The Few Will Hunt Show

Look good, feel good, play good. Take pride in what you're wearing. In this episode, Joey and Drew sit down with Aaron Pierce from Commonwealth Proper. Aaron discusses how Commonwealth Proper creates high-quality, custom clothing with a focus on sustainability. He also shares insights into their personal styling services, their approach to building strong client relationships, and their donation program. Tune in to hear Aaron’s take on style, sustainability, and making every client feel their best!

The official podcast of Few Will Hunt, the world’s largest community of hard workers and Made in the USA apparel brand. Family-owned and operated and headquartered in Philadelphia. We’re on a mission to restore the dignity of hard work and help others live The Rules of The Few to strengthen ourselves and strengthen society. No entitlement or excuses are allowed here.

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Creators & Guests

Host
Drew Beech
Drew Beech is an entrepreneur and cofounder of Few Will Hunt. He spent several years in the sales and marketing industry, grossing over several million dollars in sales. But his love for the entrepreneurial journey and desire to escape the rate race started with his personal training business in college. Today, Drew leads the Few Will Hunt community alongside his cousin and cofounder, Joey in their mission to restore the dignity of hard work through the highest-quality American-made apparel.
Host
Joey Bowen
Joey Bowen is co-founder of Few Will Hunt.

What is The Few Will Hunt Show?

The official podcast of Few Will Hunt, the world’s largest community of hard workers and 100% Made in the USA apparel brand. We’re on a mission to restore the dignity of hard work and help others live The Rules of The Few to strengthen ourselves and strengthen society. No entitlement or excuses are allowed here.

Joey Bowen:

Aaron Pierce from Commonwealth Proper. Aaron is a friend, a fellow entrepreneur, director at Commonwealth Proper, and a person that has added value to my life in a very specific way.

Aaron Pierce:

The first thing people do is check out what you're aware. They look at you and they're, okay, yes, guys will put together.

Joey Bowen:

Everybody gets the concept and the investment in themselves.

Aaron Pierce:

But one

Joey Bowen:

thing I don't think a lot of people realize is there's science behind it. What you wear, it's not just you said, how people see you, your impression. It also changes how you see yourself.

Aaron Pierce:

Even that investment on your basics Yeah. It makes a difference and people will notice and, like, oh, that's really cool. It's interesting.

Joey Bowen:

Being a customer, a part of your community at Commonwealth has accentuated like a life lesson for me that, like, you really don't need as much as you think.

Aaron Pierce:

Again, I think that if more people invested in higher quality but fewer pieces Mhmm. It would be sustainable for all businesses.

Joey Bowen:

Commonwealth really accentuated it for me of you don't need as much as you think, and you should invest

Aaron Pierce:

100%.

Joey Bowen:

In the things that you do covet's a strong word, but the things that you do make your own. You should invest in those to make sure that they're the highest quality things possible. You know

Drew Beech:

what I mean? And it's

Joey Bowen:

not just clothing. Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show. What's going on, Eagles? Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show. I'm Joey.

Joey Bowen:

I'm joined here with my cousin Drew and Aaron Pierce from Commonwealth Proper. Aaron is a friend, a fellow entrepreneur, director at Commonwealth Proper, and a person that has added value to my life in a very specific way for well over a decade. Yeah. Maybe not quite 15 years yet, but

Aaron Pierce:

Getting there.

Drew Beech:

We're we're

Joey Bowen:

getting there. Maybe 12 and a half. So I'm excited to have you here today. I'm excited to get into the story. We have some other stories because you've also added some value to Drew's life recently, actually, at a very pivotal moment in our in our lives.

Drew Beech:

I wasn't privy to that value until I really started getting to know Joey. I'm like, damn, I gotta start.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. We're gonna do it, but

Joey Bowen:

I I think I told you, though. I did. I I was like, you gotta see my guys. You gotta see my guys type of thing. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

So I'm excited to get into it. I'm excited for the community to get to know you For sure. A bit better. I'm excited for you to tell them about not only the the services that you provide, at Commonwealth proper, but also how you do, quote, unquote, business there.

Aaron Pierce:

Absolutely.

Joey Bowen:

Because you do business in a way much like we do that's very relationship based, and we believe that that's that the way to actually operate. So I'm excited to get into that too. Let's, let's start out with, what Commonwealth Proper is and what you do there. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Yeah. Well, first, thanks for having me. This is awesome. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Come full circle. Feels like one of those moments where yeah. But we'll get into that. But yeah. So Commonwealth Proper, we're a full custom house.

Aaron Pierce:

So we make everything from scratch. We started off with suiting and shirting but we've grown from there to denim. So we pretty much make everything at this point. So we have shops, in Philadelphia, DC, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. They're appointment based.

Aaron Pierce:

You come in. You sit down. We get to know you a little bit. We ask you a bunch of questions. Kinda, you know, pry at you a bit.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Get to know your career and your lifestyle and all that stuff. And then we kinda start building for you. So, you know, some people come in for something very specific.

Drew Beech:

But it

Aaron Pierce:

doesn't always stay there. Yeah. It grows from there. So I would say we're as much of a wardrobe consultancy as we are a custom house. But again, as you said, it's very relationship based.

Aaron Pierce:

Just to come in and get one garment from me, you're spending a couple hours with me minimum over 2 or 3 kind of fittings. So during that time, you can really dive in and get to know people and, you know, develop relationships and friendships. And, it's really rewarding and it's it's awesome.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. We'll we'll hit on that a little bit later too because we're gonna talk about the journey. Right? Like, you know, when you joined Commonwealth, what it's like to go from where I first met you

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Which was a a small studio

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, yeah.

Joey Bowen:

On Spruce Street in Philadelphia to now, like you mentioned, you know, you have your HQ at 19th in Chestnut.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

And then you also have brick and mortar all over the US. Yeah. You know, in in major cities in the US. So, you know, we'll get into, we'll definitely get into all all of that. And you're, you're right.

Joey Bowen:

It's quite an experience when we come in to see it.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

And I will say that I've always come in for one thing, and I've left with more.

Aaron Pierce:

With something else.

Drew Beech:

You're doing great. He's doing great. I'm coming for one pair of these left with 2. Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I went for one pair of denim, left with 2 pairs and a custom blazer. So

Aaron Pierce:

That blazer's good. You know

Drew Beech:

what I mean?

Aaron Pierce:

It's a good one. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

I am constantly jealous of Joey's blazers. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

That's what I mean. Look. That's what I said. Very specific way that he's added value to my life over the years. And, there's a like, an old adage.

Joey Bowen:

Right? And, you're you're a 49ers fan. Right?

Aaron Pierce:

Niners fan.

Joey Bowen:

Okay. You're a niners fan. So we're not gonna hold that against you here.

Aaron Pierce:

That's fair. That's fair.

Drew Beech:

We're not gonna hold that against

Joey Bowen:

you here, but there's an adage. Look good, feel good, play good. And it's a Jerry Rice Yep. Adage. Now I think that some people attribute it to Deion Sanders.

Aaron Pierce:

They do. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I'm gonna and it's not just because you're a nonisher. I'm gonna go with Jerry Rice instead of Deion Sanders for obvious reasons because Deion Sanders is a cowboy. Right?

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Or was a cowboy?

Drew Beech:

Was he a lion? He was a lion. I don't know.

Aaron Pierce:

He was a falcon, a diner. Well, he's a few things. Falcon, a niner.

Joey Bowen:

He was a 40

Aaron Pierce:

For 1 year. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Oh, okay.

Aaron Pierce:

He won a Super Bowl, though. So he's a legend. But, then he went to Dallas. That's kind of Okay. Wild people.

Joey Bowen:

Well, since he

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. We're gonna

Joey Bowen:

Since that's how

Drew Beech:

I work

Joey Bowen:

with him.

Aaron Pierce:

Raven too, though.

Drew Beech:

Like, that's We're gonna torch for our our football knowledge on this.

Joey Bowen:

Listen. I'm very upfront. I've purged it all, man. I've purged it all. So that's but but what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna go with Jerry Rice because I I I like him much more than I

Drew Beech:

do nowadays.

Joey Bowen:

So there's that adage. Look good, feel good, play good.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You know? And that's something that I've always believed in even in my days in, like, corporate, and that's kind of what brought Yep. Brought me to you. We talk about cliches a lot or quotes on the show, and they're kinda like, they sound like, you know, nice to say or not true until they actually are. Yep.

Joey Bowen:

And this is one of those things that I believe is true. And there's

Aaron Pierce:

100%. It's investment in yourself. Mhmm. Like, I mean, the first thing people do is check out what you're wearing. Like, they look at you and they're like, okay.

Aaron Pierce:

Yes. These guys are well put together. Yep. Now, for us, we think it should take somebody, you know, 10 minutes to kind of realize how well dressed you are.

Joey Bowen:

Sure.

Aaron Pierce:

Of course, silhouette's one thing but it's all about the details and finishing. Mhmm. You don't really like the peacocky look at me kinda. That's not our style. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Our styles are really kinda based on kinda stream streamline fits. Yeah. Modern fabrics do a lot of tech, a lot of stretch. Mhmm. But for us, subtle details.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

That's what it's all about. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I

Aaron Pierce:

love that. I

Joey Bowen:

love that. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. I think you appreciate that, and I know you do too, Drew. So Yeah. You guys coming in and, you know, shopping with me is I know you get it, and I I love it.

Joey Bowen:

Everybody everybody gets the concept and the investment in themselves, but one thing I don't think a lot of people realize is there's science behind it, which is crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Really.

Drew Beech:

It's

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. I don't have you heard of enclosed, cognition? Have you heard of that? Okay. So I think it was Colombia Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

In, like, maybe 2,011, 2012. 2 guys did some experiments there where they had undergrads. They separated them into 2 groups, and they had them do mental agility tests. Right? And one group was wearing their street clothes when they came in in.

