How do you turn a personal frustration into a $75 million brand—with no experience in the industry?

In this episode of Leaders of Transformation, host Nicole Jansen interviews Justin Baer, founder of Collars & Co., who transformed a simple idea—a dress-collar polo shirt—into one of the fastest-growing luxury menswear brands in America.

With no background in fashion and a long history of entrepreneurial experiments (and failures), Justin shares how he built a multimillion-dollar brand through relentless action, rapid testing, and the courage to launch imperfect ideas. His story of Shark Tank success and partnership with Mark Cuban reveals how persistence, timing, and customer feedback can turn a simple product into a household name.

You'll learn:

• How to identify business opportunities from everyday frustrations
• Why "done" is better than "perfect" when launching a new product
• The power of storytelling and viral marketing (including the TikTok video made by his daughter)
• How to scale fast while staying true to your brand vision
• What it takes to go from side hustle to a $75 million business in just three years

If you're an entrepreneur, innovator, or aspiring business leader, this conversation will inspire you to take action—before you feel ready—and trust the process of learning, testing, and growing along the way.

🎧 Tune in to discover how bold experimentation and faith in your vision can lead to extraordinary results.

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Perfection Is the Enemy of Progress: Launch Before You're Ready 01:20 — From Frustration to Fashion: The Birth of Collars & Co. 03:35 — Going Viral: The TikTok Video That Changed Everything 04:39 — Overnight Success? The Truth Behind Years of Failures 05:54 — 50+ Business Ideas Later: How Failing Fast Led to Breakthrough 10:46 — Inside Shark Tank: What Really Happens Behind the Scenes 14:00 — Partnering with Mark Cuban: Lessons from a Billionaire Investor 16:01 — When You Know You Have a Hit: Handling Hype and Criticism 19:33 — The Pandemic Effect: Perfect Timing Meets Preparation 21:03 — Leadership Lessons: Reinvesting, Scaling, and Staying Obsessed 24:45 — Smart Growth: Knowing When (and When Not) to Cash Out 26:01 — Scaling Up: New Channels, Product Expansion & Brand Momentum 27:33 — Listen and Pivot: How Customer Feedback Drives Innovation 31:18 — First Sales, Fast Testing, and Building Credibility from Scratch 33:47 — Think Big, Start Small: The Blueprint for Sustainable Growth 35:40 — Final Takeaway: Transformation Begins When You Take Action

Favorite Quotes

On Failure: "You learn when you lose. If it doesn't work, this isn't going to be your only idea. You'll come up with thirty more."

On Perfectionism: "The shirt we launched four years ago is nothing like the shirt we have now. I didn't want to wait three years to create a perfect product—I wanted a minimal viable product."

On Customer Feedback: "It's being open to pivoting and listening to your customers really intently. Where is the pain that you can solve for people?"

Enjoy this episode and remember: leaders of transformation don't wait for perfect—they take action, iterate, and learn their way to exponential impact.

Connect with Justin Baer

• Website: https://collarsandco.com
• Instagram: @collarsandco

Full Episode Show Notes: https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/business/545-transforming-a-simple-idea-into-a-75m-success-story-with-justin-baer-founder-collars-co

Check out our complete library of episodes and other leadership resources here: https://leadersoftransformation.com

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