Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Blog Pricing
Podcast Image

Digital Social Hour

The Pillow Guy: Came to America With $300. Built a 9-Figure Company. This Is His Story. | DSH #1689

16 Dec 2025

Transcription

Chapter 1: How did Oleg Lee start his journey in America with only $300?

0.031 - 3.217 Unknown

Yeah, I don't think I'll send my kids to public school. Why do you think that's the move?

0

3.237 - 19.93 Oleg Lee

Honestly, school is not my thing. I dropped school when I didn't make it to middle school. Wow. 7th grade, that was my last grade. Wow. So school is definitely not my thing. I can't even write. You know, I can speak in three languages. I can read in three languages. You can't write English? I can't. I mean, I can write, but like you don't want me to do that.

0

25.867 - 29.151 Unknown

Okay, guys, we got someone on I've known for probably seven or eight years now.

0

Chapter 2: What challenges did Oleg face while working construction in the U.S.?

29.231 - 32.315 Unknown

He sent me my first custom pillows. We got some here on the desk right now, too.

0

32.815 - 33.176 Oleg Lee

It's been a while.

0

33.196 - 34.918 Unknown

The first ones you sent were Jersey Champs ones.

0

34.938 - 36.219 Oleg Lee

Jersey Champs, yeah. My first company.

0

36.319 - 42.727 Unknown

I still have your jersey that you made for me. Oh, sick. Full circle, man. It's good to see you, though, man. How you been? Likewise. Been good. How about you? You been busy with the pillow stuff?

Chapter 3: How did Oleg build a unique product category with custom pillows?

42.747 - 50.276 Unknown

Busy, busy. It's a busy time now. Back to school is a pretty busy season for us. Yeah. What are your biggest clients now? Because you work with so many celebrities and all sorts of companies.

0

50.296 - 67.08 Oleg Lee

You know... Celebrities are not the biggest clients. The direct-to-consumer is the biggest business. But we do work with a lot of celebrities. I don't even know, a lot of brands as well. I mean, Kardashians, every party, they do the order from us. All the kids' parties, all their celebrations, like birthday, they always order from us. We don't work directly with them. We're like an event planner.

0

Chapter 4: What role do celebrities play in Oleg's business strategy?

67.721 - 69.564 Oleg Lee

But yeah, they've been our customer for a long time.

0

69.884 - 77.676 Unknown

Impressive, man. Yeah, Eminem, DJ Khaled, Paris Hilton, the list goes on and on. Is that sort of like a marketing vehicle for you, just partnering with celebrities?

0

77.656 - 80.199 Oleg Lee

Just for the brand awareness and product awareness, yes. Yeah.

0

80.42 - 85.667 Unknown

I mean, it's good quality, man. Like, you can't really get this. You can't just walk in a store and get this, right? That's why I'm the pillow guy, man.

0

86.287 - 87.95 Oleg Lee

I'm the only one who made this pillow, you know?

88.37 - 93.237 Unknown

The first time I found you was through Logan Paul. Yeah. You were on his YouTube, right?

93.457 - 95.039 Oleg Lee

Yeah, I made pillows for him a while ago.

Chapter 5: How does running marathons contribute to Oleg's leadership skills?

95.059 - 98.183 Oleg Lee

His dog, his podcast, you name it. I worked with him for a long time.

0

98.504 - 104.612 Unknown

That's how I found you, man. So well done. Yeah. You do really well with branding and marketing. And you've been doing this for, what, 10 years now?

0
0

105.162 - 106.764 Oleg Lee

Yeah, 10 years. That's impressive.

0

106.784 - 109.167 Unknown

I would say about 10 years. Not a lot of businesses last that long.

109.367 - 116.295 Oleg Lee

Well, my brand, All About Vibe, the actual custom shaped pillow brand has been like focused five years, but I've been trying it for over 10 years.

117.316 - 120.219 Unknown

You started in your father's garage. Yeah, my father's garage.

Chapter 6: What parenting lessons does Oleg emphasize from his experiences?

120.239 - 121.801 Unknown

How old was that in the U.S.?

0

122.181 - 127.267 Oleg Lee

Yes, yeah. Two car garage, just me and him. Old sewing machine, older than me. Plastic table, that's it.

0

127.527 - 130.01 Unknown

Wow, that's nuts. Did you ever think you'd get this big?

0

130.03 - 137.319 Oleg Lee

No, I never thought. But I never stopped. Today we're like 20 plus thousand square feet manufacturing and doing thousands of pills a day. Holy crap.

0

137.499 - 143.747 Unknown

Yeah. When you look back and think about specific moments that were like breakthroughs, do any come to mind during the business?

144.728 - 147.051 Oleg Lee

No, not really. It's just consistent work.

Chapter 7: How does Oleg define 'immigrant mentality' and its impact on success?

147.652 - 151.877 Oleg Lee

Never getting up. There were very bad times, but just I never quit. Okay. I kept pushing, you know.

0

151.897 - 154.04 Unknown

So it wasn't like a big order that came in?

0

154.06 - 158.946 Oleg Lee

No, it wasn't any big order. It was just like incremental kind of like slowly growing and...

0

158.926 - 165.519 Unknown

Slow and steady. Slow and steady. Immigrant mentality, man. Hard work. I get my work ethic from my immigrant parents. Both of them are immigrants.

0

165.9 - 166.541 Oleg Lee

From where?

166.561 - 167.623 Unknown

China and UK.

Chapter 8: What are Oleg's future goals for his pillow business?

167.883 - 171.31 Unknown

Nice. Yeah, but the China, oh my God, they work hard. Those Chinese people.

0

171.811 - 184.413 Oleg Lee

Well, I'm such a mix too. I'm a Russian born... Half Jewish, half Korean. Holy crap, you're Korean? Yeah. My father is Korean. I'm Oleg Lee. My last name is Lee. Oh, wow.

0

184.453 - 185.635 Unknown

I would have never guessed that.

0

185.775 - 188.36 Oleg Lee

I was born in Russia, raised in Israel. I live here.

0

189.642 - 192.847 Unknown

You like America the best? Yes, of course. Not close, right? No.

193.769 - 196.393 Oleg Lee

Also, I have three kids now. That's why I love where my kids are, you know?

196.493 - 199.598 Unknown

Yeah. I always thought it was weird that people complained about America.

201.333 - 216.696 Oleg Lee

I travel Europe a lot lately. Definitely love a lot about Europe, the culture, the food and everything. But opportunities in America, you can't compare. I can see myself living in Europe, but I can't make money in Europe. Here you can. That's the biggest thing about America.

216.836 - 220.722 Unknown

You'd be limited in Europe. You can't walk in a bank and get a $50,000 credit card.

Comments

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.