How a 28-Year-Old Built a $1M Apparel Manufacturing Business in 12 Months

Most people have no idea how licensed apparel actually gets made.In this episode of Boring Money, I sit down with Zarum, co-founder of Forge & Fabric, a Canadian apparel manufacturer that produced over 650,000 garments and crossed $1 million in revenue within its first year.Forge & Fabric sits at the end of the licensed apparel supply chain, producing merchandise for major retailers and brands through partnerships that include sports leagues, Disney, Marvel, and more. Their business is simple on the surface: print, pack, and ship. But underneath is a fascinating manufacturing operation built around volume, efficiency, automation, and relentless execution.We break down:• How licensed apparel manufacturing actually works • The economics behind a $1.20 t-shirt order • Why one printing press can generate over $1 million in annual revenue • The surprising advantages of domestic manufacturing in Canada • How equipment financing enabled rapid growth without outside investors • The operational challenges of scaling production and fulfillment • When entrepreneurs should focus on sales versus operations • Why contract manufacturing alone may cap your upside • How to think about moving up the value chain and selling direct • The lessons I learned building Filterbuy that still apply todayMore importantly, we explore a question every entrepreneur eventually faces:Do you double down on the business that works today, or start building the business you ultimately want tomorrow?This conversation is a masterclass on manufacturing, scaling operations, finding product-market fit, and building a business around the life you actually want—not someone else’s version of success.Whether you’re in manufacturing, e-commerce, B2B sales, or just love hearing how real businesses are built, you’ll get a lot out of this one.