conversations and personal interviews with business leaders in their respective fields of expertise. Crossing several industry types and personal backgrounds, George sits down with inspiring people to discuss their business, how they got into that business, their path to the top of their game and the trials and tribulations experienced along the way. We want you to get inspired, motivated, and then apply any advice to your personal and professional lives. If there is at least one piece of advice that resonates with you after listening, then this podcast is a success. New episodes weekly. Stream our show on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Amazon and all other platforms.

ABOUT GEORGE STROUMBOULIS

George Stroumboulis is an entrepreneur to the core, having launched several ventures across multiple industries and international markets. He has held senior-level positions at progressive companies and government institutions, both domestically and internationally, building an extensive portfolio of business know-how over the years and driving profit-generating results. George’s ability to drive real change has landed him in several media outlets, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. George was born in Toronto, Canada to his Greek immigrant parents. Family first. Flying over 300,000 miles a year around the world puts into perspective how important family is to George’s mental and emotional development. With all this travel to global destinations, the longest he stays even in the most far-out destination is 3 days or less - a personal rule he lives by to make sure he is present and involved in family life with his wife and three daughters. To read about George’s global travels, stay connected with his blog section.

FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

George Stroumboulis - Host: 00:00

Welcome to another episode of Invigorate your Business with George Stroumboulis. On today's episode, I sit down with Anthony Orisses, an entrepreneur from Queens, new York, who started Rare Cut, which is the world's first ever pocket square to have patented technology. He even got the attention from Shark Tank's Damon John and is absolutely killing it, with a trajectory just growing and growing. So enjoy this episode starting now. My name is George Stroumboulis and I'm extremely passionate about traveling the world, meeting new people and learning about new businesses. Join me as I sit down with other entrepreneurs to learn about their journeys. This episode of Invigorate your Business starts now. Well, so we're going to jump into this.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 00:55

Yeah, let's do it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 00:56

Very excited to have you. You're visiting from the East Coast. Yes, queens, new York.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:00

Queens, New York.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:01

We have Anthony in-house. He is entrepreneur to the core. You don't get more entrepreneur than you Sales expert just all around crushing it on all levels. Personal development will get into a lot of that stuff as well, on what you're doing and the courses you're taking and all this stuff. But you started something and didn't just start it. We're talking you've got a patent around a special product and we're going to jump into that, but you are the creator, founder. President of Rare.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:35

Cut, which is production, manufacturing everything.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:39

Rare Cut, which is a pocket square company, and it's patent not pending, it's patented technology Patent no longer pending Love that. That's great. We've got to coin that term.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:49

Actually, Tony gave me that. I got to do it myself. Thank you, Tony, Okay shout out to him.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:53

So it's exciting. Let's talk about that, because I'm wearing a sport coat just for you today. Appreciate that, even though I love wearing sport coats, so let's talk about this, and then you're going to show us this one right here.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 02:05

Yes, 100%.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 02:06

Let's dive into that. Tell us about your company.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 02:10

First and foremost, thank you for dressing up.

02:11

I appreciate that and thanks for having me here, man. It's a trip to be here on the West Coast, get to meet you and, having known you just from Instagram, seeing each other immediately was just like old friends. So, off the bat, love that and again, it's an honor to be here, thank you. So my company, rare Cut, was we launched. That's my pandemic baby over here. So I launched in the middle of pandemic September 2020. And I came up with the concept sometime prior, worked with certain engineers and, for those not familiar, our flagship product is the Pocket Square. It has memory metal inside, so no matter how you fold it, it stays up. And that's also our tongue-in-cheek tagline it stays up. So we like to have fun with our marketing. But yeah, it came from an idea and then I was originally going to launch in March 2020.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 03:09

Oh, wow, okay, the start of everything, yeah.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 03:11

The start of everything.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 03:12

Two confirmed cases of COVID in the city in March.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 03:15

I remember I was there and I was like, oh, my God, and I was like this seems like a really inappropriate time to launch a fashion accessory startup. So I was ready to roll and I postponed it six months. We did Kickstarter 30 day campaign, did 50k plus in sales in 30 days. Wow, I was like, oh, I think we're onto something here.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 03:38

Yes.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 03:38

I think we're onto something and got a lot of love and support. A lot of you know, when you have a company, when you get user generated content, when other people are posting your stuff constantly, it makes you feel good Absolutely. I was getting a lot of that.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 03:52

And around what? Just people showing it off? Or what were they messaging?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 03:58

People taking videos themselves wearing it, like this is awesome. I love this product, I love this company. I mean, just talk about, like validation, right there. There's nothing better. So, yeah, we, that's how we started, right. We started on Kickstarter and then, slowly but surely, we know what direction we want to go. It's our flagship product, for sure, but we also want to be more than just that. We do want to be an apparel company. So we've also done other things as well Pocket squares and t-shirts for different causes.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 04:28

Amazing, amazing. So a couple things before we dive into the structure of the business and all that right your background, your sales DNA, right, like your sales medical devices, like, talk to me about just your background, pre-rare cut 100%.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 04:44

So yeah, I always knew I love sales. That was always a thing of mine when I was a little kid, in fifth grade. You remember the movie Clueless.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 04:53

Of course.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 04:54

My friend's mom was making these fuzzy pens that had the feathers at the end.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 04:58

Okay.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 04:58

And she goes to my buddy. She's like you should sell these at school. He's like no way. And she's like, anthony, how about you do it? She goes, they're $3. And for everyone you sell you get a dollar. I'm like, oh yeah, sign me up. I do baseball cards, I do all that stuff. I tell you know I'm all ears Right. So I ended up going to school St Nicholas, which is not a large population of students at a private Greek school.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 05:24

In Queens. New York In Queens.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 05:25

Yeah, okay, and long story short about. I think it was three or four weeks later. I sold over 500 pens and I was in class and I heard Anthony Orisses, please come down to the principal's office. And everyone goes oh see my principal there and she's sitting there like this and I see one of the fuzzy pens on the desk and she goes to me. Anthony, this is a school, this is not a business, which, as you get older, you know a school is a business.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 05:56

So 100% yes.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 05:58

I didn't think of that at the time. It's a great. And she goes. This has to stop, because ever since you did this, everyone's coming into school trying to sell things. This is not a flea market. We can't do this. This has to stop. I'm like, all right, how amazing is that? And then, as I left, she said something very cool. She goes, but, by the way she goes, everyone in school has one of these. You should be very proud of yourself. And she goes. I'm going to hold on to this one.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 06:22

That's amazing.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 06:23

I just thought it was really cool so I always knew I liked sales from a really young age Dad's in real estate, all that.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 06:30

What was your just even on that, like what was your pitch to students then when you're a young kid, oh, I cut deals.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 06:36

I said if you bought I think it was one for one, for three, two for five. I was just asked my friend's mom, can I do that? She's like? Do whatever you want.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 06:44

Do whatever you want. Yeah, everyone bought two, so you were destined like to be in sales and just do that.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 06:49

I love it, and I never really look at it as sales. I just look at it as fun, it's a challenge and you're offering something cool that they don't have. I never. I don't even really use the word sales a lot, even though all things are sales. It does have like a bit of a negative connotation to it in a lot of people's eyes. It does, but like once, if you look at yourself as a sales person, like there's a certain feeling there. But when you're looking at yourself as like okay, I have a solution to a problem or have something new that you probably want and I'm the guy that can give it to you, then that changes the whole, I think, mentality around sales, so to speak.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 07:24

It does have a stigma to it. It does. Right Like the minute. I know this is a sales agent. Okay, how much money are you trying to take out of my pocket?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 07:31

Right, you put up this defense. Yes, totally, 100%, versus here's the solution and everything.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 07:36

So you get into that your professional career now like professional career when? Did you start there? What did you do?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 07:43

So my uncle in Greece has his own medical device distributorship and I knew since a young age I'm like this is a really cool job, Like this is awesome. You know, he'd take me with him to his office, to the field, and I just felt like, and we went to like a couple of dinners with doctors and I'm like 12.

08:04

It's different there, so I just heard them kind of talking about life for 90% of the conversations and that little 10% was business right, and somewhere in the middle of conversation they went back into just kind of hanging and I'm like, oh, I love that.

08:18

Yeah, it wasn't what I expected it to be and that just left an impression on me and I knew I wanted to do that since I was a little kid and, yeah, I've been selling medical devices for quite some time. I've gotten some rookies of the year, president's clubs, I've accumulated the accolades along the way. But the reason being is people be asked like, what's your trick? Like, can I do a field ride with you? I go, what you're just going to get from me is just like, I just believe in what I'm saying and I love it. So what you're going to get is somebody that really loves the product more than anything. I don't necessarily have like, hey, use this line or use this overcoming objection, talk, track. It's not how I roll, it's just when I'm into something, you know it, and that goes across the board.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 09:07

And you can't teach likeability.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 09:08

Correct.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 09:09

Like a like you got out of the car today coming up to the office and it's like just fucking energy.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 09:14

Right, Like it's just you can't teach that energy. You can't.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 09:17

You can teach certain tricks on when to shut up in sales and when not to over but that whole likeability. And then going back, you're 12 years old and your uncle so. Was this in Greece. You were following him or here yeah. So to see how they interact, and it's just all about life. And then in the end it's like okay, speed up.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 09:35

We're going to do this type of thing.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 09:37

It's a big deal. It is Like it's no different, Nobody wants to be sold to Nobody, Right? It's like what solution can you provide? And then the same way, I find nobody also doesn't want that fake 90% of talk about life. So how are your kids, Bob? You're like you don't give a shit. It's a fine line that you got across.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 09:54

Right and you know when somebody's and you feel it right, like we're, you know we people are like oh, dogs can sense energy, so can we? You know absolutely.

10:03

And you know when somebody's being authentic and they're like they're just asking this question to get to the next question that they really want to ask. You know what I mean. But when somebody actually cares and that's another thing about small talk that I heard that I really appreciate it's not small talk if you care, right. So if you actually give a shit about somebody's life and who they are and you care about their kids, like actually care, it's really not small talk to know them.

10:24

And then, in turn, they'll be like oh, that's so real and genuine. They actually want to know, like about me outside of this business deal that's true, and sometimes small talks not bad if versus no talk.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 10:37

Right, Like if you're just interacting with the barista who's giving you the coffee and like, hey, how are you, How's your day? Maybe you don't really care, but at least you're showing for that few seconds. So, okay, fast forward. Now You're crushing it in that space. Right, Medical devices not an easy industry in itself. Right, Very competitive, especially in this country. Successful there. You get to the point. Now you're in your thirties and you have this eureka moment of pocket squares. So, for people listening around the world, pocket squares we're talking about. So who's not watching this on YouTube?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 11:13

It's the fancy cloth that goes in your jacket right, right, so amazing, and we'll get into the different styles, like that's so cool.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 11:20

So yeah, one that you have on and people will be like, well, what? It's a billion dollar industry, right, like it's an industry in itself. So just talk to me, even before you started this Kickstarter, which I want to hear about, how did you even go about the market Like, is there a potential? What are the numbers? How did you start looking at that?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 11:42

So I think what I just noticed was more, instead of like saying, hey, this was heavy research base, this was more an observation. I'd see, I go to weddings or christening and Greeks typically at a function will dress to the nines, right, and what I was seeing was more and more, or I should say less and less, people were wearing ties and going more open collar. So just something I kind of noticed, and I know that most of my adult male friends have no clue how to tie a tie, and they'd ask me like, can you help me? Sure, and then it came to the point where you know we'd be groomsmen's at weddings and you know, got, no guy knew how to fold a pocket square. And I was just like, why is a piece of cloth like, why is this so difficult to fold? And we have 12 relatively smart guys here and now we can figure this out, like, and that just kind of stuck with me, right, right.

12:34

Then I the story that really changed everything was at a medical device, like, like, essentially, gala, my manager was getting presented manager of the year and we're very tight. He's like an older brother to me and he goes to me Anthony, I'm about to get this award. Like how do I look? I'm like I guess. I'm like shouldn't your hair tie a little crooked? And his pocket? You were in a pocket square. And he's like yeah, and he pulls it up and he's like my wife bought this for me just for today. It's a hundred dollar pocket square, which at the time I didn't know that existed.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 13:07

Right, Right.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 13:07

So he's like can you fix this? He hands it to me. I kind of just morphed it into something and I gave it back to him or got me style, just like a little, pretty much yeah.

13:17

And he takes it back and he gives his speech, nails it, and then the next day they broadcast all the pictures and videos from the night before and that hundred dollar pocket square fell and it was nowhere to be seen. And I go to him dude, if you have a hundred dollar pocket square, it's essentially worthless. Yeah, that can't be seen, it's worthless. What's the point? So he's like dude, I'm done with them, I'm not wearing them anymore. I don't know why.

13:40

That comment just was like planted in my brain and I happened to be home back in the story of Queens watching Shark Tank and I was just like, when's my big idea going to come straight up? I was like, when am I going to watch all these inspiring people? Like when's going to be the time where I come up with an idea? I'm creative, like what the hell? And I started thinking about the work trip I was just on days prior and that conversation that was in my mind. I was like, oh shit, that doesn't exist. So I spoke with, I looked online, didn't exist. I called the patent attorney, who's still my attorney today. She's like oh, that doesn't exist. And actually that's a really good idea. You might want to run with it and that's all the ammo I needed to take off and run with it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 14:28

So you already did a quick filter on hey, let me talk to the pros, this doesn't exist. Quick search, and then it was like that was your moment, and then I bet you that $100 comment, like if you said, oh, my $10 pocket square, maybe it wasn't as appealing to look at that industry, but it's a lot. Yeah, and for me, my default is which, by the way, I would love if we can, and yeah, like some of my jackets, have them built in, yeah, right, but when I see that I'm like it just looks sharp, right. And when you're not wearing a tie, so you get this idea then where do you go from there to Kickstarter and why Kickstarter?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 15:02

Kickstarter because, especially at the time, I think it was more like prevalent then as opposed to now. But I wanted to do kind of like a softer launch and give myself a little bit of a buffer in between launching Kickstarter than my website, which I got to tell you it's like launching two websites at the same exact time. I don't necessarily know if Kickstarter is for everyone, and it's certainly not for every business, but for mine to test out, like the market and the need, it worked out really well for me and I love it. But what did I do before Kickstarter? I worked with three different engineers to find the memory metal in the center. Yep. I worked with a fabric engineer, a textile engineer that I didn't even know existed either.

15:55

And we're in the Garmin District in New York City going through all these fabrics and she's like, how does this feel? How does that feel? I had no idea at the time. I'm like, oh, pretty good, everything seemed fine to me.

