{"podcast":{"title":"Beyond A Million","slug":"beyond-a-million-4835442","podcast_index_feed_id":4835442,"rss_url":"https://bradweimert.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://beyondamillion.com/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/3/1/a/7/31a75134bbdc7c4427a2322813b393ee/beyond_a_million_-_brad_weimert.jpg","author":"Brad Weimert","episode_count":246,"summary":"Brad Weimert, founder of Easy Pay Direct, interviews world-class entrepreneurs to explore tactics & strategies to build 8, 9, and 10-figure brands. Learn more at: https://beyondamillion.com/ All business is the same… but nobody really feels that way. The truth is – the BUILDING blocks of business are consistent across the board. Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance, and Taxes... Apply to all businesses. With more than 30,000 businesses flowing through Easy Pay Direct (and the data behind them), Brad Weimert has found a litany of world-class experts to break down what's working - and what's not. With clients like Tony Robbins, Dean Graziosi, Hal Elrod and Grant Cardone, Easy Pay Direct is an amazing pool of knowledge and experience to pull from. Watch, Listen, and learn while you hear experts pull back the curtain and share cutting-edge marketing strategies, the latest sales techniques, the operational tools and tactics that make it all work, and the tax strategies that keep your money in your pocket. Whether you're pushing through your first startup and learning the ropes, you're an established 8 or 9-figure brand, or you've made an exit and are thinking about your next chapter……","last_synced_at":"2026-07-09T18:20:47.806310+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-a-million-4835442"},"episode":{"title":"228: How Tommy John Became a 9-Figure Underwear Brand with Tom Patterson","slug":"228-how-tommy-john-became-a-9-figure-underwear-brand-with-tom-patterson","published_at":"2026-05-14T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-a-million-4835442/228-how-tommy-john-became-a-9-figure-underwear-brand-with-tom-patterson","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-a-million-4835442","url":"https://beyondamillion.com/audio/tom-patterson-tommy-john-9-figure-underwear-brand","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bradweimert/228_-_How_Tommy_John_Became_a_9-Figure_Underwear_Brand_with_Tom_Patterson.mp3?dest-id=2974040","summary":"Today, I'm talking with Tom Patterson , founder of Tommy John, the underwear brand that turned a frustrating problem into a 9-figure business. Tom started the company after getting tired of undershirts constantly coming untucked while working in medical sales. What began as a simple fix turned into one of the biggest direct-to-consumer apparel success stories of the last 15 years. In this conversation, we break down how Tommy John bootstrapped its way to over $100M in revenue before taking meaningful outside capital, why Howard Stern and Kevin Hart became game-changing growth channels, and what founders misunderstand about building premium consumer brands today. Tom also shares lessons on raising capital, balancing wholesale with direct-to-consumer, building a company with your spouse, and why experience can actually become a disadvantage in fast-changing markets. Key Takeaways (01:27) Leveraging Howard Stern's Audience (03:08) Pioneering Podcast/Radio Marketing (04:25) Starting Tommy John with $100 and a Sketch (07:27) How Useful is a Patent? (11:12) Evolve and Innovate (13:49) AI's Future In Product Development (15:04) How to Defend Against Knockoffs (18:01) Wholesale Vs DTC Margins Explained (21:33) Why Women Became 30% of Sales (26:26) How Tommy John Financed Growth (30:47) Kevin Hart's Unexpected Partnership (33:08) The Kobe Bryant Deal That Fell Apart (36:05) Selling A Minority Stake (38:20) Running A Business With Your Spouse (42:36) Experience Can Be Your Worst Enemy (44:38) Handing Off The CEO Role (46:53) Avoiding The Post-Exit Crisis (48:24) Lifestyle Businesses Are Changing (50:23) The Truth About Raising Venture Capital (52:06) Advice For New Entrepreneurs Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/879q12wejtw Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok…","meta_description":"Today, I'm talking with Tom Patterson , founder of Tommy John, the underwear brand that turned a frustrating problem into a 9-figure business. Tom started…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3253,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/beyond-a-million-4835442/episodes/228-how-tommy-john-became-a-9-figure-underwear-brand-with-tom-patterson/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-a-million-4835442/228-how-tommy-john-became-a-9-figure-underwear-brand-with-tom-patterson.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}