About the Company

Pete & Pedro is a Marietta, Georgia-based men’s grooming brand specializing in high-quality hairstyling, haircare, and fragrance products. Known for its signature items like Putty, Salt, and REBEL, the brand primarily targets men aged 18-35 but caters to a broader audience. The company emphasizes simplicity, quality, and confidence-building through grooming. Its direct-to-consumer approach includes sales through its website and limited offerings on Amazon, prioritizing control over the brand's customer experience.

Pete & Pedro operates with a small, efficient team of under ten employees. Despite its compact structure, the company achieves significant revenue, focusing on profitability and customer satisfaction. Marino remains the brand's face, driving its growth through YouTube and other digital marketing channels.

The brand has expanded its marketing efforts beyond Marino’s YouTube channel to include blogs, social media, and Google ads. Tools like a hair quiz and a build-your-own kit have been crucial in increasing customer engagement and boosting average order values.

Idea Behind Company

Aaron Marino's passion for fitness and style inspired his entrepreneurial pursuits. His initial ventures in gym ownership led to bankruptcy, but the experience taught him resilience. While running an image consulting business, Marino realized the potential of digital platforms and began creating content for YouTube. His early videos, meant to promote his consulting services, unexpectedly grew a substantial audience.

When Marino's first Shark Tank pitch—a style system—was rejected, he pivoted to a more tangible business idea. Observing his audience's interest in lifestyle and grooming topics, Marino saw an opportunity in men’s haircare products. Collaborating with a salon-owner friend, he developed a line of hairstyling products, leading to Pete & Pedro's launch in 2013.

Creating the Company

Developing Pete & Pedro involved months of testing and prototyping. Marino began with five hairstyling products, keeping costs low with an initial investment of under $5,000. He partnered with manufacturers and relied on his knowledge of hair products to ensure quality.

Designing the brand's artwork was straightforward, and Marino utilized his YouTube audience to market the products. This approach gave Pete & Pedro a significant advantage, eliminating the need for extensive paid advertising during the initial stages. The brand’s direct engagement with a captive audience allowed it to scale quickly with minimal risk.

Marino emphasized patience in the creation process. Testing formulas, perfecting branding, and ensuring alignment with customer expectations took nearly a year. This meticulous approach laid a strong foundation for the company’s future growth.

Launching the Business

Pete & Pedro’s launch leveraged Marino's existing YouTube following, which served as a built-in audience. Marino integrated the products into his videos, generating immediate interest and orders. Early marketing efforts included high price points with coupon promotions to encourage trials and build brand loyalty.

Marino learned the importance of consistent marketing and trust-building with his audience. Recognizing the need for a robust backend, he hired a marketing director to enhance website functionality and streamline operations. Over time, the brand diversified its marketing strategies, adding social media, blogs, and paid ads.

Today, Pete & Pedro thrives as a multi-channel business, maintaining its core focus on quality products and customer trust. The brand continues to innovate with new offerings, like its recent cologne launch, while remaining agile in a competitive market.

Earnings

Pete & Pedro has grown steadily, achieving 25-50% annual revenue increases over the past three years. The company generates approximately $600,000 in monthly revenue, with net profit margins between 20-30%. Marino attributes this profitability to lean operations, effective use of digital platforms, and a focus on high-margin products.

While paid ads provide a 3x return on investment, the company’s primary growth driver remains Marino's YouTube ecosystem. Diversification into other channels, such as a dedicated Pete & Pedro YouTube channel, has reduced reliance on a single platform.

Marino’s strategic decisions, including outsourcing non-core functions and limiting Amazon Prime usage, reflect a preference for long-term brand control over short-term gains. Pete & Pedro’s strong branding and innovative marketing approaches position it for sustained success in the men’s grooming market.