How it All Started

How I Got Involved in Selling Neckties Online

by Hendrik Pohl - Owner/Founder Ties-Necktie.com

The year was 2007 and I was working as a regional sales manager for a data storage company in Fremont, California. I had always loved selling things. When I was a child I used to sell anything from self-made boomerangs, pet cages, fishing equipment, and I even set up a stand right next to our elementary school vending machines where I sold the same candy and soda but at a fierce discount - an undergoing that eventually got me and my parents and unpleasant meeting with the school principal.

In 1998 I moved from Germany to California after my father got a job in Silicon Valley. I finished high school and went on to study economics and marketing in College. My passion for sales got reignited after college when I got my first job as a sales rep selling copiers to local bay area companies. I loved selling! It was the challenge, the competition, the reward, and a feeling of entrepreneurialism that drove me to excel. I quickly became sales manager and eventually got recruited by a data storage company in 2006.

I did not like the new job! Despite the promotion and fancy title I felt micromanaged. The 1 hour each way commute to work also didn't help, and after one year the suffering was over. I got laid off! I was 27 at the time and I hit a low point in my life. I did not know what to do next. I had just bought a 2-Unit building together with a friend from college. We were both on the same mortgage, and my lack of income was quickly depleting my savings. I was stressed out! Until this point I had always had a plan, and for the first time in my life I felt like I had no direction. I was used to always look straight ahead, seeing a clear path that I had to take to reach my goals. For some reason not having this clear, as scary as it was at the time, turned into a blessing. Instead of only seeing what is right in front of me, the lack of direction allowed me to look around and be open to new opportunities. After a few weeks of contemplating what to do next I eventually I decided to use this time to visit my family in Germany - a trip that changed my life!

The tie business all started with my father back in Germany. After his early retirement in 2003 he felt restless and decided to find a new challenge. He started his own business selling pearls online - a field that he had absolutely no expertise in. The pearl business never took off but he did not give up. He used what he learned and applied it to a new niche: Mens Ties. I never thought too much of it when he told me about his little business, but I was mistaken. When I visited his business in 2007 I realized that his small home based retailer had grown into a dozen man strong specialty retailer selling neckties all over Europe. I was intrigued, and for the next 2 weeks I decided to do some research about the US tie market. A few months later Ties-Necktie.com was born.

The early days were tough. Marketing this site proved to be much more difficult than I had initially thought, but eventually the hard work and persistence paid off. Today we sell neckties all over the world, have exclusive distribution rights for several boutique designer brands, employ our own in-house fashion designers, and even sell to other retailers and wholesalers that carry our brands. I am truly passionate about this business and it is my goal to grow into the worlds largest online tie retailer by the end of 2012.

Thank you very much for your continued support. Also, with father's day just behind us I wanted to thank my dad for introducing the world of ties to me. Without him our site would not be where it is today. I am thankful for having such an amazing dad.

Hendrik Pohl
Owner/Founder
Ties-Necktie.com