16:05

And it took a lot of time actually, and I learned a whole lot about fabrics, metals, meshes, adhesives, all these things. I went from knowing really nothing in the fashion space, and I mean next to nothing. I'm like, hey, maybe these two colors don't match, okay, maybe I do some basic stuff, sure, but I was not like I never thought ever I'd find myself in the fashion space, ever, ever.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 16:29

And people don't know this Like you're lucky that you're at the footstep of the Garmin District in New York, which is what in the 20s, I think 30s yeah, 30s Okay. Like the Mecca there, like so many brands are still producing here. It's not just outsourced overseas. So you had access to that to go and learn, and that's kind of a big deal, super convenient.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 16:49

Yeah, so yeah, all these things to say. You never know where you're going to get pulled in life, especially when you come across a good idea. It might not be in your industry or something you even thought you had an interest in, so to speak, or any knowledge about, but when you get the call right and there's something that's pulling you and it's saying, hey, pursue this. You listen to that voice, because there's been times in my life where I come up with a good idea and then the next day I'm just like I'm not going to pursue that Not passion. But yeah, it seemed like a good idea yesterday, but now it's today and I'm over it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 17:28

Yeah, where do you pull motivation from outside of you, like what else is influencing you? Because there's more we had this conversation before. There's more downs and ups and startups and entrepreneurship. Like it's set up to just constantly kick your ass and see how you get up and what you change from that ass kicking Not every day, like every hour. Things change. It's so fluid, yes. So where do you get that motivation? My business just side note I have a 50-50 business partner that we go to war together every day. So when I'm down, hopefully he brings me up and vice versa, and there's someone or we're both down together and then we come up. You're at the peak of your own mountain by yourself. You have family, you have friends, you have a good network. But from 2016 to now, where do you find that constant motivation or remotivation?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 18:21

Yeah, great question. A few things. So you mentioned you have a partner. Nothing prepares you for entrepreneurship like actual entrepreneurship, like actually doing it, and I've watched all the Sharktanks, I've listened to all the podcasts, I've read all the books, but you have to get your hands dirty. Yes, one thing I don't know, and I have no regrets about it because I learned so much, but I think going into anything with the right partner can really help. Now, the wrong partner can ruin everything, but I really think going into business with the right partner can be such a game changer because you have somebody else to lean on and so long as they're motivated and they're in it for the right reasons, then you can really grow something, almost go on the fast track to growing something. That's one of the things that could be a little bit difficult. Being a solopreneur yeah, absolutely Entrepreneurship is tough.

19:17

Solopreneurship is even tougher in my personal opinion 100% Right.

19:20

So there's that. That's just one of the things I picked up. For any future endeavors I go into, I'd probably go with a good strategic partner, but what keeps me motivated is that I barely skim the surface of what this could potentially be. There's no company synonymous with pocket squares. There's none. There's companies that have pocket squares, but there's not one that's synonymous yet. So that is my motivation to be the company to be. When you think of a pocket square, or a handkerchief as some people call them, you think of rare cut, so that because I'm not there yet, that really keeps me motivated. I want to be the guy that makes that happen. I want to make rare cut that company that goes really hand in hand when you're thinking about sports, jagged suit, whatever the case may be missing a pocket square got to reach for a rare cut.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 20:10

Yeah, that's great, so it's synonymous. That's your motivation to become that. That's incredible. We could go a lot of different ways from here, talking about partnerships and just planning. So now this is being filmed in 2024, 2016. Covid is the obvious answer. But where you want to be today? Do you think you would have been there sooner, like when you were planning this out? Where were you going to be and at what point? From that success, from how much volume? Like, are you there yet?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 20:42

No, no. So I remember my attorney when I first came up with the idea. She goes when do you think your company will be up and running? And I go oh, one year from now. Now, I've never product yet, but I think it's okay to have that. I think it's okay to have aggressive goals. You know what I mean. It's necessary because it keeps you moving and there's so many unforeseen challenges that will happen that you did not see coming. Obviously because you've never been in this space before. Where do I think would I think I'd be here? Where did I think I'd be in 2016? Honestly, probably further along, and I don't have any regrets about anything I've done, because this is the process. This is just unique to my life and how things are going. I didn't see all these unforeseen challenges. I could not have expected that keep arising. You almost think you know business is challenging, but you don't realize how challenging it is until you're in it. But because of that, I'm a way better entrepreneur in general, because of this.

21:49

Because of that, absolutely Because of everything that I've experienced, experienced the ups and the tons of downs. That's the reality. That's show business. That's behind the curtain, so to speak. That's what you don't see. That's what's happening and people just see like a social media post, although they will see me chatting with you here on this podcast, which is awesome and this is part of the perks of the job but they don't see me in my garage in Astoria when it's freezing outside 20-something degrees. I don't have heat in there, but I'm still printing things out. I have a jacket on, I have my beanies on, I have double socks on. No one sees that and I don't mind that because I love that Absolutely, but that's the stuff people don't see. It's less sexy than people. Yeah, absolutely.

22:33

Because they see things like this and they're like oh, I want to do that too, but there's a lot of work to do.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 22:36

There's a lot of work to that. And then the other side of it is, and I ask this, because even with us, how much does just finances come into play? Where, if you had unlimited finances to do, how much further along would you be towards whatever your end goal is?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 22:50

Oh yeah, so I don't have. So that's one thing I'm really, in 2024, being more conscious of is outsourcing certain things. You, you should not do everything yourself, and I've tried it and I'm learned. I was, I learned the hard way, right? Yeah, I tried to do everything. I'm like a little cost savings here, but like really to grow exponentially, you need to outsource, you need to hire and I'm at that point Good for you to even get to that point?

23:16

Yeah, that's a big deal. Yeah, I really tried doing everything and you could say it was a character building, almost a workshop. I'll put it that way. Yeah, but it's not the most efficient way to actually grow a business.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 23:28

So that's a good point. Are you in your plans for the future with Rarica, and where you're going right? Is the plan to this transition become a full-time venture. This is your full-time.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 23:40

I, I Love to have this for a life. To be honest with you, I know a lot of people say, like I think it's very, it's a, and it's a fair question when you sort of business people often ask, like what's your exit plan? Have I written one down? Because I was in a workshop where it required me to write one down. Yeah, but I'd love to have this for Life. Like I am this company, this company's me. Like I like rare cut is me, it's you, you know. So like to part with that. Like let's just say you sell it and make a ton of money. What are you gonna do? Try to start another company and hope it's a replica of what you just started. Now, I'm not saying I wouldn't potentially have no partners and self-shares, like who knows, but I love doing this. I have so much fun with this brand, and isn't that what it's all about? Like Having fun with a brand and being, you know, being successful, impacting the lives, being a movement yes, right.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 24:32

Absolutely. And going back to the partnerships, just on that, well here's the thing. Say you have an exit plan, you sell it. Well, guess what? You're a very busy guy, hustling successful, doing. You're gonna have to replace that with another new passion, right?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 24:45

Yes.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 24:46

Yeah, that's daunting. Just knowing you have this passion why I already think about exiting this. Build it, do whatever. The partnership side of it it's interesting. So there's a saying when man plans, god laughs.

24:58

Right like plans or plans. When we launched our company, our plan was six months savings, right, and then after six months from year one we would start drawing the salary and whatever. That was the plan on paper. The minute we launched had my first baby, right, yeah, mortgage, okay, fine stresses. We kind of planned it out.

25:19

What I didn't plan was at the time my credit file was stolen in the black market, right sold to the black market. And I just got rocked when I tell you Hundreds of thousands of dollars in my name, identic cars stolen in five different counties here in California, ids, green card ripped off like just just destroyed. Every day I would go to the mailbox and I was like eighteen thousand dollar surgery in Wyoming and twenty thousand dollars just rocked like they Destroyed me. So that six month plan that me and my partner had Pushed it out over a year because I was so consumed in this and it was like on top of a new baby and all this. So it's just, it's funny, but you could have just fold and say you know what? This isn't for me, let me go back, let me get a job, let me just not right. But you kind of you double down and you figure it out, yes or you don't. Right, like it's just the alternative.

26:11

What's the alternative? Like Go get a job, go figure it like so it was just a lesson, and Trying to keep composure, because now we got to be a rock for your spouse and your baby that doesn't know what's going on, and your partner and your. It's just. But I wouldn't change a thing. You know, even looking back a decade later, it's like I wouldn't change a thing. And there's always headaches every day and this is it.

26:32

And then just having the right partner, my advice in general to anyone listening is like Don't go in partnership with your best friend or your friends. Don't like your friends for a reason. Keep it that way. Try to go outwards and make sure that person you're partnering up with has a different skill set than you, you know, right. And then the other just aspect of that is also make sure they're in the same boat, financially Similar boat, because if you're bringing someone on just because of the money, then they're going to be dictating everything. Just from my experience, right, yep, but if we're chasing the same goals, same whatever it just, it just makes it that much more Cohesive and then you move in the right direction. Like that. That's why my partnership has been successful so far. Touch wood. I don't want to do it, but the partnerships. I've seen more partnerships fail because of he was my cool bottle or my best friend and this and you're like no, I.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 27:25

Said this to someone the other day it's just like, if you're gonna go for it all, like it could end up. It's almost like somebody like your best friend dating your sister. It's gonna go one of two ways. It's either you'll have a beautiful like cohesive unit things will get even better or the complete opposite. Yeah, the front yes it goes one of the two ways.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 27:44

Absolutely, and that's a great way of putting it. So you launched the company. Talk to me about Pockets wears like the, the economics of it. So how did you get the patent on this?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 27:56

so, yeah, it took how I got a patent took quite a while and it also was pushed back because of COVID. So all the courts were closed and it took many, many years to finally get it. And one thing that I did was I was with my attorney and we were talking to the examiners and they did a zoom and I said to her you know, they keep rejecting it why and there's all these little tiny reasons as to why and I said I go, okay, and I was in Long Island at the time, I'm like the calls. Tomorrow I'm gonna drive to Astoria and I'm gonna take the zoom call from HQ, which is my garage in in Astoria, because let them see, like the person, like let them humanize the experience of like who's the entrepreneur behind this idea? So I set up shop and I go hey guys, like I just want to give you a little insight like this is my space I work in. You know, it's a pretty small garage here. This is how I print, this is how I do this, this is how I package, you know, and this is really important to me and if this makes sense, obviously you guys have a job to do and I understand, but I just want to let you get an inside look into the entrepreneur behind the idea for you.

29:09

And yeah, man, and after that my attorney spoke for most of time and then they said to me like Anthony, it was really a pleasure getting to know you and speak to you, and don't forget countless, and don't forget countless Companies that are very successful. All started out in garages and we think you're gonna be very successful. That's amazing. Yeah, we'll be in touch. So, and then after that, you know we got the patent, but I felt like that was I, you know. You know that the expression Facts tell story sell, yeah, and like when people actually get to see like a human being, and that's why we watch Shark Tank. You watch, you see a product and you're like I never thought I needed this before. But you know what? That couple that's selling it. They're a great couple and they're good people and I love their story and you buy into, you know you buy into people behind it too, Absolutely Well, and you're.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 29:58

You're the face of the brand. Right, like you're out there, you're rocking it and people want to support someone who's doing good, and then the charitable side of it as well, yeah, which is a great marketing play, but you also do want to do change with, like Cancer Awareness Month and talk to us a bit about that. Like what, what you stand for with?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 30:17

for sure, like I, I did not go into this to start a Company with a product. I went to this to start a brand with a purpose, and one of my Favorite things is making anything into a hybrid, because you can right you might say, was you know pocket squares and a public school in Harlem? You know what does one have to do with the other? Well, we were able to by launching specific campaign that had pocket squares and t-shirts showcasing the kids, and If you're creative enough, you can combine anything. So, so talk to us about that specifically.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 30:50

What did you do there?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 30:51

That's pretty oh yeah, so I came up with this shirt that we have the.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 30:57

Dear shirt.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 30:57

So it's like you know there, but rare and just a little play on a little pun there, amazing fabric.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 31:04

Yeah, thanks man.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 31:05

So we did that and we worked with a public school, a Philip Randolph High School, in in Harlem, and we got to know these kids that are Volunteer time after school to be in this mentorship group. And we're talking young kids that you know, instead of like going home playing video games or just like watching TV, they go, volunteer their time to learn from one another, to talk about their goals, to talk about their futures, to talk about how they could be like better in the future. So talk about how they could be like better individuals. I was just like this is so awesome and I made this shirt and I wanted to pair it with the right program. I didn't find it.

31:44

Yeah, and in through my Greek networking, actually this one lady. She's like hey, there's someone I really want you to speak with and he happened to be doing this. I'm like, dude, I'm so inspired by your story and, like the kids, like, can I Come in? Can I meet you? I think we can collaborate. So he's like yeah, I come to the school and I go in for the first time going. I think I was gonna meet him, but I actually was not only meeting him, I was meeting all the kids in school. So I sat right in the front unexpectedly like oh, I didn't expect this. And I sat down and at first Understandably you know you're a kid in high school like they're kind of skeptical, like who's this guy? Yeah, buddy, and I got a standing ovation.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 32:21

I got no way. I got dapped. I was like, yeah, but that's not easy for you to walk. It's not like second grade, no right, like you're walking in a high school, it's a different.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 32:29

God bless teachers.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 32:30

Are you kidding me?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 32:32

Different man. Yeah, I never experienced anything like that. And then, like the reception I got at the end to and people like, hey, I have it, a business idea, can I pitch it to you? I'm like, yeah, for sure.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 32:41

So so wait, what do you do? You're put on the spot. You get up there Like what do you actually do at that time?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 32:46

Yeah, I went there and and ended up being cool because, like, life's all about adapting, anyways right.

32:52

So you, you go in there like I didn't expect this, and just you switch, you switch on because you have to right yes, and I go, okay, let's do this. So I go up there and there was a laptop that had my rare cut comm. They were going through it and they just asked me a bunch of questions about, like, if you have a business idea, like, what do you do, how do you start? Like normal questions that anyone that wants to start a business would like to ask. And it was a great conversation and since then we featured these young men in our campaign my buddy who runs a suit company oh yeah, I'm sorry, he's a tailor he got them. I brought him in for a talk and at the end of it he took all their measurements and we're going to school next month and we're getting them all custom suits with pocket squares. So it's like it's that's the stuff that like Moves me, that's am I. You put that into your brand, like your own personal brand should be, like put into the brand of whatever it is.

33:50

Yeah, right there and man, I think stuff like that is so cool. So I was just like, when we talked about combining things, like if that's something that moves me, I'm just like you know you're not doing it really, for You're not doing it for everyone else, even though other people would be like, oh, that's really cool and I think it is, but you're doing it for like that group right there that you just changed your lives.

