Ever wondered how a wood viscous fabric feels against your skin? Well, Terresa Zimmerman, founder of Wood Underwear, sat with us to discuss her unique brand that's disrupting the men's underwear market with just that.
From Tech PR to Men's Underwear
Terresa's journey from a successful career in tech PR to launching her own underwear company was driven by her desire to work on something of her own. Though she didn't necessarily expect to end up in the underwear business, when her husband raved about an early prototype, she decided to take the leap. As she jokes, "How hard can it be to sell a few pairs of underwear?"
Fabrics that Wick, Breathe and Control Odor
At the core of Wood Underwear is its high-performance fabrics. The underwear combines cotton with Tencel Modal, a wood viscous made of beech tree cellulose known for its sustainability. The modal adds moisture wicking, temperature regulation, and odor control. While these technical fabrics were common in women's apparel, men's options were far more limited when Terresa launched in 2012. She saw an opportunity to bring both performance and style to men's underwear.
Betting on Main Street Over Amazon
From the beginning, Terresa intentionally focused on selling to small independent stores rather than ecommerce giants like Amazon. She fell in love with the personal relationships and customer knowledge that small business owners possess. While avoiding Amazon limited growth initially, Terresa believes staying true to supporting Main Street was critical in shaping the brand's identity and focus on service.
Hitting the Road to Land Early Customers
Terresa shares her early experiences, which involve driving around Los Angeles with her first shipment of underwear, visiting stores and attempting to sell her product. With samples packed in her car, she walked into shops asking owners if they wanted to see her underwear. Despite the awkwardness of selling something so personal, the hands-on approach paid off. She landed her first customer at Douglas Fir, an LA men’s boutique. The owner placed an order on the spot that Terresa fulfilled out of her car.
Why Outsourcing Sales Can Backfire
Given her PR background, Terresa initially tried hiring sales agencies to scale more rapidly. But she learned the hard way that you can't outsource the personal passion and commitment needed to sell a new brand. Agencies will prioritize what puts money directly into their own pockets. As the founder, you have to be the chief brand champion and convince buyers your product deserves a place on their shelves.
Giving Back to the Environment
From early on, Wood has partnered with environmental nonprofits, donating proceeds from sales. But they've only recently begun actively promoting this giving back. As Terresa says, she didn't want to be accused of "greenwashing" when sustainability wasn't central to their positioning early on. Now through their partnership with One Tree Planted, Wood has helped plant over 5,000 trees globally.
So next time you shop for underwear, consider ditching the mass-produced packs and explore a sustainable, performance option. And if Terresa's journey teaches us anything, it's that passion and hustle can beat out prior experience every time.
