Imagine sitting in your marketing class coming up with a company idea for a project, having no idea that years later that it would turn into a real thriving business with investors and celebrity athlete support.

It sounds like a success story too good to be true, but Andrew Shapiro made it a reality. After coming up with a simple concept for high quality yet affordable sunglasses in college, and enlisting the help of his brother, he founded Tomahawk Shades. Despite an initial lack of support from those around him, he pushed through and showed that self-belief and a thorough understanding of branding can prove the naysayers wrong and make a business an inspiring success.

Allow me to introduce Andrew Shapiro…

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So, who are you and what’s your business?

My name is Andrew Shapiro and I am the Founder and CEO of the eyewear brand Tomahawk Shades. Tomahawk Shades is a sunglasses/eyewear brand that has become known for the small batch production of the sunglasses where quality comes before quantity.

What is your backstory and what inspired you to come up with / pursue this idea?

While in college for marketing we were told in class to come up with an idea and bring it to life. I could not come up with an idea until my brother, who is one of the co-founders and current president of the company, bought a pair of sunglasses for way to much money. At that point I decided to make sunglasses for my project and the rest is history.

Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product or service- what was that like?

Our first product was a simple classic design that we had in our mind from the get go. Going back and forth with a ton of manufacturers trying to get the perfect match was not fun but worth it in the end. This is the most time consuming processes we have done to date but rewarding in the end.

Describe launching the company… Where did you start?

Launching the company for us came at a perfect time. This was when Instagram, Twitter and Facebook were starting to gain ton of traction and we knew it was the place to start. Beyond that it was all word of mouth. We would drive around town telling our friends and family our idea and what we were doing. Was some of the best times hustling and trying to get people to say “oh I’ll take one”.

What has worked to attract & retain customers so far?

We think the customer service side is always key. We have noticed that if you do right by them and make sure they do not feel like they are talking to a robot, then they will refer a friend or come back and get more. Since the start of this company, we still have people who return a few times a year for new sunglasses.

What books, podcasts, or people have been the most influential on your journey?

I have always looks at brands and the people who have built them. When you look at brands like Benny Gold, The Hundreds, Johnny Cupcakes and more you try and replicate what they have done. They did not go through the normal path of how brands should be and we are doing the same.

How are things going today and what does the future look like?

We just saw one of the largest year of over increases for the brand going from 2021 to 2022. We plan on doing the same in 2023 with some amazing partnerships that are in the works as well as new releases, updates and more. We have brought on some amazing investors in the space as well as some world class athletes who are going to help pave the way for some ideas we will bring to life!

Any advice for others who are just starting out?

Just start. It is the one thing I noticed that people did not support when I started out. Everyone asks, “Well, what are you going to do for money?”, “What are you really going to do in the future?”, “Do you think it will even work?”. I hated that I felt like I could not just dive into it where at the end of the day I could have and should have.

What’s the best way for people to connect and follow you? Website, Social Profiles, Etc…

Our website is always a great way and we have a chat feature so we can talk to anyone! Social media is also as popular as ever and we love to talk with our fans and help them select their first pair of Tomahawks!