34:13

I'm gonna say people come in again. Someone's gonna get something from that, someone's gonna pay it forward, you know. So like stuff like that just gets me juice.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 34:20

Oh yeah, and no dude, I see it like I actually got chills here and like these kids are gonna get right. They're raised wherever they're raised, they're getting suits, they're getting access to that. That's got to make you feel good.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 34:31

Oh, it's awesome.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 34:32

It's the best. It's the best. So what is some advice? So I know these are kids in high school, but even if a buddy of yours or a friend or a sister or whoever Wanted to start a business, doesn't matter what industry Like, what are some high-level stuff that you would kind of guide them to work, kind of like what I was saying about partnerships, a couple things Starting a new business. What advice would you give to someone?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 34:55

So I, starting a business is very expensive and there should be a lot of unforeseen costs that will pop up. My thing is and I'm still doing it is I tell people, if you're gonna start your own business or startup, you should also have a job as well. Hustle, make both, work for as long as you can and then, when you make that switch and do your side, hustle full-time and you can comfortably make that switch, you're good. But in the meantime you're gonna have to really bust your ass. You might not get them on a sleep that you want to get, but you know you want to be able.

35:28

A lot of people quit because of finances, you know, and they'll be like I had this idea but it just wasn't paying the bills. But you know, maybe you were a year away, maybe you were three years away, who knows but you stop prematurely because you ran out of funds and you're just like I can't afford to live in New York City in this type of lifestyle. Or LA, which you are right here, it's here, and you got to have some sort of income coming in as well. So I really do think it's important to do both. Now I'll hear a lot of entrepreneurs will be like you know, like Cortez, burn the ships if you want to take the island, and yeah, but you have to get on a ship first that can get you to where you have to get and then, at a certain point, where it makes sense, you strategically do that Absolutely. I think it's very bad advice to and it was in the crowd loves hearing it if you don't like we do, quit your job today, hey, you're gonna roll the people up.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 36:18

Oh, come on, that's not good advice, no, the worst advice. And, to your point, work a couple jobs. If it doesn't work, and not all, most ideas are gonna fail, and actually it's great even talking to people that had failed Ideas, just to know why did it fail? That's the norm. Yes, right, the ones that are succeeding or on tracks to succeed. That's not the norm. No, it's not. It's a smaller percentage. But that the one thing is. If you're not willing to make sacrifices financially, right, even with relationships and everything to make something work, entrepreneurship is not for you facts, it's all Sacrifice. You think I like being away from my kids, to go sit there like it's all sacrifice. And Entrepreneurs are not better than people who aren't entrepreneurs. Most of us are just programmed to work for someone else and not have those stress. It's a lot of fucking stress.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 37:09

Yes, man, yes, oh, yes, it is.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 37:11

Is it worth it? Yeah, there's days where it's worth it and there's other days where you think it's not and you got to gauge it yourself. There's no. I Hear a lot, a lot, with, like younger Kids are my nephew's age teenagers. What do you want to do when you get older? I just, I want to be an entrepreneur. I want to be my own boss. Yeah, okay, but what does that mean? Like, what do you want to do? Like, do you want to make the world's best pocket swerves? You want to make? Like, what do you like? Being your own boss is a byproduct. That's not. That could be an end goal. Like, I want to be my own boss. I just want to travel and do this.

37:43

And you know, gary V said fuck, education is not right. Yeah, the latest things. Like I don't need university, yeah, whether you believe that or not, I'm not gonna add while you're still developing that, especially as a male, go to school. You're gonna learn people, you're gonna do stuff, do your side hustle while you're there. But this whole, go all in and figure it out. I just I think that's poor advice. I agree for the majority of the people. I agree you will fail and most people won't recover from that. So it's like, how do you do it in a safe zone?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 38:14

dude, I'm with you on that and it's. I actually confronted somebody one time this was at a hub spot in like I believe it was in my U and and that entrepreneur said that exact advice and he's like guys, if you know what you're doing, quit your job tomorrow, this and that and again. They got a good response from the crowd because it's just like fun. It's just like almost like like a coach going in there. Yeah, I'm the team and I saw him outside on my way out and you're smoking a cigarette and I went up to him. I'm okay, what's up? I heard you inside earlier and I'm like you said some things that really made sense.

38:46

But the one thing that I'm not quite sure I'm in agreement with is you know, you told everyone you know, if you don't like me, do quit your job, wouldn't you agree? You know starting a business is extremely expensive and this and that there's a lot of uncertainty and they kind of had that certainty by having a job Can really like alleviate a lot of stress and help the entrepreneur to keep going. He's like oh, yeah, totally. And he's like what do you do? I sell medical devices. And he's like yeah, don't quit your job. I'm just like whoa Bro. Honestly, that conversation that I've referenced it before, really upset me, because I almost feel like you're out there like almost like, almost like a politician campaigning, telling everyone you, you should do this, and then you don't back up your word. Yeah, that that talk track is dangerous.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 39:27

Yeah, it is, and he's doing it for clickbait, yes, shock value. But then you have a kid who's 17 like, yeah, oh, he's right, he did this. And I'm following this guy and he's driving a Lambo and it's like, oh my gosh, it's just, it's going down the path versus. We grew up parents, grandparents, entrepreneurial because they had to. You're seeing it from a different right, like I think our DNA is. You had to start your own thing because you couldn't just get a job right.

39:54

They wouldn't just hire you right, first generation or whatever, doesn't matter. Greek doesn't matter what culture you are, you, you had to Start your own stores, convenience stores.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 40:02

It's just our.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 40:03

DNA right. So before you were talking about New York and you are a passionate Greek and what we'll talk about that, but you're equally, if not more, a passionate New Yorker.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 40:13

Which is awesome right.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 40:14

Yeah, like when I you know, talk to you or see like it's New York is your DNA? Yes, and rightfully so. So I lived in New York City 15 years and I like to think I'm a part of that, but I'm not born and bred there Like you're born, bred. It's the best city in the world, hands down, right? I agree, there's other amazing cities and we'll get into, like LA bashing soon since we're here in, can't Wait For A Beat.

40:43

But like that city, like my biggest thing when I've been here, eight years now, moving out of the city, I feel like I just did a 180. I went from like overdrive to like just kind of cruising. I'm not in a cruising mode, Not saying you're not motivated, it's just it's different. Out here there's very successful people. It's just New York. When you're there, the minute you hit that pavement and you're walking in the city, you're just like fuck, you're energized and you just want to contribute and do and it is a rat race and it can consume you. But just in general that city, no other place in the world can replicate that energy.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 41:21

No, and so you got to take a little things from both coasts, right? So to your point. Yeah, so from my living room I can see the Empire State Building and I look out at my entire life. I'm 38. I never look at the Empire State Building and be like I'm over it. I'm still motivated Every time I step foot onto the concrete in the city, every single time there's something about it that makes that.

41:45

It wakes you up, it jolts you, it makes you want to be better. Yes, it makes you want to be better, it makes you want to get a piece of, like the city, action. You're just like people are out here doing it. Right, why not me? 100% right, why not me? And yes, you also like it could get a little overwhelming at times, for sure, but that's where taking some lessons from our friends here on the West Coast, where you do things because I don't know why Not that it certainly exists in New York, but it's more commonplace here Like, yeah, do your meditations, do your visualizations, do your breathing exercises, and if you could take that and be in New York and balance it too, I think it's a brush speed for being unstoppable.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 42:23

Absolutely. And what I love about New York is like going to a diner. Right Like I love my diners, I get obsessed. But what I love about the diner is you could be sitting there and there could be a homeless guy drinking a coffee in the diner, and then the CEO of CVS or the president of this or all in the same place, and it's just so accessible, Like you'll be walking down the street and again on a square block. There's people from the richest in the world to just not in a great place and it's just this melting pot where anywhere else in the world there's classes like cities are divided, Like this is where the rich people go. I just I love that. Everyone's just together and moving. It's just such a cool place.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 43:04

I never really thought of that, like I've seen it, but I never really crossed my mind because it's just what I see. But you're from there, that's your idea.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 43:14

You're there but like from the outside it was never. Like where I live, you would see the not to name drop and I don't care about this person, but like Anderson Cooper would work across the street, like okay, this guy's worth X millions, whatever. And like you'd see him at a diner or Jeff Goldblum, and then it's literally me, who's nobody, barely paying bills as a young person working. And then this other person that just always blew my mind, where any other city you wouldn't be able to do that.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 43:42

It's like the great equalizer. It really shakes it out.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 43:46

And then after a while it's like, yeah, it's such a cool city Talking about pocket scores specifically. Yes, let's talk, educate the audience a bit. Just, you know what's what's the for a man. Now, right, you're going out. I'm a big, I love blazers. Yes, t-shirt, same Kicks. Go into a meeting Like you go from T-shirt, like whatever, throw this on you just feel better, right, and you go pocket scores how can someone integrate this into their wardrobe? I'm holding one that is just so cool, nice blue. It's got the Greek flag right, yep, yep. And then on your website, rarecutcom, right. And then all the socials are at rarecut, yes, across the board, across the board, yeah, which?

44:29

is like very hard to do.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 44:30

Yeah Well, when you, when you get a patent or you register something, if there's a dormant account with that name, they will give it to you. You have to apply for it, though.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 44:40

So explain, so pick a platform where you didn't have it. Sure, all of them, really. So all of them would have been like some underscore score, correct, okay, yeah. So now you have a patent that says hey, the government says I'm legit, like I have this.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 44:52

Yeah, it was more the registration of the name? Yeah, of course. Yeah. And then you, if it's a dormant account, like one girl had a rare at rare cut on Instagram and she had one follower and it was Instagram, or she was following one account which was Instagram and I'm like all right, this damn, she has my name and everything Right. And I tried messaging her you know mobile, like hey, you know, like here's like 50 bucks, can I, can we switch names. I never heard back. I'm like she's not using this account, yep. So then I just wrote into Instagram and they granted it to me. I think it took like about a month or so.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 45:25

How did you even know to write it Like? Did you read up a log on? Yeah?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 45:28

It just starts online. How to get an account? Can you still get an account If it's? If it's dormant? Is there any like infringement of any sort? And they say they reached out, they got no reply and like it's yours now and they changed hers to like rare cut too or whatever? No way, yeah.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 45:45

So that's great advice for anyone. That because I think the default everyone settles. Yeah, I'll just do rare underscore cut.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 45:51

And then on this one, I have all those two, by the way, you do. Okay, I have all those, so you're like yeah.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 45:55

Yeah, dude, that so that's exciting. So you get this stuff. Just talk to us. Pocket squares now, in general, what are the most typical ways of folding them, putting them in?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 46:07

So for sure, I'm going to give you this one 100%. So I'm. It's almost like origami, right, like. You can fold it however you want to, and there's really no wrong way to wear it, so long as it's showing some look better than others, but there's really no wrong way to wear it, right, there's.

46:26

I would say there's probably four popular ones that are modern. And I say modern because, like all right you mentioned about like your, your get up, right and how you're dressed, you can wear that to just about anything. You go to a business presentation with that, if you so chose. You can go to a nice dinner. You can go on a date Like. The way you're dressed is like. This is how a modern man dresses, but dresses nicely, and that never goes out of fashion. You know, before I even had a rare cut fully up and running, I had some prototypes and I would walk into these networking events and the number of times I walked in dressed just like this. I'd walk in and they go hey, are you the speaker? I didn't say one word. What gave me the impression that I'm the speaker? Cause I'm dressed like, cause I put a little time and effort into dressing a certain way.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 47:17

It's a critical memory.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 47:18

No, it's amazing right, so that never goes out of fashion. I think what you're seeing is like you're seeing less guys like putting even just a little bit of effort into it, but that little bit of effort goes such a long way. Same with pocket squares. It's a little bit of effort, right, it really is. It's just a little bit of effort. It's like that. We'll give a reference because we're in LA. Right, like Koby did the little extra. Right, like, so Koby did the things that others wouldn't like. He did the little extra of like I'm going to stay and keep shooting free throws when you all leave. Right, that little bit of extra went such a long way and changes everything. This is a talking piece. Make no mistake about it. This is a talking piece.

47:58

My buddy, we went to a Greek event a couple of weeks ago and I gave him one that had hearts on it. And I go, I guarantee you, I go, you're going to get, you're going to get several people asking you or talking about the heart pocket square. I could do not. This is the truth. We walked in, we checked into the door. Gives his name, he's like nice pocket square, that's really cool and I go. That's one.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 48:23

That's one.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 48:24

I went to the bar, had a conversation with you know, some girl happened again too. I go. That's two. I'm like I'm not keeping track anymore.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 48:30

She wrote her number on the pocket square.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 48:32

It's worth every dollar Dude, I'm telling you, like these little things, like if you go to 1% extra, you'll be exponentially further than the crowd. Little things, so folds, right, people are intimidated by them, but it's really quite easy.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 48:48

So the way I'm wearing it right now- which, by the way, for the listeners who can't see the one that you have, please explain this series. You have a custom theme, right? So this is the explain.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 48:59

So this one in particular, like we talked about hybrid working with other people that we like, maria Cosandini-Nidis, is a Greek artist, greek American artist in New York City, and she has a shop called Akiya Shop, or Akiya Shop.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 49:14

Okay, and how do you spell?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 49:15

that A-K-I-A Akiya Shop at on Instagram and this is like kind of her trademark little Eves Ones pattern, right. So she has Eves Ones here, so cool, and we collaborated and we did this pattern. And that's more things I want to keep doing, just finding ways to work with good people. And it was really cool. I heard you this. I want to do a lot more of it. So, yeah, that's where this one comes from. That's amazing. And also, when you're a startup, you got to know like who your audience is right. So Greek American just starting out is a lot of it's going to be word of mouth. So, word of mouth, my network a lot of it is Greek Americans. So you got to have your Greek patterns because you got to know your audience.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 49:56

With any business, you just gave me an idea before you jump into this. I have a show in March in New York City at the Hilton. It's a big lighting show industry show and we're going to have this conference room. We're going to put our display and it would be a cool giveaway to have branded like light bulbs on them, and we gave them to all our clients that are coming in the door, so you have anything lighting theme. How would this work? No way.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 50:27

Are you kidding?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 50:28

me.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 50:28

Yeah, dude, greek social, up the handed. You know that, are you okay, so I was just handed.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 50:34

Holy shit, are you? Yeah, man, all right. So how do we, where do we put this here? All right, so we got ideoly branded pocket square, which I'm telling you I was going to ask you.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 50:50

Oh my God, got you brother.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 50:51

Okay, so we're going to order a bunch of these in house for the show. So I was going to say everyone who's like on my team there's going to be probably five or six males right With sport codes. Okay.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 51:04

That's it. We're going to order and then we're going to have more for the.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 51:08

That's amazing.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 51:08

I appreciate that.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 51:09

All right. So how do we? Let's get into this.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 51:11

This is amazing Of course.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 51:12

So show me like a couple of ways that someone should put this on 100%.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 51:15

So the way I'm wearing it now is quite easy, like the puffy look works so well. Just kind of go like this, put your hand underneath, and just do that, almost make it like a little ghost. So I'll show you one more time. Just kind of have your hand out, right, yeah, your hand out, and put it on top, yeah, and then just press down the ends and make it until almost like it looks like a little floating ghost, right, and I'll show you right, may I Please? Yeah, come on, man. You see that. Yeah, that's nice and easy. I'll show you another one. I'll take this one. That's amazing. So that one is extremely popular, sharp works with everything, right. There's another one that looks just like kind of just what I did, so a little bit different. It's amazing, thanks, man. You just kind of take the center, find dead center, and you're just going to kind of press right, yeah, on the way up, and because there's memory metal inside, I can press on the edges and it will hold that shape.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 52:20

This has memory metal right now. Oh, yeah, yeah, these all have metal in them.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 52:24

Yeah, every single one of them. It's throughout the entire surface, so it's not just the edges, it's throughout the entire inside of it. So when you put it in right, you kind of have like this almost like messy, flowery kind of look.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 52:37

That's quite popular as well.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 52:39

That is so cool. Yeah, so those two are super popular and easy. And then the other two men that are like classic go-to, always work, always in style, always fashionable is the straight edge, look, yeah, and like the triangle.

