Well last summer I did something totally off the wall, I decided to create my own shirt brand, A James Original and sell some of the very shirts people have been telling me are very cool to a small elite group of people like you.

You see for years I have been finding interesting fabric and getting business/play shirts made, just for me.

Over 180 shirts later I decided why not get a few extra made and see what happens!

Well, I can tell you that people, a group of people, love the shirts.

Who? Cool people, the person who is into a Hawaiian shirt with class, the person who thinks Tommy Bahama can do better.

Of 200 shirts I have 80 left, not bad for a professor who is not into marketing.

I have lived my dream and I feel good, really good, because the shirts are great and made by a group of tailors in Bali (I met them so I know that these are not mass produced Chinese products). Also these are not mass produced shirts, only 20 of any colour exist in the world!

What have I learned?

1. timing is everything

2. a great story wins every time

3. trust your gut instinct

4. quality wins in the end

5. everyone has a story to tell so listen as much as you talk

Now that the water has been tested the question is do we go and get more made?

Who can turn down a trip to Bali?

Check the shirts out online and let me know what you think!