Today, I want to share the story of two young men with zero business experience turning a product solution into $100 million. Started as restaurant workers , KC and Ted discovered a need in their everyday work and founded the silicone ring brand QALO in 2013. It’s amazing that even 10 years later, their bussiness still going strong.
I’ll tell the story from founder KC’s first-person perspective:
Where did the idea come from？
Ted and I worked in a restaurant. One day, while we were busy clearing tables, we ran into the same problem: our wedding rings were just a pain at work. They didn’t work for fields like food prep, firefighting, or working out. I wanted to wear my ring all the time, but I kept having to take it off to do things, put it back on, and then I’d end up losing it half the time. It’s like wearing a Rolex to the gym.
So we thought, isn’t there a better ring out there? Ted looked around, but there was nothing like it on the market. That’s when it hit us—we’d found a new niche and that’s how our business idea was born.The tradition design was already perfect, we just wanted to innovate with the material. So we finally settled on silicone—comfortable, durable, and affordable enough that if you lose it.
What challenges came up during our first launch?
Huge financial pressure
Ted and I didn’t have any business experience, but we still wanted to give it a shot. Ted had a bit more in savings, and I had more time, so we set up a joint account and put in what we could. The entire account was drained on our first batch from Ted’s manufacturing friend, and things were only just getting started.
I’d only been married 3 months, and money was tight. Rent was crushing us, so my wife and I moved in with my mom. For a while, home became my office: I built the website at the dining table and kept the inventory in the garage.
First batch with major flaws
After months of waiting, the first batch finally arrived, filling up my garage. But as I opened a box, my heart sank. The silicone rings had rough, uneven edges—completely unsellable. All that money, time, and hard work led to fifty thousand pieces of junk. With no money left, I had no choice but to figure out how to fix these rejects.
I searched everywhere for tools and found a tiny eyebrow scissors in my mom’s bathroom. I tried trimming the ring’s edges while turning it. To my surprise, it worked and the ring was actually sellable. But next, we had fifty thousand of rings to fix. The table, the couch, the bed, even the cat was covered in silicone bits. Ted’s life just the same.
How did we promote the product?
Neither Ted nor I had any experience, and it took us months just to build a website. But with no money left for promotion materials, we asked friends to help us shot an ad video and had a friend’s father take product photos for us.
I targeted athletes, firefighters and soldiers as our main customers. So we tried to get in touch with influencers in those groups and sent them our rings to try out. Looking back, I have to say this was a really forward-thinking approach to influencer marketing. The breakthrough came when Andy Dalton wore our silicone ring in an interview. He’s the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, and I happened to be college friends with his wife, Jordan. So, I sent them QALO rings as a wedding gift.
In the first ten minutes before HBO’s Hard Knocks, Andy mentioned QALO ring and talked about his commitment to his wife in an interview. It was the perfect message, exactly what we wanted to convey. That day, our sales were three or four times more than usual, and packages were piling up in the room. I realized we had to make the most of that exposure and scale the business quickly.
We invited different firefighters, athletes, outdoor workers, and couples to share their stories. Besides highlighting the rings’ functionality, we wanted to connect QALO with a positive, active lifestyle. Getting the brand out there and grabbing every opportunity for exposure.
How did we handle the rapid growth of startup?
When people started noticing our rings, I felt affirmation and the motivation to take QALO to the next level. I knew we were one of the first to do this, and if we didn’t move quickly, competitors with more money, brand recognition, and better operations would come in and crush us. So, I decided to quit my restaurant job and go all in.
In 2018, the company hit $30 million and grew to nearly 100 people, with a 20% profit margin. Along the way, the product line kept expanding with new rings featuring fresh colors, styles, and engraving options. But we didn’t stop there—we also branched out into apparel, pet products, and accessories.
A lot went into marketing, with active social media updates and constant product refinements based on market feedback. Today, QALO’s Instagram has grown to over 220K followers. All that hard work paid off, the annual revenues topped $100 million by 2021.
KC's advice
We started with our own specific problems and found a solution, which led us to our niche. No matter how discouraging things got, we kept pushing forward. Solving problems is key, you’ll get there step by step.
Never be afraid to communicate with customers. Our focus has always been on getting our product in front of consumers, gathering real feedback, and using that to keep improving it.
Our insights
I’m truly impressed by their startup journey. Not just because they found a clever niche, but for the courage and smart strategy to grab the market early. KC and Ted put a lot of effort into product development, brand promotion, and operations to stay ahead. Even after 10 years, QALO is still thriving.
Taking the first step matters. KC and Ted didn’t have a flashy start, and it wasn’t all smooth sailing, but they nailed it. Let’s chat about your idea, it could be the next success.
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