# Tumi & Roam Luggage: Charlie Clifford

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2022-07-25
- Length: 1h 07m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford

## Summary

Charlie Clifford, founder of Tumi and Roam, recounts building two premium luggage brands while navigating three existential crises: the 1982 recession, the post-9/11 travel collapse, and the pandemic. He details Tumi's pivot from leather to ballistic nylon, its acquisition by Samsonite, and the launch of Roam, a customizable, direct-to-consumer brand made in the US. Clifford emphasizes bootstrapping Roam, avoiding rapid venture capital scaling, and focusing on product innovation and brand integrity during severe market downturns.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=0) Introduction: Charlie Clifford and the History of Tumi
- [4:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=294) Peace Corps Origins and the First Import Business
- [13:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=818) The 1982 Recession and Bankruptcy Threat
- [23:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=1406) Pivoting to Ballistic Nylon and Premium Branding
- [31:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=1918) European Expansion and Rejection by Samsonite
- [40:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=2438) Post-9/11 Crisis and Private Equity Sale
- [54:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=3249) Founding Roam: Customization and Direct-to-Consumer Model
- [1:01:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-25-tumi-roam-luggage-charlie-clifford#t=3705) The Pandemic Crisis and Bootstrapping Roam

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

established companies, early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Tumi (product)
- Roam (product)
- Samsonite (company)
- Peloton (company)
- Dom Perignon (product)
- Balenciaga (company)
- Canada goose (company)
- H&M (company)
- Lama Line (company)
- Samuel (other)
- Seth Mcquillan (other)
- Jeff Brotelson (other)
- Scott Harris (other)
- Hartman luggage (product)
- Oak Tree Capitol (company)
- Away (company)
- GTC (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Against All Odds: Overcoming Huge Setbacks to Sell 5 Million Worldwide](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide) (It's Only a Prototype)
- [Founder Feature: Tabi and Meena Hoshmand of Tursh](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-11-14-founder-feature-tabi-and-meena-hoshmand-of-tursh) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [178 - A company started by Packaging Engineers! Dwayne Rainey from Advanced Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-10-178-a-company-started-by-packaging-engineers-dwayne-rainey-from-advanced-packagi) (People of Packaging)
- [Lessons from a Recovering Hardware Founder | Bluesmart, ROOM, Kite Compliance | Brian Chen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-06-09-lessons-from-a-recovering-hardware-founder-bluesmart-room-kite-compliance-brian) (TRADEOFFS)
- [023: Making Personal Connections to Customers with the Cheerbox, Tamar Lucien of Mental Happy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-10-18-023-making-personal-connections-to-customers-with-the-cheerbox-tamar-lucien-of-m) (Product Startup)

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