Joey Bowen:

Yep. The other group, they put a doctor's coat on, like a lab coat.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

The people wearing the lab coat made half as many mistakes

Drew Beech:

Wow.

Joey Bowen:

In the mental agility. And, obviously, like, it's controlled, so these people are on a level playing field and everything. But the people in the lab coats made half as many mistakes as the people that just came in in their street clothes. So then they took it even further, and they said, we're gonna do another experiment. We're gonna put both groups in lab coats, but we're gonna tell one group that they're doctors in lab coats and the other group that they're painters in painters' smocks.

Joey Bowen:

Okay. And, again, the doctors in the lab coats performed much better Yeah. Than those wearing the painter's mocks. So what you wear, it's not just you said, how people see you

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

Your impression. It also changes how you see yourself.

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, for sure. Right?

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

And has a real impact on your behavior and your performance Yeah. As a person.

Aaron Pierce:

I've witnessed it firsthand clients coming to me with, you know, no basis in terms of how to dress. It's almost like, I wanna invest in this, but I don't really know how. So it's a lot of educational stuff. But then over the years, you see them really grow into it and you see them flourish and their confidence grow and it's it's literally the most rewarding thing.

Drew Beech:

But Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Having been doing this for 15 years now. You kinda get to see that along the way where it's really firsthand, which is true.

Joey Bowen:

And I gotta imagine that's, like, super rewarding.

Aaron Pierce:

The best thing ever. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. I gotta imagine it's super super rewarding, like, the the impact that you have on people. You know what I mean?

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. And I I think, you know, there's a saying that dress for the job you want. Mhmm.

Drew Beech:

And I

Aaron Pierce:

think that's That's

Joey Bowen:

another one.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. I think that can be expressed in other ways of our lives. So dress for how you want to be portrayed.

Joey Bowen:

Sure.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Sure. But it is an investment in yourself and I think that there's, you know, so many different avenues in which you can accomplish it. You don't have to go, you know, full handmade, you know, many there's other ways to do it too. Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

So we understand the level in which we are, is not always attainable for most people. That doesn't mean the investment isn't worth it.

Joey Bowen:

Or that the concept doesn't hold true.

Drew Beech:

Correct.

Joey Bowen:

You know, you're doing what you're doing at Commonwealth is at a very high level. Right?

Aaron Pierce:

Yes.

Joey Bowen:

What we're doing here is different. Like, you know, we're doing activewear and fight wear, but the concept still applies. Like, if that if that enclosed cognition theory concept didn't exist, it would be difficult for Commonwealth and Fuel Hunt to have a success. To be successful. You know?

Joey Bowen:

It's a real thing.

Aaron Pierce:

I wear your tees all the time, and I love putting them on it. People are like, oh, that's an awesome tee. I'm like, hey. Thanks. But that's what I mean.

Aaron Pierce:

Like, even that investment on your basics Yep. It makes a difference and people will notice and, like, oh, that's

Joey Bowen:

really cool. It's interesting. Yeah. For sure. 100%.

Joey Bowen:

So a very real example of this is an example of Drew and I. Yeah. Because we're grinding it out with fuel hunt. Mhmm. In 2021, we have the opportunity to go out, go and meet our future friend, mentor, and business partner, Pedro Sculian.

Joey Bowen:

Mhmm. And the first call I made was to you. I remember gotta get right.

Aaron Pierce:

I remember

Joey Bowen:

you guys

Aaron Pierce:

coming in. I didn't really know exactly what you guys had going on, but I could feel the energy. I could feel that you guys are on, like, the cusp of something important. I know you spoke to me a little bit about it, but, obviously, I'm not in the day to day operations or business. But I can feel Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

That it was a big deal. And I I it still resonates with me. I was like, oh, these guys are making moves here.

Drew Beech:

It was really important. I brought my son down with me. Oh, really? I was like, I just wanted to see

Aaron Pierce:

what this is like.

Drew Beech:

You know what I mean? Like, just get him started on taking pride with what you're wearing and then, like, investing in yourself and what you're wearing. So Yep. That was quite I saw the pictures saying my favorite to him in the big chair.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I mean, it's an experience when when you go in, not just what you're doing for yourself, but you guys do a great job. I can speak obviously for the 19th and Chestnut location. I'm sure it's the same with your other locations. But you do a great job of, like, when when people walk through the door, helping them feel like they're about to make the most important investment they've ever made in themselves.

Aaron Pierce:

A super intimidating thing. Custom clothing, making an appointment somewhere that's completely closed, and coming into a space which either you're very, you know, well versed in or you're not.

Joey Bowen:

Okay.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. So coming into that space can be very intimidating. So, for us, we try to take that away. Mhmm. And, like, I think most people come in and they expect us to be, you know, super buttoned up with these, like and we're not really like that.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Like, for us, it's like we're black, we're neutral colors, express yourself, but we're there to make you guys the star. Yeah. Yeah. You're in for a reason.

Aaron Pierce:

So let's get to that. You don't need to worry about, you know, my, you know, pink blazer, whatever it is.

Joey Bowen:

Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

So it's, like, for us, like, we kinda tone it down a little bit when you come in because we understand how intimidating of a thing it can be.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. You don't wanna outshine the the customer and make them feel intimidated.

Aaron Pierce:

And a lot of people are coming in for weddings. They wanna feel special. This

Joey Bowen:

is a

Aaron Pierce:

huge investment for them. And while we do have the, you know, professionals that come in and are investing in the future, some of these guys are investing in it, like, a day, a memory. Yeah. And it's, like, for them, it has to be perfect.

Joey Bowen:

That's how I started. Well, I I wanted to rewind for a second. So you said you tone it down to make, your really community member, but customer that's walking through the door, the star.

Aaron Pierce:

100%.

Joey Bowen:

But there's something one thing that you one of many things that you guys do really well, you do tone it down, and you're wearing neutral colors and everything, but your your silhouettes are on point. Your subtle details are on point. The way you carry yourselves is on point. So they come in, and they're not intimidated by your pink paisley blazer. Right?

Joey Bowen:

But, they do at least I did. I recognized. I was like, alright. This is the place to be. This is where I should be to make this investment.

Aaron Pierce:

And I think for us, like, we're tattooed guys. Like Mhmm. When you go a little bit too hard, it can really be like, oh, I'm I'm in a spot. Like, yeah. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

So, for us, we're like, yeah. Let's, let's let's be a little bit more neutral. And then I think from there, just our own personal style is developed like, you know, my business partner Craig is, you know, a different dresser than I am, but still within the same laws. And then Vanessa who's been there for a decade. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

She has her own style. But again, very clean lines, very understated. Yeah. Yeah. So it's just kinda who we are.

Aaron Pierce:

And, what I find I think is most important about that is that then those pieces become incredibly versatile. Like, how many different outfits have you worn with that blazer?

Drew Beech:

Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

From dress down, denim to dress. So, that one piece Yep. Can live within an ecosystem of clothing. Exactly. When you go too hard and you go with these, you know, bright silhouettes, these glen plaids, every time you wear it, people are like, oh, there's Joey and his glen plaid blazer.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. You can't wear the pink suede and everybody. Investing in

Aaron Pierce:

a piece that's handmade, that's full canvas that Yep. You wanna wear this thing to its death. At least that's what we want you to do. Exactly. So there's clinic Proper.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly. So there's clean lines are are important. Those kinda neutral tones, very important, and you can build a wardrobe off of that. We call it your core.

Drew Beech:

Yep. Once you

Aaron Pierce:

have your core, then you can start having fun.

Joey Bowen:

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. And then, you know, when you have that core, then it's like closet clean out time. For sure.

Joey Bowen:

Right?

Aaron Pierce:

That's been the big thing where it's like as you develop these relationships with people, well, we will come to your house and we'll help you with that, but we find that people do it on their own.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

They're like, oh, you have a couple of suits from us and they're like, yeah, these other suits, they're fine, but we're gonna donate those.

Joey Bowen:

Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

So, at the end of the year, we've created a program that's based off of this. So, if you bring a suit in for donation, we'll donate it to professionals that are just starting from lower income Mhmm. Areas and then we'll give you 2.50 off of a new suit. Yeah. So you're essentially replacing your suits anyway.

Aaron Pierce:

This is a way you can save money, write it off, but then we donate it and it gets used because a lot of these suits are nice.

Joey Bowen:

The first time I saw that program, I was, like, I fucking love this.

Drew Beech:

I was,

Aaron Pierce:

like, you

Joey Bowen:

guys are doing it right.

Aaron Pierce:

We got so overwhelmed and it was honestly, like, very touching for us that 1st year. We had, like, 200 suits and a lot of people were, like, I'm not gonna buy that much, we just wanna give it to you. So so many key people came through and we were, like, really overwhelmed with, you know, the giving nature of our clients and our and it was really cool. Like, we love that.

Joey Bowen:

Being a being a customer, a part of your community at Commonwealth has accentuated, like, a life lesson for me that, like, you really don't need as much as you think.

Aaron Pierce:

No. No. No. No. No.

Joey Bowen:

You know what I'm saying? Like, talking about that core.

Aaron Pierce:

100%. Invest in well made pieces

Joey Bowen:

that round

Aaron Pierce:

out your core that are ethically produced. Yep. You're gonna wear them forever. They're gonna wear super hard. You're gonna feel good when you do it.

Aaron Pierce:

And then, at the end of the day, you'll know that, you know, those dollars stayed within your country. Exactly. Those dollars were not spent in a sweatshop somewhere where someone suffered to make your

Joey Bowen:

clothes. Exactly. So, it's like And and lasted an eighth of the time.

Aaron Pierce:

That's what I mean. Right. And then, they end up in a landfill, you know. Exactly. I think people I think it's been harped on a lot over the last decade which I'm happy about but I still don't think people truly understand the, you know, resource cost of this fast fashion Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

In the amount of damage it's doing into, you know, our world. I mean, there's rivers in China that are just filled with dye from Exactly. Yeah, garment dye.

