Building an 8-Figure Business from College: Ben Perkins' Blueprint for Turning Ideas into one of Utah's Fastest Growing Companies

What happens when a 14-year-old's frustration with uncomfortable dress shirts in Hong Kong's sweltering heat becomes Utah's 8th fastest-growing company? Ben Perkins, founder and CEO of &Collar, proves that sometimes the best business ideas come from solving your own problems,even if it takes a decade to act on them.From sweating through church services in Asia to revolutionizing performance dress wear with recycled materials, Ben's journey shows how persistence, strategic thinking, and a willingness to learn from mistakes can transform a simple idea into a multi-million dollar business that's redefining an entire industry.

Ben's journey reveals how international resilience, family influence, and micro-segmentation strategy create entrepreneurial advantages that most founders never discover. Moving countries as a high school senior, playing college soccer, serving an LDS mission in the Philippines, and turning a class project at UVU into a business that hit $10 million in annual revenue, Ben demonstrates how diverse experiences create entrepreneurial advantages.

What You'll Learn:

• How Ben's international childhood taught him teamwork and adaptability that became crucial business skills
• The porta-potty moment after a soccer victory that shaped his "better to be a role player on a winning team" business philosophy
• The "Under Armour dress shirt" idea that stayed with him for 10 years before becoming reality
• Why he chose revenue milestones ($50K, $300K, $1M, $10M) as his key success metrics
• The spreadsheet conversation with his dad that determined whether to pursue entrepreneurship full-time
• How moving senior year to a new country prepared him for business uncertainty and change
• The micro-segmentation strategy targeting missionaries, Orthodox Jews, teachers, and pilots
• Why objective P&L assignments for each employee transformed their company culture
• The founder-market fit advantage of starting a white dress shirt company in Utah
• How international exposure influenced their customer service philosophy
• Why he distinguishes between having an "idea" vs. a "dream" and starting businesses you don't love
• The branding mistakes he'd fix (choosing a name people can actually pronounce and type)
• How recycled plastic bottles become performance dress shirts
• The employment-as-giving-back philosophy inspired by Mitt Romney

Key Takeaways:

• Market research matters: Ben calculated that more white dress shirts are sold per capita in Utah than anywhere else in the US
• Don't wait for perfection: The company has trimmed from 24 to 17 employees while learning leadership lessons
• Micro-segments can build empires: Targeting specific communities (20K male missionaries annually) creates predictable revenue
• International experiences create resilience: Moving countries and cultures builds adaptability crucial for entrepreneurship
• Family business dynamics: How Ben's dad's management consulting background influenced strategic decision-making

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur with an idea you've been sitting on, a young professional wondering about the leap to business ownership, or a leader looking to understand micro-segmentation and international market advantages, Ben's story offers practical insights wrapped in an inspiring journey from teenage frustration to business success.Connect with &Collar:

• Website: andcollar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andcollar/

Special Thanks: We thank Ryan Dent, former president and current chairman of MountainWest Capital Network, and managing partner of PwC Salt Lake City, for joining as guest host and sharing his perspective on Ben's growth journey from an emerging elite company to a top 10 Utah 100 recognition.

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Meet the dedicated members of our podcast committee who curate content, organize interviews, and ensure the success of The MountainWest Capital Network Podcast “Welcome to the Winners’ Circle.”


Cheri Waldron, MWCN Executive Director
Jason Roberts, MWCN Podcast Chair and Managing Director, Protiviti
Kevin Jessop, MWCN President and Chief Marketing Officer, IMA
Garit Lawson, MWCN Podcast Vice-Chair, Managing Director, Forbes Partners
Zachary Reed, MWCN Podcast Producer, Senior Associate, PwC LLP
Katie Brown, MWCN Business Operations Specialist
The LaunchPod Media Team.