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Eric, a guest on the Brief Talk Podcast, runs a blog, YouTube channel, and Instagram page called “Men’s Underwear Guide.” He shares his excitement about being on the podcast and discusses his interest in underwear and his journey of self-discovery. Eric mentions that he developed an interest in underwear during puberty but didn’t fully understand it at the time. He came out as gay in college, which led to a deeper appreciation for underwear. His love for underwear grew when he bought his first pair of Calvin Klein boxer briefs, which impressed him and his husband. He then explored different fabrics, such as modal, and expanded his collection. Eric’s journey highlights the transformative power of embracing one’s interests and finding joy in self-expression through underwear.
In this conversation, UNB Tim and Eric discuss their experiences with blogging, podcasting, and content creation. UNB Tim talks about how his blog started in 2008 as a way to channel his energy during a difficult time and how it grew over the years. He mentions the changes in the industry, the rise of social media and influencers, and how his creative outlets have shifted to include podcasting and drawing. Eric shares his own journey from blogging to starting a YouTube channel and the personal connection he feels through videos and social media interactions. They both talk about the challenges of content creation, including scheduling, coordinating with others, and the reward of positive feedback from their audience. Overall, they express their enjoyment and dedication to their creative endeavors despite the difficulties they encounter.
Follow Eric at:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mensunderwearguide/
youTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/MensUnderwearGuide
Blog – https://mensunderwearguide.com/mens-underwear-blog/
Follow me on all social media as: @unbtim
- www.twitter.com/unbtim
- www.instagram.com/unbtim
- unbtim@kinky.business on Mastadon
Support UNB
For on going support join our Patreon – www.patreon.com/unbblog
For one time support visit our support page – https://www.underwearnewsbriefs.com/about/support-unb/ You can donate by Ko-fi or Paypal
Read more at unbblog.com
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UNB Tim:
Hey everyone, welcome to another edition of the Brief Talk Podcast. We have a brief tell from someone who I’ve been chatting with for a while and we got him on. And he has his own YouTube channel. We want to welcome Eric to the show. Welcome!
Eric:
Yeah, yeah. Thank you so much for having me.
UNB Tim:
Thank you for coming on. You may know his channel on YouTube or also on Instagram, because he’s on the Instagram, at men’sunderwearguy.com, and his blog. I forgot about the blog. So, welcome to the show, another blogger and underwear content creator. Yay!
Eric:
Yeah, no, I’m super excited to be on. So I love the podcast, love your thing. So.
UNB Tim:
It’s good to have you on. I like having other content creators on who do something different and fun. And I was telling Andrew the other day, whose podcast will come out right before this one, that it’s good to have different points of view, different things out there. There’s so much room for everyone to share their love that it’s… We should all be collaborative and share everyone and promote everyone. but that’s
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
just
Eric:
I completely
UNB Tim:
my
Eric:
agree.
UNB Tim:
opinion.
Eric:
Yeah, no, 100%.
UNB Tim:
Cause I know our guys are amazing and fun and the best people around. I’m just saying.
Eric:
Yeah, I
UNB Tim:
So
Eric:
agree.
UNB Tim:
first off, tell our listeners, if they’re not familiar with your blog, YouTube channel and such, tell them a little bit about you.
Eric:
Yeah, so my name is Eric. I run the blog men’s underwear guide.com. And I also have my YouTube channel now, basically at men’s underwear guide. And then I also have my Instagram also at men’s underwear guide. So very easy to find me. But yeah, I
UNB Tim:
Just keep on going, that’s what editing is for.
Eric:
Yeah. Sorry, can you re-ask the question? I think
UNB Tim:
Sure.
Eric:
I got a little afraid. Oh.
UNB Tim:
Just take a breath, relax. You’re just talking to me just like we did before and it’s awesome.
Eric:
Okay, yeah, let’s go. I think it was just the first question, jitters.
UNB Tim:
So we’ll get out of the way, so we’ll start over. So for those of you not familiar with your blog or YouTube channel, tell our listeners a little bit about you.
Eric:
Yeah, so I’m Eric. I run the blog men’s underwear guide.com. I’m also on YouTube and Instagram at men’s underwear guide. So very easy to find me. Otherwise, you know, I for fun, I love to travel, love aviation, huge like airplane geek. I have a day job. So this isn’t my full time thing. And yeah, I mean, I really love talking about underwear.
UNB Tim:
I have to ask, since you said you were an aviation geek, what’s your favorite airplane?
Eric:
Oh, that’s a great question. So I would say for a long time, it’s actually the 767, which is kind
UNB Tim:
Okay.
Eric:
of weird. No one really talks about it. But I think visually, the 767 just looks really nice. Other than that, I’d probably say my favorite plane to be on was the A380. I’d been on it twice on the upper deck with British Airways. And I just had a really fun time, especially because The way that they had their seat configuration is that in the way back of the upper deck, there’s a small economy section and it’s like a two, I think it’s like a two five two layout. So my husband and I were able to get the two seats by the window and it was just like, wow, this is super cool. Also,
UNB Tim:
Nice.
Eric:
it’s kind of weird. Like when you’re on the runway and like taxing, like you can feel that you’re higher than when you’re in other planes, which is a little scary, but also really cool. So. But yeah, I’d say definitely 767 is my favorite plane to look at, maybe followed
UNB Tim:
Nice.
Eric:
by the A330.
UNB Tim:
See, my plane that I’m obsessed with is the Concorde,
Eric:
Oh, yeah.
