The Clothing Brand Playbook That Built Elwood to $60M/Year

0:00If you want to scale and you only have 10 drops a year, you got to do $10 million a drop. So, we decided at the beginning it was once a week we were going to drop. And if you didn't buy something on that first drop, you were getting hit the next week. Like, we didn't wait. We were constantly in everyone's face. Justin Saul is the creative mind behind Lwood, one of the hottest clothing brands in LA, worn by celebrities like Travis Kelce and Justin Bieber. Today he breaks down exactly what he learned building Elwood. The playbook he's running for his second brand, Intra, and the side of him that

0:31no one sees. What would you say was a catalyst in that early stage of growth? I would say that's how you scale. That's how you grow. But I will say, and this is just like getting real. There is this thing that people don't know of. I will go dark for like a week or two. And like Lwood is my baby. Intra is my baby. And we talk about it all the time of like

0:52it's my entire life. [music] Justin, welcome to the pod, dude. Great to have you here. Thanks. I'm stoked. I hope you know we've had at least uh 20 of your pieces worn on this show before, if not more. I I got one on right now. Yeah. Yeah. Sweet. But want to kick it off. I think you guys have done, you know, a really amazing job with your merchandising. So, a lot of clothing brands do this drop based model. And I think I would argue you guys are almost like the king of basics for the cool kid, right? Like

1:26where did you arrive at that decision? Cuz that was clearly deliberate in the way that you kind of structured the brand. Yeah, the king of basics is nice. Thank you. I got you. I appreciate it. You always come on sweat equity. You're going to get gassed up. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Um I think it started with creating my ideal closet. I think that

1:46was like kind of like where it was born. Um, and it started with the basics. And like I remember 6 years ago or 7 years ago, I couldn't go to one retailer or one online retailer and get exactly what I want for the fit, the fabric, and the price in one place. You could go around

2:06and get it. Yeah. But you couldn't really get it, in my opinion, to what I wanted it to look like and the shape that I wanted it in the fit that I wanted it to be. That's kind of like how it started was, okay, I'm just going to create these basics, merchandise them in the way that I know I want to walk into a store, an online retailer, and be able to go and buy. So, so I that's like where it started with um the merchandising side of things. Um, and then it's obviously evolved more than the basics and now we're in like fashion, more cut and sew in this world

2:40that we've created. But at the beginning um the basics were always like the foundation and then how we can show that to the consumer. I was always obsessed with um being able to make it as accessible as possible for them through the through the price then the quality and then like the fit and silhouette and shape. Um, and those are kind of like the three pillars of Lwood of how we like kind of gotten to where we are

3:11today. How did you pick the right basic though? Because when when I found Lwood, it was at a time where kind of it was it had us fall perfectly on your shoulder. It was a little oversized, a little distressed. It was a faded tea. It almost felt like a vintage tea. This was I don't know 22

3:3122 23. No, it might have been earlier. 21. He loves to say he's early. No, I was though because it was like you were only getting hit with the t-shirt. He's an investor. [laughter] He you I was only get ever getting hit with the t-shirt ad. It was like you had three. Sorry about that.

3:47No, you're fine. I mean, it works. I mean, they were printing. You worked. It was and I probably like legitimately at home, I probably have 10 pairs because it was like the only fit that I would I had pairs that were for training. This is what I'm saying. like you did nail the basic tea, but for a lot of dimensions where I had certain ones that I like to wear when I was training, but then certain that I would wear with trousers, you could wear them with

4:06jeans, etc. How did you think about twisting the basics so that it was meeting the the market and culture where it's at? Because you could look at like Fear of God. Fear of God was putting out basics as well, but bro, you'd buy a medium and like the medium Yeah. comes to your wrist. You know what I

4:21mean? It's too much. It was too much. Yeah. That's obviously Jerry's expression of like himself and how he's gotten through life and what he's worn. And I think to to be honest, that first vintage tea, this isn't going to sound groundbreaking, but it was my favorite Harley-Davidson tea. and I went over to the factory and worked with the factory, showed them the exact silhouette, showed them the wash, showed them the fit, showed them the grinding, showed them shirt was probably 35 years old or

4:53something like that. But I don't know if you guys are into vintage, but when you get like a vintage piece that like fits on your body the way that you like envision it to fit, it is this like it's almost like an epiphany. It's it's just this like oh my this this such like a gratifying moment and that's like what I wanted to recreate with the oversized tea was how can someone see an ad be in Nordstrom be in our store or whatever and get that feeling when they put that on. Again, nothing will ever exactly emulate a t-shirt that's 35 years old with the history behind it when you're

5:35putting it on. You know it's been on other people's bodies. You know, it's been in a million different washes and houses and areas, but we've done our best with like a rigorous kind of process to recreate that with our factories. And today, I just got off a phone call earlier today. Today, we're trying to get better at that. So, I think to answer your question of like that's how it started, where we continue to strive and go changes with like my expression of fit and how I want it to

