I have been going through a lot lately, personally, professionally, and in life in general. I am fast approaching the 14th anniversary of UNB, and I keep thinking about where the blog and UNB world will go. Have I figured out the road map forward, not in the slightest, but I have never really planned out UNB every step of the way. There has been a general road map, and then let things play out!
PODCAST
The podcast is one part of the blog that is true to the road above. I started it in 2009 and went to the start of 2012. It didn’t catch on, and I didn’t do it as often as I should have, but we struck on something great when it was relaunched in 2018. Instead of doing the podcast about the brands and such in underwear, I turned it into discussions about underwear with real guys. You get to be a part of the conversation.
This part of the blog has brought me so much joy as well. I love talking to new guys about underwear and getting new guys together on shows to talk about specific topics. Some of the emails have been incredible. How we are making guys find out they aren’t alone out there! Those of us on the show take it for granted to talk undies, but so many out there don’t have that friend or any outlet, so listening to us go back and forth has been one way to hear like-minded guys.
I have so much planned for the podcast it’s just making it happen. I want to add more people of color, all body sizes, people outside of the US, of all orientations, and even married couples (gay, bi, straight). I have been lucky to call many of these guys my friends. I hope this continues. The only downside is editing. For the time being, one podcast a week is about all I can manage.
The Blog
I know many people have turned to IG/TicTok and influencers in the underwear world and such. However, I think blogs will always have a place on the internet. During the last few years, I have gone from a staff of 8 down to just me writing. I would welcome guys to come on and write. If you are passionate, email me or DM me on social media.
Why haven’t there been many reviews? Many may have noticed a cut back in reviews. The main reason is owning a store and reviewing isn’t ethically responsible. I usually get Andy, Erik, or Stevie to do some reviews for me. I miss doing them, but I don’t want anyone to say, “you’re giving a good review just to sell underwear with the UNB Store.” The blog differs from the store, and I will always treat it that way, promoting other stores and brands. UNB welcomes everyone in the underwear world.
I plan on making the blog a little more personal and talking about issues in underwear, so pivot from the “journalistic” point of view I started with, and I think many guys love that as well. I also welcome brands and stores to guest write and do new things. We have teamed up with the fantastic Men and Underwear Store to do the “What’s Hot in Europe” monthly.
UNB Store
I started the store in 2018 as a discount site, but at the time, I never had time to devote to it and let it sit for months. In 2019 I lost my primary source of income and had the opportunity to launch an actual store, and I took it. It’s growing and needs to grow a lot more! I love doing it, even though I said I’d never do an underwear store for years.
It’s a learning curve to run a store! I worked for a store in the early 2010s and got a feel for it, but now I’m the buyer, bookkeeper, social media manager, marketing, and customer service agent. Plus, the economy this year has been rough on many businesses. Using social media to sell undies is just as difficult as you guys wanting to share your love of undies. It sucks. because there is so much we can’t do that other industries can.
One thing I want to do is create personalized underwear recommendations for guys. If you are interested, let me know, but know this will not happen overnight and may take a few days to get back to you. However, this is a thing I love to do, and recommend new brands and styles. Also, Erik and Andy are willing to help with the thong suggestions.
Just a few updates for you guys, and look to new writings on the blog, new podcasts, and new recommendations!