UNB Tim:
even though it’s not around any longer, but that’s my favorite. Never flew it, but you know, love it. And always reading up on new supersonic
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
planes that are supposedly coming out and I’m not holding my breath anytime soon, but enough of the geek. I’ll have to send you the picture I’m drawing of the… previous Atlanta Hartsfield terminal.
Eric:
Oh wow, yeah.
UNB Tim:
The old one that I’ve been working on for about two weeks now.
Eric:
Oh yeah, definitely,
UNB Tim:
I’ll
Eric:
Sundar.
UNB Tim:
share that afterwards, but enough people going, oh, this is underwear, not aviation.
Eric:
I’m going to go.
UNB Tim:
Sorry people, you’ll just have to deal with it. It’s my podcast, so I’m gonna ask some questions. So yes, I’m a little bit of an aviation geek myself.
Eric:
Well, we need to talk more about that then, so
UNB Tim:
So
Eric:
offline.
UNB Tim:
we’ll talk offline because I know you people are like, get to the underwear, shut up about the planes, we don’t care. Unless you’re talking about flying in your underwear, which would be interesting, but
Eric:
Well,
UNB Tim:
yeah.
Eric:
actually, it’s interesting you bring that up because I do have like different underwear that I think is better for flying. I actually kind of plan these things out. And for me, like I get really cold on planes, especially for sitting by the window. And I usually like to sit by the window if not the aisle.
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
So like for me, I try to either wear boxer briefs or long leg boxer briefs to just try to provide warmth. You know, so.
UNB Tim:
Interesting.
Eric:
Yeah, so I actually do plan those things out.
UNB Tim:
I just wear whatever. I sit by the window. I’m a window person so I have to sit by the window and I get rowdy when I’m not by the window. So
Eric:
Oh,
UNB Tim:
it’s
Eric:
no.
UNB Tim:
like because I had a flowy business trip once and it was They put me they put me in an aisle and I’m just like y’all want to die
Eric:
I’m out.
UNB Tim:
I’m just saying y’all just want to die So yeah, I’m a window person 100% but yeah, but back to our underwear questions
Eric:
Yes.
UNB Tim:
So when did you first discover your love of underwear? Because you had to have a moment where you’re like, hmm,
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
what is that?
Eric:
so I’m one of the people that are going to say puberty, you know, and I think, yeah, I mean, I hit puberty kind of early, actually. You know, I actually had facial hair in elementary school, which
UNB Tim:
Wow.
Eric:
is, yeah, and I got made fun of quite a bit for it, though, so that was unfortunate. I actually, I mean, honestly, like, I got made fun of a lot throughout school, but… You know, really during puberty, I just started noticing, you know, waistbands basically, right?
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
And, you know, I didn’t really realize at the time, of course, you know, what was going on. It was just kind of something that I was like, wow, this is interesting. But I didn’t really understand it. And, you know, of course, like a lot of other guys listening on your podcast, you know, there’s always the… under our section at department stores, there were the weekly ads. I think one of your guests recently was talking about this, looking through the coupons and the ads that came out in the newspaper.
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
I was one of those people on Sunday that tried to really secretly, discreetly look through that, see what was being advertised, see what was on sale. That… That’s really when it really was something I noticed. But again, I never understood what was truly going on, right? And I didn’t actually come out, so I’m gay, in case anyone wasn’t sure. I didn’t really come out until college. And that’s when I think maybe, I’d say like phase two of my underwear interest really took off. Whereas before it was… of this thing that like I was aware about I found interesting but I didn’t acknowledge it I didn’t recognize it once I came out and especially once I met my husband like it changed into this thing like wow yeah you know what I’m really going to embrace it I’m going to you know buy my own about the different styles, the different underwear that I wear. Whereas before, you know, I was the guy I basically wore boxers throughout middle school, high school, even college. They were like Hanes boxers, you know. Iris is that kind of guy.
UNB Tim:
Oh
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
no. You…
Eric:
That was me.
UNB Tim:
you had to be saved.
Eric:
Yes, I understand, you know, I, and I look back on that. I’m like, what was I doing? But you know, at the, again, at the time, I just didn’t have, it’s basically a situation like you don’t know what you don’t know, right?
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
And I just wasn’t aware, I wasn’t exposed, you know, even in like high school, for example, there wasn’t really anyone who was out, you know, there are a couple
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
questions about or thoughts about, but of course they were always made fun of, right? So that was my, you know, basically my perspective on gay guys, right? And of course I was straight, 100%, right?
UNB Tim:
Oh yeah, we were all straight back then.
Eric:
Yeah, yeah, so I was 100% straight, you know, and like the whole thing was just so foreign to me and yeah, so it was completely different, you know, really coming out in college, I think completely changed. Obviously me as a person, but it definitely changed my look and feelings towards men’s
UNB Tim:
nice. Did you remember the first good pair of underwear you bought?
Eric:
Yes, I do. Maybe my husband even remembers it, but you know, it was shortly after I met my husband, actually, and we’ve been together 12 years, I think now, 12, yeah,
UNB Tim:
some.
Eric:
our anniversary of the last month, but I don’t know the day, we just say it’s our anniversary month, but anyway.
UNB Tim:
Hmm.
Eric:
So shortly after I met him, and I bought these Calvin Klein boxer boots because I really wanted to impress him. Like again, my under collection at the time was basically Kane’s boxers, okay? It wasn’t anything to look at. And I just wanted to buy something really nice, right? That I could feel good in, look good in, impress him, he would enjoy. And at the time, you know, what else would I have chosen other than Calvin Klein, right? So I bought these Calvin Klein And I remember getting them and putting them on. And I’m like, wow, like this is real underwear.