6:06be. uh a year ago to five months ago to two years from now kind of thing. Um but yeah, that's that's kind of like where it started with the t-shirt. It was just an old Harley t-shirt and and were those kind of like you know, let's get into the business a little bit. Like were the basics a catalyst that allowed you to go more into the collections cuz they were probably a

6:29cash cow? Yeah. Had a really good meta rorowaz and then that took you into exploring a lot of different silhouettes and other pieces. Yeah, I think it's it still is that it's the foundation of our business and I think it's the foundation of a lot of businesses through core if that is a core soda for a company then they have all their different flavors or whatever it might be but for us it's the foundation and still stands true to the foundation I think not changing the foundation at all times but like constantly elevating it and evolving it I think is very important with this day and age where

7:05every person can go and create a hoodie now or a t-shirt or a sweatpan or whatever. Um, and their designs are probably getting ripped every single day. I mean, yeah. Yeah, they they do I'm not going to name these retailers, but there's a couple like big retailers like way way bigger than that with like big like billion dollar companies. Um,

7:24Zara, you want me to name it? Not Zara, but yeah, but Zara is great for what they do. Um, but they like use our same models and like the same background and everything. And to be honest, I I'm flattered by it. Like I've looked up to them. They I just did a podcast on not a podcast, a a Tik Tok on this talking about this brand

7:45Intra that I'm launching with my friend. But the the retailer I'm talking about or retailers like they paved the path for me. They like I've looked up to them in so many ways. So for them to want to take a page out of like our book I think is [ __ ] rad in in my opinion. And knowing you got them sweating in the boardrooms and [ __ ] Yeah. I mean, what's he going to do next? Yeah,

8:05exactly. They might buy it and and so you know a lot of people I think myself included before I I looked into the brand I thought you were the founder right and you actually purchased the brand so I'd love to hear a little bit more about like a how that came to be and then b what was your vision when you

8:22bought it? Yeah I uh in 2020 it was owned by a garment manufacturer and um it really had no legs. There was there was nothing really to it. It was uh just a dying brand or a dead brand that kind of was just sat there from like an IP perspective. Yeah. [snorts] Same word, Mark. Same same word. Like I don't know, there was 8,000 followers on Instagram. Nothing crazy. But as like a 27 28-year-old 27 year old, um 8,000 followers is better than zero followers, right? And and I love the

9:02name. It felt vintage. It felt heritage. It felt western at that time a little bit. So the whole vision was I had the vision in my mind. It was just like what am I putting it behind and what's the name of what I'm doing? And with my brand Intra, I it's a very like methodical name of why we chose it. But for Lwood, it didn't really matter to me about the name. mattered about my vision and proving to myself that like no matter what this name is, if I can do what I think I'm going to be good at in life, I think people will follow and and

9:38and resonate with it and like it. And so, so that was like the thought behind Lwood. There was no rhyme or reason for Elwood. I just kind of like the name and there was an opportunity to get the IP. Um, but the whole like vision of it, no matter if it was Lwood or Justin or Club or whatever, it was going to be this kind of vision and and feel of of making good quality product at a great price point with high-end looking content. And uh, yeah, that that was kind of the thoughts behind buying it versus starting. And then the vision behind it all is kind of

10:15Did you have thoughts of starting something separate before Elwood or was it really it was going to be like Justin my name or I don't know it couldn't be Justin cuz of boots but like something like that like but I don't know I I want it to live bigger than me and like I don't know there's always like a thought of if I did it under a different name but where it's gotten today like 95% of the people in the world that know Lwood is because of what me and the team

10:48and my business partner has um done. I mean I think that's both of our scenarios like I didn't know it was acquired like yeah everyone thinks so we've done did you scrap nearly everything that was built previously and yeah everything off the website none of the product guidelines brand every it was it was a brand new built baby and it was and it started

11:14from zero pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. How what did you buy it for if you don't mind us asking? Uh like in the six figures. Yeah. Yeah. So So it was it was a good investment. It was a good Yeah, it was a good investment. Um and uh we got a sweet little deal on it and it was then it was just kind of off to the

11:38races from that. Yeah. That's awesome. What was what was the catalyst like cuz those first two years probably experienced like some pretty explosive growth. Yeah. I would always I would always send I thought you did an a awesome job pulling an OG out of the ad library. You would like have a clothing rack of the collection and be like this is our new whatever. I feel like you were one of

11:58the first guys. I feel like we like lowkey were you did for sure. I sent that to every clothing guy I ever had. I was like go swipe still works there. I still don't I don't do it as much cuz like I should we have other people do it but like they those still [ __ ] probably print. Yeah. And so like what would you say was a catalyst in that

12:17early stage of growth? Consistency. I would say you talked a bit about it like off camera for a second, but like the whole drop model. Although we're not like Supreme and have these crazy drops or whatever Stussy or whatever it might be, the drop model that works for us is the consistency of new product. us getting in front of our consumers faces have always worked. Instead of us instead of us doing a spring line, a winter line, a fall line, and a summer line, like a lot of fashion brands, they'll have five or six big collections a year. We decided at the beginning it was once a week. We were going to drop