Joey Bowen:

That run

Aaron Pierce:

that run color. Yeah. That's what I mean. Yeah. It's like Rivers

Joey Bowen:

that run color. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

It's just absolutely devastating to our comp or to our to our world, but in our economy, but to our planet. Yep. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. For

Aaron Pierce:

sure. So we're just as anti that as it gets. Yeah. Like, super traceable.

Joey Bowen:

So that's a so that's a a perfect segue into, you know, what I wanted to cover next. And I know typically what we do is we talk about, like, you know, how you grew up, your family, your neighborhood, all that stuff. That's how we start, but we kinda dove right in. So let's just follow this, like, golden thread here.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

It's a

Joey Bowen:

perfect segue. So, one thing that you came through and, did a little interview Yeah. Yeah. Couple months ago. Right?

Joey Bowen:

The 2 of us. Yes. Clothing

Drew Beech:

really cool.

Joey Bowen:

And community. And we talked about, made in the USA. Oh, yeah. And during that interview, I let you know that you and Craig and Doug and and Drew, also shares this sentiment, have been, like, beacons for us. We did not start off American Made.

Joey Bowen:

We made that transition, and you guys gave us the hope and belief it was possible.

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, we'll literally, you know, die on that. I could die proper but die American made. We started that way. We've never we made one product that wasn't made in America and it's made in Wales.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

That was this really high end cashmere cardigan. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Cardigan. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

And that's because we didn't have an option. We Sure. Exact exhausted our options to to get that made here and we couldn't but other than that, there's nothing we've ever produced that wasn't made here. Yeah. For us, it's just so important.

Aaron Pierce:

I mean, we pretty much are able to completely oversee our production because we make it in a tri state region. Yep. So everything we produce is, you know, literally Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York. Yep. That's it.

Drew Beech:

It's awesome.

Aaron Pierce:

So it's super easy, you know, if there's anything going on with our tailors, you know, within a couple hours, we're right there with them Sure. Chatting about it, which they're amazing and there's usually nothing going wrong with them which is wonderful. But Yeah. You know, through the growing pains of a business, we didn't always have this team. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

So, we were able to get out ahead of a lot of our issues

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

Because you can go to the maker Yes. Sit there and see what's going on and say, oh, you know, maybe this is not the right fit for us rather than your makers in Mexico, your makers in China, you're dedicating so much time and resources to go down there, you're not selling anything while you're there.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. So

Aaron Pierce:

it's, like, for us, just that

Joey Bowen:

Plus it's from supply chain standpoint, it's gotta come over, you know, on a ship or by air.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep. And then stuff

Joey Bowen:

to draw.

Aaron Pierce:

We're still a little bit of a slave to that because the finest fabrics are Italian and English. Yeah. So we still get our fabrics from from from there. So we we do have to deal with the shipping, but other than that

Joey Bowen:

But that isn't, like so what we're doing is getting into why you are American Made. Right? So you hit on some some points there, and I I really want you to to, you know, go into some detail on that. We could sit here and and explain why we are and why we made the transition, but we wanna hear from you because they're pretty much the same reasons. 100%.

Joey Bowen:

So The the one, quick thing. Yeah. The fact that you are importing fabric from Italy, it's not misaligned with your vision

Aaron Pierce:

100%. Of

Joey Bowen:

what you're setting out to do. It is the nature of the game.

Aaron Pierce:

That's what I mean. We wanna produce the finest things. Yep. And for us, the finest fabrics are from those two countries. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

But what I will say, just something I wanted to touch on is, Loro Piana opened a factory up in New England, in the I believe it was the sixties or seventies, and they wanted to produce here.

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

Eventually, it got too too much to manage for them so they ended up selling the factory with all the shuttle looms and now L'Oreal County only produces in Italy. But what was really cool is a company bought that factory and now they're making American made really high end wools right in New England and we use them for our tier 1, suiting. So you come in and from the milling of the fabric, the weave Yeah. All the way up through construction to it's on your back is a 100% American made.

Joey Bowen:

Beautiful.

Aaron Pierce:

And that was the best for us, like Yeah. That was, like, everything kinda came together and it was a moment to rejoice

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

And we were able to offer it at our kind of entry level price point on top of it.

Joey Bowen:

Yep. So then

Aaron Pierce:

it's, like, there's people that can afford much more expensive, but they choose

Joey Bowen:

to

Aaron Pierce:

do that

Joey Bowen:

where they're,

Aaron Pierce:

like, no. This is what I want. They have some more piano stuff too, but they're, like, no. This this is really cool. Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

It's called American woolen. Everybody look into it, honestly, because it's a very cool story, and, yeah, it's not normal for us to be producing wool of that quality.

Joey Bowen:

We wanted to from the very beginning, Drew and I wanted to start a business that aligned with the impact that we wanted to have on the world. Right? And that's really, like, what I hear from you and what I hear from Craig when I watch his pieces. It's the same thing. Yep.

Joey Bowen:

Like, you started out with that in mind. Yeah. Now we kinda started as a community and a blog, and then it kind of evolved into, you know, a a business. Yep. But that, like, core vision Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Was there. And it's it sounds like it's the same for you guys.

Aaron Pierce:

Same. Yeah. And it and it hasn't changed. And I I, again, I don't see a scenario in Commonwealth proper future where that's not gonna be

Joey Bowen:

the case. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. We'll always be made here. And, again, I think that if more people invested in higher quality but fewer pieces Mhmm.

Drew Beech:

It

Aaron Pierce:

would be sustainable for all businesses. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

For for the most part to be produced here.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

It's the high turnover, the high quantity stuff that Mhmm. Doesn't doesn't align with manufacturing in America.

Joey Bowen:

We're we're a, you know, as a as a unit, FuelHound is a gear and a growth

Aaron Pierce:

Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

Organization. Right? So we have gear. We have clothing, and then we also have community or personal development.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

And this concept, like, I hit on earlier, like, you really Commonwealth really accentuated it for me of you don't need as much as you think, and you should invest

Aaron Pierce:

100%.

Joey Bowen:

In the things that you do. Covet's a strong word, but the things that you do make your own, you should invest in those to make sure that they're the highest quality things possible. You know what I mean? It's such as clothing. You know, it's your hobbies, your the people you keep in your social circle, like, everything.

Joey Bowen:

You need much less than you are told.

Aaron Pierce:

And when

Joey Bowen:

you Especially nowadays.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. And when you come in and, you know, shop with us or, you know, buy stuff for you, it's also an experience. And once you have these really cool experiences, you wanna share it with your friends. You wanna share it with people. You're like, oh, you gotta come in and check this out.

Aaron Pierce:

Like, you you you should come in and check this out and that alone is just so cool because when you're buying this fast fashion stuff, there's no experience. Yeah. Like, you're just like, oh, yeah. I'm gonna buy this off Instagram. It's $40, and it's made in Bangladesh and great.

Joey Bowen:

And a lot of times, it's it's it's like p I don't wanna call peer pressure, but it maybe it is. It's just like, okay. I'm gonna get this because with one thing we didn't really touch on is, like, when people come into your shop, right, they're maybe dressed. Like, it's you have to make them comfortable. Like you said, they have to be the store.

Joey Bowen:

But one of the things is, like, they may be dressing a certain way because it's masking a way that they feel about themselves. Like, there's, like, a deep could be a deep seated We actually coming to the table and saying, like, hey. We're gonna change your silhouette, and people are, like, wait a second. Look. I'm wearing, like, baggy stuff Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

For a reason and you're, like, wait there's another way.

Aaron Pierce:

There's another way.

Joey Bowen:

There's another way.

Drew Beech:

For sure.

Joey Bowen:

You know what I mean?

Aaron Pierce:

There's so much subtlety that comes into custom tailoring even from, like, the point in which you, like, set your rise of your pants to create the waist, perceived waist. It like, that little stuff, like, people don't think of that. Yeah. Yeah. So it's like when we come in, we're gonna think of it and then we're going to and a lot of people think, oh, well, I'm not in the best shape, so let me just wear baggier stuff.

Aaron Pierce:

That's really not

Joey Bowen:

the best way. Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

It's like you kind of accentuate Yes. That you might not be in great shape. So let's figure that out.

Joey Bowen:

Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly. For us, it's, you know, every body type is different and unique and there is no, you know, formula for everybody to get the perfect fit. It's all you have to invest the time and come in if that's really what you want Yeah. Because buying off the rack is kind of we always say made for nobody. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. It's, like, it might fit some people, but it's not gonna fit perfectly, especially with suiting. Sure. A little bit different than with tees and stuff like that. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. With suiting, it's, like, they're gonna try to do drop 6 and they're gonna throw it out there and if you fit into it, great, but you might not. So Sure. There's so much subtlety that comes into creating that silhouette

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

That it's worth the time.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. You're you're helping your clients grow personally. You know? So I say that our outfit is gear and growth. Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

Yours is in a way as well. Similar. You know? It's very it's it's very, very similar because you may have a man that comes in, a client that comes in that's burning through fast fashion denim.

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, burn.

Joey Bowen:

And, like, just burning through it because he's like, well, these don't fit right. This you know, this, my waist, and my god, and this and that. And he's just burning through them, all ending up in a landfill when he could have came to you first, and you could have put him in denim, one pair Yep. 2 pairs

Aaron Pierce:

That'll last.

Joey Bowen:

That'll last a lifetime. It's an investment that actually, again, furthers the impact that you would have on the world.

Aaron Pierce:

For me, what became a big eye opener is that, you know, typically, at least historically speaking, kind of luxury items were kinda based on quality. Mhmm. And then I would say maybe it was the nineties but maybe it was the 2000. So, at least that kind of mid late 2000s when I really started to notice that some of these high end brands that you're spending $300 on a pair of jeans, they're not made in Italy. They're not made in like, so you're buying this luxury idea that's not backed behind any kind of real quality and product.