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
This is like a whole other level. And my husband at the time, he was like, yeah, you know what, you should definitely buy more microfiber Calvin Klein boxer briefs. So that’s what I did. Like I just started buying them. Buy them from Amazon, we bought them in the store. And I was getting like quite a good collection of just these microfiber Calvin Klein’s. And it was great. And like, it just completely transformed, again, the way I looked at under because I’m like, wow, you know, yeah, it’s, it’s more pricey. It’s more expensive, but this is, this is really comfortable. Like
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
this is, he enjoys it. And like, I feel really good in it. So it’s 100% worth it. So yeah, so that was really like my first time. I’m like, yeah, you know what? I truly bought under with intention and not just like pulling things off the shelf because I need it, right? And I felt really good about it.
UNB Tim:
Awesome. And then you got these great microfiber boxer briefs. And how did your love grow from there? Did you branch out into other styles? Did you try new things? How did your journey progress from those?
Eric:
So it went in a couple of different ways. So, you know, we’re still again talking like maybe five to 10 years ago, right? And I was a hundred percent a boxer briefs guy, okay? I may have bought new under a new brand as new styles, whatever, but it was always boxer briefs. Nothing else, no chunks, no reason or nothing. And you know, with that, I did, I really, I actually just bought more Calvin Klein to be honest. I did branch into new fabrics. So the first thing I did after like the, my microfiber collection or phase, if you will, is I branch out into modal or modal. I don’t even
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
know how you pronounce it. Like people pronounce it in different ways. Yeah.
UNB Tim:
Either way.
Eric:
So again, it was these Calvin Klein modal box braids. And I was like really impressed because, you know, one of the things that changed from like going from like Hanes to Calvin Klein was going essentially from these like 100% cotton, 100% polyester brand, like pairs, into something that felt really nice. And I didn’t know about mobile, but I was like, what is it, like cotton or something? But it wasn’t. And
UNB Tim:
Mm-mm.
Eric:
through this day, I still have a lot of Calvin Klein mobile box of reeds, and I am a huge fan of mobile. I mean, if any of my viewers or people listening, they know I… wants to me say how good bamboo and modal are because I just feel it’s so much softer than cotton. So
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
that’s pretty much it. I also had these like pair of poppy boxabers from my husband which were really cool. I like those. But it wasn’t really anything too wild per se, right? I think a shift came later on. We took a trip to Portugal, Portugal and Spain. This was back in, I think 2018 or 2019. It was right before COVID hit. And we took a trip to Portugal and Spain. And I got to see the first Intimissimi store
UNB Tim:
Oh yes.
Eric:
in Europe. And we went in and I was kind of surprised. I’m like, wow, like this is a store. Yeah, it has women’s underwear, of course, but this store also had. underwear and it was European and it was to me exotic and it was it was different right
UNB Tim:
It’s
Eric:
so
UNB Tim:
amazing.
Eric:
yeah no I love Intimissime so I bought these two so they call them trunks or boxes and depending on which language you know you’re looking at their website but they’re essentially square cut trunks and So I bought them, it was these two pairs. One was dark blue with a light blue stitching. And another one was dark gray with like this olive green stitching. And I bought them because one, I really wanted to buy this European underwear, right?
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
And two, I bought them because I have a thing for contrast, like just in life. I really like contrasting colors. So what really stood out to me with these two pairs of trunks, was the contrast between like the fabric itself and the stitching. And I just thought it was the coolest thing. So I bought those two. And then I also bought this pair of microfiber chunks in solid green. And I remember getting them and it was just a different experience, right? Like, again, it just felt exotic. It felt different. And it was really short, exceptionally short. And I remember looking at the guys on the website, I’m like, oh, that’s not so bad. It’s shorter, but it’s okay. It’s European, of course. But then I got them, I’m like, wow, this is short. And it was so short that in fact, at the time, I was almost embarrassed to wear them because I’m like, this is just so revealing. So,
UNB Tim:
See, that’s
Eric:
y’all go.
UNB Tim:
funny because you getting trunks are revealing when we have so many guys wearing so much less. That’s funny. That
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
is funny.
Eric:
yeah, no, a hundred percent. And at the time, you know, looking back on it, it was like, wow, like this is like nothing now, right? Because now I wear all sorts of styles. So it’s completely even now. But at the time, this was just so new to me, you know? And really opening up my mind from like the standard US style box of roots, right?
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
So, you know, I slowly got used to them. It was a slow process, but eventually I got more comfortable you know, I really liked the microfiber trunks that I got from Intimissime, not so much the two, the blue and the gray ones with the different colored stitching, because I made a flaw in purchasing it. And
UNB Tim:
Uh oh.
Eric:
that flaw was that the two trunks with the different colored stitching were cotton based.
UNB Tim:
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Eric:
And, you know, remember, you know, from the past few years, all I wore was basically like microfiber So going back to cotton, it hit me. I’m like, whoa, like I can’t wear this.
UNB Tim:
They’re like, I’m wearing a diaper.
Eric:
Yeah, it’s thick, it’s hot. I’m like, not like hot in a good way, just like hot. And I’m like, yeah, no, but the microfiber ones I got were really cool. So, you know, I still wear the microfiber Intimissime’s, you know, every now and then, the ones with the cotton ones with the stitching. I still have them, but I probably haven’t worn them in many months. So, that was that. So then, I didn’t start branching out into other brands. I remember Mack Weldon was
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
my next brand that I branched into. So I bought a pair. I think my first Mack Weldon pair was right before COVID as well along the, I think it was along the same time as the Intimidcine ones, or right after we got back. But then I bought some more like after COVID and stuff like that. So I really enjoy Mack Weldon. I have quite a few pairs in my collection. But I would say the third phase of my underwear experience, if you will, was really starting the blog in 2021.