12:56every Friday or every other Friday, pretty pretty close to every Friday. And no matter if we bought a hundred pieces or a thousand pieces of that style, we were constantly in front of our consumers. And I think like that really helped us at the beginning to just be in our consumer's face with new product. No matter how we how much we bought, we had a new campaign, we had new content, we had new ads to serve them where it was like I I think at that point in time that was like the big thing for growth of like if you didn't buy something from us on

13:33that first drop or whatever, you were getting hit Yeah. the next week. Like, we didn't wait, right? We were constantly in everyone's face. Real quick, because Social Snowball is a partner of the show. And this is something I actually think about a lot. Most brands doing creator marketing have an infrastructure problem. Your customer referrals live in one tool. Influencer gifting lives in another. Tik Tok shop soft doing its own thing. And performance gets tracked through discount codes, screenshots, and a spreadsheet that someone's scared to touch. So, the program grows, the admin grows with it, and nobody can tell you what's actually driving revenue. Social

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14:36description. Code sweat equity. Get 20% off your social snowball. Again, we'll link that description in the show notes. All right, back to the show. Yeah, I feel like that's key because when I find a brand that I out the gate love and I love the product, the product comes and I wear it or whatnot. I want to keep buying more of it. You know what I mean? I think it's almost like the same thing going back to like when you find a vintage tea that fits perfectly for you, you almost go back on the hunt for another one%. You never

15:02find the same. Yeah. you want to find the same one. Like if I found Harley, it's like, "Okay, I want to get the Budweiser one or like I want to go find an old Nike retro one." I think it's the same thing when I've when I've, you know, a brand that I think has now solved this was, you know, UVU.

15:17Yeah. Like they used to only do the drop method and you would forget about that cuz months would go by before they would drop like just a like, you know, some running shorts where now they've switched to they they're always on like you go on the site, they always got [ __ ] And now they're adding very similar to what you're saying where let's say two weeks from now they're doing another drop with

15:36like new colorways. Yeah. But the basics or the main hero pieces is the way you have to do it to scale. It's very tough unless if you're doing depends how much you want to scale and your expectation of success. But like if you want to scale you got and you only have 10 drops a year, you got to do $10 million a drop. And that's like what Justin Bieber does and Haley Bieber, right? So, it's like those are the few and far between. So, but they [ __ ] smashed us with Cole in England um a couple weeks ago and they they kill

16:07it. I believe it. They're doing it, but they have to. That's how you scale. That's how you grow to to the numbers that your business can probably do. One of the things like we we like to get really granular like tactics here. So, like when you have 52 drops a year, like how are you planning your content? Like you got to have like a world building campaign in February for a drop in April, but then the drop schedule's going to change probably. Is it just fly by the seat of your pants most of the time or is it still working on it, you know? Um team starts with team who can

16:40handle it, what leaders can handle what we want to do. Um and how big's a team? About 25 people now. Um, and yeah, it starts with the team and it's not like 52, but it's it's a lot that we do and try and put it in like A, B, and C, like A gets this, B gets this, C gets this, D are just new arrivals that just go onto our website and we put some stories up and some Tik Toks about it. So when ads are working and people are coming to our website and all these unique visitors, there's other things to buy rather than the drop. We have like

17:17slowly like built that plan out. But bro, to be honest, I was just on a call today. We've got a shoot tomorrow. We've got a shoot next Thursday and we've got a shoot the following Tuesday. And it's just like and each shoot we I I'm expecting the best. The team knows I want the best. They want the best for the brand and the business. So, to be honest, it's it's interesting. It was a at the beginning it was it was un it was unsustainable. Like we had to we had to kind of like tailor off a little bit or people were going to like quit to be

17:52honest. It was just like super gnarly. But it helped us get to where we are now. We're probably at two drops a month or three but one being a big one and then one being new arrivals where it's not even a drop. It's just put onto the website. Um, but yeah, we found like a little hybrid of it and it's constantly just like checking in with the team to make sure things are good and if it's not good, like I'm not going to make the changes, but if you come to me and say, I need this, this, and this to be able to do this, we'll hire them and we'll make it

18:27work. If that's an intern, if that's uh a a new employee, or if that's like a higher paid employee, that makes sense to come in from another business to help strategize. But it's, bro, it's the first time I've ever done this, six years in, and I'm learning every every single day about how to do it,

18:45right? Walk me through what those productions look like now. If you have three productions of the next week, how big is the team typically when when these productions are going live? Are the are the skill sets different based on on platforms? And and I bring this up because if a if you and I've noticed this in the past, if you had a campaign go live on Instagram, it's the world building. It's beautiful. On Tik Tok,

