Eric Bandholz

Urban Beardsman

photographer

Photography by Richard Casteel

Founder of BeardBrand.com

With hair as eye-catching as his beard, Eric Bandholz is a leader in the men’s grooming revolution with his company Beardbrand. With Eric at the helm, Beardbrand creates high-quality, premium products for $3.2 billion beard care market, and has recently grown into hair and body industry as well as clothing.

 

What started out as a simple blog to appreciate beards has turned into a full-fledged business with the full support of a loyal community of beardsmen. From his experience on Shark Tank to periodic updates on the Reddit Entrepreneur Subreddit, Eric has been sharing the journey of building Beardbrand and his quest to change the way society views beardsmen.

Ceramic Frog Figurines

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Back in 2008, my wife and I went out to Tokyo and it was our first big trip together. Wandering the city streets was one of my most memorable experiences and we ended up in this quaint home goods store. I’m not one to buy a lot of things while on trips, but bringing home small trinkets has become a small guilty pleasure of mine. We keep these little frog figurines by our kitchen sink as a reminder of our time in Tokyo and a quick way to bring a smile to my face.

IMG_2848 Shop$3.50+


Gold Chain & Omega Watch

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My grandfather passed away when I was in first grade, so I only have a few memories of him. Both of these items were his and were given to me at significant events in my young life. The gold chain was given to me by my mom in 8th grade upon getting confirmed, and the watch was passed on to me as a high school graduation gift. The watch is a 1964 Omega Genève. I would say the entire time that I’ve worn them, gold hasn’t been stylish; but I wear them anyways as a way to remember my grandfather.

Buy Now$priceless

2011 Macbook Pro

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My first business to generate revenue was Sovrnty and I worked as a freelance graphic designer. My first investment in the business was buying this computer and was more than I would have normally spent on a computer at the time. As much time as I’ve spent on it, it’s been a worthwhile investment. I’ve replaced the optical drive with an SSD and maxed out the RAM to 16gb. Despite the “d” button working sporadically and breaking a couple of chargers, it’s been a beast of awesomeness. I don’t go anywhere without this machine.

Buy Now$400.00+

Baldwin Jeans

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Believe it or not, I’ve not always been a stylish guy. I tended to value low prices over self investment and subsequently have owned many clothes that didn’t fit me right or were bland and ordinary. These jeans were my first pair of raw denim and a fun experience in learning how jeans can evolve and look cool at different points. They’ve softened up nicely over the past couple of years and have some pretty mild but nice fades. I’m excited to see how they’ll continue to evolve.

Buy Now$315

Dick Moby Sunglasses

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I attended my first international trade show alone in Berlin to bring in some accounts for Beardbrand, and the guys right across the isle from us were the founders (Robbert & Tim) of Dick Moby. They are two of the nicest guys and I had a blast at the show with them. I was really impressed with their product and their vision for the company. On a recent trip to Amsterdam I met up with them and grabbed this pair of sunglasses. They’ve been glued to my face since.
Buy Now$184


2004 Dodge Dakota

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While I’ve developed quite the taste for the finer things in life, my truck is a reminder of my frugality and where I’ve come from. I bought this truck new 13 years ago and it’s about as stripped down as a truck can come. It’s got manual transmission, windows, locks, and a cassette player. It’s taken me around America as I’ve moved from Austin to Charlotte to Spokane and back to Austin.
One of my most fond memories are of when I was driving my puppy home for the first time as I picked him up from a breeder. I had just graduated college and now I had a new truck, with a new dog, and in a new city. I was officially a man.
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Buy Now$5,000+


Photo of me Rowing IMG_2850

Back in college I was the captain & president of our rowing program and it consumed many hours of my life. Being so involved in the program I had developed some great relationships. In this photo I am rowing in the #3 seat with my friends Jason Mann in front of me and Thomas Chow behind me. Thomas ended up becoming the best man in my wedding and sadly Jason passed away in Afghanistan.


Painting of my wife & me

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We commissioned my sister, Monica Estabrook, to do this painting about 10 years ago and I wanted something fun to remember us. So I dressed up in a yellow track suit that I had from American Apparel. My wife is a little more conservative than I am and dressed “normally.”
Buy Now$custom


Ceramic Coffee Mug

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This mug was a bit of an impulse purchase for me. I bought it here in Austin, TX from a boutique store and the shape just really spoke to me. It’s Hasami Porcelain from Japan and I just love the clean, minimal shape and color. For as much coffee that I drink it’s nice to be enjoying that brew from a nicer coffee mug. There is something else about having “my mug” rather than just some generic mug from the kitchen cabinet. I thought I was pretty original with this mug, and shortly after buying it I saw a guy on Bench.co holding the exact same mug. Oh well, can’t win them all.

Buy Now$28

Sony Z5C

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In today’s world, phones are just getting bigger and bigger. There is really only one flagship phone left that isn’t the size of a tablet and that’s the Sony Z5C. Sadly they chose not to sell it here in the States, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I purchased this phone off contract from a company in the UK and it’s unlocked and ready for world travel.
I hate how mobile carriers add bloatware to phones and prevent you from using the full abilities of the phone. Buying this phone has allowed me flexibility while I travel internationally and delivers great battery life and performance.

Buy Now$405

Qwstion Bag

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On a business trip to Chicago we were doing some market research of men’s boutique retailers and slipped into this great store, Mankind, in Wicker Park. The Qwstion Bag blends modern style, functionality, and high quality all into one. It’s a little bit pricey but it’s been with me everywhere I go. Everyone and their mother has a Herschel bag, and I did too. I remember taking the elevator in NYC and noticing another person had the exact same Herschel bag as me and with my Qwstion I don’t need to worry about that anywhere I go.
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Buy Now$210


Urban Beardsman Shirt

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Last October we set off to test the market in apparel and we designed this shirt from the ground up. It was my first foray into fashion and we launched with three trim fit shirts with the grey one being my favorite. It’s not too formal and not too casual. It’s got enough pop to stand out in the crowd but not at the cost of being flamboyant or hokey. The launch was a great learning experience and gave us a good foundation for developing apparel in the future.
Buy Now$Sold Out


Muller Helm Boots

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Like my Baldwin jeans, the Helm Boots were my first pair of very nice & durable shoes. We did a story on the founder of Helm Boots for Urban Beardsman and I always loved his product. The shoes have broken in nicely over the years and are comfortable to wear. I love the white mid sole which helps tell Helm apart from all other heritage boot brands.

Buy Now$485

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