“I knew I couldn’t be the only person with this issue in the world.”

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Fatheadz Eyewear was founded by a big-headed guy, Rico Elmore, who searched 300 pairs of sunglasses and couldn’t find any that fit. He knew that other people must be struggling with the same issue and took matters into his own hands. Rico started Fatheadz in 2005 and the company now has a turnover of more than $1.5 million and is carried in WalMart Vision Centers, and other retailers across the world.

Fatheadz Eyewear makes oversized sunglasses and optical eyewear for individuals with larger heads, as well as eyewear in standard and intermediate sizes.

MO: What were you doing before you started Fatheadz?

Rico: I was in the auto industry for about fifteen years.

MO: How long did it take from having the initial idea of creating Fatheadz to commercializing it?

Rico: It took about three years to really start getting traction. It was very difficult to get a good manufacturing partner.

MO: When you were first pitching your idea for Fatheadz you didn’t receive immediate positive responses. What influenced you to persevere and disregard the initial discouragement you received?

Rico: I knew I couldn’t be the only person with this issue in the world. I knew that there was a market no matter what anyone said!

MO: Did you expect the immense growth that you’ve experienced? What was the moment that you felt that Fatheadz was going to be successful?

Rico: I was confident that once it caught on it would go great, but some days it still surprises me that my invention touches so many peoples lives daily.

MO: Learning from mistakes is critical for entrepreneurs. Can you share some lessons learned from your past or how you would have approached things differently?

Rico: Over-spending in the early years was a harsh lesson learned for sure. We have since cut that out.

MO: What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for Fatheadz?

Rico: We have a new ladies line that we just brought out by the name of Dea’ and we have two more lines planned for the first of the year as well.