Meet Tommy Waytula, Co-Founder of Brims

July 24, 2024
Posted by Mark Hernandez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommy Waytula, Co-Founder of Brims.

Hi Tommy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We were returning home after an evening out with friends in the fall of ’23 when Steve (co-founder), known for wearing a bucket hat at literally any given time, had expressed his frustrations with getting a lil too sweaty up top after an evening on the dance floor. Tommy (other co-founder and problem solver) thought it was time to “let that dome breathe.” He sprang into action with scissors in one hand and a bucket hat in another. And boom! Brims was born.

But companies, like babies, must be nurtured. We had a bucket hat with no top…it was a fun spontaneous moment, but now what? Where do we go from here? It was time to see if this baby could walk.

The following week we went to Fred Again at the Shrine in LA, sporting a couple of Brims prototypes. Tons of concert goers approached us in awe of this unprecedented style, and they were even more intrigued to discover we had created them ourselves. We were thrilled with the response, and we knew it was time to take the next step.

But Tommy had been slinging software for the last six years out of college…and Steve was in pharmaceutical sales. We knew nothing about fashion. Our best idea was to simply head to the Fashion District in LA. So two salesmen wandered around and became immersed in the colors and designs of the fabric world.

When 2024 came, with the help of New Years resolutions, we decided to go all in. We started an LLC and haven’t looked back. Now we have two collections, Activewear and Streetwear, and we’re growing every day.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Joel Dahmen on the PGA tour decided to cut the top off his bucket hat back in April. At first, we were worried about the competition when it went viral on the PGA’s Instagram page. Was our hard work all wasted? Were we too late? Rather than thinking of the potential negatives, it was time to turn around some positivity. We came to the realization that this is actually great publicity and bringing awareness to our movement. Any good idea will attract competition. We also then used this as a marketing campaign and had our friends comment on the page bringing users to our Instagram and website. Anyone that showed interested on the PGA’s post is now a potential customer for Brims.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Brims?
At Brims, we specialize in two things: unique headwear and having a good time. We are most proud of our streetwear collection. Each piece in the collection is meticulously designed, sourced, and manufactured in Los Angeles. This not only brings a local flavor to our brand but also allows us to collaborate closely with other local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Our best advice is to go for it. The greatest barrier to entry is the initial jump. As roommates, we have discussed potential ideas for a business year after year. But never got around to doing anything about it until we took this leap of faith. Once you take that jump, you will start to realize how many members of your friends and family want you to succeed. People will start to share ideas and suggestions for what might work and be helpful. You can use your connections and network to help you along the way. Just from our friends, we were able to connect with a photographer, web developer, and manufacturers. Friends and family have shared countless marketing ideas to boost engagement. And at least with a clothing brand, it can be just as helpful to get your friends and family to wear your brand out and about. So grab your scissors and go for it!

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