Ep 14. Set Yourself Apart: Building A Brand, and Yourself: Manning Sumner and Pedro Tuma

The Big Dawgs

In this podcast episode of The Big Dawgs podcast, Manning Sumner welcomes Pedro Tuma, Founder and Creative Director of FRIENDS & Family, a high-quality apparel line and community rooted in the core mission statement: “Be nice to people for no reason”.

In this podcast episode, Manning and Pedro talk about the complex world of building and owning an apparel line. From brand development, to design, to the practicalities and legality of trademarking, manufacturing, marketing, and selling- the two of them break down and share in their experiences related to getting started and having businesses in the apparel industry. Manning delves into how Pedro started his apparel line, FRIENDS & Family, unraveling the history of what he did to get to where the brand is today, how he maintains it, the do’s and don’ts in the apparel business, and where the brand’s vision is headed- emphasizing the importance of proving yourself at the start, and setting yourself apart in both branding and as an individual to build something of long-lasting value, importance, and true relatable meaning within and without.