The Pomp Podcast
#1246 Chase Fisher | The Man Behind Deion Sanders’ Sunglasses
- Chase Fisher founded Blenders Eyewear in 2012 with $2,000 borrowed from a roommate and built it through a decade of self-funded hustle, selling sunglasses one pair at a time at surf contests and music festivals.
- The partnership with Deion Sanders began casually about 18 months ago when Sanders was at Jackson State; it accelerated dramatically after a Colorado State coach made disparaging comments about Sanders' sunglasses and hat, creating viral momentum.
- Blenders sold over $1 million in the first 24 hours following the viral Colorado State moment, and sales reached approximately $4–5 million within days as the partnership gained national attention when The Rock also wore the sunglasses on television.
- Sanders was deeply involved in the creative process, requesting custom design details including the $67 price point (matching his birth year) and approving packaging and messaging before launch.
- Fisher sold 70% of Blenders to Sappolo (a major eyewear company) in 2020 for a $90 million valuation, allowing the company to scale while maintaining his leadership role.
- Fisher views the Deion partnership as an opportunity to build an iconic legacy comparable to Nike and Jordan, positioning Blenders to become a household name and challenge Oakley's market dominance.