From the
Desk of ...

Randy Goldberg

Co-founder of Bombas

Words by

Cory Ohlendorf

Photography by

Courtesy

Published

March 5, 2024

Note

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You know Bombas socks. One, because they've been around for more than a decade now. The brand launched in 2013 after a successful crowd-sourcing campaign, which was followed up with an even more successful appearance on Shark Tank. The brand has grown to become the Shark Tank franchise's most successful of all time, with more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue. But you also know them because the socks themselves have a distinctive look, with a signature honeycomb stitching that hugs your foot for added arch support. And because anyone who's tried a pair now swears by the brand's comfort and durability—for the gym, for dress socks, and just casual styles ideal for padding around the house.

These days, the collection has expanded past socks, to include underwear and some seriously soft tees. Those are not only the basis of any great wardrobe, they're also the three most-requested items at homeless shelters. From day one, Bombas has donated an item for every item purchased and to date has provided more than 100 million articles of clothing to those in need. One of the guys behind the brand, Randy Goldberg, has been in the menswear game since the early days of #menswear in the early aughts. I knew people loved working him, but I wanted to know how the man himself gets so much done. We stopped by Bombas New York headquarters to get a peek inside his office and his workday.

What’s currently
on my desk

Apple MacBook
Clay sculpture
Product samples
Sumo tangerine
Reference books
Moleskine notepad
Kaweco pen
Beanie
Papermate mechanical pencil

I grew up dreaming of being
in the sock business.

Kidding. Not sure anyone ever has, right? My first paying job was at a bagel shop back in Baltimore when I was a teenager.

But I started my career as a copywriter and as a brand strategist.

I was at creative agencies like Big Spaceship. In 2007, I ended up at a media company running an editorial team and internal agency, which is where I met Dave, one of Bombas's co-founders. One day, after Dave saw a quote on Facebook, he came over to my desk asking, “Did you know that socks are the number one most requested clothing item in homeless shelters?”, and the rest, you could say, is Bombas history.

I used to have a “proper desk” here, but I never used it.

So my other Bombas co-founder, Aaron, and I turned a conference room into a creative war room. There are baking racks in here because that's how we organize socks and product samples around the office. Generally, I try to keep things pretty clear on the table, but we are working on some new projects and these are reference books and images from our latest seasonal shoot.

There are not a lot of mementos, but ...

One of our manufacturing partners made misshapen clay sculptures of the four company founders. They put me in a tennis outfit for some reason and there's only a vague resemblance, but I found the gesture very sweet and endearing.

The newest item on my desk ...

Is a sumo tangerine. Fresh food counts as new, right? I have set myself a sumo ration of one per day until they run out for the season sometime in the spring.

“Shtetl in the Sun” by Andy Sweet.

I’m really proud of what we’ve built at this workstation.

We're working on a project right now that involves a photoshoot in Florida for a new product launching this spring. We were inspired by the book “Shtetl in the Sun” by Andy Sweet, which has all these great photos from Miami Beach in 1978. It sort of plays into the idea that young people want to be retired and let it fly like their wise-yet-slightly-unhinged grandparents.

“Shtetl in the Sun” by Andy Sweet.

I’ve got a love/hate relationship with my schedule.

My calendar and to-do lists (I use them both) are a force for good and a dominating overlord in my life. It all filters through there since my days are generally filled with meetings.

My days are never really
the same.

I work on so many different parts of the business that my days and weeks are never the same except for a few anchoring, recurring, meetings. I like the variety and the energy of it.

Throughout the day, I’m switching back and forth between digital and analog.

It's a big mix. I love a pen and paper, but you can't avoid digital. I try not to be a full luddite, but tactile things just appeal to me. I tracked down the U.S. sales rep for Kaweco, a German pen company, seven or eight years ago and they occasionally make us different colors of this specific pen with the Bombas logo. We love very specific swag at Bombas.

Currently, I don’t really use any “productivity tools”.

No apps or anything like that. I do use coffee, though.

I am fully against lunch
at your desk.

Fully against, and yet I do it every single day. I often eat in meetings, which I do not recommend. One day we'll all take long lunches at lovely cafes and life will feel simpler and unhurried.

Focused work time can be rare during office hours.

But I find that focus at home in the morning or late at night. My home workspace is serene. I think better in clean spaces with character. Sometimes staying on track is a five-minute call with my co-founders late at night that ends up taking an hour or two. I also try to schedule some days without meetings where I can stretch my brain and think a little.

I’m not one of those “inbox zero” kind of guys.

I don't know if I believe in “inbox zero”. I barely believe in the inbox. I have a fraught relationship with email. I love Slack, I get a lot done in meetings. I feel like I used to spend a lot of time chasing this and deleting unimportant emails.

Switching “off” at the end of the day can be tough.

Kids help. The minute I'm home it's a vortex of tiny humans on the attack, which is a great way of getting me out of the office and into home life. Working out also helps, so do big dinners with friends, and doing the crossword.

When I think about what
helped get me to the place
I am at today ...

Surrounding myself with really smart people. Curiosity and optimism. A commitment to challenging the status quo, pushing for high standards. A strong opinion combined with a willingness to be wrong.

Follow What Randy
Is Doing

@bombas // @randygoldberg

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