The Rich Somers Report

INSANE Rags to Riches Story: From Homeless 2 Years Ago to Doing $60 Million/year | Alex Vela E394

11 snips
Sep 4, 2025
Alejandro Vela, Founder of El Barbas Hats, went from sleeping in his car to building a $60 million business in just two years. He shares insights on how past failures laid the groundwork for his success. Discover the unique advantages of hats as a scalable fashion product and how TikTok played a crucial role in marketing. Alejandro's thrilling live stream launch generated $1.3 million in minutes, showcasing the power of limited editions and collaborations. His journey proves that driven mindset and creativity can transform adversity into extraordinary success.
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ANECDOTE

Swap Meet Launch Turned Viral Weekend

  • Alejandro started by selling embroidered blank hats at swap meets and paired them with food to boost sales.
  • A single weekend grew from a few hundred dollars to thousands after he added branding and printed boxes and stickers.
INSIGHT

Hats Scale Because One Size Fits All

  • Hats scale easier than apparel because one size fits all and reduces SKU complexity.
  • Alejandro chose hats intentionally to avoid inventory fragmentation from multiple sizes.
ADVICE

Test Designs On TikTok Before Production

  • Test new hat designs on TikTok with short organic clips before ordering inventory.
  • Use view and engagement performance to decide whether to scale production or scrap the idea.
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