52:53

And the triangle Okay, triangle is the best way to describe the triangle is almost like you're making a paper airplane, which I know well because in fifth grade, instead of probably listening to some of my teachers, I was making paper airplanes, so I got pretty good at this, yeah. So yeah, you just do something like this, right, you're making like almost like a house, I say, and you kind of go like this bring it in, and then, depending on how deep the pocket is, you adjust and you have it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 53:23

It looks just like that and that's the clip.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 53:24

Yes, yeah, another thing with this too, we got kind of fortunate in this way to string them out. An iron is best, of course, but you can just kind of because of the metal you can kind of just pull and tug on the ends and for the most part I would say for the majority of guys they'll be like this is very acceptable.

53:49

That's not yeah, so just like getting out the creases for the most part. You know, obviously an iron is best, but you don't really need to. I should put this way you don't really need to like necessarily iron it because it comes up, but ironing it looks so flat and crisp yeah.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 54:04

So let me ask you first of all thank you so much for that. Oh yeah, that was incredible and we're going to use that for shows because we sport coat gene like we just simple. But to have that branded, we're going to get that. I always thought. Up until today I've never had the product in my hand. I always thought when I heard online, the metal is around the frame and it's obvious. So even when I held this one with the flag I'm like, oh, maybe not all of them have metal.

54:29

So, this is in the actual fabric.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 54:30

That's correct. Yeah, so it's in the center, so sandwiched in between.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 54:35

Interesting, and it's essentially a sheet of copper. Yes.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 54:38

Wow, get out of here. You can't even see it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 54:42

That's incredible. So why copper? Like copper is expensive, why copper, not another material?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 54:47

So, aside from the malleability and the lightweight of it, you can also bend it back forth. So when we were launching on Kickstarter, we did a survey, monkey, and we asked people like, if a company was starting what questions, what would you be skeptical about? And somebody wrote I would be skeptical that if I folded it a few times, it would fall apart after a couple of folds. So what I did was I did the thousand fold test, where I did back forth 1000 times.

55:17

And I did this kind of like I just showed you earlier and I turned it all out and we go boom.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 55:21

Is that why you're jacked? It was just from all this.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 55:23

It's just a lot of 1000 fold tests, so all this plank bullshit, that's amazing.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 55:33

Okay, so that's what you have the patent on? Yes, the makeup of that. So then your, your goal is to you don't want to sell this company or at some point, if it makes sense, but to bring on a strategic part. If someone wrote a check tomorrow that made sense for you and they were silent, would you want to partner like that? Or would you want a strategic partner, partner like a Damon from a Shark Tank? Cause you get the exposure Like what, what would a partnership look like if you did so?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 56:00

I'm going to go in two directions with that, because you mentioned Damon John from Shark Tank. He actually went into Rothmans, which is a store that carries us in New York City, and, completely on his own, saw this T-shirt tape recorded ago. This is a cool shirt, this is a cool brand, because we had a little insert of like what we do and why we're doing it and completely posted it on his own. So it's like oh my God, like that's so crazy.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 56:24

I didn't see any of that, so he posted that on his own, yeah, so what was his? What was his? He just liked it, he just loved it.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 56:31

Yeah, he's like the shirts really cool. I love and I love what this company's doing. Cause the store, rothmans said, hey, can you give like a little, almost like a blurb of what this campaign's all about? And he walked in, saw it, loved it, recorded it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 56:43

I was like wow so crazy is that that's an incredible press. So have you tried to follow up with them? And yeah, I've tried to reach.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 56:50

to get to him is not easy, it's like through his people, but it's okay. You know, if it's meant to be one day, it'll meant to be, but also, I think, a good strategic partner. If anyone knows Pitbull, please send him my way.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 57:03

We love Mr 305. I don't know, mr.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 57:07

Worldwide, mr Worldwide, oh, we'd love to have him. But like somebody like that would be, you know, somebody that has the experience, somarebody that has the network, somebody that can with one phone call, can you know, and he could put it in one of the songs like you can rhyme rare, cut with something right.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 57:23

Absolutely, and he embodies the style Like he's always down, correct, he's always yeah.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 57:26

He's on, he would be on brand. Yes, right so a partner like that would make a whole lot of sense. It wouldn't be just somebody like, hey, I have a lot of money, like that's great, do you have money, but do you more? So? Do you know the right people in the industry? Do you get, do you understand how to take this to the next level? Right, right, have you had the experience before? So it's more about the experience than anything. Yep, that's more what I'm looking for.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 57:48

That's incredible, so anybody could write a check. You need someone to.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 57:53

I'm trying to bring this to a certain place, yeah.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 57:55

And you still want to be the driver of this company? Yeah Right, like you still need to maintain that, yes, wow, okay, very cool stuff. So you've talked about branching off. This isn't just a pocket swear company, even though its premiere out of the gate product is crushing it. You got your patent, it's in position. There's going to be spin offs in this apparel umbrella that you're creating.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 58:21

Totally so. This is our Trojan horse, and I love to give my Greek references, especially to a fellow Greek I love you know. I want to certainly expand this into other areas in the apparel business, for sure, but I just think what we stand for is bigger than just like one product, and we also have. For example, we've had many females say hey, I love the campaign you did with. We did a shop local initiative and we had shirts for that too. My breast cancer awareness initiative and a lot of female friends were just like I love this, I wanna support it, but I don't wear pocket squares. Do you have anything for us? I'm like, yeah, we'll do something that everyone can wear. So let's make shirts. And I just felt like it was like the logical next step and I think it can go a lot further than that. So part of me wants to keep taking this and perfect it and get it to where it can be, while simultaneously also launching campaign shirts and just like bringing the brand to where I know it can go methodically.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 59:27

Yeah, absolutely so. Like getting an NBA one in Adam Silver's pocket square. I'll call that Right like, but the Cache 22 is you can't even do that without their permission. Like it's a Cache 22 on. Can I do that would be the ultimate. Can you imagine coaching staff on NBA?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 59:45

teams. Yeah, or NBA draft or NBA draft or NFL draft? Yes, and they're rocking one, and so I think twofold, and that's not a pocket square pun, but twofold.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 59:55

Because you're more than twofold. I'm more of a threefold guy, but anyway.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:00:00

So I really believe that the future of this company will be pulled in two directions. Licensing deals is gonna be a big one. So, like I'd love to. I love Batman. Batman is cool. I would love to have a Batman pocket square, you know, or New York Knicks or New York Mets. I would love to rock my teams. As I said, it's a conversation piece, absolutely so to have that all of a sudden and keep in mind when you go out to a social event, right, a lot of times people are looking for something to say to somebody.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:00:33

Or they don't know.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:00:34

It's the perfect icebreaker, but I think licensing would go such a long way. That's one, and also customization. So this is where yeah, this is where our focus is gonna be. This is actually, as far as, like a company goes, the first one we've done. We've done a couple weddings before. With what?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:00:53

Like their names or the date of the wedding.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:00:54

Yes, so my one friend, their family, has like a family, it's not quite crest, but it's like an animal, it's a bird. So they have. I didn't know people had family burns.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:01:08

But they look pelicans. I was just saying what is it? A shitty pigeon Like. What is it?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:01:12

But we do have a New York City pigeon. We find it's where they go. Of course we do. No, it's a pelican. So we put a pelican, we put the wedding date underneath and we did a repeat all over pattern and he gifted that to his groomsmen. That's a great gift, which is just like yeah, so we did that. We can do things where it's customized to the groomsmen, specifically with initials. This can go a lot of different ways. It's a lot of different ways.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:01:35

I even think, because I'm not a Thai guy right and ties are just constraining and whatever. Most guys are like Bukami, so right. But think of even people want to get their political message or social. Imagine wearing a MAGA one, a Trump's face or a buy again, I don't care what party you are or like. Greta Thunberg and people can go in so many different directions on, but how much does it become too gimmicky at some point.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:02:01

I just got chills Because, all right, so they're in development right now, especially this is an election year and we wanted to. I was like, all right, what's? You gotta stay current with what's happening, right, and you gotta follow trends. So we're making two different patterns. We're making one that has the Democratic donkey on it and the other has the Republican elephant on it. Perfect, but they're fun patterns. And then if you're just like, hey, neither we have the American flag one.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:02:30

Or just got a white one, plain blank, just neutral. Yeah, yeah, seriously.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:02:34

But for politics and to go into that, like you said, some people really love wearing their politics on their sleeve or on their hearts.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:02:42

Really, in this case.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:02:44

And yeah, we're like you know what we're going to do that we're coming out with an astrology line. So some people are really big into that. I personally am not, but a lot of people love astrology and I would say just about half our customer base are females. Ok, yeah, so they're gifting.

01:03:00

Gifting, yeah, and if a female happens to be into astrology and her guy is just like, whatever sign he might be he's an Aries, is it this or whatever Well, now she can gift that, and we're also going to be doing ones with Greek gods, as well. That's a good one. So yeah, like I said, just kind of leaning in and just finding like where it needs. That's half fun is decoding this whole thing.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:03:26

We got a co-branded with a part of Beneath His Brothers show on Netflix, Blood of Zeus.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:03:31

Oh, that would be amazing.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:03:32

Oh man, We'll get them to just approve Blood of Zeus and the God. Like that would be a cool series to get out there.

01:03:39

So the way you have it on your website now, which is just clean website, nice. Do you see going down the road and expanding and doing like you know you could customize t-shirts and you upload your design. Will people be able to do that at some point? And, hey, I want to put my daughter's face on there, or the faces and then just you know, and what would it turn around time if it was going to be for some?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:03:59

that custom, you nailed it. So, with customization, there's a lot of challenges that, like we were talking about earlier, outside like new levels, new devils, right. So I will like any new venture or any new project you take on. There will be a learning curve. There will be a learning process for all parties involved, especially me. So what you're going to see is you know you want to minimize the number of people who are getting to the point where you want to build a new approach. You want to know what you're going to be doing and you want to know what you're going to be doing.

01:04:35

If you like to see a new industry that you want to build, you want to do something that they didn't expect Like oh, I thought it would be larger at this, so you're going to have to have some form that you feel like. This is a preview of what it's going to look like. By clicking this box, you agree to go through with it, I think the turnaround time can be pretty quick. I mean I made this the day before creating it, printing it and then pressing it. I mean half hour 40 minutes.

01:05:05

And that's not. I don't even have a system down. You know, that's incredible. Yeah, that's incredible.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:05:09

So you'll be able to do that, and then you know the pixelation, the photo that's uploaded and all that like that would be such a cool feature on. People will pay whatever if they truly want to customize it, cause it's that gift, right? You're not gonna. Is it 50 bucks? Is it 100? Is it a hundred? You're gonna pay it because it's that gift time.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:05:27

Yeah, and another thing too, like personalization gifts, like somebody said this to me, they asked if I could. They were a big networker, like very big networker. Like the type where they come up to you and immediately they're like oh, nice to meet you. They don't really get to know you and they're like are you a LinkedIn? And they're like oh, what's your name? Again, like, who are you?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:05:47

exactly, we're the little man. Yeah, yeah, I think sometimes I know exactly, yeah.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:05:51

You know people that go into these networking events and they think it's a numbers name.

01:05:55

It's really not. You're way better off having a few quality conversations than dozens of conversations that go nowhere. But he did give me a good idea and if you're a good listener and I was training myself to be you pick up on things and he goes. You know what I love? Cause he loves LinkedIn so much he goes. I'd love if I had a pocket square, cause I told him what I did and the pocket square had QR codes on it, so if somebody wanted to link up, they just take a picture of the pocket square and they could get all my information there. I'm like I'm glad I spoke with you.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:06:25

That's not a bad idea. Yeah, this guy. And then you rejected him on LinkedIn. That would have been the ultimate.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:06:32

I was like that was it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:06:33

Hey, here's your QR code. Let's go, that's actually a great idea.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:06:37

You can just go into the website.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:06:40

Wow. So you're going a bunch of different ways. So your personality right, like you're very personable, right, like you've been on several podcasts, right, you get your message out there. It's about being better at what you do. Like you, you, you from what I see, it's like you let yourself be vulnerable as well on hey, what don't I know? What can I learn? Where can I go and listen to and better help. So just talk to me like the next step, while this business is building and you're going in different verticals and avenues, what are you doing to better yourself, which will, in turn, help your business?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:07:14

Oh for sure. So I'm a student of Tony Robbins. I'm a big fan of his. I went to one of his seminars when I was in college. My dad brought his office. I only agreed to go because I was going to miss a couple of days of school. That's the only reason I went and it changed my entire life. So that opened my mind up at a younger age to being open, to make changes, to being uncomfortable, and it's so important to like find yourself in these situations where you are uncomfortable so, like we talked about earlier, you could snap on when you need to because you've had exposure. Like I love that. So I'm always doing either courses or I'm a big reader. I just finished Joe Dispenza's book Becoming Supernatural, which talks about a lot of, like different meditations that are really powerful. So things that I do to improve myself are taking that time, making that time to do. I say for me is V-M-W visualization meditation and Wim Hof breathing.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:08:17

Have you ever done Wim Hof breathing? No.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:08:19

Pretty powerful.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:08:20

You give us a little synopsis, like what's the?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:08:24

It's just, it's a great time. It's about 12 minutes, I'd say, on average, where you take 30 inhales, as deep as you can, and full exhale and without pause, but in out 30 times and on 30, you exhale, you hold your breath and you would be shocked for how long you can hold your breath. If you had asked me, I would have said, prior to doing this exercise, maybe 25 seconds, but you do three rounds of it and there had been times not always, but there's been times where I've crossed over past four minutes and I was fine and I'm just like I'm just gonna On the exhale and stopping there and then, when you're done, you take another inhale and you hold it for 15 seconds and you're gonna feel a certain way. After You're gonna feel a lot better, you're gonna feel peace, calm and I don't know you just feel more whole, especially why I really can describe it. I might maybe sounds a little hippy, but like it's true, like you do this breathing exercise and afterwards you can't tell me that you don't feel better than when you started, really every single time.

