Guest: Rico Leon | Host: Ryan Estes

In this episode of AI for Founders, Ryan Estes interviews HGTV host and entrepreneur Rico Leon, who’s making a bold leap from construction and reality TV into women’s golf fashion. Rico reveals how he’s designing AI-powered apparel, prototyping with global manufacturers, bootstrapping the venture, and preparing for a major debut at New York Fashion Week. It’s a high-energy conversation about passion, execution, founder intuition, and trusting momentum over spreadsheets.

Key Takeaways

• Build What People Want: Rico followed the signal, his golf content crushed everything else.
• Product-Market Clarity: Women golfers want sharp, functional, stylish options. He’s delivering.
• Design with AI: Rico sketches, iterates with AI tools, and refines with his team.
• Bootstrap Mentality: Profits from restoration projects are fueling his fashion startup.
• Influencer Strategy: Rico is sending product to celebrities in his network for organic buzz.
• Energized Execution: Rico’s enthusiasm turns conversations into connections and opportunities.
• Fashion Frameworks: He’s testing styles in small batches with premium positioning.
• Creator-Led Launch: Rico’s doing model walk videos, founder-led storytelling, and high-end UX.
• Headache-to-Income Ratio: Rico avoids stressful clients and focuses on energizing work.
• Authenticity Over Strategy: He trusts his instincts and momentum over rigid plans.
• Momentum-Based Decision Making: What catches fire gets focus. The rest? Ignored.

Frameworks Mentioned

• Headache-to-Income Ratio: Optimize for peace and profit.
• Zero-to-One Joy Check: Choose the work that energizes.
• AI-Augmented Product Design: Sketch, prompt, and iterate fast with AI.
• Social Signal Feedback Loop: Use engagement as your product-market compass.
• Influencer Seeding: Let your network launch your brand.
• Lean MVP Fashion: Test with a few knockout pieces before scaling.

Resources & Links

• Rico Leon Website
• Rico on Instagram
• HGTV Rico to the Rescue
• Ryan Estes Website
• AI for Founders Website