UNB Tim:
So what made you start an underwear blog? As someone who started one himself, I’m always curious as to, you know, why did you start a blog? What was your purpose at the time? And then how has it evolved over time? Because speaking for myself, if you look back at my blog from whenever I started to now, you see several iterations of content, you know, burnout, you know, all the fun things you go through with a blog. So what made you want to put a blog out there?
Eric:
Yeah, I mean, I could talk all day about the blog and business, you know, because I mean, you know, there’s like, it’s just like, when you’re writing a blog, and you’re a content creator, everyone looks at the content you put out, but there’s like real business decisions that happen behind
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
the scenes, you know, and I think a lot of that is just never talked about. But anyway, going back to your question. So, you know, I suffer from anxiety and depression. I’ve had it pretty much all my life.
UNB Tim:
Yay, let’s unite.
Eric:
Yeah, I mean, I can even going back to, middle school and high school, even though I wasn’t diagnosed, obviously I can look back and be like, yeah, I had depression. So, it’s been kind of a struggle. My most recent depression episodes started in about 2017, 2018. Before that, I had actually come off medication 2013 or something like that. So I had like a good four year gap in between episodes. So for me, it’s more of an episodic kind of depression, whereas it’s just like, not just like a flat linear kind of thing. But anyway, my most recent depression episode started in 2017, 2018. I’d gone through meds, I’d gone through therapy, I did CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy. which helped a bit, you know, I still kind of use that today, but it was still there. And after COVID, you know, my husband and I removed from Los Angeles, you know, where we lived, to Texas, and
UNB Tim:
Oh, sorry. Sorry involuntary response.
Eric:
yeah, we can talk about that at a later time too. But we moved to Texas, and for a little bit, it was fun and exciting. It was really good. We moved to Austin like everyone else was at the time. But then of course it just, it kind of went back to depression and anxiety. So, you know, I’d still been seeing a therapist at the time. And one of the things that the therapist, he had started talking to me, he’s like, you know, you should really find some sort of creative outlet outside of work. And, you know, I worked a nine to six basically. I know my people say nine to five. Most people work nine to six nowadays.
UNB Tim:
under
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
6 because they don’t give you free lunch. Huh?
Eric:
so let’s just call it what I get, it’s nine to six, eight to six even, whatever. But I was working in day job and he was saying like, you need some sort of creative element, you need something else to express your creativity. And one of the things that I actually liked doing was writing. So even at work, when I was asked to like write things or write documents, even like legal, type documents. Like I actually found it fun. So,
UNB Tim:
Oh,
Eric:
I’m
UNB Tim:
we
Eric:
weird.
UNB Tim:
are so different.
Eric:
Yeah, so we were similar a few minutes ago, now we’re really different.
UNB Tim:
See, well, I am dyslexic.
Eric:
Oh, yeah.
UNB Tim:
So writing is one of the things is the most stress inducing thing I can do at work.
Eric:
Uh, gotcha. There we go.
UNB Tim:
It
Eric:
I can see that.
UNB Tim:
is just, I can do it, but it takes work. And I will say chat GPT has been a godsend because,
Eric:
Oh, yeah.
UNB Tim:
because I can write some crap. I mean total crap and tell it, Hey, expand on this a little bit. And granted, it doesn’t always give me what I want, but it gives me ideas that I can go off of. And I’m like, oh, yes, I like this. Okay, I can go with this. Or I’ll expand on this. Or I don’t like where you’re going, but I see and I can do this. So that… takes the anxiety away because when they’re like here right and I’m like bitch no I’m no uh-uh so and I’ve had arguments and issues that work about it because they don’t understand and I’m just like okay the more you stress me out the worse this gets just so you know
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
so and it’s ironic that I’ve run a blog since 2008 so yeah
Eric:
Well, yeah, I mean, I think Chalk GPT is definitely going to take over the world or like these AI kind of things that are coming out about it.
UNB Tim:
I want to use it all the time, but I don’t just like drag and drop. I have to change things. I told people
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
that
Eric:
no, 100%.
UNB Tim:
I’m like, I’m like, if you just drag and drop, you’re stupid, but you
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
got to
Eric:
no,
UNB Tim:
make it your own.
Eric:
but I’m really glad it’s helping you. Like I think that’s amazing and really shows how technology can, can really make an impact on everyday lives. So that’s great for you. Um, but
UNB Tim:
So
Eric:
anyway,
UNB Tim:
you
Eric:
going
UNB Tim:
need
Eric:
back.
UNB Tim:
to create a ballot and you would like to write.
Eric:
Yes, I like to write. So he told me to start a blog. And so, you know, one of the things I really liked is data and charts. So I wrote my first blog about charts. And
UNB Tim:
Ah.
Eric:
I, I basically I became bored myself after like six posts. Like, this wasn’t going anywhere. I bored myself, which is really hard to do, by the way, but I did. So like, this isn’t working. So I gave up and I went back down and he’s like, well, you gotta find something else. I’m like, I don’t know what else to talk about. Like that was my thing. He’s like, well, you gotta find something else to talk about. So I was thinking about it and like, you know, maybe about underwear, it’s kind of weird. So I remember I talked to my husband about it and we had like a real conversation. And you know, my husband had, for since we had met, had always wanted to kind of… like an underwear website. So like, as soon as I talked to him, I mean, he’s like, yeah, like you should go for it. Like completely supportive. And that’s basically when it started. So I went back to my therapist and it was so awkward telling him. Like I was so nervous telling him, like this is what I came up with. But he took it with ease and he was like, okay, great. You know, you should do that. And he’s like, what is it going to be called? I’m like, well, it’s men’sunderwearguy.com. And you know what he told me? He was like, you know, I thought all of the best website names had already been taken. And he’s like, you found a really good one. I’m like, oh, thank you. So I, so yeah, basically, hold on.
