We were lucky to catch up with Steve Schoenholz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Steve, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I started TEMPTED APPAREL in 1996. After being a sales rep for various apparel companies for the previous 10 years, I wanted to go out on my own and build my own business. At it’s peak Tempted Apparel was a 50 million dollar company employing over 100 people. I got into the apparel business at the insistence of my father that I get a real job when my last contract with Capitol records was up.. I got a job working in the warehouse of a sweater company shipping and receiving goods and before I knew it I was a salesman in the apparel business.. I always considered myself a musician/song writer first and business man by chance second. Always writing, recording and performing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I started Tempted Apparel in 1996 I was 49 years old. I started out as a company designing fashion for 16-24 year old girls. The first few years were very difficult as I struggled to learn how to run a business. In 2000 I met my wife Janet who was a designer for a competitor, and she came to work for me and completely changed my business. Within two years between her great designs and my sales we were selling every major fashion chain and department store in the country. Most of those retailers are not around anymore so we are a much smaller business today but still producing a new fashion line almost every month.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

At the age of 26, although I didn’t know it, my music career was pretty much coming to an end. I had taken what I thought was a day job working in the warehouse of a sweater company which was my first exposure to the apparel business. After about six months the owner of the company had me start travelling with some of the salesmen and assisting them. I learned quickly and discovered I had a talent for sales. One day the owner of the company called me into his office and said “Kid I have a territory for you”. I said I would take it. He said ” don’t you want to know where it is?”. I said I don’t care where it is and the next thing I knew, I was living in Dallas Texas and West Texas and Oklahoma was my territory.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I started my business with $100,000 I had saved and found a partner who had a successful business and could provide me with the credit facility I would need. After two years my company had become big enough that I could buy him out and go out on my own. In 2005 I sold my company to my biggest Chinese supplier, but I still run the company today.

Image Credits
Christian Lee