01:09:30

So the VMW I do all the time visualization, meditation, wim Hof those are so important because in order to change, you know the outside world. You have to change from within, and that's where all change happens is from within. So these little things are not like you know. These are things that we all know, but it's things that we oftentimes don't do, like when it's more set. It's the good advice you just can't take. That's the advice like do that. If you can make the time to do that, it's gonna change your world.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:10:01

Yeah, and it's finding the time. That's great. What does visualization look like for you? What are you visualizing Success? Health success, yeah short term tasks too, Even like. Are you visualizing, Like?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:10:12

yeah, health, success, significant other, my family, my startup, accolades I wanna achieve even shorter to what you just said, I'm going LA and this is kind of a trip I wanna have and this is what I wanna get out of it and things like that. And it's funny because I didn't do this stuff a year ago and I was always very hesitant and resistant to doing it. But you read if you keep reading books and everyone's dropping hints on these autobiographies of like this changed my life, Okay, next book, this changed my life. Next book, and there's a common theme and you're not picking up on the cues. Yes, what do you do?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:10:53

why you're reading to begin with yeah, at least try it for you. It may not be for you, but at least open yourself. So BuddyMind on Sunday was telling me about Limitless with Chris Hemsworth. Have you seen that series? No, okay, I think it's on Disney, but it was on my flight to Vancouver yesterday.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:11:08

Let's actually, ironically, my word of the year for 2024.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:11:11

Limitless, okay, then you gotta watch it. Chris Hemsworth is like the epitome of just physically fit, whatever all this stuff. But I think it's like a six-part series and every episode he's pushing the limits on, like cold plunging, swimming in the Arctic in Norway for 250 yards. And then the other one. It's like skyscraper walking across fast thing. It's just really cool seeing that. And again to your point, everyone this past year is talking about cold plunging. Okay, it's this and that. Try it For me. I'm like I don't know if it's placebo. I feel like I feel better. Fine, fasting. For years people have been talking about intermittent fasting. I'm like, ah, it's a Hollywood-rich thing.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:11:52

You know, you just everyone's talking about it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:11:54

Now you try it. You're like I don't know if I feel bad. There's just so much coming in and out and all these fads. But I'm like it's gotta make sense, like if you're doing your research and the studies are showing it.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:12:03

At least try it out, You're not wrong. So somebody brought up the other day about like the Atkins diet, Like oh, I forgot that was even the thing. But guess what you could still do the Atkins diet today, even though it's not trendy anymore.

01:12:15

If it works for you. It works for you. And someone else the other day as well was talking about like how they didn't think meditation was for them and they go. Well, you can just pray instead. I go. Well, I'll just do both and I go. The difference is this With prayer, you're typically speaking and asking for something. With meditation, you're typically listening and receiving, and that's the difference. So I think there's a place for doing both.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:12:44

And I pray.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:12:45

Every morning I wake up and every night I go to bed. I make sure I do a prayer.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:12:49

So you're very faithful, like you have a strong faith, I do, yeah, I do.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:12:54

I don't go to church like that often but I will say I like to walk into a church when no one's there and go on my own time and take in maybe 15, 20 minutes and I get a lot of peace in doing that.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:13:08

But I haven't been to like I can't say I routinely go to like Sunday sermon though I'm the same, and now, with kids, though, we make more of an effort to go To kind of instill again on what our parents did, why we do this Like don't ask questions, just do it Like I don't know why we do it, and I'm 42. Yeah yeah, it's maybe not the best teacher for that, but whatever, I'm not trying to be something I'm not. We're gonna get into our culture, but talk to me about LA.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:13:35

You're here in LA.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:13:37

Visiting, right, so you're here for a week, two weeks, I'm here for a week and a half Amazing. So like what's going on out here? So a lot of things. So I'll say sorry, by the way yes. Thank you for coming to Newport Beach. Oh, dude, thanks for bringing me here. This is amazing.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:13:51

Yeah, I'm really so happy to be here. Man, having this conversation is awesome. Same man. So I will tie in this trip to also being Greek, and this is might sound like the Greekest thing ever of all time, but I can't help it, but that's really what brought me here. So, having gone to New York, we have a lot of gallows and meeting good people there, greeks from all over the country. Two of my friends, two now friends I met at a gala and ended up like hitting it off. I'm like, oh, you guys are awesome and they live here in LA and let me try to recruit me out here for a while to come visit. And we finally did. And one of my friends, christos he goes, dude, I have a guest room Like you can just crash in my place. I'm like, oh, that's really awesome. Now he had to go back home, his hometown of Utah or Ogden, utah, and Greeks made it out to Utah.

01:14:53

Yeah, man, they moved here, but yeah, but so he hasn't even gotten back to LA yet and we've only like, yeah, we stay in touch a lot, sure, but we've only like really hung out X amount of times but like that's the Greek community for you right there, like that's Philotimo, that is just like hey, like make yourself a home Sometimes speech is true Like that's unreal and it's just like the network that we're tapped into. It has potential to be a really, really beautiful thing. And then I have another friend here, gus, who we went out one night and we hung out with a couple of guys who were Greek and we went to the bungalow in Santa Monica.

01:15:39

And it was crazy. We had this section and more Greek people kept coming, and a lot of them we didn't know.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:15:47

Yeah, I saw it, so you were like hey, not a planned Greek.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:15:50

And I like unofficially, no, what happened was these girls heard somebody in the group and they weren't even close to us speaking Greek, and they heard they're like are you talking Greek? And they go yeah, come join us. Which I always say is so funny, because if somebody's 10 feet away from me and they're speaking English like I'm not necessarily making out what they're saying.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:16:09

I can't hear.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:16:09

But if somebody's 30 feet away from me and they're speaking Greek, I somehow hear.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:16:13

Yeah, it right on. Yeah, just like right, absolutely, it's so true.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:16:17

So that really was my big thing to come out here, visit friends. And I also think, as much as I love New York and you know this, between January and February there just comes a point as a New Yorker where, like, I just have to get the hell out of here for a short period for my sanity, the weather I was shoveling last week. You want to like? This is a treat.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:16:38

No, but it causes depression Like that whole great time, depression like it's real right.

01:16:43

Like you need sun, your body needs sun, you need it. Yeah, and it's like that culture why I always say this the Brits in the UK. I used to live in Ireland and the weather report was four days. This year we're gonna have some sun the rest of the year. It's just well. How do you expect people not to be like just annoyed and angry and want to do barf? It's just, it's a lot. So that is the benefit on this side.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:17:05

Without a doubt.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:17:06

So you're out here, you're expanding your network personally, which leads into business as well.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:17:11

Yeah, for sure what are your thoughts?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:17:12

You've been to California before.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:17:14

Yeah, yeah, I've been to Cali a few times, a few times.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:17:16

Yeah, do you like coming out here Love?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:17:19

I love it here. I honestly like to move here, do you love it? So that's the funny part which I'll say, is I what I've noticed in LA? Everyone's recruiting here, Everyone's like you should move out here, you should move out here. I got. When are you moving out here? I've been hearing that all the time. No one says that in New York Everyone's like I feel like we're getting rid of people.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:17:38

Well, and then when you tell them New Yorker, like I live in Cali, oh, that's great, I'm like nah man, this is New York, this is awesome. You kidding me, like it's always, are you kidding me? I'm like no man, new York's great. The weather's amazing here, people are fantastic, it's just, everyone is far away.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:17:53

That I don't love. I asked my friend. I was in Venice Beach yesterday. I was going downtown LA, and I'm like, oh, should I take the train? He's like no. And then I was at Santa Monica Beach going to Venice, and I stopped this one kid. He was skateboarding. I go hey man, real quick, I'm trying to go to Venice Beach. He goes that way and he's like, yeah, you can take an Uber. I'm like, well, how far is it? He's like, oh, it's like I'm on like a 25 minute walk. I go that sounds perfect, that's great, I'm going to walk. He goes you're going to walk.

01:18:23

I'm like yeah, of course he goes, oh OK. And my buddy said it's like, yeah, it's not really a walking culture here.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:18:29

It's not a walking culture. Even though you have the boardwalk and you go right, it's not. And that was the hardest thing for me and my wife from the city moving here. It's like you can't. I got to go get water or milk, it's just you drive everywhere.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:18:43

Yeah, the spread out is listen, it's not the biggest problem in the world. The traffic stinks and the inter-connectivity of New York City is just like. It's beautiful, Like you get anywhere in a really quick amount of time, Like I love that, Like, granted, it's not all rosy. There's obviously some downside. It's something New York but for me, even though I love it here and I think it's funny, I have a very New York way about me, but I also have a very go with the flow aspect of my personality and that part of me. I just feel like I'm really tapping into it here extra and I'm just find myself being very chill, which is really nice, Like I'm really taking time to just pause and just observe things here In New York. It's just like all right, this guy is walking next to me, I'm going to out, Like if everything becomes like a competition like you're out pacing somebody next to you.

01:19:36

I'm not doing that here For real.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:19:38

Why is Anthony doing push-ups in the middle of the intersection?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:19:40

on Fifth, out here to prove what, like dude, slow down. No, no, it isn't no-transcript.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:19:45

You know late 30s in New York, a whole life. You come out here. It's beautiful, right, Orange County. It's physically beautiful, it's just. It's a different world, Wasn't that?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:19:55

the end of Mad Men. Did you ever watch that show?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:19:57

I didn't finish. I didn't finish it either, that's why I.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:20:00

It's one of the only shows I've. I don't really watch that many shows, but I love the beginning and I never got to the end. It just became too slow moving. But I think the ending was he ends up being this hustle bustle New York guy in.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:20:12

Madison Avenue he finds himself out here in California, so I can see how that happens Well you see that and then you see a lot of like professional athletes move down here after their career is done because, like son chill, I've been in it, you know it's. Yeah, it's fantastic, let's talk culture. Sure, Okay, For the non-Greek listeners, they'll probably zone out now and be like right enough of the Greek talk, but it's good to talk about our culture. So your grandparents were born in Greece parents are right here, that's correct, okay, so, mom and dad.

01:20:43

So where's your? Your background is from an island called Gios, correct? Okay? Yes, x, ios or C-H-I-O-S for the listeners.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:20:49

Yeah, depending on how you're spelling it. Yeah right, Exactly.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:20:51

Both parents from there.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:20:52

Correct Yep.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:20:53

Okay, oh, so you're like legit 100%.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:20:55

Yeah, yeah.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:20:56

But for the listeners.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:20:58

98% of the Greeks in the New York area are from Gios and so many of us Right and in Napakos, I feel like, and Napakos as well. Yeah, yep, so it's my brother-in-law from Napakos. Oh, he's Napakos. Yeah, yeah, there you go.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:21:10

But that's New York, right? So let's talk a bit about the island. Last week we had the founder of Gios here, lovely Mastiko Mastika. So we're going to, I'm going to pour you a little one too, oh, I will not say no.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:21:22

You will not say no, not as fantastic.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:21:24

You're probably over this. You shower with this stuff, right, and you're a costume.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:21:28

Well, you know, oddly enough, they do make shampoos, so you?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:21:32

can shower with that, they do shower. So tell us a bit about just the island right and what that means to you. I know you're passionate. You go back every summer, yeah.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:21:40

So one of my favorite parts about the island I guess it's the LA of islands, where you have to drive everywhere. So I will say that one of the things I love most about Gios is that it's still preserved in this culture. So it's not a very touristy island and I'm not even trying to talk smack but like, for example, miko no se, santorini. Thank you, cheers, man, cheers To you and to Rerecata. Yeah, thank you, brother, to you. Everything you're doing here, man, is fantastic, appreciate you See, I enjoy this.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:22:13

I don't know my old age. I'm a fan, I'm a fan, I love it. Where would you rate this? On top of because you're a true Hioti? Do you know like when you drink a mastika? Do you know like quality?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:22:26

So it's funny that you say that, because I always say, all right, we're in LA and actually you're. Cumbado Thanasi brought me to a fantastic place for breakfast burrito. We went to Covax Okay, never been, it's so good, it's very good. But I think, because I knew I was going to Covax and it's an establishment and it's a spot here, I think in my mind I was just like, yes, this is amazing, even though it was. But if I was in New York and I got a breakfast burrito, I don't know that I'd be able to distinguish the difference. Yes, if you blind taste tested like a pizza or a bagel, like you'd know like this is not a New York bagel.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:23:06

You know what I'm saying. Absolutely. Before that point though, shake Shack versus In-N-Out oh, hands down.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:23:13

Shake Shack. Thank you, man. I'll double cheers to that dude. People hand me over here for that, it's not close.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:23:20

I even got my eight-year-old hooked on Shake Shack not hooked like obesity problem. In-n-out is good, but to your point, when you're here, it is California. Yeah, it's a thing to do. It's a thing to do, but come on man, shake Shack.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:23:33

I'm with you, so I think I can tell you a good one, like with Mastica. I can tell you a good one from a not good one, and this is definitely a very good one. But there are certain things where. So packaging and marketing comes into play. Are you a whiskey drinker, bourbon guy at all? More vodka guy? Okay, yeah. So for a birthday I had one year, my friends took me to a blind taste test of six different whiskies. One of them is this bottle called Pappy Van Winkle and it's small batch. You cannot get your hands on it, and if you do, you're going to pay several thousand dollars for a bottle. If you can get your hands on it, really.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:24:15

Kentucky based Correct, so technically you have to be from Kentucky.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:24:19

Yeah, that has to be a bourbon. Yes.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:24:21

Bourbon.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:24:22

Okay.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:24:22

So Pappy Van Winkle, I've never heard of it.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:24:24

Yeah, it's like a bourbon. All bourbon or whiskey drinkers know of this. So we go there and the instructor goes okay, guys, we're doing a blind taste test. Ask me why? Why? Okay, why Because if we told you this one is Pappy, you're going to be like, oh my god, the notes of vanilla, this, that and oh, now I know why it's so expensive and so good. Let your taste buds determine for you, right? So we had six different ones and we all ranked them. I would say about 90% of the class had Pappy in the bottom half of their favorite whiskies. Wow, yeah. So that's where marketing and storytelling comes into play and is so important. And all of a sudden it tastes better.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:25:06

Yes, right, that's true. That's what that's with everything in life, right, oh, you got to meet this girl or this guy and man, like, undersell things more and just, I'd rather be undersold something than oversold.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:25:18

Well, they say hype kills. Right, yeah, hype kills.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:25:20

Absolutely so. Then Hios, because it's special and I was even telling my clients who are Italian yesterday we're talking about Hios came up in conversation because I was craving mastica. I don't know why. Like, I went in and the bar we were at I'm like you know what? Let me just start light before I get shitfaced.

