.Manly Bands is a direct-to-consumer vendor of guys's bands. The business introduced in 2016 after John Ruggiero, the co-founder with his better half Michelle, couldn't discover an appropriate wedding celebration band.This is actually Ruggiero's second appeal on the podcast. In April 2021, we discussed the provider's starting, special ring materials, and also a lot more. Ever since, Manly Bands has actually acquired its own supplier. The making of rings from, claim, Jack Daniel's whiskey gun barrels or Fender guitar strings makes compelling video clip, states Ruggiero, excellent for narration on social networking sites as well as in other places.The whole sound of our conversation is ingrained below. The transcript is actually edited for length and also clearness.Eric Bandholz: Give us a rundown of what you perform.John Ruggiero: My better half, Michelle, and also I began an on the web ring company knowned as Manly Bands in 2016 to fix a trouble of wedding celebration bands for males. We were simply married. I possess big hands as well as couldn't discover a band that I ased if that was actually not overpriced. My possibilities were getting coming from a magazine or even having one thing custom-built.I wound up acquiring coming from a web site. The ring got here in a flat mailer, with no package or customer support. It was actually an unpleasant expertise through today's ecommerce standards.Our team got wed, transferred to Fla, and also needed a job. Our experts informed our own selves, "Our experts are actually both business people. Why don't we create our personal business?" Our experts talked about the kinds of complications our experts 'd found and also just how to solve all of them. My band adventure came up, and we chose to make an effort to solve it for other men.Our objective when our company started was to pay out rent. Our experts thought creating a couple 1000 dollars a month from this would be actually amazing. Our team considered it a way of life company, certainly not high-growth. It was actually just Michelle and me in our garage designing rings as well as sending all of them bent on clients. We had actually hit on something. Our message resonated with prospects.Michelle and I create a great group. I think of suggestions, as well as she is actually the implementer. A great deal of our effectiveness goes to her innovative thoughts. She titles the rings as well as develops personas. She links the bands to customers. Defining a band exclusively as "eight-millimeter black" didn't suffice.Our experts made bands coming from special materials, including Jack Daniel's barrels or special metals. Business took off. Ever since, our company've expanded dramatically. We now have over 55 individuals in the Manly Bands family. Concerning fifty percent of those are band artisans that function in our lately acquired production outlet in Utah.Bandholz: When performed you obtain a maker?Ruggiero: Regarding a year and also an one-half back. Our experts had actually been their consumer for several years, so we understood them well. A lot of their business was wholesale, which failed to rate of interest our team-- going to mom-and-pop jewelers. They preserved their retail clients and trademark name. Our experts acquired some of their properties and also carried over workers.Bringing on a manufacturing staff has actually been one of the most effective traits our team have actually carried out. It's been actually extraordinary to go out there as well as view them bring in rings out of Fender guitar strands or even steel from an M1 Abrams tank.Bandholz: Exactly how does internal manufacturing effect advertising?Ruggiero: It is actually been big. Taking a video camera to the opposite of the office and also filming the staff using lathes to cut the metallic rods or scotch barrels right into rings produces amazing video recording. Our company possess our camera workers out there at all times. Our experts make use of that video on our social networking sites and in our adds as well as newsletters. Our company make an effort to advertise that since most providers in the males's band room don't produce. They fall ship or purchase coming from overseas and afterwards transport it out. But our company want it to last a lifetime and also be one thing people can take pleasure in.Our company've had a bunch of excellence along with our armed forces ancestry selection, where our company resource unique armed forces materials. Our company have the M1 Garand rifle stock, the hardwood component, coming from War of the nations I. Viewing our crew put that in the lathe as well as reduced an item out for a ring is actually interesting.Our advertising and marketing for those rings talks about the record, the soldiers, where the tool was actually utilized, and points like that. My wife and I studied filmmaking in university. Our experts utilize our skills to teach and also tell a story. As an example, I just recently received an email from a customer who discussed that his gramps utilized to steer M1 storage tanks. The client blessed one of those bands to his grand daddy, and they had rather a psychological swap. It's nice to help clients get in touch with their past and also produce something relevant.Bandholz: Where can individuals purchase a band from you?Ruggiero: ManlyBands.com. Our team have photos on Instagram, as well. I'm on Twitter and LinkedIn.