Aaron Pierce:

So for me, that's when I was like, that that can't be that can't be that can't be the way we're doing things moving forward. And that was definitely one of those basis of doing this with Craig where I'm like, we have an opportunity to do something that's not based on name at all. It's just purely based on quality. And that was very kind of rewarding to build this over 15 years to see people, you know Yep. Wake up to that.

Aaron Pierce:

Like, oh, I love this. And they're not buying the name. Like, we don't put our logo on almost anything. Like, there's some, you know, stuff on t shirts and stuff, but you can see logos on.

Joey Bowen:

No. No. No. No. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

And even it is Summer

Aaron Pierce:

jeans is so subtle. Yeah. So It's, like, that's what it's about. You're investing in quality.

Joey Bowen:

You're right. There is that shift. Right? Yeah. Where, it became an identity thing.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. And then people were less concerned about Yep. Quality traceability Yep. Sustainability, durability. They were more concerned about identity.

Aaron Pierce:

Having the

Joey Bowen:

Having the thing. Yep. How it made them feel.

Aaron Pierce:

For sure.

Joey Bowen:

The irony is it is, like, it makes them it it they're borrowing credibility from it, really. Like, when it's not

Aaron Pierce:

bad, but it's no real experience behind it. Now. So it's like, oh, yeah. You might feel really cool, but how much does it mean to you?

Joey Bowen:

Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

It doesn't because when you think back on it, there's no memory tied to it. There's no, like, oh, that was such a cool thing that

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

I went here and I signed this and I wear it all the time. That's part of the value in it. Mhmm. And that's what builds that confidence.

Joey Bowen:

So For for sure. It's and you have the experience of the creating that garment with you. Yeah. But to to further that, I'm then we'll get into your story a little bit. I'm just super passionate about that stuff.

Joey Bowen:

But to further that, then people go on from that experience and create life experiences in your garments,

Drew Beech:

and it's

Joey Bowen:

similar to us.

Aaron Pierce:

Best. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Create life experiences in your garments that just strengthen them as a person. Like, my some of my best experiences in life You

Drew Beech:

think I have

Joey Bowen:

your stuff on.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. I

Joey Bowen:

have few one on, and I have Commonwealth Mhmm. Proper on.

Drew Beech:

I

Joey Bowen:

have my denim on,

Aaron Pierce:

and I

Joey Bowen:

got a few one too. Yeah. Right? Or, you know, travel on the world with my dash jackets.

Aaron Pierce:

That's the best. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I take those dash jackets everywhere.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. And now they're with you.

Joey Bowen:

Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly. Yeah. I think I I'm not we can't harp on this the whole I know. I know. We'll talk about me in America.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. But, I think that you kinda hit the nail on the head which is, you develop these experiences with these pieces of clothing and they grow with you for years and you can wear them hard and again invest in fewer but nicer quality pieces.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. So we we covered made in in the USA, American made a little bit. But, again, like, I just wanna underscore, like, how much of a beacon you guys have been for us because when we started out, like, you know, we stayed out of, China. Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

Let's that's just something we didn't wanna do.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Maybe 1 or 2 things, we did there because we had no other option.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

But, for the most part, we were out of there, but we were doing stuff globally.

Aaron Pierce:

Yes.

Joey Bowen:

And from the very beginning, that's not the way we wanted to be, but sometimes, you know, you have to do what you have to do. Nothing's perfect. Yep. Otherwise, if you want it to be perfect, you'll never start. So, when it came to cutting over, you know, our fight wear, you know, and our teas and everything, you know, we look to you guys and we were like, look.

Joey Bowen:

Like, they've done it. Yeah. You know, and they've done it well and they're doing it at a super high level and you were an inspiration for us. So thank you.

Aaron Pierce:

We are, like, again, humbled and honored, honestly, to to have been able to kind of be that beacon for you guys.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Because we were doing it just organically based on our our own.

Joey Bowen:

You were you were FIFO, just like us.

Drew Beech:

That was

Joey Bowen:

the fuck out.

Drew Beech:

Well, that was my my when you guys were going up the gear for growth and, all that that talk, I was sitting here thinking, like, how does that get started with you and Craig? Like, what do you guys when you guys sit down, you're like, we wanna build this, a brand Yeah. Like a brand or, a custom house. Like, where do you and we wanna do it all in America. Like, where do you guys start?

Drew Beech:

Well We're looking because 15 years ago, the resources that we've had

Aaron Pierce:

Were different. Yeah. So Yeah. When we first got together, I was working for Barney's at the time and I had a lot of background knowledge, about where those designers are being made, where they manufacture.

Joey Bowen:

So what year is this?

Drew Beech:

Sorry to

Aaron Pierce:

interrupt you. 2009. Okay.

Joey Bowen:

So it's 2009 when

Aaron Pierce:

you have Barney? Yeah. Craig had launched Commonwealth at the end of 2008, I think.

Joey Bowen:

Okay.

Aaron Pierce:

And all he had was a shirt.

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

Just a shirt. And I Well,

Joey Bowen:

it started with, like, a white shirt, like, a Just a shirt,

Drew Beech:

like, the one you're wearing the one you're wearing now or, like, a

Aaron Pierce:

Just a button down shirt. Button down shirt.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Just a basic shirt. And, we we got introduced through a mutual friend, who is also in fashion. Her name's Bella. Mhmm. And she was, like, oh, I think you guys would get along.

Aaron Pierce:

And I was, like, yeah. Sounds good. She's, like, Craig's having people over meet me over there. I'm, like, cool.

Drew Beech:

So

Aaron Pierce:

I I gotta go out and talk to Craig. Craig is just so excited about this shirt. And I'm like, this dude is really stoked on this. And I just remember feeling that I'm like, if you're this excited about a shirt, then I I will be too. Like, this this is awesome.

Joey Bowen:

So contagious, contagious. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

It is.

Joey Bowen:

And

Aaron Pierce:

you just get that excitement and then we started working together and he was like, hey, like, what do you see that's selling at Barney's? Like, what's kind of prints are moving? Maybe we can do like limited runs. So, he was like, we'd work together, pick some fabrics and we do like 5 shirts. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

And then people would sell. And we do, like, pop ups all over. We do, like, a pop up at Silk City. Like, why are we here? Trying to sell shirts.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. So, then in 2010, Craig

Joey Bowen:

So for for the Eagles listening and watching, Silk City

Aaron Pierce:

explains It's a it's a diner. Like, that's a yacht.

Drew Beech:

So I'm

Aaron Pierce:

just basically a diner. Popping up at a diner.

Joey Bowen:

Slash like it's like a diner slash like bar with an outside area.

Aaron Pierce:

I'm just popping up trying to sell a shirt. So Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Like an ox like a a button down shirt.

Aaron Pierce:

A button down shirt. Yeah. What?

Joey Bowen:

In Silk City.

Aaron Pierce:

I don't know. Yeah. I don't know. I was we were taking every opportunity we could get.

Joey Bowen:

What's special What's special? Lies the lesson. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

For sure. Special about these shirts that's like

Aaron Pierce:

At the time, what was special about it was that it was made in New Jersey. And I was like, wow. Well, that's really cool. In terms of its details, we were still flushing that out. It was very much like kind of the fit was really good as well.

Aaron Pierce:

So it's silhouette was really nice and it was made locally. We got kind of more into the details of it. But essentially

Joey Bowen:

Did that did that shirt have the iconic stitch?

Aaron Pierce:

It did not. No. Didn't have a stitch. It also at that point, it was the brand was was known as Kamisa proper, not Commonwealth proper. So this is how early on this is.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. So, again, over that time, Craig and I were, like, we we're we're selling some shirts at flea markets essentially or the top up shops.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

But we're, like, people like them.

Joey Bowen:

But this is, like, you're selling shirts.

Aaron Pierce:

For sure. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

We're selling

Aaron Pierce:

stuff. Absolutely. So Craig is, like, maybe we should, like, get some training and I'm, like, yeah, we should do that. So, we started taking classes at the, Custom Tailors Designers Association which is like this, like, essentially, it's like a tech technical school kind of education where you're just

Joey Bowen:

In Philly?

Aaron Pierce:

It's in New York.

Drew Beech:

New York.

Joey Bowen:

Where you're

Aaron Pierce:

just learning the kind of trade. Learning how to fit and measure fabrics and Oh. Yeah. So we start doing that

Drew Beech:

You're still

Joey Bowen:

working at Barney's at this time? Still working at Barney's.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. And then he comes to me and he's, like, let's open a shop. Like, you quit your job. I'll moonlight this with you.

Drew Beech:

Sounds great.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. I'm I'm gonna he was a lawyer at the time. He's, like, I'm gonna keep being a lawyer, and I'll funnel some money into this. We'll make it work. And I'm, like, this is absolutely crazy, but I'll do it because I was young.

Aaron Pierce:

I was 24, 25 at the time.

Drew Beech:

The payment at Barney's, like, a are you getting are you making a high

Aaron Pierce:

I'm actually making decent money for the time and my age. So giving it up at that point was a little rough. Like, I was in a management, sales management role and we were doing really well. So it was a time where I said, this is a risk, but if I'm gonna take something like this, it's now. It's not when I'm 30 with children.

Aaron Pierce:

So I was, like, yeah, I'll do it. I would say maybe 2 weeks into the the Spruce Street shop where I met you, Joey. Yep. That thing was cool. That was a small space.

Aaron Pierce:

It was baby sized, but it was fun. It had the box. It had the box.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. It was fun, man.

Aaron Pierce:

But I would say maybe 2 or 3 weeks into, like, we open the shop. I'm there day to day. Craig just shows up in the middle of the day, and I'm, like, what, are you on your lunch break? He's, like, nah. I quit.

Aaron Pierce:

He's, like, I can't watch you live the dream. I remember he said it to me. He's, like, I can't watch you live the dream and me sit in an office wasting. And I was like, okay.

Joey Bowen:

You're like, that actually makes sense. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

I was like, I I get it. And then after that,

Drew Beech:

it was

Aaron Pierce:

grind until you die.

