We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justin Li a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Justin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

My Dad taught me the value of perseverance, grit, determination, and never quitting. Those lessons have proven invaluable in growing my two companies.

Justin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up as a below-average athlete with below average grades. I was never smart enough or athletic enough to naturally be at the top of any hierarchy growing up, so I’ve spent my entire life as an underdog looking to create competitive advantages in any way I could find them…generally speaking, that had to be ways/places where nobody else was looking. That perspective carried over to my law enforcement career where I eventually came up with the idea that started Qore Performance in TCCC Shorts and later evolved into the ICEPLATE®. We are now the only company in the world who creates hybridized thermoregulation + hydration solutions for Military, Law Enforcement, and Industrial applications.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

We couldn’t get traction with our first invention, TCCC Base Layers. This led us to pivot to the combination of thermoregulation + hydration in the creation of ICEPLATE® which was our first hit product. ICEPLATE® is still our best-selling product today. It is our iPhone, but if we had quit when TCCC Base Layers didn’t take hold, it would have never been born.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

My Co-Founder and I contributed a combined $80,000 (if memory serves…) from savings we accumulated during our previous careers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.qoreperformance.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qoreperformance/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/qore-performance-inc
• Twitter: https://x.com/QorePerformance
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/qoreperformanceusa

Image Credits

All images are created and owned by Qore Performance, Inc.