Kevin Sommers and the Story Behind Some Apparel
Some Apparel is a play on the word “Some,” a nod to founder Kevin Sommers’ last name—but the story behind the brand goes far deeper than the name. At its core, it’s about choosing freedom: freedom with time, freedom with energy, and freedom to build a life rooted in what matters most.
Before opening his clothing store in downtown Johnson City, Kevin spent nearly a decade in the corporate world as an account manager in the tobacco industry. The role demanded constant travel and constant pressure. On paper, it checked every box. In real life however, it never felt quite right.
Kevin was born and raised in East Tennessee. Eventually, he realized the pace and pressure of corporate life weren’t sustainable—or aligned with the life he wanted to live.
“The stress drove me nuts. I couldn’t compartmentalize it anymore.”
Coming back home wasn’t part of a perfectly timed plan. It was a deliberate decision to slow down, regain control of his time, and create a different kind of fulfillment: one where work supported life, not the other way around.
When he launched Some Apparel, the support grew quickly. Friends reached out, reminding him he’d always been the best-dressed guy they knew. That early encouragement gave him the confidence to take the leap and keep moving forward.
Kevin doesn’t believe there’s ever a perfect time to start a business.
“You think there’s a perfect time to start—there isn’t. You just start.”
He made a plan, semi-stuck to it, and set realistic goals. The store opened before school was even back in session—a notoriously slow time for downtown businesses as students head home for the summer, something we also learned from a past interview with Stephanie Alexander, founder of 1976 Flowers. Even so, he took the leap, and just months later, doubled the size of his storefront.“It’s scary to walk away from corporate safety.”
The first year was filled with learning, adjusting, and building. Kevin reminds us that it’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out. Taking the risk to do what felt right in his heart allowed him to build something that lets him spend his time in a far more meaningful way.
“The first year, you figure it out. You stick to the plan you set.”
Corporate life gave Kevin structure, discipline, and stress management skills, all of which carried directly into his new venture and have proven to be some of his most valuable assets. This isn’t a story meant to deter anyone from a corporate path. For Kevin, that chapter laid the foundation for what came next.
The path to entrepreneurship doesn’t look the same for everyone. For some, it’s lifelong and evolving, like we saw with Calli Rose. For others, it’s more linear. Calli has shared that Kevin was a big help during her move, a reminder that founders often learn from and support one another along the way.
His advice to anyone sitting on an idea is simple:
“If you have an idea and it sounds solid, put it on pen and paper and go for it.”
While structure, discipline, and stress management skills all played a role in his success, the most impactful lesson Kevin carried over from the corporate world was relationship management. It’s the one constant that has remained central to how he runs his business today.
“Relationship management is huge for me. I’m honest, straight to the point. Building rapport matters.”
That mindset shows up daily, whether he’s talking with customers, vendors, or fellow business owners. The way he once managed corporate accounts is the same way he now runs his store.
Kevin is quick to acknowledge he didn’t do this alone.
“Your team matters. Your village matters.”
Family plays a huge role. They’re in the shop nearly every weekend, offering steady support. The Johnson City business community has been just as impactful.
“People I’ve never met before came up and helped me with things I didn’t know, like taxes. I learned the easy way because of their hardships.”
When the lights are off, Kevin used to wake up stressed about corporate deadlines. Since starting Some Apparel, it’s a whole new reason—he’s up in the middle of the night worrying about which shirt was out of stock in a customer’s size.
“I’ll literally be up in the middle of the night thinking about customers.”
Kevin says, supporting the store doesn’t always mean making a purchase.
“Just come through the door and say, ‘Wow, this is so cool.’ Now you know about us, and you tell someone else.”
Some Apparel is the result of choosing a path that lets Kevin spend more time doing what he loves, in the place he loves, with the people who matter most. Coming back to Johnson City wasn’t about settling down. It’s a city where entrepreneurship thrives, and in less than a year, Kevin has already doubled his storefront and has even more growth planned. It was a move toward freedom and it was the right one.