19:07it's very Tik Tok native. Yep. Right. Those are two different skill sets. Y how do you how are you looking at team per team and personnel in those situations? Yeah, it depends like is it in studio or is it lifestyle? Those are different photographers normally. um our people that we bring to the shoot, production, stylists and everything are normally the same, but then like the person that's going to shoot content in studio, maybe a different person that's going to shoot a little Tik Tok native content or iPhone content outside. Um but yeah, it's usually around like 8 to 10 people, I would say. Um we used to

19:41have an in-house photographer, but now we kind of outsource a lot of that, so they bring their own people. So, there's actually probably a couple a little bit more on set, maybe 12 or something like that. But, yeah, it really just depends what the vision for it is. And I was talking to my business partner about this today of like when do we give the millennial cleaned up beautiful look that I personally love, but then when do we feed the Gen Z's? cuz we have a lot of those people too where I didn't think we had as many as we do. But then there's these like

20:13sick kids in like Southern California, in San Diego, Newport that are like wearing the baggie shorts like me and like kind of like emulating how I dress and I'm like damn. And you're like 21 years old. So I have to feed to you too. So like I my fiance, she's 25 and she keeps me she keeps me young and she's very Tik Tok native. She's one of the most creative people I've ever met. So I like get to learn so much from her. So that's been like a huge thing where I can walk into an office as a 34y old but fully understand what we need to do for

20:45a 20 to a 25year-old. Um so I think to answer your question I think it really just depends but I would say 8 to 12 people are on every shoot depending what we're doing, what's the personnel and how how we're how we're doing it. And that's that's for our business right now. like, well, what do we do? We are like a hybrid between it all. Our product and our pricing and everything along that line. We are we talked about it like this little white space that

21:12we've created. Yeah. So, we need to be that in the content and the marketing side where that's also tough. How much do you push the Gen Z Tik Tok native a dance or a dumb little video that gets a 100,000 views and sells 2,000 hoodies for you? Or this beautiful editorial campaign that's for like the millennials are my age where it's like, "Wow, that's stunning and beautiful and that's going to go sell to these guys because the

21:41pants look like they need to look." Right. So, it's like I don't know it. Every day I ask myself that. Yeah. Um, what do you think your your split is like right now? Is it primarily people our age or is it the younger crowd? I would say 6040 our age or 7030 but maybe 6040 to be honest. Um, ev every day I see like people repost us or on our tags and and I love it and like it is they they are getting younger and stuff but we are utilizing Tik Tok in a way that we've never utilized Tik Tok. So, I don't know. Like, I love I I love I love I want like a

22:20bunch of young surfer kids like like I think we should dress the whole I think Elwood should be the biggest brand in Southern California for like my age and definitely skews a little bit younger like in my opinion we we we should be the the biggest. You know, I feel like both both platforms though play a hand in hand where if they're on t if they're on TikTok and they're looking more at the lowfi content in those formats, it's like it's the introduction to the brand, but if you're looking at kind of where content is skewing, it's skewing aspirational where like the world building and it's like I want that. And

22:56so Lwood having entry-level products I could go buy for 39 bucks is like the perfect entry point to be able to be like I'm I'm wearing Lwood and I'm aspiring to then go live. I think y'all did it well with it was the shoot that y'all were on like the sailboat. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Like that was one of to me one of the the better ones where it was like on TikTok y'all were cranking like y'all had a ton of formats. Y'all were crushing on that side and then you move over to like then Instagram and it was like this whole world that you wanted to

23:26be a part of. It was very good. Thank you. Yeah. I think that's kind of the goal. How how do we create that? Like it's the same with the store that we're opening at the beginning of the year. Like how do we create a world within a store? What uh what are some brands that like inspire you? Like what are some other fashion brands that you you know take a

23:47lot of? Uh Brandy Melville. I think like the way that they have they're kind of like the Brandy Melville for like you know like that's kind of like Yeah, exactly. And I think we have the opportunity to get that 20-year-old too, right? Yeah. I've always said like if I if Elwood could be one thing, it would be the Brandy Melville of men

24:08with like commitment issues. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. 100%. And like um so I think from like a business operational and like the world that they have built, I think they're so strong. You go into any brand Melo, there's a line around the in the store checking out. It's cute. It's easy. It's an experience. It's an experience. Um, I think Aritzia, like Elwood, like could we be the Aritzia for man as well? Like I think you walk into Aritzia, you're greeted by um great uh workers within the store helping you get dressed and finding thing, but you can walk into Aritzia and go get something to go to the club in

24:47and then go get something to take a business meeting in and then go get something to work out in and kind of all of it. And and and I think they've done unbelievable. I think What would be your version of the boyfriend couch? Oh. Oh. Oh. [laughter] We're actually like building that in the store. It's like going to be in the attic, but it's gonna Yeah, it's going to be just like a a

