“Live it. Wear it. Be it.”

By Alyssa LaManna

Envision a white-collared executive: impeccably pressed shirt, designer suit, and polished shoes. Now ditch the stiff clothes for a cool Tshirt and jeans, and you’ve got the other side of success: Mike DiCenzo, CEO and founder of EastCoast Entrepreneur (ECE).

The 27-year-old’s appearance alone screams self-accomplished, as he’s head to toe in the infamous “E” that brands his apparel. Greeting me with a warm hug, it’s clear that this up-and-coming business man is anything but stuffy or full or himself; he’s down to earth and grateful for what’s he’s accomplished.

You won’t find cuff-links at ECE, a lifestyle company that has over 50 designs of guys’ and gals’ affordable apparel. An entrepreneur who “…assumes the risk for a business venture” describes DiCenzo to a tee (pardon the pun!). “I free-styled this whole company,” Mike admitted. “There was no moment where I sat down and said, ’Okay, this is what I’m gonna do.’ I just made a T-shirt.”

A cotton T-shirt with an “E” on the breast was EastCoast Entrepreneur’s kick-off product. It wasn’t until a stranger asked about the logo that DiCenzo realized he was in over his head. “I told him the logo was for a clothing line I was starting up. And then he asked me if he could buy one,” Mike laughed. “So I said, ‘Sure! 10 bucks.’ I had no idea what I was doing.” Before a Facebook page, before a website launch, before any other merchandise even existed, the “Classic E” T-shirt was an overnight success. “I don’t even have an original,” Mike said, after the T sold out in a few days. Days spent passing out shirts from his ‘95 station wagon have turned into an explosion of orders for hoodies, skate decks, v-necks, polos, hats, and so much more.

Home base for this fashion success is literally Mike’s home ~ no office or corporate headquarters. Here, ECE tests, packages and stores every product. “We’ve washed shirts over and over just to see at what point they start to fade,” Mike said. “We’ve pulled at shirts, trying to literally rip them in half so we know what they can handle.” Not only does ECE do hands-on testing, but they also prepare each order. “We have fold, tag, and bag parties,” Mike laughed, “which usually includes a ton of beer.”

Celebrating 2 years in April and doubling last year’s sales, there’s no stopping now ECE. Humbled by his successes, DiCenzo is motivated to see strangers wear his dream on their sleeves. So what’s next? Expansion of the women’s line, swim gear, and a spring catalog are all under way.

The ECE motto is simple: Live it. Wear it. Be it. “It’s just six guys working for free out of the goodness of their hearts so this will take off,” DiCenzo told me. But what he doesn’t realize is this force isn’t just blowing from the east anymore, but in every direction.

For more, check out www.getyourece.com and www.facebook.com/eastcoastentrepreneur.