# 223: Turning a Luggage Problem Into a $32M Apparel Brand with Dan Demsky

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-a-million-4835442/223-turning-a-luggage-problem-into-a-32m-apparel-brand-with-dan-demsky
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-a-million-4835442/223-turning-a-luggage-problem-into-a-32m-apparel-brand-with-dan-demsky.md
Podcast: [Beyond A Million](https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-a-million-4835442)
Published: 2026-04-09T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://beyondamillion.com/audio/dan-demsky-building-a-travel-apparel-brand
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bradweimert/223_-_Turning_a_Luggage_Problem_Into_a_32M_Apparel_Brand_with_Dan_Demsky.mp3?dest-id=2974040
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Duration seconds: 3126

## Resource

Today I'm talking to Dan Demsky, who turned the frustration of trying to pack light while traveling into an 8-figure e-commerce business. He discovered that merino wool clothing lets you pack far fewer items for a trip. The problem was, most of the brands were focused on outdoor gear—not something everyday travelers would actually wear. So Dan and his buddies built Unbound Merino , a fully remote apparel brand doing $32M a year. In this episode, you'll hear how they used crowdfunding to validate product-market fit and scale without investors, how tariffs nearly wiped out their business overnight, and what it actually takes to run a fully remote team. Key Takeaways with Dan Demsky (00:00) Starting an Apparel Brand (04:23) Crowdfunding as Product-Market Validation (05:27) Ecommerce's Hardest Problem (06:52) When Tariffs Nearly Killed their Business (13:09) 30% Repeat Buyers in 30 Days (15:29) Using Crowdfunding as a Growth Engine (28:20) Running a Fully Remote Team (39:41) Should You Do Business with Best Friends? (51:17) Advice to New Entrepreneurs Watch on YouTube: Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

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