01:25:35

But they didn't have it, and that's why we started talking about it, but it blows my mind that Hios is a small island in Greece and there's only 24 villages that grow the skinos trees that produce the sap or the tears that produces. They've tried to take this to other parts of the islands. Other parts of Greece doesn't produce the tears.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:25:58

The trees will grow, but not the mastic. Yeah, and not even. I don't know if you know this the north half of Hios can't even grow the trees, that's insane.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:26:07

That's crazy. And then this throughout time Hios has always been protected, even through everyone just ransacking Greece to protect this, because they knew the Egyptians and everyone wanted to protect this and keep it for them. That's pretty remarkable. Why is this not marketed and this was a conversation I had with Effie from Clip why is that not better marketed around the world? You know the Champagne region, you know the Konyak region. That's a big deal. But you have the Mastika shop and you see that. But I don't think people really understand how special it is.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:26:41

Yeah, it's like liquid gold. And to your point, yeah, we were protected to some degrees. Obviously there was the Hios massacre, so we weren't completely spared. But yeah, it was looked at as like oh wow, this is a luxury. And to your point, as far as marketing it goes, I think the issue is because there's so few that can be produced. You can't really mass produce it, but you can upcharge. That you can do, but there's only so much you can grow, and with all the constant fires that Greece experiences, he also included.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:27:17

Oh, that as well. It happens all the time.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:27:21

But yeah, I think they could if more people knew about it. It just takes the right person to do it right, the right campaign. Absolutely you can change everything. I'm forgetting his name. He's a Greek American marathon runner and he uses Mastika, but the solidified version. He keeps it in, like his little pouch, I suppose, because it activates the salvatore glands. So when he's on mile whatever, instead of having extreme dry mouth, he uses the Mastika. He's almost like dead.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:27:56

Oh, like they did.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:27:57

Yeah, and he's, it helps him finish races he says yeah.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:28:00

He also said he keeps it next to the cocaine.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:28:02

They're not drug testing, that guy. He's trying to be the guy that brings Mastika to the next level. To the next level. Yeah, and I just cut him down. Sorry, buddy.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:28:15

It's special. So what like? What's your culture? Second generation what did your parents do for a living?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:28:22

Yeah, so my dad, prior to being in real estate, he had every job on the planet.

01:28:28

We always laugh, we were like you did this too, you did that, he did everything, yep, and then worked in real estate and then opened up his own office and him taking that chance obviously changed a whole lot of things. But yeah, he's in real estate, so sales and obviously a huge influence and inspiration in my life. And going after school to my dad's office, we would do homework there. You don't realize that you're picking up on things like me and my sister would go there and we'd hear calls all day, every day, from people on making you know, bringing in clients, seeing how people conducted themselves. So I think that just became like ingrained in my DNA and just like I didn't even know I was learning at the time. But that exposure like helped me kind of, I guess, get into the working world a lot easier because I had seen it, you know, I mean, I had been a part of it Absolutely. So that was a huge, you know huge how was he as a communicator.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:29:21

So yeah, like how he does it, he still does it. So obviously he was like encouraging, positive, like so through us most, as you're picking up everything right.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:29:31

Yeah, and he's a good man too. So I'm very blessed to have a great influence in my life, just to both my parents. I'm very blessed I have quality human beings as parents. They're amazing and that's great to hear. Yeah, my family's my everything. So I'm crazy about them and they, you know they.

01:29:51

If you don't have anything to hide and you just are who you are and you're like you're a good person, then you'll good things will happen to you because you have nothing, you have no like agenda. You know what I mean. So I've had that as an influence, which has been huge and you know, life changing Amazing. But you know, that's really where I learned a lot of things from which I didn't even know I was learning at the time. And then my you know all my other grandparents came in at different times. I had one, papua, that I never met. He passed away before my time but he came in through Ellis Island on this one ship where I have that photo. It's framed and every time I leave my house I touch it, I do my cross and I just remember. I take that like five seconds to be like that five seconds, be like don't forget why you're here, like don't lose track. So easy to lose sight and be like ah, new York City, the subway sucks and this sucks.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:30:51

And it's very easy to get into that mindset especially New York, starving in a shitty village back in Greece. Correct, yeah, yeah, and then be a mountain man Like yeah, I don't want that.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:30:59

But I, you know, I remember like all the sacrifice that was made here. He worked at a fruit stand. You're like you just busted his ass and I think, and you're a parent, like you want to make sure, like you provide your kids with opportunities that you didn't have. And you know, my Papua had nothing. My dad started with nothing and became like really something and became a long way and like now the expectations are for me to take what I'm doing and raise the bar, right.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:31:29

So that's a big deal, man, and especially like what they did. They left for a reason because there's circumstances back home, right, nobody who had money was leaving any country, any immigrant. They had to leave for a better life. But he came on a boat. That's a big deal.

01:31:45

So my both my grandfathers passed before I was born. My one grandfather, from Calamata, moved to Brooklyn, worked the legally. Construction sites, fell from a building killed in Brooklyn, right, so that just changed. Like just life is funny. Family was supposed to come to New York and migrate, but after he passed away, they ended up going to Canada. It's just life is just incredible. But every day you should appreciate, like and again, it's not about Greek, you can be Chinese, italian, whatever it is. You've got to appreciate where your people came from and the struggles and then respect, like you're talking about your heritage, but you're a proud New Yorker American. We live here, right, this is giving us our life. You have to respect that and not. We can't get so blinded and like this is my heritage, right, cool, this is also your country as well. It's like 100%. A lot of the times we're almost too passionate about back home that you see it.

01:32:41

You're like you're romanticizing it. I think it is.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:32:43

Yeah, that's a good way to put it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:32:45

You try to be both places.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:32:48

But to your point, like what you just said, I think that I don't like when I hear anyone from Greek culture, included by any culture, when they're just like I'm this and F this place we have, we're very listen, there's no country on this planet that has it all figured out. But everything's a work in progress, right? But I'd say change starts here, absolutely, change starts here. If we're going to talk in the 2024 terms, we're the influencers of the world, right? So if you want to make change, here's the place to do it. And yeah, I don't lose sight of that man. I don't lose sight of how blessed and lucky we are to be here.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:33:24

How do you not succeed, right, like, how do you not succeed in this? Like there's no better framework for you to go and yeah, there's taxes, there's this, there's that, but like the mechanism that's here, you have to succeed, right. Right, you're not fighting a government or there's always corruption, bad example, but the infrastructure to be an entrepreneur in the United States of America. You will not find a better system anywhere in the world.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:33:47

No, we were a country built by entrepreneurs. So like again, we talk about carrying on tradition and carrying the torch, like that's in our DNA, and also, as Greek Americans, like I mean, that's kind of the beauty about being both those things. Like we're rebellious by nature, which kind of gets us into trouble sometimes. Yes, but think about it. Like how was America formed? America was formed by rebels. Yeah, what are Greek?

01:34:11

what are Greeks Pretty rebellious as well right and the fighters and you know, yeah, a lot of the like we keep fighting and pushing, and like I think it's so important to know your roots and where you come from and not to forget, like we're sitting here today, think about all the generations past, like back back, back, back back for us to be in this room having this conversation, talking business, like a lot had to happen for this moment to occur. Oh yeah, so like I just don't lose sight of that.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:34:43

Absolutely, and we got to keep it going. Just kind of, if there were a few people, just say three people, historically or today, that could wear your product, that you would be proud of like, who would you want to wear your product?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:34:55

Oh damn, those are really good question, Right.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:34:58

And don't say Socrates, because they never wore suits Right.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:35:00

Okay, okay, fantastic, fantastic question.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:35:06

And why Just like? Why would you want that person? Okay, Cool.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:35:10

I like that One would be let's go with Dean Martin from the Ratpack yeah Class, why him? I just think that time and again we might be romanticized, but I liked when like the guy, as at least it's how it's portrayed to us they had gentlemen dressed like gentlemen, right, and I liked the attire of the day. You know, people going out was an event and it wasn't just like I'm gonna throw on like sweatpants that are wrinkled like you got dressed to go anyway. People got dressed to go on flights, right, you know, right.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:35:53

So now with the choice around our neck, and all this like seriously, for your one hour flight, although I gotta say I probably don't look best on my best self on flights either in fairness, but like you know they, you know going out meant something like being meticulous and being like.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:36:07

You know people cared about their appearance and how they looked, because that's part of your overall package. Right, that's what people are seeing and, whether we like it or not, people form an opinion of somebody when they see them within two seconds. They say two seconds. You have not that you know who they are, but you got a general sense of just like oh, this is a, like an astute gentleman like you know. We'll kind of like paint a picture immediately and then you could prove them right or wrong. Yep, but right away they already have something in their head.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:36:32

That's insane. Within a few seconds, Two seconds.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:36:34

So I read that in the entrepreneur magazine when it was is this little?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:36:37

magazine, I don't know man.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:36:40

So him and I just think that, like he's kind of like and I think everyone would say Sinatra, but I think, like I think he was just like the king of I mean, I think that was the same name too King of Cool King of Cool yeah he was, yeah, a little less flash than the Sinatra, who I respect a lot of too, but just a cool dude.

01:37:00

Yeah, yeah, this charisma right, yeah, yeah, so him, okay. Second, I'm going to go with let's go with the other AO, and I don't mean Anthony Orises, Aristole Onassis.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:37:11

Oh shoot, let's go with him, let's go with him. That's a good one. Yeah, you ever thought of that one before? That would be that.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:37:19

Well, that's a great one, Aristole Onassis would have been like. Really, that would have been great to. I mean, he married a Kennedy's wife. I mean that's pretty crazy and everything he did, you know, hustled. Not a good looking guy whatsoever, but was you know?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:37:36

was a small guy this, but I carried that.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:37:39

Yeah, had that presence.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:37:40

Oh, my God had that presence right and he's not talked about enough, or his legacy. There's the other side. I just read a book, maybe a year ago, that kind of talked about the other side of it and the corruption and all this. That's fine. I'm sure everybody has a story. But what he did at that time, against all odds, right, going up against the US government and then against the Saudis- with the oil. The guy did some big things, yes, okay, so that, yeah, he was the ultimate class at that point.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:38:14

Yeah. And the third I'm going to say this because I'm manifesting it Pitbull, I like that, I'm going back at it. I want Pitbull, I want yeah. If anyone's listening and you know him, please contact us. I think very much. So I really think he embodies what we do and what we are and, like I said, he dresses the part. If I was to say rare cut was a personality, I would say it's more Ryan Reynolds, because we're tongue-in-cheek, we're funny, we're fashion, but like, we like looking good, feeling good, but we also don't take ourselves over the top series. We're not that guy that walks into a room with like, with an added like, a bad attitude. No, we're fun loving, we like to have a good time.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:39:02

Dude, your tagline alone is fun, right? It's got that, innuendo, it's got this, and it explains exactly what it does.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:39:09

Yeah, our tagline is it stays up.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:39:10

By the way, it stays up. Yeah, there you go.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:39:12

People are like oh, did you know that that I go? Yeah, that was done by design.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:39:15

Basically, anthony is saying the other ones have a rectile dysfunction, this one does it, but not this one. Not this one.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:39:20

We're good, yeah, no but I so he's like hilarious, but in terms of just like somebody that rocks the jacket that I can see it in Every time he has an appearance he's wearing a sports jacket Absolutely.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:39:33

And then like perfectly tail yeah exactly.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:39:35

So yeah, those are your three.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:39:37

Yeah, I like you, man. That was actually a good Uh yeah, thanks, we're gonna clip that. So what else? Just to close out Next steps, this, where can people go? So socials will be shared? All that stuff? Yes, rare cut that rare cutcom. Yes, all the socials at rare cut. Anything else regarding the business that we need to talk about?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:39:58

Um. Regarding the business Um, do you have?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:40:01

any uh like media, any any stuff that you're working on from like uh TV. Are you going to try to get on Shark Tank with this? This is like the ultimate product.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:40:10

Yeah, so with, so, with Shark Tank. I have watched enough of it to know that I Don't want to go on there yet. Yep, because they will take apart everything, yeah, yeah. And also I want to get uh, what's that Kanye song? We tell I get my money right. Well, we tell I get my numbers right.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:40:27

Yes and when my numbers are right then it'll be the right time it's.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:40:30

there's still things I need to work out, um I so I had to take six months off, very, very reluctantly, but I did um and what was driving that.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:40:40

Can you get into that or no? Oh yeah 100%.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:40:42

So what got into that was two things happen kind of simultaneously. The first is Right before we're about to launch our father's day ads, which for us rare cut like father's days, are super bowl, you know because no one knows what to get dad, that's right. No one knows what to get dad. Get dad. The gift that he wants is for it to stay up.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:41:02

Exactly If you can't find the pink pill or the blue pill, you get this one.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:41:07

I got this so you know, I had all this stuff lined up. I was working with my buddy who does my ads and we had everything teed up ready to go. And we he calls me up like I had all these missed calls. I, I actually was just at the school and I had all these missed calls and I was going on and said, dude, we have a major problem. Here's your uh facebook ad account got hacked and some drop shipping companies spent thousands of dollars, you know, promoting some bullshit, and you have all these fees and your accounts locked.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:41:40

I'm like how long does this take?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:41:41

to fix. He didn't know either. He's like uh, hopefully only a few days. It took five months to get my account back to go through facebook corporate and try to no way.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:41:51

Five months, so that was one. Isn't that scary how dependent we are, though, on a platform?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:41:56

very, very. That really opened my eyes to a lot of stuff. That was one and secondly, was really bad as well Now I'm going to tie these two stories in together is, um, we were taking um the pocket square, which I used to call them blanks, and someone told me dude, everything you do has a fun nickname to it. Why are you calling them blanks? So now we call them nudes.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:42:17

So they were nudes? Yeah, because blanks is like gun related right Blank it just means it has no pattern on okay, so blanks but that's why I would always call them blanks.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:42:25

He's like no, make it more fun. So we call them nudes. So if it's out without a pattern on it, it's a nude, I like it. So we took the nudes and we pressed them and what happened was See how this printed out clean and white. Yep, the last ones that we had, the last batch, which I got thousands of. When I pressed them, this was all brown, and the reason that happened was the manufacturer that Uh, was working on this. They opted to use a cheaper adhesive, which I didn't give the green light on, and it, it, it in, in turn got. We had products that didn't print out properly. So this all happened within like Days of one another, days. So now I'm just like I have all this momentum going. I feel like I'm kicking ass. People are starting to care, right, or sales are like rising, like this is this is our time, right now. And then there's all this happened at once and it was there's no other way to say it, man, it was, it was a kick in the nuts.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:43:19

It's devastating man, it really hurt.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:43:21

Now, what I didn't know is sometimes you don't know that there is a blessing at the time of the event, but only when you look back do you realize that it was a blessing.

