Matteo Ferrer is facing an “unanticipated” problem after going all-in on Versattire, quitting his job as a teacher to pursue his line of versatile dress shirts full-time. Just under two weeks after launching a social media campaign to promote the line he runs with new wife Julie, things are going so well, the I Quit entrepreneur can’t keep up with the sudden demand while also staying true when it comes to his dedication to keeping manufacturing sustainable and within the U.S.
“We need shirts ASAP, and I can’t really wait for manufacturing,” he tells the camera in a PopCulture.com exclusive preview of Saturday’s episode of the Discovery show. Luckily, there was a solution hiding in a locker at a nearby fitness studio. “I started thinking back, where did I have shirts? And one place came to mind. A fitness studio that had my shirts for people to come in, look at them and maybe buy them, and then they got a percentage of the sales โ pretty much how every retail store works.”
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Arriving at the gym, Matteo is able to grab the unsold shirts from the back room to send out immediately, with the gym owner congratulating him on the skyrocketing sales. With that problem averted, Matteo said he is ready to move forward for the time being while manufacturing catches up for the increase in demand.
Earlier this season, Matteo explained his passion for his business: “You can think about it as versatile attire,” he said in last month’s episode. “Originally, I made this product for me. I work in South Florida it’s very humid, so I was wearing these cotton, bulky, uncomfortable dress shirts. Just walking to work, I would already be sweating and you could see the sweat stains.” Bringing in Julie on the fashion and design side, her creative strengths and industry experience have them hoping to be the next power couple in the clothing industry.
I Quit is tracking the stories of six business owners who gave up their 9-to-5 jobs to chase their dreams. Also in Saturday’s episode, the entrepreneurs struggle to prove they can continue to grow their businesses successfully as the $100,000 goalpost looms. “But disagreements between partners explode, leading to frayed relationships, risky investments and shattered expectations,” the episode description teases. Don’t miss I Quit, airing Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery. For more about your favorite Discovery shows from PopCulture, click here.