Bryan Rhode served in the Marines then practiced corporate law with a large firm before moving to the courtroom as a prosecutor. He next moved on with high-level government positions before returning to the private sector as Vice President for a Fortune 300 company.
Rhode has now entered the world of entrepreneurship with the founding of ACUMEN Apparel. With ACUMEN, he has created a men’s clothing brand that empowers professional men by solving their problems, so they can solve the world’s.
ACUMEN began with the patent-pending Set, where Rhode used his unique knowledge of shirt stays in the military and improved on it to help professional men keep their dress shirts tucked and tight all day.
What is ACUMEN Apparel all about?
ACUMEN is a new men’s apparel brand focused on solving problems for men. Our signature product is called “The Set.” It consists of a high-quality dress shirt with stretch and breathability, a pair of specially designed shirt stays that keep the wearer’s shirt tucked in, and a pair of stylish, super-soft socks.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
Out of college, I served in the Marine Corps, where I was introduced to the concept of shirt stays – elastic straps that connect to the wearer’s shirt and socks to keep the socks pulled up and the shirt tucked in. Shirt stays are why Marines in dress uniforms always look so sharp. I have since worked as a lawyer, in state government, and in the corporate world – all environments where professional dress was required.
As men’s office fashions started to slim down over the past few years, I found myself re-tucking my shirt every time I got up from my desk. I knew shirt stays could help keep my shirt tucked in, but they were impractical for daily wear. I wanted to solve the problem, and so the idea for ACUMEN was born. I invented the patent-pending Set, which starts with a high quality shirt and adds in specially designed shirt stays and socks. The ACUMEN Set is far easier to use than traditional shirt stays. Once a person tries it, they find it hard to go back.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
Persistence, persistence, and persistence.
Most new companies fail not because the idea is bad, but because the entrepreneur gives up. Every entrepreneur has doubts, we all face adversity, and it’s a rare business that is instantly successfu.
Most businesses take a great deal of work and grow slowly over time.
Entrepreneurs need the persistence to get up every day and move the business forward, one step at a time. I try to do this with ACUMEN.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
We launched ACUMEN with a terrific initial inventory. We are planning to add undershirts to the lineup and a second release in the coming months. Our goal is to grow the business to a point where we can have several releases a year and expand our offerings into other areas of men’s professional apparel – dress pants and suits – all while trying to solve problems.
At ACUMEN, we have a saying that we want to solve men’s problems, so they can go out and solve the world’s.
How have the pandemic and Lockdown affected you or your new business?
The pandemic certainly set us back in terms of launch timing. When COVID hit China, our factory closed down for several months. We moved some production to Vietnam, but Vietnam was hit hard this summer by COVID and our factory there had to close for about two months. Shipping costs have also gone up tremendously.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
There really is no product on the market like the ACUMEN Set.
In terms of the components that make up The Set, we differentiate ourselves on design and quality but also by matching different designs and materials into our four categories: The Executive, The Disruptor, The Entrepreneur, and The Renaissance Man.
The Executive line has more traditional dress shirts a customer might want for a board meeting or a big presentation. The Disruptor category is more fashion forward and is perfect for a night out with clients.
The Entrepreneur has our most stretchy shirts and might be ideal for casual Friday. The Renaissance Man category has our formal evening wear selections. At ACUMEN, our ultimate goal is to outfit the complete man.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
- I made the mistake of thinking ACUMEN would be up and running far faster than it did get off the ground. I have learned to be more realistic on time frames, particularly when manufacturing something. It can take months or years, and having a realistic time frame can help you plan much more effectively.
- Finding high quality help from the start is important, and it took me a few tries to get it right. Finding good people can be challenging, particularly if you are not from the industry. To the extent, you use sites like Fiverr and Upwork, look very closely at freelancers’ reviews and whether they have a track record doing exactly what you need them to do. I have had more luck when I find people on LinkedIn. I recommend finding people in good companies in the industry with the skill sets you need. Reach out to them, and see if they can recommend top quality freelancers or even do the work themselves.
- At the beginning, I struggled with sourcing products. I went to trade shows, but there are much more effective ways to quickly identify high-quality factories.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Currently, word of mouth and social media while launching a PR campaign. Because the ACUMEN Set is so unlike anything else on the market, that third-party validation is very helpful to convince potential customers to give it a try.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
I had a difficult time initially finding the help I needed sourcing and technical design work. I went through trial and error, just kept looking, and eventually put together an amazing team and some great manufacturers. There were plenty of fits and starts, though.
What was your first business idea and what did you do with it?
My first business idea was for a new kind of audible news app. I still want to do it someday.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I’m learning how to market and breakthrough to potential customers as a new brand. It’s challenging, but ACUMEN has great products, and I am more and more confident guys will agree.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
If I started over, I would begin working on marketing and PR before the launch. I may try to do some type of pre-order campaign. I know some brands have had great success building a buzz around their business before they launch, allowing them to start making sales immediately.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
- Facebook and Instagram ads – they are relatively cheap and targeted
- Google ad words – if you know what your customer is looking for you can use the ad words to get them to you
- Klaviyo for email marketing – effective email marketing, and follow up is so important to bring customers back to your site
Can you recommend one book, one podcast, and one online course for entrepreneurs?
Since I started this entrepreneurial journey with ACUMEN, I have devoured as many business podcasts and biographies on entrepreneurs I can find. My favorites are:
- Book: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
- Podcast: NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz is a mainstay of mine.
If you only had $1,000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would spend funds on ACUMEN, branding. For a consumer product in a competitive space, it really is critical. You can do it on the cheap, but high-quality branding from the start will differentiate your product and even make you feel more positive about the business during those difficult times you will inevitably have. Good branding just sets the tone for the entire business.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I love what I do! The process of creating a product and a brand that solves customers’ problems is amazing. To see all of your hard work finally take form into a business is enormously satisfying. I love what ACUMEN is doing, where I can see it going, and ultimately how impactful it can be.
What is your favorite quote?
I have three: Teddy Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena quote, Rudyard Kipling’s poem If, and W.E. Henley’s poem Invictus. At one time, I had all three memorized.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Make sure you are committed for the long haul. Entrepreneurship is difficult. It can be very scary at times. You will wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat at some point asking yourself, “What in the hell am I doing?!” Those moments will pass, just keep plugging away.
What is your definition of success?
Being able to keep this business alive and growing so that it can positively impact and empower men.
How do you personally overcome fear?
I try to tell myself, even if I fail, I am doing something most people wish they had tried but never do. It’s believing you are the man in the arena, “Who at the best knows the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
How can readers get in touch with you?
You can find my business on social media Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and my website
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