UNB Tim:
True, because when I came up with mine, I had to go through so many and that was in 2008. So, yeah.
Eric:
Yeah, I mean, I was shocked too, but I’m like, wow, this is great. So that’s basically when the blog started. So that’s how it developed. It came out of this need for me to basically have a creative outlet, something other than work that I could express myself and, you know, try to help my anxiety and depression by doing it. And, you know, I launched a website in April, 2021 with three articles. three posts that I wrote.
UNB Tim:
Nay.
Eric:
So it was just very bare bones at the time and you know now more than two years later you know I can’t believe how much it’s taken off and how much of a thing it’s become. Like I could never have imagined that I would actually be talking about men’s underwear to the public. Like like having conversations with other guys out there and expressing myself online. Like I’m an introvert, which is really
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
hard. And to then basically show myself on YouTube, you know, talking about underwear, like in my underwear, with my face, like I could never have imagined this. And yet I’m doing it and I’m having fun and people are responding very positively to it. Yeah.
UNB Tim:
And they’re coming to you because they see you as the expert Asking you for your opinion reading what you’re writing commenting You know, I still to this day Look at my blog like it’s a hobby Because I don’t think anyone is reading it, but I have tons of people reading it
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
even
Eric:
you do.
UNB Tim:
to this day and when I talk to people and they bring up something and I’m like, oh, oh yeah, okay, you actually read the blog, oh. So I still feel like I’m talking to myself, but.
Eric:
But isn’t that a cool feeling when someone actually tells you, hey, I read this, or hey, I know of you, I have a question? Doesn’t it give you that sense of either pride or happiness or something that people actually care and care about what you’re saying?
UNB Tim:
Yes, and mine has gone through iterations. Every time I turn around, I look through the blog and there’s eras of the blog that I look through. Because there’s the beginning, because mine started with similar to yours. It was in 2008 when the downturn happened and the economy sucked and I had no job and I needed something to channel all my energy into to Quit worrying about work and money. So I started the blog. And did it the way I wanted to do it and had fun doing it, it grew. People came on, helped off and on to have different things where I had different guys writing and the last probably five years has been pretty much all me. And then we grow into, I started the podcast back in 2009, but it never went anywhere back then. I guess we were too early because
Eric:
Yeah, you’re ahead of your time.
UNB Tim:
we had our time, we went through 2012 randomly, we never had a set schedule either so that didn’t help. And we wrote it back in 2018 and it’s grown into what it’s grown into and we keep growing which is amazing to me
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
because a ton
Eric:
awesome.
UNB Tim:
of people do that. And then the blog no longer really took my creative side. and my anxiety away. It caused anxiety. So I’ve redone the blog from what I used to do. I blog on my own terms, but I do what’s good for me. And then that’s when my drawing came into effect during COVID.
Eric:
Ah, gotcha.
UNB Tim:
So I’ve always been creative and then all of a sudden I’m like, I’m going to draw. And therefore, you know… I draw men in underwear and swimwear and, you know, various states of undress. It makes me happy. So that’s what I do.
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
So
Eric:
no, that’s
UNB Tim:
yeah.
Eric:
great. So now like you basically, your creative outlets are the podcast interviewing and drawing art.
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
Yeah, no, that’s awesome.
UNB Tim:
Well, the industry has also changed quite a bit from when I started. It’s, it’s gone from, because when I started, there were like maybe four big blogs at the time. And then two of them sort of quit shortly thereafter I started. So I sort of filled the gap and became one of the big ones, which still amazes me to this day.
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
Um. And you always run across people like, oh, you have a triple lock for years. And I’m like, what? So it’s its own world and then now we have Instagram, we have social media, we have the influencer, because I was just telling this the other day to a friend of mine, I was like, when I first started the blog, I got tons of free underwear. I mean, thousands and thousands of dollars worth of underwear over the years. And now that it’s the influencer, I don’t get nearly, I rarely get underwear. A lot of them don’t even send it out anymore. So I’m like, ugh. I was like my one perk for doing it. That’s the main reason I started it so I could still get good underwear because I thought I was gonna only be unemployed for no more than six months and then I would quit the blog. Well, now we see this is my 15th year in October.
Eric:
Yeah, I mean, that’s amazing. Congratulations.
UNB Tim:
So yeah, it’s evolved and changed and it will continue to evolve and change and because I’ve suffered through multiple depths of burnout and multiple creative changes and people and it’s just you have to evolve and change as you go or you’re just gonna be like forget it I So that’s
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
what I’ve done. Because I used to do three posts a day and four posts a day. And well, when you have like six people helping you, easy to do.
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
But then when you go down back to just you doing it, I went from going from three posts a day to some days one post a day. And I was like, you know, I was stuck in that. Mentality will have to do three day. I have to do three a day and then what I was writing was total crap and I said well, you know Let’s go down to two and then one day I was like, let’s only do one today that’s all I care to do today and So therefore I do that now on certain days. I don’t feel like writing and it’ll be one post today and that’s it So that’s what I do now and it’s a lot of fun to me. And I’m just like, I like doing it. There’s creative side that now gets channeled into the podcast. And I think it resonates more with people when they get to hear something as opposed to reading it.
