Paul's Story
Hi, I'm Paul, the founder of Pitchfork Threads!
I’ve always had a creative and entrepreneurial spirit, but above all, my values have guided me. Growing up in the Boy Scouts taught me the importance of giving back and building something that serves others.
After college, I worked retail jobs that showed me how tough it is for many Americans to just get by. Those lessons stuck with me. When I became a leader and started my own businesses, I focused on recognizing my team, paying fair wages, and making sure everyone felt valued for their work.
Many companies treat their people well, but too many still succeed by taking advantage of their teams. I’ve had a dream of creating a t-shirt company since college, and Pitchfork Threads combines that dream with my passion for people. It’s my way of challenging that how business should be done. It’s a platform for change, showing that business can have heart and that helping others and building success should go together.
I believe that when we lead with integrity and care, success follows, and it should never come at the cost of the people who helped us grow.
Pitchfork Thread's Story
If you talk to most working people, they’ll tell you the same thing: the daily grind feels harder than it should. We’ve been waiting for politics to fix it — but the fix never seems to come.
It wasn’t always this way. From the 1940s to about 1970, workers and business leaders wealth rose together. But in 1970, everything shifted when economist Milton Friedman declared that the only responsibility of business was to increase profits. Soon after, wealth stopped being shared as freely. In the 1970's, CEOs made 20 times what the average worker earned. Today? Nearly 300 times more.
Pitchfork Threads exists to push back. We’re raising our voices and building a new kind of business model that puts people over profits. Our belief is simple:
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No CEO should make more than 20 times the salary of a full-time worker.
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50% of our profits go directly back into the communities that support us.
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50% of our profits are shared among our employees, because everyone deserves a stake in what they build.
We believe that if you work hard, you should get ahead. Affluence is fine — but excess at the expense of others is cold-blooded. We’re not inventing something new. Fairness and dignity are timeless values. We think it's time to bring them back!
Every person can help tip the scales:
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Be an informed consumer. Every purchase is a vote. Support companies that pay and treat people fairly.
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Speak up. Start a conversation about what really changes lives — equitable pay, not tax cuts for the wealthy. (And yes, we’d love it if you wore our shirts while you do.)
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Pitch in. Whether it’s a local food bank, Meals on Wheels, or another community group, your time and effort matter.
One person’s action might feel small, but history proves that when we act together, we can change the world. Pitchfork Threads is here to pitch in, and we’d love for you to join us.