25:08vibe up there. It's going to be sick. Yeah. Yeah. Do you know what I'm talking about? No. You never been to Aritzia with with uh Vanessa? No. She was dying to come. Last time we were here, we didn't end up getting It's basically like when your girl is like trying something on. Oh, you're sitting on the couch. They have like this waiting area. So, it's just like you and other bro and other bro. It's just it's just a bunch of lads sitting on a

25:29sofa. The lads kind of waiting to say that looks fantastic. 100%. Hopefully the hopefully the guys and gals are shopping so there's not as much. But yeah, Aritzia, they've they've definitely taken that. Yeah. I mean, your brand definitely appeals to women obviously. That's that's the goal of it. But it's the appeal to gals of this is my boyfriend's closet. This is my husband's

25:52closet. Yeah. Versus I'm making a silk dress or or a skater dress or a little ditzy floral thermal sweatpant just cuz we could sell it cuz we have the consumers, the customers. But then what does it do for a guy? I always say this. When a guy sees a gal in an ad, most men, not me, but most men will be turned off by the ad, they'll think she's hot, but they will not buy it because a gal is wearing it. Most men, right? Where men, if we show them what they want on a guy that they aspire to be or think is cool or good-looking or whatever it might be,

26:37that's how I think we can convert and then the girls will buy it right off your back cuz they love that look. So, I think like we were kind of getting a little too like we're making the crop tops for the girl and we're making the this for the girl cuz they're working and selling, but then I look at our demographics and it's almost 50/50 male to female. And again, it's not that I don't want to sell to the gals, but I don't want to compete with Brandy Melville. I don't want to compete with Aritzia. I don't want to compete with these other brands that like that is

27:05their whole world and there's no competing with those guys. I think it's really interesting that you don't mention people like a Represent or ALD or any of those. You're you're actually more so going after like instore retailers who merchandise a ton of different own brands. Yeah, I think George is a friend of mine and he kills bro what he has created to

27:28represent. Not even saying like shavewise, not even saying like that. It's more so like the business structure that you the business structure and then the product too, right? a lot of um um those brands besides ALD, I think they're in they're great. I I would look up to them when it comes to like I was talking to you earlier like I think their marketing and world that they've created is it's it's the it's untouchable. It's unbelievable. I think George's brand was at the beginning really driven by the Represent logo. So for me, we barely we just started really putting Lwood on things. Like at the beginning like I

28:04didn't even want it on one thing cuz I didn't know if anyone [ __ ] cared on the basic TE's. It wasn't it wasn't anywhere 100%. So it's like I look at road I look at road because I think they're the best worldbuilt brand of 2024 2025 and 2026. I think like the world that she you said road that they have all created is is unbelievable. I look up to them in so many ways. Not from the product perspective but from the world that they have created. I think they're to me they're like Apple. I think they market so [ __ ] well. My MS, she gets their

28:38packages and like she is waiting at the door for this package every time and she's a 25-year-old gal that gets 700 packages a day but waits for this. So, um I think from like a product perspective likeRRL is like obviously always so good to look at from like a product standpoint. Early Abberrombi is like super rad. Um, early Quicksilver,

29:02early Vulc is like still super fun. Yeah. Go to like '90s surfer 90s surfer kind of thing, slasher magazine era, but like the street wear world. Yeah. I don't I not I think everyone's like great, but I I wouldn't say like they're like inspo for stuff of just where I see Lwood kind of

29:27going maybe. Yeah, for I mean, you're almost going crosscategory in a way. Yeah. Where it's like you have to go after aspirational brands, not necessarily your peers. Yeah. 100%. Yeah. Brandy. Brandy and Aritzia. Like, okay. So, go tell me who the male version of that is. And I think it's Elwood or we're getting to that space, especially if retail works and we can

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30:38more time. Link is in the description. Okay, guys, let's get back to the show. How is your creative direction changed in the last five, six years? Yeah, a lot. Yeah, I again like I stated at the beginning, it was always like I want to create my ideal closet and my expression of self has changed. My expression of my style has changed. So Lwood has kind of been on like that with me. And I will say I don't think that was the healthiest thing for the brand of Lwood taking it along its flows. I started dating Eva, my fiance now, and I said, "I'm coming to England and I'm

31:20shooting a collection out in England." Unbelievable. Looked great. Product was great. She's British. She's British. Looked great. Went to the Manor House next to her. Beautiful like estate looking thing. Stunning. Shoot. Was so much fun. It was great. It was my love letter to her. But the world like that's not sleazy beachy street like Elwood. That I was I was like literally in Bridgetgerton, right? So, it's like that like that's where my mind sometimes like I've gotten so much better as I've gotten a little bit older, but like staying true to what um Lwood needs

31:55needs to be. So, it has changed, but now I'm finally at a space where I can like this is Lwood. This is what it's going to be. This is what we're going to go after. Intra will go after something else and these other businesses, they'll go after something else. But yeah, and what talk talk about intro because you said it was a really intentional process and you're running it for the second time which is any second time founder has a lot of things that a first- time founder should