Eric:
Yeah, that’s actually an interesting point because that’s kind of what drove me to actually start the YouTube channel Because I had never intended to do a YouTube um I actually never even intended to show my face it was like obviously like The blog is written in my own voice, right? It’s very clear That i’m talking as a real person But I never intended to show my face. It took me a while to even post photos on the blog of me and my underwear, because I was just so embarrassed by it. But, you know, I think the difference between reading the blog itself and like the YouTube channel or like your podcast is the personal connection that people are able to get from seeing someone hearing their voice, you know, kind of like listening to them in real time, that you can’t get. from just essentially the written word on a blog.
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
And I think that, you know, the YouTube channel, for example, like I can’t believe how much it’s taken off, but you know, almost all of like the questions I get, the commentary I get is through the YouTube channel or, you know, through Instagram. It’s not through the blog. Occasionally people email me. um from the blog which is great I appreciate it but really I’d say 80 to 90 percent of my conversations my interactions with people occur through Instagram whether that’s commenting or dms or through YouTube comments and
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
like it’s just made it so much more fun to do it rather than kind of like this one way flow of information is one way floor flow of communication which is I write the blog and people read it, right? So I think that that’s really just made me so much more happier about doing it.
UNB Tim:
Exactly. And that’s like when we first talked and I was running, I got some health issues. So I sort of fell back and then I’m like, oh my God, where did we talk? Oh my God, where was it? Was it on Twitter? Was it on here? I remember talking, I can’t find you. And I had to scroll through my DMs on Instagram. And I was like, oh my God, that was way back there. I was like, Jesus, I talk a lot on Instagram.
Eric:
Thank you.
UNB Tim:
I was like, I didn’t realize how many conversations I had in DMs on Instagram.
Eric:
Very chatty.
UNB Tim:
I’m like, I turn around and it’s like two innocent people messages. And I’m like, Jesus Christ. And then the same goes for the podcast. We get a lot of feedback when we post and people are like, I liked your latest issue or like your latest episode. And I have people who talk to me regularly about it. And then other people. who just either discover it or just want to share. So it’s really cool when people send us messages about the podcast, about hearing their own stories, hearing they’re not alone. So it’s really good that it came at the right time, I think. And it’s been a lot of fun to do. It’s allowed me to meet so many new people that I didn’t meet through the blog, because like you said, it’s one way. People don’t really comment or send in information about the blog.
Eric:
Yeah, exactly.
UNB Tim:
But the podcast really gets people sending in stuff and really, it’s good when they enjoy what you do and not just be like, okay, I’m reading your content. I like it, but you know, I’m never going to tell you that. So, but
Eric:
And I think, you know, that’s also something for me, just in terms of like the reward feedback system, right, is that I in life, I tend to do better when I feel that people appreciate what I do. So,
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
you know, basically, going from like just the written blog into YouTube and Instagram, really YouTube, to be honest, and hearing like in real time. positive feedback and comments and stuff like that, it makes me more want to do it, which then means I do more of it, which increases the feedback and the comments. And it’s like this virtuous loop. And
UNB Tim:
Oh yes.
Eric:
I really appreciate that.
UNB Tim:
Especially when I don’t put out a podcast week and people are like, where’s the podcast?
Eric:
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
UNB Tim:
And I’m going, uh, I was like, usually it’s like sometimes I just need a week off. Really. I just need a week off. And other times it was like, look, nobody recorded. I can’t do anything. I’m trying people. I’ve asked 20 people and two said, maybe, and the show I was supposed to do fell apart at the last minute, so. I’m trying to get content together as much as I can. So that happens and everyone has to be aware of that. I can’t just record like 50 podcasts in a week and then expect people to come on the show when it’s like, when’s my podcast coming out? Six months from now. I try to make it no more than a few weeks. I’m like three weeks, maybe four. is a good area to be in. But anything more than that, I’m like, it’s not really fair to the person to be like all excited to do the podcast and then have to wait months to have it come out. So try not to record them too far ahead of time, but every so often it’s like a podcasting flood where everyone’s like, I can do it this week.
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
And usually when that happens, I’m like, okay, I have three in front of you already and it’s not coming out till this week. Is that good? And they’re like, okay. So if they know going into it, I’ll do it, but yeah, no. That’s…
Eric:
Yeah, I remember you were mentioning that I think I’m one of the recent podcasts or something like that about the lag time between recording
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
it and coming out. And, you know, I think in general, one of the things that I’ve learned from this process is content creation is pretty hard.
UNB Tim:
Yes it is.
Eric:
You know, it seems easy. And like for me, I don’t know if you have those too, like I have like all of these ideas in my head, right? Like I have all this excitement, all these things I want to do, but the process of actually creating that content,
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
it’s, it’s not as easy as it sounds in your head.
UNB Tim:
No. And when you mix in other people, schedules, time zones, etc., it gets infinitely more complicated.
Eric:
Yeah, yeah.
UNB Tim:
And that’s what happens with podcasts, because I have all these great show ideas. I have a list of show ideas that I want to do. But I have to find the people to be on them. Which is… Easy in concept, you’ll get the guys, yeah, great, let’s do the show. Then you have to schedule it. And when you’re dealing with, you know, four guys, different time zones, this is when it’s just us based, you got to deal with everything going on and then work and all these other things that sometimes you schedule it and it doesn’t happen. And other times, you know, It does and you’re very happy, but it’s a lot of work. Scheduling, I was like, I was telling John on our podcast, I just need someone to help me with scheduling. You know, I need someone to help me find people and schedule. That’s what I need help with. I was like, the editing is easy. I hate doing it, but it’s easy. The rest of it is okay, but it’s like, That takes up more time than anything. And it annoys me because some people, I like sending emails because I can put a lot of information in an email and put everything everyone needs to know. But people don’t read their emails.
