Catholic Founders #53 He Partnered With Harrison Butker to Help Men Dress Better | Nathan Price
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In Today’s Issue:
* Intro to the Guest and Topic
* Core Takeaway
* Episode References
* Select Quotes
* Key Moments
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Today’s Topic & Guest:
How often do you see me suited up? Not often is the answer ha!
Well, for today’s guest, who is the Catholic king of menswear, I had to throw on a suit.
Nathan Price is the co-founder of Shepherd’s menswear. Famously the firm that clothes Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. Many othes like Michael Knowles can be found wearing their work as well.
The idea is simple: make uncompromisingly high-quality menswear that is not absurdly expensive.
As always, we covered a lot of ground, but some of the key areas are:
* Nathan’s unique career journey and how it’s obvious God led him down this path.
* How to work with a celebrity to turn that initial interest into long-term customer loyalty
* Why dressing well is a moral imperative
* How dressing well can help retake the culture around us
* And how he thinks about family legacy and considering the idea of his son taking over one day
There is something in here for everyone!
Core Lesson:
Quality is a moral obligation for the Catholic entrepreneur, as the excellence of our work serves as the primary witness to the integrity of our faith.
Nathan points out that many build a “Catholic brand” and then forget to actually make a high-quality product. They hide behind the Creed so to speak.
His opinion is that if your product is subpar, if it’s not among the best in class, you are damaging your credibility as a witness to the Truth.
Afterall, if you truly believe in your faith, how can that conviction not bring you to do whatever you do with great love so that those around you may know the love of Jesus?
This lesson is one we constantly need to remind ourselves of. High quality is a moral obligation, and it’s the key way that others will be drawn to God through our work.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
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Key Episode References:
Episode References
Creative Works & Media
Saints Mentioned
Bible Passages
* Matthew 25:14-30 (The Parable of the Talents)
Select Quotes:
* "If you're out there offering a subpar product, people are gonna question some other things about you. Like if your product falls apart immediately and you're out there touting how great it is, it's like, what else isn't very honest about these guys?" — Nathan Price
* "We’re not a Catholic company, we’re a virtuous company... owned by people who are striving towards virtue." — Nathan Price
* "Look for some of the underlying threads that go through the job or opportunity... rather than just looking at it as the job itself." — Nathan Price
* "You really got to impact someone's life in a really special way... if their clothing fits well, then they have more confidence." — Nathan Price
* "Oftentimes fit is one of the greatest communicators of quality, not necessarily the actual materials used." — Nathan Price
* "We have to really, really land every aspect of this experience, and that's the way that you convert it into long-term business." — Nathan Price
* "If it's a vest that fastens with buttons, the bottom button should be undone." — Nathan Price
Key Moments: (outline)
* 00:00 – The Catholic Quality Standard: Nathan opens with a challenge to avoid the “Catholic crutch” and why a subpar product is actually a form of dishonesty.
* 00:37 – Introduction: Silas introduces Nathan Price and the mission of Shepard’s to bring virtue back to the modern wardrobe.
* 01:45 – The Harrison Butker Connection: How a chance meeting with the NFL kicker evolved into a deep business partnership and shared vision for excellence.
* 05:12 – High School Roots: Nathan recounts his “accidental” start in tailoring at age 16 and how he discovered a natural talent for fitting suits.
* 10:30 – The Providential Thread: A reflection on how God uses seemingly random jobs to build the skillset required for a future calling.
* 14:20 – Leaving the “Catholic Bubble”: Why Shepard’s aims to compete in the mainstream market rather than just selling to a niche religious audience.
* 18:55 – Private Equity vs. Craftsmanship: A critique of how modern brands lose their soul when they prioritize margins over the quality of the garment.
* 24:40 – The Shepherd’s Philosophy: Nathan explains his “moral obligation” to the customer: ensuring they never regret spending their hard-earned money.
* 31:15 – Technical Excellence: A deep dive into the construction of a suit—full canvas versus fused—and why the details reflect the founder’s integrity.
* 38:40 – Dressing the Leader: Why outward appearance matters for the modern man and how it impacts his ability to lead his family and community.
* 45:10 – Spiritual Non-Negotiables: Nathan shares his daily routine, including Joshua 1:9, the Rosary, and the intercession of Blessed Karl of Austria.
* 49:30 – Building a Multi-Generational Legacy: Nathan’s desire to build a business that his children can inherit and take pride in.
* 53:15 – Closing Thoughts: Silas concludes with the reminder that every founder is “Created to Create” and the mission to elevate the culture through work.
Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started.
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