At age 17, Tommy formed Reach The Beach Sales and quickly started building the brands and products he was marketing to surf shops and water sports stores. Brands included Flojos Sandles, Astrodeck Surfing Products, Bubble Gum Wax, Nose Guard Hawaii, Triple Crown of Surfing T-Shirts and Vans footwear. Tommy played a key role in building each of the brand's revenue and market share. He worked out of the NYC Showroom for Vans with Gary Goldman and got his first experience selling to mass merchants and department stores.

Tommy started with Body Glove at age 14, as a sponsored athlete and then progressing on to marketing and promotions roles, eventually heading Mid Atlantic Sales and Marketing. Once he was promoted at Body Glove, Tommy had to drop all other lines and focus solely on the Body Glove brand. He was apart of the Body Glove explosion and learned a great deal about licensing, cross-selling and working with all types of retailers. Body Glove had a product range that included surfboards, mountain bikes, skateboards, bodyboards, women's underwear, swimwear, accessories, wetsuits, eyewear, and footwear.

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At age 24, Tommy along with a partner founded Lido Beach Surf and Sport, a 5000 sq ft. self-standing building in Lido Beach, New York. The store was an immediate success. Tommy's well-rounded experience helped position the shop as the "go to store" surfing fashion trends, cutting edge new products and new brands. After seven years and a disagreement between partners, the store closed.

Tommy went on to work for Harrison & Associates / First Team Sports (NASDAQ: FTSP) as a Regional Sales manager for Ultra Wheels Inline Skates and Wayne Gretzky's Hespeler Hockey company.

 

Seeking a change of pace, Tommy looked to change industries and try something new. A friend introduced him to the owner of MS Farrell & Co. and he was sponsored to take the Series 7 exam. After passing the exam, Tommy spent a few years in the financial industry between MS Farrell & Co. and Axa Financial before taking a marketing position with American Express (NYSE: AXP).

Tommy would once again return to the Beach Lifestyle industry, joining family friends Chris & Mike Sherin (former Chairman of the Garden City Group: GCG) as Vice President of Rymic World Wide / Vision Marketing. For nine years, Tommy would oversee sales, marketing, operations, and USA brand management for multiple lines of sunglasses and eyewear including Dirty Dog Australia. He also played an instrumental role in negotiating the North American license for Wet Dreams Australia which included surfing products, and apparel. Tommy directly managed key accounts including GSI Commerce, Boaters World, West Marine (NASDAQ: WMAR), Sports Authority and Dicks Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS).

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Tommy then spent ten years as a business consultant for Universal Marine Medical, responsible for southern operations, compliance, logistics, and supply chain with Port of Miami, Port Everglades, Port of Palm Beach. Customer accounts included brands such as Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE: CCL), Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (NYSE: RCL), Norwegian Cruise Lines (NASDAQ: NCLH), Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and MSC Cruises. Universal Marine Medical was founded in 1975 by Julius R. Nasso and is one of the worlds largest medical suppliers to cruise ships, oil rigs, super yachts, merchant vessels, tankers, and freighters.