Chip Longenecker doesn’t think there should be any limits to what is in a man’s dresser.
After launching RompHim in 2017, the first apparel brand offering rompers for guys, Longenecker has launched his next startup, Podium — a jewelry brand geared toward men.
The Chicago startup will launch with two initial product lines: Cuban link chains and bracelets, and cuff bracelets. The brand offers an accessible price with all products between $100 and $200.
“The mission here at Podium is to help customers unlock bigger and better versions of themselves,” Longenecker told Chicago Inno.
He thinks more men wearing jewelry could give them a “little edge” in their life.
“That’s not to say that it’s going to make you a totally different person, but it just gives you that X factor which can help you express yourself in different ways, feel more confident, more bold and more willing to take risks that spills over into other aspects of your life,” Longenecker said.
He admits that he’s not the only jewelry brand trying to capitalize on this trend. According to data by Lyst, searches for men's jewelry have increased 43% year-over-year.
Podium launched this week, offering free returns and exchanges, a lifetime warranty and a trade-in program.
Longenecker plans to launch online and work with big retailers like Nordstrom and Saks to help sell the product rather than opening a brick-and-mortar store. He also plans on working with influencers, celebrities and athletes who fit with the brand and message.
"I think you have to have a different playbook as it relates to consumers in this day and age, to really build a strong brand, have an amazing product, and then be able to not just do Facebook ads, but get in front of people in lots of new and different ways," he said.
Longenecker sees plenty of corollaries between his two companies, chief among them that they both want to increase self expression for guys, and while RompHim's site is no longer active, it’s still available via the Tipsy Elves online retail company, and he sees it as a success overall.
“We turned a passion project side hustle into a cult brand that generated $400,000 in sales in our first week,” he said. “Over the life of the company, we had thousands of customers and ultimately licensed the brand to Tipsy Elves.”