01:43:31

You know, not during the storm. You're not seeing that? Yeah, never during the storm. So here's why that actually kind of worked out well is because If I didn't get my facebook ad account hacked, we would have got a lot of orders orders I could not fulfill. So every time somebody got an order, these would be brown and I would not send that out. So I'd have to spend all this money on advertising, lots of money on advertising Then turn customers away, then have those customers be like I'm not going back to that brand, they can't. You know, they didn't come through, they didn't fulfill there in the bargain, and I would have been even more devastated.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:44:05

And that's your one shot, right? They're not coming, yeah correct.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:44:08

Yeah, so what I got from that was this we used that time to find a new supplier, a new manufacturer that has quality control Right. They the materials, that what they did. So I didn't notice that when you have a role of fabric, there's a correct side and there's an incorrect side. I didn't know that either. I learned, okay, what was happening a lot was the other manufacturer was using the incorrect side a lot of times, so it felt different. It printed different. This now a new manufacturer I work with, US based or overseas.

01:44:42

Their overseas okay, but everything is. Everything is still printed in my garage in Astoria. Everything's still assembled, so it's still technically made In Astoria, because everything is.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:44:53

They come as nudes, but nudes with, like cloth, copper, cloth technology.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:44:58

Correct, okay, correct yeah but everything is is still printed here, well, by here in USA, yep. So with that said, um, I was like all right, I have a little time now to like what. What could I have done differently in the meantime? And I'll be like you know what. The one thing that I noticed is like I wish they were a little bit bigger Now. You don't want them to be too large, because you'll have bulk, bulk, but you don't want them to be too small because then, if it all pock, not all pockets are made equal.

01:45:29

Some are big and yeah and a lot of old suits have gigantic pockets and then people will put it in and it would fall and they'd be like, oh, I thought it stays up. I go. Well, it doesn't defy gravity because it doesn't float. But if it's tall enough where it stands I bet any money on it is not moving at all. Right, but I didn't want to have to like get into that talk tracks. I was like why don't we just make it bigger? So in that time we got better material, better fabric, better prices and we made it an inch and a half bigger. So bigger is better.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:45:59

So inch and a half, okay, yeah.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:46:01

Yeah, so it's, and and, honestly, now we have a better product, it prints better and we leave it like all those problems are gone. They were thinking of the past, but I wouldn't have discovered this without having gone through that period of painting, that transition period of just like, what the hell do we do now?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:46:17

Well, that's where we were able to take this to the next level. So that's just a great insight into Things. People think it's a pocket square. You cut some cloth right, you throw. There's technology to pocket squares right.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:46:29

Yeah, absolutely to support it.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:46:30

There's yeah, and then were you manufacturing in the us when that?

01:46:35

Yes yeah, and they're probably trying to save a few bucks. Did whatever? Yeah, it happens to us All the time when we didn't have ownership in our factories overseas. Oh, yeah, but we saved a quarter of a cent. Yeah, exactly. Capacitor, yeah, when there's 200 elements to this light fixture. Okay, you did that, you, we didn't approve it. And guess what they're failing after a thousand hours? Yep, right. And then guess who's playing electricians across 50 loads. Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's devastating, but you learn. And then you know the questions to ask and everything it's.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:47:07

It made me a better entrepreneur, it made me sharper. It was like it was expensive lesson to learn, but I learned it. And now, when? When? Now you're you're not the same person, right, because you know what you know now, and If I ever go through Whether it's this business or another business and I'm working with a certain manufacturer I now have certain questions and criteria that I didn't have prior. You kind of go in a little bit blind and you hope for the best and you're like well, I hope you do great now. I know the right questions to ask and you know there's I'm sure there's things I haven't thought of still to this day, but I'm going there a lot sharper. And they know that they're dealing with somebody that knows what he's talking about. Yes, you know. And now, because the person you're dealing with knows what they're talking about, you're not going to bullshit them or you're gonna be like oh, they're on top of it, they know their business. Oh, yeah, you know your business. People are going to take you a lot more serious.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:47:52

And what you know today is not what you're going to know next year or five years from now?

01:47:57

No, when you start going into other verticals in the space, so much more stuff that you have to learn. Yeah, right, like it's. Yeah, it's exciting, so this is rocking. Let me ask you, from 2016 till now, how many times did you seriously consider, hey, I gave it a go. This is just not Like how many times? Or give me a time where you because for sure you've thought of that, I'm not putting words in your mouth of like Maybe this isn't going to work. I'm stressed, I'm in a personal bad space or Like what, give me a time and why you were thinking of quitting.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:48:32

Okay, I'm being straight up. The number of times I thought about quitting were zero, straight up. Number of times I was frustrating, frustrated. I can't even give you a number, it's, it's infinity. Yeah but like I Know my outcome and I know my purpose and Call it being a greek american, there's a certain you could say relentlessness or or stubbornness, whatever you want to call it?

01:49:02

Yeah, that is probably both that has propelled me in my life, right, like, if I'm like, okay, I'm gonna make sure I get whatever that is, I'm gonna make sure I get what that is, um, and like, I will bulldoze through to make sure that happens, yes, now I on this route there was a lot of detours, um, and they were very frustrating, and I it's probably the most, the time was the most frustrated was the example I gave earlier where it's father's day. I put all this time into content creation. Um, feed everything up. I had my, my friends come over in the garage and I'm like, hey, let's, we'll throw up something on defflicks. Uh, we'll put some music on. And can you help me fold these boxes ahead of time, because you know it takes a little time to put these boxes together and they don't come like this they're all flat packed. They'll flat with, like, these adhesives that you gotta like peel it off. It's sometimes like gets in your nail in there.

01:49:51

It's like oh yeah, Stinks like we're going through it and we made a night out of it. I'm like I'll order pizza. We'll have some beers like just fun homegrown stuff.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:50:01

And so that whole batch had pizza stains all over the yeah, but it's okay.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:50:06

Yeah, no, I yeah it's funny that uh, that works based on. But I get so like my friends are talking like not too close to the material or Whatever so um, it's your babies, man.

01:50:15

Yeah, but that was so. Having had friends come over Constantly, I canceled plans I had. I had dates that I said I, I have to cancel like weeks in advance, and like who cancels weeks in advance? Unless you actually have something, I go. I'm gonna be so busy because of my business. I just want what you know now, but there I won't be able to make the time because I'm gonna be so busy. Right, I, everything I had a christening. I told them like this, I can't go because this is like our busy time. I just want to give you the heads up like no, we understand, no problem, and to clear my entire calendar for five weeks and then Get your facebook ad account hacked. You have Products you cannot use that you spent thousands and thousands of dollars on and just really the momentum, just the wind being taking out of you. That was, hands down, the worst time.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:51:02

The worst time. That time, that was the worst time.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:51:04

There's other than bad times, but that was the worst.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:51:06

That was the worst. Yeah, cheese man. And that five months may have set you back three years, but you can't look at that. It's like it was a setback, yeah yeah, I often think about that too.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:51:15

It's like, all right, where would I be today if I had that time, the funds, the you know, all the sales we would have? You know, the goal was to sell out of our inventory and yeah, but I, but I really don't even I'm expressing that to you now and having this conversation, but I'm just like, all right, where am I at now? Like you pick yourself up and like what's wrong?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:51:35

You roll sort of this. Let me ask you on inventory the nudes is the basis of every single pattern. Yes, okay, so you have your nudes, it's white, and then if something is like blue or a darker color base, that's on the printing Correct, so that that's got to help tremendously. Just on inventory 100%.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:51:52

So if we make a pattern right like let's just say it's I don't want to talk Ill of this coffee companies We'll just say anything.

01:51:59

We'll just say any, any brand or any. Let's just say it's a penguin, yeah, and we're like, oh, these penguin patterns, these are gonna rock. Yep, we're gonna, we're gonna crush it. You have to make it the least, at least 100, and that's even the minimum. If we didn't do it this way, it's probably more like 200 to 250. Yep, let's just say they don't sell. We sold, we sold 10. Now I got 240 of these things. I cannot move for anything Like shut your business down now. And we can make infinity patterns and we can be made to order, which is what we are.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:52:32

So you. So, for example, if someone I want to order 10 of these that has my company's logo and I just want 10, you have the nudes. That's the basis of your whole business, which is amazing. The technology is in here that you physically make the design file Printed on whatever special papers needed and then you print like that. That's incredible, yeah, where you're not sitting there like I think we could sell 100, ideally, that would.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:52:57

That would have been a disaster. Yeah, you'd be disaster, yeah you'd just be sitting on disaster yeah. That's the thing. So sorry, your main to order.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:53:05

Yes, so your designs are inspiration correct, but everything is made to order. That that's pretty amazing. And then One of these to make from start to finish. We're talking minutes, minutes, yeah.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:53:18

The. So the for patterns like for the greek fly that you're rocking right now or the evisoness that I have here. You know, we go to a larger factory and we say give me x amount of yards. So we roll it out. I have a station in my garage. I cut across, I have two squares, I put the nude in the middle right and I put the paper underneath and on top. We put it in a heat press transfer machine. We press it for about you know like a minute or so, and now we have that pattern there, um, on both sides. You do that On both sides. You know it's, it's a double sided heat press, so I don't have to flip it for that reason.

01:53:51

There's not many of those. So we have one Um, and that's like that's a game changer. Yeah, but um, if I didn't, yeah, if I didn't have that method to to produce, I, I don't know how far it could have gone. Yes, and this is. There's a lot like dumb luck that happens with With entrepreneurship, like you have your plans, and then sometimes there's like serendipitous things that just work out beautifully, like whoa, I don't have to carry excess inventory and guess which patterns are going to be, you know, selling. Not, that's a game changer.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:54:25

So that's a big deal. Yeah, I wish my business was like that. We we are a custom business, but ours is. I can't just go back and like crank out a hundred of these and make good very, ours is like a process. That's, that's a great way. So, uh, there was someone we were talking about tv related. Can you share that? Or is it too premature? Because I think that, with your personality Right, your business acumen and then what you're about to share with the audience, kind of a big deal, to kind of get yourself out there further.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:54:54

Yeah, I appreciate that.

01:54:55

Yeah, so I just uh, at the time of this taping, I found out yesterday that there's a show on amazon it's called the blocks be a BLO x and it basically it's a show that takes entrepreneurs that have startups from around the country and they put them in, like this hub that's in oklahoma, and you're there for a week straight, so it's like an intensive week, and you're there with other entrepreneurs and you're there's a bunch of mentors, and what happens is they give you different challenges on a daily basis. Like, okay, now envision that you are, uh, a customer who's on the fence about purchasing your product. Be that customer and now overcome objections, and you're doing it in front of, obviously, cameras, but in front of everyone else as well. And, um, I just think it's a really great opportunity to learn, uh, to get myself, my brand out there, my, my personal brand out there, um, and just, I think you could take it. Really, I believe you could take the business to new heights. So I'm just really excited about the opportunity. I'm like, I'm pretty stoked, huge.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:56:01

Congratulations.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:56:01

Thank you.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:56:02

That's a big deal and it's amazon, amazon prime right Is there, that's that's not mickey moe's, it's not a youtube show. It's not no, nothing against youtube or whatever, but it's a big deal.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:56:12

It is a big deal. Yeah and um, you know I happen to speak to somebody that did casting. He was on the show and what's pretty neat is that they bring you can be a recurring uh member on the show so you can do season whatever like season I think they're about to do. I forget the number season. I watched season six, but you can be on season six, for example, you could be on season eight, you could be on season nine. This guy I believe that I spoke to. He couldn't give me too much information because they haven't aired yet, but he won something. So now he's doing casting and he's doing recruiting amazing and he called me and he's like, basically told me this show changed his life. So that's kind of all I needed to hear Are you kidding me?

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:56:52

It's a no brainer. It's a no brainer like Jeff Bezos. Move over, dude, we're coming. That's exciting me up, that's exciting yeah so and and in closing, you have your aspirations to launch your own podcast, right yeah, create a platform and bring stuff, which I think you're gonna do a tremendous job in that. So talk, what's the basis going to be around that?

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:57:13

Thank you, and so and this is the truth, I'm not even just saying this because I'm sitting in this chair sitting with you right now Um, I like the format that you have. I really do. I also, you know, I want to make sure I have a spin on it. It's not fully baked yet. This is more of like a kind of thing I've wanted to do for some time and, to be honest with you, had the business gotten the direction I wanted to.

01:57:35

Last year, my plans were to launch this podcast slash video podcast Um in late 2023, but I had to make sure I had a business. You know, I had to make sure, like you know, I'm not gonna have rare cut radio without rare cut. I wanted to make sure that was all taken care of. But I think it's gonna revolve a lot around people who are Just the movers and shakers of the world, people that are like a force for good, people that may be tied into a campaign that we're doing. You know, people that Are cut from a different cloth, who are a rare breed, and that's where rare cut comes from. I like both those names. I liked rare breed and I like the term cut from different cloth.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:58:12

Yeah, that's perfect.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:58:14

Thank you. So, like that's how I came up with rare cut Um, but that's what I want. I want to know what makes people and what makes you a rare cut like, what makes you different. That that's where I want to dive into, um, but yeah, it's still in kind of the beginning stages of like in my mind. Yep, I'll visualize it, which I'm doing and, uh, really, the goal is in in the fall of this year, to to start making these and and just being here Seeing your setup, the way that you conduct yourself, the questions you ask, how it just like ties into you and your brand, and then where you've gone With it, where it's going is very is very, like it's just aspirational and influential to me to to be here.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:58:55

Thank you, man Real talk, man Appreciate that, thank you.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:58:57

Like just doing this. I'm like, yeah, I, this is a, this is a great setup, a great idea. You're, you're excellent at this and, uh, it this? This did not feel like many podcasts, where it feels like an interview.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:59:11

Oh, dude, I appreciate that and. You're the type of person human guests that it's just, it flows right. And then the only the only other thing I would say to that is uh, in person is so much different than doing it online. Totally right, like the oh, there's a delay, or what did he say? And now I got. It's just I, I personally for this and again, this is my job is running a international lighting company.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 01:59:38

That's what I do.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 01:59:39

Right, this is a fun aspect where you peel off a couple hours a week talking with cool people doing awesome things. I love that, but my number one rule is I will not do an online podcast. That's a good rule, right, it's just. And, again, it's not easy. I happen to travel a lot and you try to sync up and, but if you can try to do it in person, yes, for sure so much better chemistry and it's a real rapport, yeah it's a real rapport.