Drew Beech:

Like, it

Aaron Pierce:

was just grind hard,

Joey Bowen:

hard, hard. Still?

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Still. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

But in the in the beginning, it seemed like now I'm sure as as did we, you make a ton of mistakes in the beginning. Right? Yeah. A ton. Like, more than you could ever count.

Aaron Pierce:

Like 100%.

Joey Bowen:

When people ask me, like, oh, like, you know, tell us some of your horror stories or the mistakes you've made over the past 6 years, 7 years. I'm like, how much time you got? For sure. You know, like, me, like,

Aaron Pierce:

again Truly for me as, you know, a fitter as how much I've improved over 15 years. In those early stages, we delivered products that that was great but getting there took longer, more alterations, more costs. Like, I would deliver a product that was great but then I really started figuring out how can I make this more profitable? How can I make this more efficient?

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

And that was, again, Doug coming into the business, you know, a year or 2 after all of that. He was, you know,

Joey Bowen:

systems and processes.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly. Yeah. And he's really, like, alright. You guys are making really cool stuff, but none of it is profitable. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. I'm, like, this is this is great. Right? He's, like, terrible. So let's figure this out.

Aaron Pierce:

So then it was a matter of, again, becoming a a business, not just a brand Sure. Becoming profitable, and a great way to do that was just becoming a lot better at your job.

Drew Beech:

Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

Like really cutting down on

Joey Bowen:

the Yeah. Self mastery.

Aaron Pierce:

Mistakes. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Self mastery.

Aaron Pierce:

And this is one of those, like, I know it sounds crazy, but if you deliver a garment that's, like, 97%, it kind of failed.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Like, if it's not perfect, it's not right because that's what people are paying for here.

Drew Beech:

Sure.

Aaron Pierce:

And one little mistake can be devastating. Yeah. So you order a fabric one digit off. Yeah. It looks completely different.

Drew Beech:

Sure. So

Aaron Pierce:

you you meant to get a navy blazer and now he ends up with, you know, a charcoal blazer.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Well, you're gonna remake that. You're gonna eat

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

$500, $600 in fabric plus production.

Drew Beech:

Exactly. That's happened.

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, it's happened. Yeah. I would love to say it's never happened. But what I'll say is that some of our, again, early stages working with clients and how it's relationship based, some of those early sufferers of our mistakes

Drew Beech:

Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

Where it's like they got a blazer but it took twice as long as it should have Yeah. Ended up becoming some of our best and closest clients because we never gave up. Yeah. We were, like, oh, we're so sorry. We, totally botched this, but we're gonna make it for you.

Aaron Pierce:

We're gonna make it better. We're gonna make it right. Yeah. And those people were, like, alright. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

And those have become clients that are now still here 15 years later where I look back. I'm, like, wow. We totally bought to that, but you stuck with us. And now everybody's happy and so Yep. Some of those early mistakes, if you can see it through Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

Can turn around.

Joey Bowen:

Guys, we

Drew Beech:

have the same outlook on on on on an unhappy customer. It's just an opportunity to make it right. Right? I make I make a lifelong customer.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Drew Beech:

So every order that

Joey Bowen:

Plus, we're learning in the process. Yeah. Because we're we're here for everybody else that's gonna walk through the door next. Yep. The proverbial the the metaphorical door for us, you know, the Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. What I

Drew Beech:

love is that every order gets to the the mailbox perfectly. Yes. But, realistically, that's not the case. And it's the impression you make by the solution Mhmm. Is really what determines what if that customer is gonna become a lifelong customer.

Drew Beech:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

Yep. Yeah. Well, I I'm glad we touched on the mistakes. Where I was going with the mistakes comment was more so that from the beginning, it sounds like you guys did 3 things relentlessly, which probably brought you to where you are now. And that's you you checked your ego and you sold.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. You sold button downs at Silk City. Like, you checked your ego. You took every opportunity

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

With a checked ego. Right? You built skills. Right? So how, like, astute

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

From Craig to say, like, hey. Like, I think maybe we should get some training. Yeah. Let's get better. Some skills.

Aaron Pierce:

For sure.

Joey Bowen:

Right? And then you took risks.

Aaron Pierce:

Risks for sure. I mean You

Joey Bowen:

know what I mean?

Aaron Pierce:

We touched on it a little bit earlier, off off, you know, film here Mhmm. About the risk of moving into that's that big space that we have on 19th. Obviously, Doug's in this house. They made the risk a little bit more, you know, approachable. But Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

To go from what, you know, was a very small space that was,

Drew Beech:

you

Aaron Pierce:

know, pretty manageable

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

To a very large space that's probably 10 times the size Yeah. Realistically, was a risk. Yeah. But it's a risk that paid off tenfold because that space is kind of part of our identity. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

You

Aaron Pierce:

come to the back office is awesome. Yeah. And, again, don't get me wrong, the tiny space had a little touch of that too, but not the same level. Yeah. There And our business has grown because of that investment.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. For sure. For sure. The the the small space on Spruce Street was was pretty rad.

Aaron Pierce:

It was cool. And the maps was cool.

Joey Bowen:

There was, like, a man there's, like, a man trapper. There's the maps. And so Yeah. I remember was there there was, like, a well, there was a loft. Right?

Joey Bowen:

There was like a kitchenette in the back, and then there was like a little like a little loft with like a like a bed up there.

Aaron Pierce:

You wanna you wanna hear the story. So,

Joey Bowen:

I do.

Aaron Pierce:

So, Craig and I were in relationships when we first started the brand, pretty early into the dedication that we put into Commonwealth. Those relationships, you know, went south. And I think that both of us would probably say we prioritized our business over that. Mhmm. They weren't really, I guess, meant to be.

Aaron Pierce:

But at one point, I was, you know, separated from from the girl I was dating at the time. And I'm, like, Craig, I I need a place to stay so I'm gonna stay in the shop. And he's, like, alright. Yeah. Like, this probably is not long term, but sure.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. So, we popped the mattress up in there. We called it the crow's nest. So, if you see, we have crows on all of our stuff. So, I'm, you know, I'm crashing there.

Aaron Pierce:

It's about a weekend and Craig is is, you know, comes over pretty late and I'm, like, oh, burning the midnight oil. I'll put you out with the boys. We bring some spices. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

And he's, like, I I left too. Relationship wasn't working. So then we're both in the shop.

Drew Beech:

In the crow's nest.

Aaron Pierce:

In the crow's nest. Oh. And we're just staring at each other, like, we gotta get it together. Yeah. But we recovered from that quickly, but it's it's a kind of an ongoing spiritual,

Drew Beech:

for sure.

Aaron Pierce:

Our spirit animal is the crow now. Yep. Just because of kind of that. Obviously, there's more to it, but the crow's nest, man. The crow's nest was legendary.

Aaron Pierce:

It was our home for a week or 2.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. We made it work. But again, it's just that dedication to Absolutely. Business and when people are telling me that they're gonna start a clothing brand especially, I I I kinda pull them aside. Let's talk about that.

Aaron Pierce:

But any business, I always kind of say are you aware of the dedication it's gonna take? Doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your families and all So that's not what I'm saying. But there will be things that fall by the wayside, relationships, what have you. Yeah. You're gonna have to dedicate a lot of yourself, a lot of your energy, a lot of your kind of existence to this concept.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

And if you can't do that,

Joey Bowen:

don't do it. I mean, let's yeah. Let's be real. I mean,

Aaron Pierce:

you know,

Joey Bowen:

you gotta you're you're gonna have to dedicate your entire existence to it. Yeah. And the people that are in your life

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

Will understand Or they won't. Or they won't. 100%. And what

Aaron Pierce:

I've I was gonna say we've been blessed to have a lot of people that supported us and did truly understand, but not everybody. Yeah. I think we said earlier, there's a hater for everything.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. That's just the way it is. And, again, people see you putting in the hard work and it working out, you'd be surprised how many people don't, yeah, don't feel as good for you as you think that they might.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Back to that, the dedication story. I always say it's we're lucky that Joey and I were family men when we started View On because I could just only imagine where we'd be sleeping here ever. Like, it just would I mean, that age, like, it's just, like, or that Yeah. Phase of life, you're just, like and in business.

Drew Beech:

Because I used to try and get everyone to start businesses, and I realize now that you just can't do that because once you dive into entrepreneurship and you you lose that 9 to 5 mentality. Right? Like Oh, yeah. All we do is work. I mean, do you just do dad life and work?

Drew Beech:

And that's literally I

Aaron Pierce:

respond in the emails, like, weird tats.

Drew Beech:

It's like, just because I wanna do it. If I'm not doing it, if I'm not spending time with my son or my wife or or doing shit too, I just wanna work. That's, like, and that's percent. I don't like, people don't understand that.

Joey Bowen:

No. No.

Drew Beech:

My one friend recently started a business. He's doing well. And his wife said yesterday, like, like, all he does is work. And it's, like, okay. Like, that's that's it.

Drew Beech:

Shout out

Joey Bowen:

for yeah. For almost a decade. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

For a

Drew Beech:

long time. Yeah. Exactly. Forever.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Exactly.

Drew Beech:

Because once and people like us, like, the few and people that entrepreneurs, like, that's all we need. Like, it's, like, I'll I'll stop working when I'm dead because a day by the beach is boring.

Aaron Pierce:

You know, the idea of retiring, I'm like Yeah. I'm like, I guess I will someday. But I'm not, like, looking forward to it. I'm like, I I could do this forever. I mean, obviously, you can't do it forever, but the idea of, like, oh, I'm just gonna stop doing what I enjoy and what I love is, like

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

Will I? Of course, you shifted into something else and I understand that. But Yeah. Don't get me wrong. I'd also like to retire early and, you know, hang hang on the beach, but I I feel like that would that would last, like, a month.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly. I'd lose my mind.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. I lose them.

Joey Bowen:

We we go down we go down to the shore for a week Yep. Every year.

