College Mogul Q&A: Jeremy Parker, Founder of Tees and Tats

Some things just work well together. Picture a burger with a side of fries or Adobe and Macromedia. Now, how about T-shirts and tattoos?

In the summer of 2007, soon after graduating from Boston University with a degree in film production, Jeremy Parker joined forces with his cousin Ben Parker -- at the time, a junior at the University of Maryland -- to the start a business. That business: a high-end tattoo-influenced T-shirt company called Tees and Tats.

In April, Tees and Tats was a finalist in the University of Maryland’s fourth annual business competition, the "Cupid's Cup."

With an eight-person staff, overseas manufacturing and growing retail network, Tees and Tats is on the move.

Meet Parker:

Why did you start your own business?
I wanted a job where I could set my own hours.

What’s your idea of business success?
To be able to continue to do what I love and get paid for it, and continue to enjoy working every day.

What do you dislike about running your own business?
It makes me a morning person. I get very little sleep. Every day is like a chess match. I’m always thinking, “How am I going to play this?”

What’s the most challenging part of turning a concept into a market-ready product?
Everything takes around five times more than you expect it to.

How do you overcome that?
It’s all perseverance. You have to really love the idea. You have to be willing to push forward.

What’s your energy snack or drink of choice?
Bananas. (I don’t drink coffee.)

What are you top three must-read blogs?
Silicon Alley Insider, Blog Maverick and TechCrunch.

Who are your industry mentors?
Eliot Peyser, the CEO of Weatherproof Garment Company and Alan Peyser, the owner. They’re exceptionally good guys.

What do you look for most in an employee or business associate?
The person needs to be very passionate about the brand and they need to have a positive attitude.

Given what you know now, what would you have done differently when you first started Tees and Tats?
I would have done more analysis of how cost-savings impact quality of life. Sure, production in Turkey saves a couple dollars per T-shirt, but I probably spend more on phone conversations and stress.

What do you remember most about college?
Learning how to overcome obstacles. I went from academic probation to graduating at the top of my class in the communication school.

What are you favorite films?
Any Clint Eastwood film. “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” is great. “Grand Torino” is probably the best film in the last five years.

Related links:

• Tees and Tats
• "Big idea from a small business: a market-based pricing model" (AA, 4/13/09)
• Cupid's Cup Business Competition (UM)
  
• Institute for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (BU)