32:21listen to. So like what are those things you're thinking about with intra? Yeah. On the second goound, but brand first more than anything. Elwood was built on product. We had great product at the beginning and we still have great product but it was a different world 6 years ago versus today. Social media has changed rapidly over the past six years, over the past year too, right? So with AI and just everything. So focusing on brand um more than anything, but sport that leads street at times, not street wear that leads sport. I want us to be a sport brand. I want us to compete with the

32:54conglomerates, the Nikes, the Adidas, the Pumas, the everyone, the Under Armours. But I do want like to touch on culture and fashion. my business partner Romeo Beckham. Like he is such like a big piece of this pie with how he is tapped into culture. He's also 23 is 10 years younger than me. So we're able to kind of like balance

33:15David Beckham son. Yeah. Yeah. David Beckham's son. And like he Yeah. He's been like such a great I've learned so much from him at off the off the rip and like how tapped in he is to just culture. Also, fashion is he's a big model now, but like he he's tapped into like the culture. So, it's like and we both love sport. So, how can we like bridge sport to culture and fashion and kind of bring it together, but lead with sport? I think that's the big thing. I want to be what Lwood comes to Nike and says, I want to do a collab with you

33:52because you guys make the best running shoe or whatever. Like I want people to come to Intra of like they're the sport brand but then we're this cool street brand that wants to do a collab and so when you say that you're saying lead with performance technology cut performance technology marketing everything like we have a shoot tonight and it's shooting these things and I train in these I work out in these I play football in these soccer but football in these but like I for the individual like the individual athlete like who's made for the spotlight essentially not to say that We we don't like team sport. We do. That's

34:27what sport is about, especially in in the team space. But we want those that stand out, especially this day and age. Just say Shay Gildress Alexanders, David Beckham, Alan Iverson wearing his jersey today, Dennis Rodman, Ken Griffy Jr., right? Like all of them are great team players, but they they were made for the spotlight. They were the ones. And I think this day and age, these kids we're even shooting tonight, these high school kind of phenom, super sick kids, like you can tell that everyone wants to stand out. If that's through social media now, if that's through two different color shoes, hairstyles, tattoos, arm sleeves, whatever it might

35:01be, you have to stand out. We want to be the brand that um says, "I see you over there. We're going to want you stand." Because a lot of the conglomerates, not in a bad way, their whole thing is like, you don't really stand out. We're all a part of this and we do, which is not bad, but it's safer where I think I think we have the opportunity to address these individuals that want to express themselves on the field or in the pool

35:30or on the court or whatever. So, it's like you're you're building it for like the Anthony Edwards. The Anthony Edwards Shiland too extreme. Yeah. But but but again in his like way, right? Like it's it's just saying like, "Hey, we understand you and that's okay to do whatever you want to do cuz that's how I played football." Like I was always the one with the different hairstyle or the tattoos or the different color cleats or

35:56Did you have frosted tips at some point? I had bleach blonde hair. I knew it 100% all day long. I had I had every I my hair was blue and purple and pink and everything and like but that allowed me when I stepped on the pitch like I felt that I could win. I felt better. And I just feel like a lot of kids especially now want to feel that way cuz that's what they're seeing more and more and more due to social media. But I don't think there's a brand that says, "Okay, we're down to make the orange arm sleeve with our intro logo that's in chrome

36:31because it might stand out a little too much." And they're not going to sell that much of it. You know, most brands are built to communicate like where you're going. It's massive. You know what I mean? Like it's for the masses. So, you go to Equinox and I thought I thought about this I thought about this uh two days ago when I actually got my

36:49ass in the gym. Yeah. Good lad. They're rare. But uh I was in there and I was like I was in black on black. I was in black shirt, black shorts. And I kind of looked around and I was like I look like everyone here. Like damn, everybody's black on black. It must have been at least like 80% of

37:03the gym. Yep. Was wearing Bori Lulu Black on black Gym Shark. Just Yeah. It's it's it's what it is. And like I I go in my tank top in these shorts and it right and again like it's it's it's not for everyone. And that's my thing with intra. I know it's not for everyone right now, but what it can be in 5 to 8 years from now. That might be the everyone, right? And and we'll have to like evolve and change. And like look, these huge brands, they like can't do this because they need to go sell

37:36more socks, right? Because that's what puts them Is this brand live right now? Yeah. Yeah. We had our first drop um right before the World Cup. We made these like three World Cup jackets. USA, England, and Brazil. Oh, okay. You probably seen it a little bit. Yeah. And it sold out and it was great and good publicity and we have these shorts

37:56dropping soon. Okay. That's what I say. These aren't live though. No, no, no. These are um I misspoke. These are soon. So, yeah. It's like I'm going to be popping out in those all fall. You know, Charles on these are so good, bro. Wear them with some Converse or whatever. Go workout in them or lift weights. You can do squats in them. And it's just like, but again, the differentiation is I'm shooting this to workout and I wear it every day and we'll get photos of that too and post them. But like when I say lead sport, like this whole photo shoot tonight in video is like