Aaron Pierce:

Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

And I love my time there, and I make sure that I make all the moments matter with my girls, with my

Drew Beech:

wife and

Joey Bowen:

my daughters. But, like, 2 days in, I'm kinda like, alright. What's going on in

Aaron Pierce:

your life? What's going down? Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Like, we're working

Joey Bowen:

through this.

Drew Beech:

Like, I work. Like, we don't like, we have meetings.

Aaron Pierce:

You don't ever turn yeah. You don't ever turn

Joey Bowen:

off. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

That's the

Joey Bowen:

it's such it's like a such a it's I don't know. Maybe it's just me that struggles with it, but, like, we did a a show, the truth about entrepreneurship,

Drew Beech:

and I

Joey Bowen:

tried to really accentuate and drive home the fact that, like, being an entrepreneur is not a solution to the problems in your life. First, it's a problem, and it's a massive problem.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

You are inviting problems, unlimited problems into your life on a daily basis. Yep. So if somebody comes to me and same thing, I wanna start a business, I pull them aside. And especially if I hear because I wanna set my own hours and be my own boss. Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

I said, okay. Well Well, guess what? Your your own hours are gonna be almost 23 hours a day. Yep. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Because even when you're sleeping, you're stressing.

Drew Beech:

You know

Joey Bowen:

what I mean? To a certain degree. You're waking up. You're waking up,

Aaron Pierce:

and then you're like, yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You know? And being your the your own boss means that you are fully

Aaron Pierce:

accountable. That's what I mean. You have to be insanely, like, a self start. That's what I mean. You have to to be your own boss So

Joey Bowen:

you're ready for

Aaron Pierce:

require so much discipline. Yes. And another thing, it's, like, you say, oh, yeah. I wanna make my own my hours and be my own boss. But when you enter a business, very rarely do you do it by yourself.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep. So you have business partners Yep. Who in theory, like, they're not your boss or your partners, but they're gonna hold you very accountable. We are investors. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly.

Drew Beech:

Especially, like, in there like, I I knew I had to show up every day because I wasn't gonna let Joey down. I still do it to this day. You know what I mean? I I just never wanna let Joey and the team

Aaron Pierce:

down, so I'm always going. Drew, that's the one thing you said earlier. You're, like, you're so happy that you and Joey were related to start this. It's, like, you know, I feel related to Craig. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. It's like Craig's like my brother. Like, we've gone through all there so much together.

Joey Bowen:

We have no body.

Drew Beech:

That's what

Aaron Pierce:

I mean. We've had to do his facts for so much. So it's like, I get that. And we weren't family, but now we are. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Because of that journey that, like, we've, you know, supported each other through because that's what it is. Like, it's like, you you're not each one of you is not always, you know, roses and happy and all that, but you understand the value in each other. Yep. You understand what you've been able to build and how you can continue to grow it. So you invest in each other.

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

And the the shared vision.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly. The good times, the bad times. It doesn't really it's all washed in the end because you're committed to to to what you're working on.

Drew Beech:

Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

And the day to day of it is unpredictable. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Our our our ego loves to tell us that, you know, we're self made.

Aaron Pierce:

Mhmm. Because at

Joey Bowen:

the end of the day, there's there's a self mastery and a discipline to it. And a lot of the times, you're doing that in the dark by yourself.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

So your ego wants to tell you you're self made. But later on in life, I've realized that, like, the great things that I've done have been with a team.

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, 100%.

Joey Bowen:

And they all started with somebody else at my side, one person.

Aaron Pierce:

Craig, that's like, you can't do it alone. And that's, like, something we constantly harp on over and over. So when we start a new market Yeah. We tend to find, you know, someone who's talented to kinda be the flagship flag bearer of that market. Sure.

Aaron Pierce:

But then we don't wanna leave them stranded there because it's, like, you need that other person. So it's, like, just finding that one person to open, say, Atlanta or Pittsburgh or DC. Sure. That's one step. But yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Now you got another battle buddy.

Aaron Pierce:

Exactly. You know what

Drew Beech:

I mean?

Aaron Pierce:

You need a partner in crime because doing it alone is not not recommended.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's the premise of the few want community. I mean, let's start a few want because we felt alone because of the work ethic we had and the way that we saw the world.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

You know? We felt alone, and we're like, look. This doesn't feel great and by extension the dreams that we have for ourselves and our families, we can't do them alone. There's people out there just like us. Let's build a community.

Aaron Pierce:

And what I think that most people, you know, kind of miss the mark on is having that other person there when things don't go the way you planned. Like, we've tried to open LA twice both times it's closed. So, one time was pandemic because we opened it, you know, end of 2019 and then world shutdown 2020 didn't work out. First time was early on in the brand, we had a space on La Brea and I was out there heading it. But just even getting it off the ground and kind of separating Craig and I by such a distance was detrimental to, like, the brand's growth.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep. So that didn't

Joey Bowen:

work out.

Aaron Pierce:

So then it was, like, we've tried multiple times and having the support system of the people you work with to kind of talk you through and not to lose that motivation when things don't go right is incredibly valuable. Yep. Craig oftentimes says I'm kind of like the barometer of the brand where if I'm upset something's probably real bad and that if I'm really happy that means you must have really done something right. But having a nice level head has really helped me as well not getting too emotional, and Craig, I think, from the early days a little bit more emotional, but now he's kind of the same where it's just, like, you you should might take on water, but we'll free out a solution. We're gonna keep going.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

So you develop that confidence over time. But in the early days, having that partner in crime to help you.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. You need you need the support. You need the emotional support.

Joey Bowen:

You need the skill support. You need you need all that support. You just can't do it by yourself. And, like, for and to even, like, take that further, I feel like it's actually more rewarding. And this is goes against probably conventional wisdom, but it's actually more rewarding to do something hard together

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Than it is to do it.

Aaron Pierce:

Because then you can celebrate in that together. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

And then you can look at, like, the beautiful makeup of everything that made it happen. Yep. You know?

Aaron Pierce:

Well, because there's

Joey Bowen:

Different people, different skill sets, different circumstances, everything.

Drew Beech:

You know?

Joey Bowen:

It makes a much better story.

Aaron Pierce:

I I think that there's always gonna be an element of luck of bringing people together, things working out. But, again, putting in the time and hard work with somebody and seeing it succeed and celebrating that together, it's endlessly rewarding.

Joey Bowen:

Would you agree that, you know, the grind and doing the hard work, staying true to your vision, never quitting, would you agree that when you're doing that, those instances of luck seem to happen more frequently and more? Yeah. Funny how that works. Somebody It's funny.

Aaron Pierce:

Yes. Somebody I was having a conversation with a long time ago. I I kinda said, you know, things worked out. We got lucky here. And he was, like, did you?

Aaron Pierce:

Or did you surround yourself with the right Yeah. Mindset people bubble to create that luck Mhmm. And that was, like, a, well, yeah, I guess maybe I did. But it's hard to attribute because it's like Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, yeah. How how did I don't know.

Joey Bowen:

There's a random there's a randomness Randomness to it. To life, but I will say that, those that have seemingly mastered the the randomness with, quote, unquote, luck, happen to be the most prepared, opportunistic, hardest working people I know.

Aaron Pierce:

Advantage of those.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. So Moments. You know, funny how that, you know, funny how we are.

Drew Beech:

Funny how it works out. I feel like we're gonna have to do a part 2 because I I have so many questions. And so

Joey Bowen:

Why don't you ask actually, why don't you ask some of the questions? Because, I I'm very It really takes passionate about this.

Drew Beech:

Takes us deeper into the story, which I think is gonna make us come up on time. But, like, how do you got so you guys go from selling this one shirt Mhmm. In a diner, like, how how what happens that takes you guys to when we say love favors hard workers, right, and when we say things start to work out for you, when do things start to look bright? You know what I mean? Like and and and

Aaron Pierce:

Things didn't look great for a few years, but thing things were always we were always confident in moving forward in terms of bright where it's like you feel like you've made, not made it, but you feel like you've

Joey Bowen:

Feel like you're standing on a cell phone.

Aaron Pierce:

Opening flagship in Philly in that space and then growing our business, doubling sales essentially the next year. That was like, oh, alright. That was like the first moment where I was like, we can do this for life potentially. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

How many years was that?

Aaron Pierce:

That was 4 or 5 years into yeah. Like, a lot.

Drew Beech:

4 or 5 years before you're, like, okay. Like, we actually have a business.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Like, we feel somewhat

Joey Bowen:

confident that we can do this. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. For sure. Yeah. I mean, I think the path from, you know, a shirt pattern when Craig was alone to doing full custom, obviously, your training really helped with that understanding how to fit and measure and fabric. That, of course, is the basis of that move.

Aaron Pierce:

But then also my background knowledge of working with these different designers through Barney's seeing where they make their stuff essentially we wanted to make, with Martin Greenfield in Brooklyn at a time when that was going and it was very high in make but he didn't just let everybody make there. So I remember that meeting kind of felt like the similar energy that you guys came in where we're, like, oh, we have to, like if if he says, no, what do we do if he doesn't want Yeah. Well, we went there and we met with him and he was, like, yeah, I'll make it for you guys. He was very to the point I just remember he's, like, sure. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

You guys seem alright. I'll make it for you. I was, like, alright. This is great. And then he gave me one bit of advice and he said, just remember shit in shit out.

Aaron Pierce:

You give me poor measurements, you give me poor design specs, you're gonna get poor fitting garments, you're gonna get shit. Like, we are a great house and we make beautiful things But if you tell us to make something that's wonky as hell, you're gonna get something that's wonky as hell. So, shit in, shit out has stuck with me my whole life.

Joey Bowen:

Life's about inputs and outputs, man.