Eric:
Yeah, I know that.
UNB Tim:
And it’s like, okay, I have to text you people, read your email. Because everything’s in there. I’m not doing a text of this long for you people. Or I need something from people and they don’t send it. Or it’s like, okay, I need this. And no one responds. So I’m just like. So yeah, it’s difficult to do at times and coordinating people and schedules and brands and I’m trying to get more brands on and it’s just a nightmare. Just
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
a nightmare, but I enjoy
Eric:
I
UNB Tim:
doing
Eric:
hear you.
UNB Tim:
it. So I will keep doing it. It’s the nightmare I enjoy doing. So it
Eric:
Well,
UNB Tim:
pays
Eric:
that’s what
UNB Tim:
off
Eric:
keeps
UNB Tim:
in the
Eric:
you
UNB Tim:
long
Eric:
going.
UNB Tim:
run.
Eric:
Yeah, I mean,
UNB Tim:
It pays off.
Eric:
yeah, so I and your person agree with that. Like that’s what keeps me going too.
UNB Tim:
So yeah, it’s crazy. So your partner is 100% supportive of you and your underwear, which is
Eric:
Yes.
UNB Tim:
amazing because so many people out there, I’ve had people on the blog whose partner never knew they wrote for an underwear blog. I have run across people who have underwear, social media and their partners never knew. And so it’s great when you meet another content creator whose partner is super supportive, who enjoys it, because I’ve gone on dates where it is told what I do, and they look at me like I run, you know, like a RIT Boy site. And they’re like, what? You do what? And it’s like, okay, this is not gonna go very far. I can see that.
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
Cause you get one of, I get one of two reactions. The, you do what? Or the, oh my God, that’s so amazing, you turned in something you like into a business. And I’m like, oh, I can, it’s going somewhere with you. So, your partner’s supportive, does he like underwear as well? Or is he just the supportive husband who enjoys seeing you do something you love?
Eric:
Um, I would say definitely a hundred percent supportive. I mean, he’s been a hundred percent support from the very beginning. I would definitely say that I am far more into underwear than he is, but I. There, he does definitely enjoy different aspects of under with me, um, which is really cool and I think recently I was able to convert his underwear drawer, you know, away from, you know, the standard champions and. pains into stuff that I actually really like and I really like for him to wear. So that’s been a really cool process.
UNB Tim:
That’s a win.
Eric:
That’s definitely a win. And I think it was also a really cool process in kind of, I’d almost say, like more bonding together, right, on a personal level, a personal relationship level. You know, so it was both an enjoyment factor, but something also like wow, this feels really good between us. So that really helped as well. But yeah, I mean, he’s on here, he’s been supportive. I have, of course, way more underwear than he does, but it’s good, it’s fun. And that he also really likes it on me as well, and he likes what I do, and he actually cares a lot about the business aspect of it as well. I mean, I couldn’t ask for more.
UNB Tim:
Nice. Are you at least the same size so you can wear underwear?
Eric:
Yes, yes,
UNB Tim:
Ugh,
Eric:
so
UNB Tim:
jealous.
Eric:
we do share. And that’s also kind of, I think, what’s helpful too. So we lived in Texas for the past three years, and recently we left Texas to go travel around the world. So with that, we had to give up everything. We had to give up all of our furniture,
UNB Tim:
Mm-hmm.
Eric:
all of our we were only able to store a few boxes of memorabilia and important documents that my parents and his parents and everything else had to fit in two carry-on suitcases and two backpacks, right? That’s our life right now. So with that, I had to drastically cut down on my underwear collection.
UNB Tim:
Oh, that’s a shame.
Eric:
It was really tough. And it’s kind of weird, you know, for anyone, probably anyone who’s listening can understand that, but anyone who’s outside listening probably doesn’t understand the concept of having to sit there and go through your underwear collection and figure out what is it that I want to keep and what is it that I don’t want to keep.
UNB Tim:
Oh,
Eric:
It’s
UNB Tim:
that’s
Eric:
not
UNB Tim:
painful.
Eric:
a hard, very painful. So this is what I had to do. And I actually have to do it in two parts because it was just so hard for me to decide. I really enjoy my underwear collection, right? So this isn’t an easy decision. But one thing that really helped was my husband. I remember he actually told me this because I remember he was going through his stuff, right? Like his clothing and stuff. And I saw that he had put all of his underwear in like the Biscard pile. And I’m like, what are you doing? And he’s like, oh, well, you know, I think I would like to help you, you know, why don’t I take some of your underwear so that way you can like, keep it as we travel.
UNB Tim:
That’s her
Eric:
And,
UNB Tim:
husband.
Eric:
and I’m like, oh, really?
UNB Tim:
That’s love.
Eric:
Yeah. So it was really cool. So like now, you know, even today, it’s not that like, I don’t want people to think like, oh, well, we just have like one number, George, just like it’s a free for all, right? Like we do have our own quote separate collections, but you know, I was able to basically design his collection. I chose pieces I thought he would really love. He’s a hundred percent boxer briefs. So like I keep all of the other non-boxer briefs to myself, but you know, I think it’s been really cool. And also really been actually interesting getting his feedback from some of the different pairs, right? That I may have had a different. reaction to or I may have different thoughts about it, but he comes and he’s like, oh well, you know, there’s this or there’s that So it’s almost kind of like my own little guinea pig kind of in a sense to understand
UNB Tim:
Nice.
