Meet Weston Tisch of Cutletics

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always been a curious and keen observer of human behavior. What drives motivation? Why do we do the things we do? And how decisions inherently define our destiny.

I guess you could say it started during my parents’ tumultuous custody battle (7 years) where I began my crash course in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and empathy.

Out of survival, I had no other choice but to hustle through my teenage years. I started working as a bus boy at age 15 and paid my way through college working 2 restaurant jobs while simultaneously questioning everything under the sun as one would do after a few philosophy courses on existentialism. I began to get obsessed with my purpose, the shaping of my character predicated on my past, and ultimately what I’m meant to do with what has happened to me.

It was not until my Junior year at SDSU where I really began to take notice of my calling. I applied for a marketing internship at a tech start up in La Jolla, CA. I knew I had to stand apart from the competition, so I photoshopped my resume in a “flat lay” format style with a laptop, iPhone, notepad, coffee cup, post-it note, and any other office-like object you’d see at a work station. It was an attempt to visually represent who I was and what I intended to bring to the organization. Sure enough, it got me the gig!

Anytime the company needed something created, I said “yes” and had another window open with YouTube tutorials teaching me how to do what was demanded of me. I’ve always been a firm believer in saying “yes” first, and then figure it out afterwards. Trust your instincts. This notion is pretty indicative of how I approach life still to this day.

As years went by, I continued to hone my craft, and at age 23, I became the Creative Director of a full-service marketing firm that we grew from a 2 man team to a 15 head firm.

During my position, I had the opportunity to build over 50 brands, 100+ websites, and worked with companies in almost every sector of the market. I was a branding geek, and I started to notice many patterns in the ecosystem. Every company knows what to do, but they seldom do what they know. I began to grow tired of educating my clients on the merits of the marketplace, social media, consumer behavior, and just overall wanted to develop a product that was mine.

I had a brief encounter with an invention of a cellphone case that securely fit to your fingers with two elastic loops for a seamless, robust, and dynamic experience with the user and the phone. I called it the Selfease Case. I had big plans with this product – built out prototypes, filed for a patent, secured relations with an industrial design firm, and even went to Shark Tank. After making it through to the second round of auditions, I received a “this is an awesome product, but it’s not a business yet.” Without capital to build what I needed and a rise in competitors with (obviously inferior) products in the space, I let the idea die.

This was another inflection point in realizing that ideas are sh*t and execution is everything.

About a year later, my curiosity started brewing again and I found myself reverse engineering the fitness apparel space. I noticed many men in the gym, much like myself, were taking their crew neck t-shirts and cutting the sleeves off, but cutting the shirts super low. This was a common style that I would see and it favorably accentuated the physique. I quickly scanned the market and no one was creating quality tank tops with this style. So with hustle mode turned back on, I began my new endeavor into fashion design.

I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I held the vision and I trusted the process. Every weekend included a trip to Down Town Los Angeles where I built relationships with pattern makers, cutting houses, sewing houses, and production companies. From countless samples, many setbacks, and sleepless nights, Cutletics was finally launched in August 2015.

It has become a successful lifestyle business for myself and has built a strong community of gentlemen who believe that style is not about what you wear, but how you wear it, and most importantly why you wear it. From design to detail, Cutletics reflects the discipline of a life spent chasing a better version of one’s self, never settling for just enough, and knowing that greatness come from the will within.

These values are intrinsic to who I am and where I intend to still grow in business and in life.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Cutletics – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Cutletics is an athletic apparel brand. Our gear is made for movement and fit for function. We welcome our guys to grind it out, sweat, and work out like an athlete would in the gym. Everything is designed to be the go-to uniform for fitness training.

We are known for our unique cuts. They are tailored to fit the body, perfectly.

Aside from our apparel, our values set us apart. Cutletics is a philosophy of Multiplication Through Subtraction. We don’t believe flexing into a mirror should validate your goals and your growth shouldn’t be affirmed by the number on a dumbbell. Progression is a mindset and it starts from the Will Within.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I appreciate its confidence in silence. I think there is a lot of disruptive movement happening in our city, but not many people recognize it.

It doesn’t have a reputation for hustle, but I there’s a few businesses that are really changing that perception and I foresee a lot more entrepreneurial movement in the next few years, for sure.