38:28rigorous shooting practice with two kids in their coach sweating, going around cones, running sprints. Are they hooping or are they playing soccer? Oh, nice. And it's like but it but to me that's where the culture and fashion will come into it of like damn they look [ __ ] sick but they're [ __ ] grinding with their coach and they're getting around cones and they're coming off picks and everything like that. So again it's like it's like that that's just where I see it see it and and yeah I'm I'm so passionate about

39:03this. How are you going to balance the tail? Um, I don't really have an answer. My mom asks me all the time. My misses ask me all the time. I kind of just get it done. You know, my assistant Isabella, she keeps my head who's rock solid coordinator. She's unbelievable. my team at Lwood, then the team I'm growing at in the other businesses that I have, those team it's like I kind of just kind of make it work, you know, and and hire the right people and and have good business partners. Um, but there's I was telling Kelen this like but there is no like secret there. It's

39:41it's my entire life and like Eva, my misses, bless you. But like she Yeah, bro. She She It's It's tough sometimes. She's a grounded. Yeah. It's just like she wants to do like It's It's my entire like life. And I talk to my business partner about this all the time for Lwood. He's a completely different route. He's got three kids at 34 years old. He's been married for eight years. Loves his beautiful wife and family. loves Elwood, but like that is his Lwood, right? Like

40:16me, Lwood is my baby. Intra is my baby. And we talk about it all the time of like I don't think he could physically do what I do, but I couldn't do what he does if I wanted to do this either. So again, it's like I think there is an opportunity cost with everything. and I chose this, he chose this that path and who knows one day when he's 50 he may be in this seat and I may be raising kids right so again it's like I have been working out a lot which is helping meditate journal um but I will say and this is just like

40:57getting real to whoever does listen to this I do have like I do break And like I like have full-blown panic attacks. I'm out of the office for a week or two weeks at a time. Like my I hit rock bottom and my world goes upside down for a little bit. And like I went to rehab for this like back in the day to try and help me like I have so much but you're always going to crash. And I have decided in my life at this point in time where I'm going to allow the crashes to come because I'm building greatness outside of it. And

41:30it's not all the time, but there is this thing that people don't know of like I I will go dark for like a week or two and like being crazy crippling anxiety and like which sounds like super gnarly, but it's one of these things where it's like I have decided with my therapist of like look if it's not like physically hurting me and like deteriorating my health even though it's not that good for me to be that way for a bit. We've kind of both just said if we can kind of continue to do this and build what we're building and know there's going to be a day and

42:06bless my fiance like she's been with it through the times and my family but like again it's the opportunity cost of how my mind works of like I'm in and I'm [ __ ] out for a little bit but like and when I'm out I'm not on the beach in Hawaii. I'm like curled up in my bed can't get out of my bed for quite some time. I feel like that that's almost like the come down from a from a

42:30mountain. It is. It's like, you know, like when you when you go on a hike and it starts to hurt, right? Like you go on a hike, it starts to hurt. You do the the the the the terrible 10 milei hike, everything feels fine. As soon as you finish, you're like everything starts to hurt and you're

42:45like, I'm cooked. I'm cooked for a while, but then you go back on the next hike. Yep. Yep. You know, you're always going to come back. Like when it first started happening to me, I didn't think I would ever come back. So that's when my anxiety would really kick in. I'd be like, "Fuck, I'm like this forever." Thought it was over. I thought it was over. So slowly but surely doing this, I have seen that I do come back and it's I we call it my burnout and it and it happens and it's real and I've done a lot of research on it and I've thought I've had every disease in the

43:17book or something's wrong or this that and the other and it's my body literally once a year, twice a year says you're [ __ ] done and that's it. I'm done. And I don't fight it anymore. I my team knows me now. They know when I'm done, I'm done. And I would rather risk a week of that to try and create greatness and be there as I can be. And I'm not saying this is the right way to do it. This is what works for for for me and my life and how my my mind works cuz I do get put in these situations where they're almost too good to say no

43:56sometimes and I have to kind of do it. And that's a decision I've made, right? You know. Yeah. Just like carro. What's your leadership style? Because it sounds like your team knows you very well and you're fine with them knowing where where some leaders come to hide be very open. But like my team knows everything about me. I'm an open [ __ ]

44:15book. Like I'm there to help when I can. They're here to help me when I can. But there's no secrets. Everyone knows who I am. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm so passionate about everything that I do. Um, but I uh I I couldn't have it any other way because my anxiety and stuff. I I have to be in a work space where I feel comfortable. So, for me to feel comfortable, I have to let people into my world so they know me. If I'm sat in my office or didn't come into the office that day or randomly missed a meeting, it's not cuz I want to be not want to be