Aaron Pierce:

That's what I mean. So, you you put in shit, you get out shit. And for me, that again has stuck with me and made me wanna improve as a designer, really, made me wanna improve my fits, made me wanna improve, every aspect of my business really. So

Joey Bowen:

That that exchange and energy is real. It's a real thing.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Like,

Joey Bowen:

you know, when you walked in there, he he felt it. He was, like, okay. These guys mean business.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. And, again, I can't trust

Joey Bowen:

I can't trust.

Aaron Pierce:

Same thing from you guys. Yeah. Like, you guys were going to do something. And Yes. Craig and I were going to do something.

Aaron Pierce:

I remember that day and, like, snapshots shots very vividly and I remember leaving there and

Drew Beech:

What are

Aaron Pierce:

you were very excited.

Joey Bowen:

Like, you're walking through a brick wall.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, that was like the first step where I was like, that's that was a big hurdle for us because, like, alright, we found our made in America manufacturer really close. We can really kind of get to get to kind of create and, you know, do it the right way.

Aaron Pierce:

So that was a big step, an early on big step. And then I would say literally, like, about 4 years later. That's what I mean. That's what I could get.

Joey Bowen:

Okay. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

All the hard work that went in in between becoming better at your job, clienteling, like, building a client relationship because we were again, this is an idea in our heads. We we had our own network and, of course, people came to support us but then it became how do we grow it outside of this very, you know, niche little group of people in Philadelphia. And it was really you guys that came and that's what helped us with that client referrals, word-of-mouth, you got to meet these guys. You got to check this out. And then it became very organic through its growth and then, of course, you invest in SEO and grow it that way.

Aaron Pierce:

But Mhmm. That was early stages, like, SEO didn't really matter

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Because nobody knew who you were. So you could come up and they're, like, who cares? Yeah. So it's really the word-of-mouth that people having cool experiences sharing it, like, community, as you said Yeah. Gotta come in.

Aaron Pierce:

Gotta come in. Yeah. That's what what built our business.

Joey Bowen:

And you're yeah. I mean, you

Aaron Pierce:

Still built our business.

Joey Bowen:

You did a phenomenal job with making, like, for me, making me want to do that. Yeah. Like, I wanted to send people your way. You know, I was evangelical about what you were doing because of the experience that I had there.

Aaron Pierce:

I mean, again, clients like you are like the lifeblood of our business. Yeah. Still to this day, you guys trumpeting us and saying how cool it that's where we build our kind of, you know, niche.

Drew Beech:

And that was beginning my next question. So market as far as marketing goes for the business, very very minimal you would say and more

Aaron Pierce:

more network. We're a very much, like, we don't have, you know, 10,000 clients. Like, we have, you know, I have hundreds of people I work with, a thousands of people I work with. So for me, it's like you're coming in and if you're gonna design, you know, a handful of things, it could be 5 grand but you're gonna have them forever. So it's, like, that means that you're investing obviously in the pieces but then you're it's not an endless cycle.

Aaron Pierce:

We have clients that kinda tap out. So for us, it's, like, what do we really need to sell you? Mhmm. Obviously, they'll come in and build for themselves but it's their referrals where people say, oh, you look really nice. That's an awesome blazer.

Aaron Pierce:

That suit is dope. Yep. Or they're saying, this experience is really cool. I think you would like it like you did with Drew. I think you should come in and check this out.

Aaron Pierce:

Mhmm. That is the because, again, you almost, like, graduate out because these garments are, like, I had a guy come in the other day, one of my clients and he was, you know, talking about a suit he got 6 years ago. He's like, I still wear them all the time.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. And I'm like, you don't really need much else. We can start looking into maybe replacing those

Joey Bowen:

Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

But we inspect them, they still look great. So it's like then it's like, I don't really have much to sell you and I think that that is part of that relationship building as well where it's like, we're not transactional. I'm not gonna sell you something for the sake of selling you something. Exactly. We're gonna create things together that are beneficial to you and if you don't wear it all the time, you don't need to own it.

Aaron Pierce:

That's the way I feel.

Joey Bowen:

Every every piece that we've done together that you've done for me, I still have. I still wear.

Aaron Pierce:

That's so awesome.

Joey Bowen:

There are a few shirts

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

That I actually gave to Drew.

Aaron Pierce:

Oh, awesome. Because my body type

Joey Bowen:

has changed over the years.

Aaron Pierce:

For sure.

Joey Bowen:

So they didn't the fit just wasn't there. Yeah. But they fit through well.

Drew Beech:

So I get in there. Yeah. He in there. I'm like, because where did you get these shirts? Like

Aaron Pierce:

That's all. Yeah. So, Drew, do me a favor. And if we do a part 2

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

We'll leave with this. We sew a date inside of the front placket of every one of our shirts. Yep. Yeah. So flip it out and tell me that date.

Joey Bowen:

It's gotta be

Aaron Pierce:

It'll be in America.

Joey Bowen:

I think it's, like, 13, 13

Aaron Pierce:

or 20. American flag with a date Yeah. And we can leave from there. So Yeah. Free fun.

Joey Bowen:

So my stuff has the month and the year. Yeah. I think in it. Yeah. Yep.

Joey Bowen:

Lock it in.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

We're getting there too.

Drew Beech:

We're getting there.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. We're getting we're sending through the levels. Like, you know, these guys like, you continue to be a beacon for us. You know, you guys continue to be a beacon for us.

Drew Beech:

Interesting that they their icons are crow and Mars is an eagle. Mhmm. Like, Larry, I mean Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Birds.

Joey Bowen:

Birds. Birds of a feather.

Aaron Pierce:

Walk together.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

They're they're similar but different in a lot of ways. Like, crows are truly intelligent and like, I think if people kind of underestimate crows, like, you can make friends with a crow. Yeah. Like, you you can trade him food for, like, shiny objects. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

There's this crow that would bring, I it is just like a if it's true or not, who knows? But if this guy develops a relationship with a crow and, the crow brought, a coin, like, and he was, like, I'm gonna reward him a little extra Yeah. More a little bit more food. Then he started bringing more coins and more coins.

Joey Bowen:

Amazing.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. And then he he brought, like, a dollar bill and then gave him more food. So it's, like, this crow in him, like, became, like, homies. And, like, he's, like, oh, I I know if I bring this shiny object to this dude, I'll eat. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

So it's just that kind of intelligence is is fun.

Joey Bowen:

Who knew, that a crow could hunt? Yeah. Right?

Drew Beech:

Yeah. There it is. There it is.

Aaron Pierce:

But, yeah. The crow's nest always go down. Yeah. Yeah. That's just the funniest.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

What other questions you got?

Drew Beech:

No. That's all I had. That's all I had. That's all I got. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

That's all I got.

Joey Bowen:

Okay. Yeah. We're we're coming up on on time. This was amazing, dude. This is absolutely amazing.

Drew Beech:

I think

Joey Bowen:

we should do a part 2 and dive a little bit deeper into the story, but we did do a good job of the parts of the story that you shared really tying them to, you know, the rules of the few and, like, concepts that personal growth concepts that will that will help our community members because they're on similar journeys. They may not be starting a custom house

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

But they're definitely starting businesses or they're they're ideating and thinking about starting a business.

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

And these truths that we've talked about, the rules of the few apply no matter what they're doing.

Drew Beech:

So

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. I I couldn't agree more. I I love the kind of, you know, ethos of your brand and what you promote, identify with it because I live it. Mhmm. But I do wanna touch on one thing.

Aaron Pierce:

There was 2 things that you guys posted over the last couple of years that really drew my attention. Mhmm. One was the made in America thing. As soon as I saw that, I was I was like, so I did a little yeah. That's awesome.

Aaron Pierce:

Like, I was like, that's that's really rad. So I know we've we've talked about that a lot. But the other thing that got me was you guys, you know, putting rocks in your backpacks and, you know, trudging across the city. I was, like Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Joe is fucking crazy. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. I was, like, Joe is crazy. Yeah. And, I just was inspired by that. I thought it was really cool because it's, like, obviously, like, people do stuff like that to build awareness and do all that.

Aaron Pierce:

But it's, like, you did it for that, but it's very much, like, who you are. And I was, like, this dude's crazy. I loved it. Yeah. I was, like, this is awesome.

Joey Bowen:

So that's, yeah. So you're referring to the Few Fest.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

It is so it's coming up August 24th. It'll be, Few Fest 3. It's changing a little bit Okay. Because it was the Few Fest was a little too much me. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Right? So a 16 to 17 mile rock from here to the Liberty Bell and back with coupons or, you know, stopping at Lowe's, filling up the backpack with, like, you know, pebbles Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You know, £45 of pebbles. It was a little it was a little too much me.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

So it it was a repellent in

Drew Beech:

in a couple in a couple ways.

Joey Bowen:

It was too hard.

Drew Beech:

Beta's got some when we went out there, then this success thing is, like, I did this Masogi where I do a cleanse every year. And it was, like, a marathon and a 1,000 reps in the gym And then Joe 4000 reps. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It was we do it 1 year, and then Joe's, oh, let's do it every quarter.

Aaron Pierce:

Let's do it all the time.

Joey Bowen:

I'm high e look.

Aaron Pierce:

Has anybody not made it? Does does does anybody rock up and, like

Drew Beech:

1st our 1st Suckfest that the the actual so the few fests actually Oh, okay. A slightly condensed version

Joey Bowen:

of that.

Drew Beech:

The first Suckfest of which was a marathon in 4,000 reps was absolutely insane, and we worked out from, like, 4 AM, 3 AM. Yeah. I don't

Joey Bowen:

like till 7 PM.

Drew Beech:

Till, like, 7 PM. And it was I've never felt that sore. Like, people were were quite like, we had a couple of team members, like, ankles, like, start to go because, like, it's

Aaron Pierce:

just so intense. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I, so, yeah, 4 AM, 7 PM. It ended up being almost 30 miles. Now some some ran it, which

Aaron Pierce:

is Wild.

Joey Bowen:

I'm not even that crazy.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I'm crazy, man.

Drew Beech:

But I ain't that crazy.