02:00:04

Absolutely. Yeah, that's all I have, man. I think this has been a tremendous conversation.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 02:00:09

It's been awesome. You're amazing. What's crazy is, uh, as you think you mentioned earlier, we knew each other from online and, uh, right, when, like, we saw each other, it was just like what's 100%.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 02:00:22

I'm like I knew this guy.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 02:00:23

Yeah, it's like immediate Connection, which is really awesome. That just shows you the like, the power of staying in touch with people Absolutely close to another. It was just like absolutely hit it off right away.

George Stroumboulis - Host:

You know what I loved about you? Just last point I want to make is uh, within the year so we've been talking online, right, it's sounding like like we were dating and we swiped right over.

02:00:45

We were talking right all each other and whatever, just good, dude, whatever. And you sent a message once. You're like hey, man, uh, I just have advice that I heard from someone. I don't know how true this is, but on the videos, if you do x, y and z, it should help with x, y and z, yeah. And you said in such a cool like, where a lot of people like man, who are you to like whatever, say, but you said in such a like, I benefit nothing by saying this. This is what I heard. You, let me know, and I'm like that's. He didn't a, he didn't have to do that. Your tone and how you present it was like man, I'm open, yeah, thank you. Anything else, yeah, right, and I'm. I'm not an expert by any means in this or other things, so it's like, just the way you did that, I'm like man, that's. That's a cool guy.

02:01:27

I appreciate that, man yeah but it was that where I'm like, yeah, good people, dude, we all get further together.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 02:01:32

So, yeah, but happy to help and thank you for having me on. This has been such a treat and a really a highlight of my, of my la trip. So thank you for having me. Well, he said that.

George Stroumboulis - Host: 02:01:40

10 times, though, to 10 different people.

Anthony Orisses - Guest: 02:01:44

George Stroumboulis - Host: 02:01:46

Thanks for listening to this episode of invigorate your business with george strombolus. Please hit the subscribe and like button and follow me on all the main podcast streaming channels. Also, please share your comments when you can. I appreciate your help in expanding this network to a worldwide audience. Until next time, stay invigorated. You.

CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO

00:00:00 ANTHONY ORISSES OF RARE CUT
00:05:50 SELLING PENS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
00:07:30 PROFESSIONAL CAREER PRE STARTUP
00:08:50 CAN'T TEACH LIKEABILITY
00:09:50 SENSING AUTHENTICITY IN SALES PITCHES
00:11:00 THE BUSINESS OF POCKET SQUARES
00:15:00 WHY USE KICKSTARTER FOR YOUR STARTUP
00:17:50 WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO SUCCEED?
00:20:30 EXECUTING AN IDEA IN YOUR HEAD
00:22:30 FINANCE CONSTRAINTS FOR EXPANSION
00:24:30 DOWNSIDE OF SELLING YOUR BUSINESS
00:25:20 IDENTITY STOLEN IN THE BLACK MARKET
00:27:20 PATENT FOR A POCKET SQUARE
00:30:05 CHARITY EFFORTS FOR RARE CUT
00:34:40 ADVICE FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
00:37:20 POOR ADVICE ON QUITTING SCHOOL
00:39:50 NEW YORK VS. LOS ANGELES
00:42:25 DINERS IN NEW YORK CITY ARE THE BEST
00:43:50 HOW TO FOLD & WEAR A POCKET SQUARE
00:44:50 INSTAGRAM USERNAME HACK
00:47:50 A POCKET SQUARE IS A TALKING PIECE
00:49:50 CUSTOM POCKET SQUARE FOR IDEOLI GROUP
00:50:50 HOW TO ROCK YOUR POCKET SQUARE
00:55:50 DAYMOND JOHN AT ROTHMAN'S IN NYC
00:56:50 STRATEGIC PARTNER LIKE PITBULL
00:59:50 EXPANDING THE PRODUCT LINE WITH LICENSING
00:1:06:50 BEING A BETTER LEARNER AND LEADER
00:1:08:20 WIM HOF BREATHING TECHNIQUE
01:10:50 CHRIS HEMSWORTH'S LIMITLESS TV SHOW
01:20:30 GREEK HERITAGE ROOTS
01:23:05 SHAKE SHACK VS. IN-N-OUT BURGERS
01:25:30 CHIOS IS A HIDDEN GREEK ISLAND GEM
01:27:50 WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS DO FOR WORK
01:34:35 WHO DO YOU WISH COULD WEAR YOUR POCKET SQUARE, HISTORICALLY?
01:39:50 GOING ON SHARK TANK TO PITCH RARE CUT
01:47:00 HARDSHIPS MAKE YOU A STRONGER ENTREPRENEUR
01:47:50 THOUGHTS OF QUITTING THE BUSINESS IDEA
01:54:35 STARRING IN REALITY TV SHOW CALLED THE BLOX ON AMAZON
01:57:00 LAUNCING THE RARE CUT PODCAST
01:58:50 WHY THIS PODCAST IS WORKING SO WELL
01:59:50 GIVING ADVICE IN A POSITIVE MANNER

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF A POCKET SQUARE

The history of the pocket square dates back several centuries, and it has evolved as a stylish accessory worn primarily with men's suits and formalwear. Here is a brief overview of the history of the pocket square:

  1. Origins in Ancient Rome:

    • The use of pocket squares has historical roots in ancient civilizations. In Ancient Rome, men would carry small, scented cloths called "sudarium" to use as a handkerchief. These were precursors to the modern pocket square.

  2. Rise in Popularity in the 19th Century:

    • In the 19th century, the pocket square gained popularity among European nobility and the upper class. It became a symbol of elegance and refinement.

  3. Functional Use as a Handkerchief:

    • Initially, the pocket square served a functional purpose as a handkerchief. It was used for personal hygiene, wiping sweat, or cleaning hands.

  4. Decorative Element:

    • Over time, the pocket square transitioned from a purely functional item to a decorative accessory. It became an integral part of men's formalwear, adding a touch of color and flair to suits and jackets.

  5. Different Folds and Styles:

    • The pocket square allows for various folding techniques and styles, such as the straight fold, puff fold, or crown fold. Different folds can convey different levels of formality and individual style.

  6. Cultural Influence:

    • The popularity of the pocket square has transcended cultural boundaries. It is worn with Western suits, tuxedos, and traditional ethnic attire in various parts of the world.

  7. Revival in the 20th Century:

    • In the mid-20th century, the pocket square experienced a revival in popularity, especially during the dapper era of the 1950s and 1960s.

  8. Modern Fashion:

    • Today, the pocket square remains a fashionable accessory. It is often worn on special occasions, weddings, and formal events. It has also become a way for individuals to express their personal style and add a pop of color or pattern to their outfits.

The pocket square has become a versatile accessory, and while it retains some of its historical elegance, it has adapted to modern fashion trends. It is now an integral part of men's fashion, offering a range of style options to complement different looks.

HOW TO START AN ONLINE APPAREL BUSINESS

Starting an online apparel business can be an exciting venture, but it requires careful planning and execution. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

  1. Market Research:

    • Identify your target audience and niche within the apparel industry.

    • Analyze competitors and understand market trends.

    • Determine the unique selling proposition (USP) of your brand.

  2. Business Plan:

    • Develop a comprehensive business plan outlining your goals, target market, products, marketing strategy, and financial projections.

  3. Legal Structure and Registration:

    • Choose a legal structure for your business (sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation).

    • Register your business with the appropriate authorities.

  4. Brand Identity:

    • Create a strong brand identity, including a memorable name, logo, and brand messaging.

    • Secure a domain name for your online store.

  5. Product Selection:

    • Decide on the types of apparel you want to sell.

    • Source or manufacture your products, ensuring quality and consistency.

  6. Supplier and Inventory Management:

    • Establish relationships with reliable suppliers or manufacturers.

    • Implement inventory management systems to track and manage stock levels.

  7. E-commerce Platform:

    • Choose an e-commerce platform that suits your needs (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, etc.).

    • Set up your online store, including product listings, payment gateways, and security measures.

  8. Website Design:

    • Design a user-friendly and visually appealing website.

    • Optimize for mobile devices.

    • Include high-quality product images and detailed descriptions.

  9. Payment and Shipping:

    • Set up secure payment processing.

    • Determine shipping options and fees.

    • Clearly communicate shipping policies to customers.

  10. Marketing and Social Media:

    • Develop a digital marketing strategy, including social media, email marketing, and SEO.

    • Utilize social media platforms to showcase your products and engage with your audience.

  11. Customer Service:

    • Provide excellent customer service through various channels (email, chat, phone).

    • Establish a return and refund policy.

  12. Analytics and Monitoring:

    • Implement analytics tools to track website traffic and user behavior.

    • Monitor sales, customer feedback, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

  13. Legal Compliance:

    • Ensure compliance with e-commerce regulations.

    • Clearly outline terms and conditions, privacy policies, and disclaimers.

  14. Launch and Promotion:

    • Plan a launch strategy with promotions and discounts.

    • Leverage influencer marketing or collaborations for initial visibility.

  15. Adapt and Scale:

    • Continuously analyze performance and customer feedback.

    • Adapt your strategies based on market trends.

    • Explore opportunities for scaling and expanding your product line.

Remember, success in the online apparel business requires ongoing effort, adaptability, and a commitment to providing value to your customers. Keep an eye on industry trends, stay connected with your audience, and continually refine your business strategies.

More about this episode

Have you ever found yourself entranced by the pulsing heart of entrepreneurship, or pondered how a simple accessory could ignite a cultural revolution? Sit back and let the charming and innovative Anthony Orisses, founder of Rare Cut, regale you with his tale of turning a patented pocket square into a sartorial statement that caught the attention of none other than Shark Tank's Daymond John. As I, George Stroumboulis, peel back the layers of Anthony's journey, we uncover the resilience it takes to kickstart a dream amid a global pandemic, and the strategic mastery required to navigate the rollercoaster world of startup adventures.

Anthony's narrative is a masterclass in setting audacious goals and digging deep into the trenches of business creation, where cultural threads from his Queens upbringing and Greek heritage weave through his entrepreneurial fabric. Together, we explore the transformative impact of style choices and the importance of incorporating personal values into brand identity. This episode is brimming with anecdotes that span from the hustle of selling fuzzy pens in school to shaping the very essence of New York City fashion. If you're looking to inject your life with a blend of culture, strategy, and a dash of pocket square panache, you've come to the right conversation.

As we forecast the horizon for Rare Cut, Anthony doesn't just stop at pocket squares; he's got his eyes set on expanding the brand into a broader apparel revolution. Delight in our discussion about the power of purpose-driven business, from mentorship programs to partnerships that spark dialogues beyond the boardroom. And if you're seeking personal evolution, Anthony shares his insights on practices like the Wim Hof method and the introspective calm of meditation. Tune in for this invigorating exchange that intertwines personal growth with the timeless allure of entrepreneurial spirit and the indelible mark of a well-placed pocket square.

In a recent podcast episode, we had the pleasure of delving into the captivating journey of Anthony Orisses, founder of Rare Cut, and how his innovative approach to pocket squares has created ripples in the fashion industry. The discussion with George Stroumboulis takes us through the entrepreneurial landscape, highlighting the intersections of culture, style, and business strategy.

Orisses' story begins in Queens, New York, where his Greek heritage and upbringing imbue him with a rich tapestry of cultural influences. His early foray into entrepreneurship selling fuzzy pens at school displayed a knack for business that would follow him into adulthood. It was during the challenges of a global pandemic that Rare Cut came to life, showcasing resilience and innovation at a time when the world seemed to stand still.

As we explore Rare Cut's origins, it's clear that Orisses' company is more than just a product—it's a statement, a movement, and a reflection of his personal values. The company's successful Kickstarter campaign not only demonstrated the market's appetite for a well-crafted pocket square but also underscored the importance of strategic planning and the ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.

Rare Cut's flagship product, a pocket square with patented technology, represents a marriage of form and function. This attention to detail and quality has not gone unnoticed, with Shark Tank's Daymond John recognizing the potential in Orisses' vision. It's this intersection of aesthetic appeal and practicality that resonates with consumers and speaks to the core of what makes Rare Cut unique in the marketplace.

However, the journey of entrepreneurship is never without its challenges. Orisses candidly shares the trials of starting a business, from managing finances to strategic outsourcing. The discussion touches on the necessity of aggressive goal-setting and the willingness to embrace the less glamorous aspects of startup life.

Beyond the business itself, Orisses' commitment to mentorship and community impact shines through. Rare Cut's collaboration with a mentorship group at Philip Randolph High School in Harlem is a testament to the brand's dedication to making a difference. By fitting students with custom suits and promoting their aspirations through pocket squares and t-shirts, Rare Cut extends its influence beyond fashion and into the realm of social empowerment.

The power of style is also a central theme, as Orisses reflects on the transformative potential of fashion choices. In New York City, where the energy is palpable and diversity is celebrated, the right accessory can elevate an entire ensemble. Rare Cut's approach to personal branding and style resonates with an audience seeking to make their mark, whether through a memorable pocket square or a custom-designed accessory for a special occasion.

Looking to the future, Rare Cut aims to expand its brand beyond pocket squares, with plans for broader apparel ventures and potential licensing deals. Orisses' vision is to leverage the brand's distinct identity to create conversation-starting pieces that cater to various personal and professional events.

The podcast episode weaves a narrative of personal growth, entrepreneurial acumen, and the ever-present influence of culture and heritage. It serves as an inspiring blueprint for those looking to embark on their own entrepreneurial journey, reminding us that with strategic styling, a dash of innovation, and a deep understanding of one's market, big dreams can indeed fit into the small square of a pocket.

Other Titles For This Episode:

Pocket Squares and Big Dreams: Anthony Orisses' Journey of Entrepreneurship and Style on Shark Tank's Radar

The Entrepreneurial Tapestry of a Pocket Square Innovator

Anthony Orisses' Tale of Strategic Styling and Start-Up Challenges

Crafting a Culture of Fashion and Entrepreneurial Tenacity

Dressing for Success with Anthony Orisses and the Rare Cut Phenomenon

 

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