44:50there. It's just it's just how I function. So, and e like everyone knows that about me in my in my life and and I'm not a micromanager. I give you the task. I give you the job. If it's not I'm just a full person of like when we have the interviews where for you to get hired. I always say if it doesn't work, it probably just like it won't work out here. But that does not mean I like don't like you as a human being. But I say that from the get-go. And every person I've ever let go of besides one, it it's just like it's not working out,

45:25you know? And normally by that time, we're both kind of understanding of that it's not working out. But I'm just I try and be as open as possible and honest and just a good listener and I yeah I tr I try and know my employees outside of that door, not just inside the door. I I really try and invest into them and understand how they tick and their moods and not what's going on fully in their life, but just people react to different

45:59things in a completely different way. And if I can understand them a little bit more or better, I'll understand how to talk to them and what they're incentivized by and just so yeah, it's I've I've tried to take that extra step with most of the Lwood employees as it's grown. It's tough to talk to some of the assistants or the this or the that, but yeah, I just I want to I want to be the best boss for them in that way because if I'm freaking out one day, I want them

46:29to be able to somewhat comfort me. Again, that works for me. I know a lot of people that have way better businesses than me or bigger and they're [ __ ] tyrants and like their people hate them and they hate their people, but they're [ __ ] killing it. So again, like there's no right or wrong. It's just what makes me sleep at night and allows me to operate at my top like

46:52capacity. Yeah. Is your partner what's what's his like kind of role? Yeah, he's like the financial kind of side. Um softspoken, nicest guy in the world. Everyone loves him and he's just kind of like he's just uh he's he he's like my we're yin and yang. He is this kind of very like relaxed and calm and okay, let's think through it and talk about it and all this where I'm like on it dayto-day kind of thing. And we've we've we've gandered this relationship over six years. It was not like that at the beginning of time. It was uh it was some rocky waters for a little bit. It's

47:34tough, but we've really gotten into a into a good groove. Um, but yeah, he's just uh softspoken and understanding and takes it all in and thinks before he talks and stuff where I sometimes will just blurt out what I'm [ __ ] wanting to say. But um, and then Romeo's leadership style, he's never let Right. So, he's learning this and it's so cool to see him excel and be on these calls and messages and all of this stuff of like, I'm not

48:07the talent anymore. or I am the leader. So, it's cool seeing him grow in in in his way um from his background, in his life. And so, it's Yeah, it's been it's been cool. It's a vibe. It's a lot. I love it. Yeah, it's definitely a lot. What are uh are there any like any sightings of the clothes on people that have been shocking? Like a Kendall Jenner wearing

48:32the tank or like anything like that? Yeah, I think like when Justin wore it, like he still does wear it. Like it's always just so surreal when he wears it because like Yeah, it's just sick. Justin's so [ __ ] sick. Like he just like, bro, him at like the halftime show, like he just is a legend, bro. Like what he does. So that's still super cool. I golf with Travis Kelce and he wears it quite a bit. that he loves the hats. And you know, I think like yeah, a lot a lot of people are wearing it now. And all I hope when people wear it is do they feel

49:07better when they're wearing it? That's like my big thing. I truly believe that if you wear an outfit, you wake up as a six mentally and you put on an outfit, you look at yourself in the mirror, you're at a seven. And you go outside and someone comments on it, you're at an eight, right? And I truly believe that cuz that's happened to me in my life numerous amounts of times and I'm wearing Lwood a lot of the time. So yeah, I I just hope that from anyone when they do get Lwood or wear it that they just they feel a little bit better about themselves and like that they can

49:44express themselves through what they wear. And I I I gave it to one of my friends who's a 42-year-old kid, guy. Unbeliev so good-looking, 6'5, just great looking lad. The style was horrible. And I gave him a full closet of velvet. Actually filled up the back of my Gwagon with pounds and pounds and pounds and pounds of clothes. And uh he moved to Miami. And he said he has never ever gotten this many compliments in his life. And he's a good-looking lad. Like he already got compliments, but like ever about clothing and he's like it has

50:18changed my life. So yeah. Um so that's what I hope. But yeah, I think those are the people that is like the coolest. Well, I don't know. There's a lot of people that wear it, but at this point it's probably got that's a harder conversation to have. Yeah. Yeah. Well, dude, I appreciate you coming on,

50:36man. Thanks. I'm super This is great. We got to golf soon. I would love that. 100% at Wilshshire. Yeah. Come to Wilshshire whenever you're in LA. We'll pull up. Um I mean tell them Justin Saul Saul tag it in the description. I don't know what my TikTok is. Justin Saul probably. Yeah. I don't know. Lwood at intra.

51:01Yeah. Yeah. Check out intra. And when's the next drop? Give them the next drop as well. The intra drop. The intra drop is in October. I don't know the exact date so that doesn't really help. Um, and I don't know when the next we'll drop is every [ __ ] Friday pretty much. Check the website.

51:19But, uh, I appreciate you guys. Appreciate you coming on, man. Making time. Yeah. Thank you. Oh, yeah. [music]