Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Tesvich.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a child, I had two dreams: to play professional baseball at night and be a CEO during the day. I wanted to run a business and play baseball after work. As I grew older, my dream evolved to playing professional baseball followed by starting a business. I had no idea what kind of business I wanted to start, but I figured that playing baseball would give me some time to figure it out. In my junior year of high school, I started feeling fatigued. A few months later, I had lost almost 40 pounds. After getting tested, I found out that I had an allergy to gluten. The experience made me realize that my health should be a priority over baseball. I didn’t play during my senior year of high school and used that time to get healthy.
When I entered my freshman year at KSU, I had 10 different faculty, students, and others ask me if I was a baseball player. That’s when I asked myself, “why not?” I picked up baseball again and started training while being in school. It was a great precursor to becoming a founder because I had to set my own schedule, determine my training regimen, and stay disciplined between baseball and school.
I met Cam Fritz a few months in. He transformed me, taking me to a low 90’s fastball as a lefty. It wasn’t long before I started to draw collegiate and professional attention. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and every offer I had or was about to receive was put on pause indefinitely. After looking at international professional opportunities and going to big league tryouts, I decided to walk onto UGA. But during one bullpen, my arm was numb, and I knew something was wrong. I had torn and separated my labrum in my throwing shoulder, torn my UCL (Tommy John), and my labrum in my right arm as well. It was clear to me that God didn’t want me playing baseball.
But instead of being upset, I felt blessed to have had the opportunity to do what I did. And little did I know that my role as a founder would come much sooner than I had expected. One day, my roommate brought home a towel that let you wash your hands without soap. I immediately thought about what this could do for feet – neutralizing foot odor. It could help so many people with an issue that had yet to be truly solved.
Fast forward through intense manufacturing efforts, legal protections, and other necessities to starting a business – OX SOX was born. Our socks neutralize foot odor, so you never have to worry about stinky feet again. Now, I’m balancing my senior year of college at UGA while running this business full-time. The entrepreneurship program at UGA has been fantastic, providing me with fantastic coaching, grants through various pitch competition wins, and the opportunity to see growing success. My story is not unlike many others, and I’m grateful that there is finally a solution to this ageless problem.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a business owner, I know that there are always new problems to solve. And that’s actually what I enjoy about it – the challenge of finding innovative solutions to complex issues. But, of course, there are times when it can feel like you’re fighting the same battles over and over again. That’s when I know it’s time to take a step back and reflect on what’s really going on. It’s not always easy to admit when you’re struggling or when things aren’t going as planned, but it’s important to be honest with yourself and address any underlying issues. One thing I’ve learned is that taking time to think is crucial. It can be tempting to constantly be in motion and always working on something, but sometimes what you really need is to slow down and focus on strategic planning. By asking myself how I can better serve my customers and address their pain points, I’ve been able to identify areas for improvement and make changes that have really helped my business grow.
Overall, I believe that being a business owner is both challenging and rewarding. There are bound to be bumps in the road, but it’s how you navigate them that matters most. By staying focused, thinking creatively, and never losing sight of your goals, I believe that anyone can succeed as an entrepreneur.
As you know, we’re big fans of OX SOX. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
OX SOX are socks that get rid of stinky feet – as simple as that. As someone who has personally struggled with foot odor, I understand the frustration of trying various solutions that don’t work. That’s why we’ve developed socks that you’d wear like any other sock, but they neutralize your foot odor. No more buying sprays and other “fixes” that just don’t seem to work and get messy. Our socks are designed to be comfortable and convenient for everyday wear with some customers buying purely for the “comfiness”. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from our customers who finally found an end to foot odor. As a UGA student and business owner, I’m proud to see the support of the community behind our brand and to know that we’re truly making a difference in people’s lives.
We want our readers to know that we’re dedicated to providing a simple and effective solution to an embarrassing problem. Foot odor can be tedious to deal with, but with our socks, you can eliminate the hassle and just focus on your day.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I read a statistic that showed the disparity of Americans speaking 2nd & 3rd languages versus the rest of the world – that inspired me to teach myself German at the end of high school and in early college. I achieved over 50% fluency.
I am colorblind. So, having black and white color options on the socks make it easy for both you and me – haha.
I am a Christian, and I attribute my faith to be a big part of where I am today. It is easy to get wrapped into the everyday “hustle and bustle”, but when you have your eyes fixed on something greater than yourself… things change.
Contact Info:
- Website: getoxsox.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getoxsox
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oxsox/
- Other: TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@getoxsox