Joey Bowen:

Yes. Now was I it was December. It was freezing. Was I outside barefoot doing the last, like, 16 miles on the Philly pavement? Yes.

Joey Bowen:

So, I got a couple of screws loose, but Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

It was so ended up being 30 miles over 4,000 reps.

Aaron Pierce:

Wow. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

So you do a loop of what was it? A 6th of a mile or something?

Drew Beech:

The quarter mile, you're saying?

Joey Bowen:

Oh, quarter mile, was it?

Drew Beech:

Would do, like, a

Joey Bowen:

A quarter mile, and then you do, like, 30 reps, and then you would just do that. Like, you know,

Aaron Pierce:

it Constant. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

So

Joey Bowen:

it was wild. I I had to I had to crawl up my steps. It was so cold. So I'll I'll just it was so cold. Right?

Joey Bowen:

And I was out in a t shirt, shorts, and barefoot. Yeah. When I got home at 7 PM, I was and I wear shorts all all year round. I had, like, chill in my bones. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

So I come in to my basement, and I'm like, I'm taking a hot shower. Worst thing to do ever. I was delirious. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Did your skin, like, catch on fire? Like, that feeling of, like, pins

Joey Bowen:

go was my whole body seized up.

Drew Beech:

So I'm

Joey Bowen:

in the shower. I crumple up like a piece of paper. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Now I gotta get up. I gotta go 3 3 stories. I had to crawl up my steps. When I got to our main level at the house, my wife was sitting on the couch, and I literally scrolled up the steps. She was like, what have you done to yourself?

Joey Bowen:

Because I couldn't fully extend my legs because they were all

Drew Beech:

seized up.

Joey Bowen:

It was wild. So

Drew Beech:

I can't imagine what Melissa thinks of you. Like Listen. She knows when

Aaron Pierce:

she got in.

Joey Bowen:

She's always crazy from the day.

Drew Beech:

Been Joe's been hurt several times due to too.

Aaron Pierce:

Like I've I've seen the black guys. Yeah. Yeah. Currently right now?

Joey Bowen:

Right now. I'm breaking right now. So when we started the few fest Mhmm. We toned it down a little bit. The I thought I was turning it down 16, 16 mile rock, 1,000 reps.

Drew Beech:

Uh-huh.

Joey Bowen:

And it's just some straight savages, and the community came out to do it. Yeah. But a lot of people were they fearful. They're like, wait

Drew Beech:

a second.

Aaron Pierce:

It sounds like something that can defeat you. Yes. Yeah. Which is why I appreciate it. I was like, man, I'm not crazy enough for that.

Aaron Pierce:

Like but I was like, but I know Joey is. Yeah. So I was like, that's awesome. Yeah. But it's really cool.

Joey Bowen:

Really, the few facts 3 were changing a little bit because really what it's about, and we touched on it earlier, is doing hard things together. Right? We talked about not being self made. Yep. The things that you do on your on your own are never as rewarding because during that process, you're not impacting others to help them believe that bigger things are possible for themselves.

Joey Bowen:

Right? So we've toned it down a bit, but we've added some elements. So for 03 for 3, we're gonna start at the art museum. Okay. We're gonna rock down to the Liberty Bell and back.

Drew Beech:

So

Joey Bowen:

it'll be a 6 to 7 mile rock.

Aaron Pierce:

Alright.

Joey Bowen:

But we're gonna do group workouts, 1 at the art museum, 1 at the Liberty Bell, and a few in between. Yeah. And also, on that route, since I am the unofficial tour guide of Philadelphia, I'm gonna

Drew Beech:

be giving a little historical tour.

Joey Bowen:

That'll be cool. Art museum, Rodin Museum Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The city, be cool.

Aaron Pierce:

Art museum,

Drew Beech:

Rodin Museum Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. City hall, Ben Franklin's

Drew Beech:

print shop. We're gonna

Aaron Pierce:

go to Washington

Joey Bowen:

Square, obviously, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and Independence Mall. So I'll get to do my, like, Philly thing. Yeah. Yeah. That's just me.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I appreciate the opportunity to bring that to it, but it'll be a little different.

Joey Bowen:

So

Aaron Pierce:

Cool.

Joey Bowen:

Little less suffering, and, more fun.

Aaron Pierce:

That's awesome.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Cool. Yeah. So thank you for highlighting both of those, both of those things, man.

Aaron Pierce:

For sure. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You know, we had a couple couple instances where we almost did some work together. Didn't just wasn't the time wasn't right at the moment, but I am I'm very hopeful for the future and us, you know, doing some work together.

Drew Beech:

For sure.

Joey Bowen:

Commonwealth and Fuel Hunt, that is. I'll continue to work with you, you know, on the wardrobe side of things, but Commonwealth and Fuel Hunt. I mean, doing

Aaron Pierce:

some basics would be pretty easy.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

It'd be pretty fun.

Joey Bowen:

That would be awesome. Yeah. That would be awesome. Nice. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

This was amazing, man. We're definitely gonna have to do a part 2, the energy off the charts.

Drew Beech:

Half the story. We got so much more to uncover.

Aaron Pierce:

For sure. Yeah. We we can set it up. I know I I kinda didn't talk about my upbringing at all. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

But yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

But it for me, I think that's a great thing because it shows how passionate you are about the topics we discussed, both of us are. We just kinda dove off into it. Yeah. So I'm down for part 2. Let me know.

Joey Bowen:

Exactly.

Aaron Pierce:

I'll I'll try not to, talk everybody to dad.

Joey Bowen:

We didn't even talk

Aaron Pierce:

America next time.

Joey Bowen:

We didn't even we could talk girl dad stuff.

Drew Beech:

That's what

Joey Bowen:

we need. We we Yeah. We didn't even talk girl

Aaron Pierce:

dad stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Sweet and girl dad stuff. I was at the Phillies last night with my daughter.

Aaron Pierce:

It's Harry Potter night.

Joey Bowen:

Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

And that was I did

Joey Bowen:

see that.

Aaron Pierce:

That was fun, man. Yeah. That was a really good time.

Joey Bowen:

She look like she had a blast.

Aaron Pierce:

Dude, she loves Philly sports. I don't think she inherited my my niner. Okay. That I actually got that from my mom which was everybody's like, oh, how are you a niner's fan? You're like, from here.

Joey Bowen:

Yep.

Aaron Pierce:

My mom who passed away years ago, she was a big niner's fan and, I feel like I get to kinda, you know, live a little

Joey Bowen:

bit of that

Aaron Pierce:

with her.

Joey Bowen:

That's beautiful. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

So, you know, I'm not a, I'm not a Eagles fan, but I'm a Philly sports fan.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

So I know people give me give me crap because I don't support the Eagles, but I'm Yeah. But high up with every every other sports team. Even the Eagles do well, I feel good for them. So we'll leave it at that. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Well, the conversation's very different. Like, the conversations is how did you end up a niners fan? Yeah. Right? Not not get the fuck out of here if you

Aaron Pierce:

were a Cowboys fan or something.

Drew Beech:

So you're ready

Aaron Pierce:

for this? This is another thing is, my dad's a Cowboys fan. So early early nineties, I was young as, you know, single digits, 6, 7, 8 years old and kinda got to pick your team then. My mom was was a niners fan and the niners and cowboys are both really good.

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Aaron Pierce:

And I was, like, well, I think this team, you know, can beat the cowboys. That was kind of part of my motivation because the rest of my fans are all Eagles fans.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

So it's, like, oh, I definitely couldn't couldn't be a cowboys fan. My my uncles and aunts would kill me. So, I was, like, oh, I think I think the 49ers can do it. And then we lost the 2 NFC championship games on a road to them. I remember just being absolutely devastated, which I think for me kind of, like, ingrained that into me.

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. But then I remember, it was a 3 in a row in 94, the 49ers did beat the cowboys. I remember my dad being, you know, dad being real happy for me and, like Yeah. We watched Super Bowl together and all that stuff. So it's kinda one of those things where now we, you know, lived their entire lives together but we still bond over, you know, the 49ers, cowboys rivalry.

Aaron Pierce:

And I just we've been absolutely wiping the floor with them for the last, like, decade. So it's a little bit one-sided and I know the Eagles fans like it. I feel bad for my dad. Love you, dad, but Yeah. Niners are are crushing.

Joey Bowen:

Listen. Summer doesn't last forever. Winter comes back around, so enjoy summer while it's here. And

Aaron Pierce:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

You know, when you're when the niners winter comes, then, you know.

Aaron Pierce:

We'll see. But we'll we'll see how the birds do this year. I mean Yeah. Most talented roster in the league.

Drew Beech:

So Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron Pierce:

I think they'll be pretty good.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. You know what they say about talent, man. You know, it takes you so far, so let's see. Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

We'll we'll we'll certainly see. Alright, man. This was awesome. We're gonna tie it up, bring

Drew Beech:

it in

Joey Bowen:

front landing. Yeah. Where can our community find you? Where can they find Commonwealth, when they are ready to invest in themselves Yeah. By investing in high quality, high level American made garments?

Joey Bowen:

What's the first step? Where do they do that?

Aaron Pierce:

Yeah. Well, you can find us at, Commonwealth at Commonwealth Proper on Instagram. You can go to Commonwealth Proper.com, that works as well. You can book from our website in every kind of different city that we're in, work with our advisors there who are all extremely talented and, you know, we're so thankful to have these people working for the brand. And then you can find me specifically at underscore Aaron Pierce on Instagram.

Aaron Pierce:

You can also just hit me up through Commonwealth proper called the store. I'll answer the phone probably. Nice.

Joey Bowen:

Love that. Love that. Any other questions?

Drew Beech:

No. Should I sign off

Joey Bowen:

for you? Good. Alright. I'll leave a few with a reminder. Always choose hard work over handouts.

Joey Bowen:

Always choose effort over entitlement. Remember, no one owns you. No one owes you. You're one of the few. Now let's hunt.

Joey Bowen:

My man.