Eric:
So that’s been really helpful as well
UNB Tim:
Nice. See, I’m too tall and I’ve never dated anyone near my size. So,
Eric:
Oh yeah,
UNB Tim:
wump
Eric:
no we
UNB Tim:
wump.
Eric:
actually, we do share some clothing, not as much as we could, but yeah, I mean we do share different pieces of clothing as well outside of underwear.
UNB Tim:
I’m a giant, so yeah. I never date anyone. I barely date anyone over six feet, so that’s usually
Eric:
So.
UNB Tim:
been my, I’m six four, and then everyone
Eric:
Oh, well,
UNB Tim:
I date
Eric:
you know.
UNB Tim:
is usually five, 10, and under, so.
Eric:
Oh, wow, okay.
UNB Tim:
It’s like, yeah, no,
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
no sharing clothes, no sharing underwear, no, sorry.
Eric:
statue.
UNB Tim:
So that’s my life.
Eric:
Would you, if you could, like if you found something that was similar in sizes, would you do it?
UNB Tim:
Oh hell I would do in a heartbeat is just finding someone a tall and be the hardest part is finding someone who’s in underwear so
Eric:
Yeah.
UNB Tim:
But a friend of mine pointed this out the other day. He goes look at it this way. I go what he goes Just think of all the more the money underwear. You have to spend on underwear if your partner is not into it. I Said now that’s a good way to look at it because if he’s in underwear, he’s gonna want to buy
Eric:
Oh
UNB Tim:
But if he’s not, I can spend.
Eric:
Yo, yo.
UNB Tim:
I’m like, that’s a positive spin on it. Good, good, I like that, I like that. He goes, yeah, because if you’re both into where you wanna spend all your money on underwear, and I’m like, well, it’s not a bad thing, but true, true.
Eric:
You know, with that, I see you just made me think of something. What are your thoughts on partners or husbands or whatever, wearing the same under? Because I actually have a very specific thought on this.
UNB Tim:
Oh, I love that. I’ve done that before.
Eric:
Oh,
UNB Tim:
I take it you
Eric:
gotcha.
UNB Tim:
don’t like it.
Eric:
No, so this is something that just doesn’t apply to under, but like, you know, even if like we’re going out, right. If we’re wearing somewhat of a similar color or somewhat similar clothing, I change. I do not want us to be wearing the same clothing out
UNB Tim:
Well,
Eric:
and
UNB Tim:
clothing,
Eric:
about.
UNB Tim:
I agree, but underwear, because
Eric:
I don’t
UNB Tim:
I’ve
Eric:
like
UNB Tim:
worn,
Eric:
it either.
UNB Tim:
you know what, no, I like the exact same pair, that we’re wearing the exact same pair of underwear together, I love that.
Eric:
Hmm.
UNB Tim:
Knowing he’s wearing the exact same pair I am.
Eric:
Yeah,
UNB Tim:
Love it.
Eric:
I mean, I think I think quite a few guys like that. But for me, I don’t know, there’s something about it. I just don’t like
UNB Tim:
Clothing,
Eric:
it. Just don’t
UNB Tim:
I’m
Eric:
like
UNB Tim:
with
Eric:
where this
UNB Tim:
you.
Eric:
is.
UNB Tim:
Clothing, I cannot do matchy because you come down wearing the same thing, you’re just like, no. But underwear, because nobody’s gonna see it, except for us or whoever we choose to see it, I’m like super hot, super
Eric:
Hmm.
UNB Tim:
hot to me.
Eric:
Yeah, that’s not
UNB Tim:
Love
Eric:
me.
UNB Tim:
it, love it, love it, love it. So if anybody wants to buy me matching underwear, feel free, send it over. I’ll wear it the day or every day you want me to wear it.
Eric:
Oh, that’s good.
UNB Tim:
Take
Eric:
But
UNB Tim:
care.
Eric:
yeah, not for me. I don’t know. I like the feeling of having our own, like, different underwear on. So, yeah,
UNB Tim:
Well,
Eric:
I’m weird.
UNB Tim:
I just,
Eric:
I’m weird.
UNB Tim:
to each their own. There is no wrong with answering underwear. Just saying. So we’ll wrap it up there. We’ll definitely have you wanna have some show ideas after we get off here. I’m not gonna share them. There, you have to wait people. You don’t get to hear everything on a podcast, even if you are a Patreon member. So, but tell everyone where they can find you.
Eric:
Yeah, so there’s my blog at mensunderwearguide.com. Very easy to remember. And YouTube and Instagram, same thing, at mensunderwearguide. Definitely like, follow, and feel free to DM me, leave comments, I am very open to talk.
UNB Tim:
Yes he is, we’ve had many conversations. Thank you for coming on. You can find me at you and me, Tim, on everything social. And find the blog, listen to all our back issues, the podcasts, even the horrible winter underwear. But you know, you gotta have a bad episode to appreciate the good. Look at it that way. Remember, you can’t have a rainbow without rain, so look at it that way, people.
Eric:
Oh, that’s good. I never heard that before.
UNB Tim:
Oh yeah, that’s an old one. You can’t have rainbow without rain. Um, so yeah, you gotta have bad with good. That’s why it’s still up. Someone goes, we should take it down. And I’m like, no, you mean you need appreciation. You need to know you suck at times and you know, you’re really good at other times. But yeah, thank you everyone. Have an amazing week and we will have another podcast for you soon. Bye everyone.
