Meet Tone and Kikos of TrueTone USA in East Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tone and Kikos.

Tone and Kikos, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Our business started with a two hour phone call. About two years ago, Tone, our founder, came across Mike’s Prolids. He found the custom motorcycle helmets interesting because of their baseball cap style and wanted one for himself. Tone has always been one to connect with the people he does business with. Instead of just ordering online, he opted to call Mike’s Prolids and by chance got to speak to the owner of the company, Mike, directly. What should have been a fifteen minute sales call turned into a two hour conversation full of laughs and anecdotes. For the last two years, Tone and Mike have become good friends and when the opportunity arose for Tone to become a distributor for MPL, he jumped at it. At which time he partnered with Kikos, who was also a fan of the product and they started TrueTone USA.

The two of them agreed on one basic principle for running their new company. Doing the right thing would be the only way to operate. In the time since the business launched, it has proven to be a strong base to stand on and has bore fruit for the pair of entrepreneurs. For Tone and Kikos, it’s about customer interaction and experience. They always want to make sure that the customer is well taken care of and walk away with a feeling of satisfaction. But more importantly to ensure that customers are happy enough to return and help spread the word of TrueTone USA.

Has it been a smooth road?
The process of growing the business has been just that, a process. Just like with any other experience there are growing pains. Fortunately for both Tone and Kikos, TrueTone is not their first rodeo. Having come from backgrounds of various business ventures, the partners know HOW to do business. The biggest challenge within this undertaking is tailor fitting the product to the ever changing market. Of course, the only choice is to roll with the punches and learn constantly.

There are times when a design that is projected to be popular just isn’t. On the reverse side, there are times when a Lid design that no one would have guessed as the “hot item” has a sudden run. And of course, with doing customizations, there are ideas that the TrueTone Team may have not thought of or even something that gives cause for a new approach to how the design is completed. When dealing with a new product, whether it be Lids or Facemasks, with limitless options to be creative, it keeps everyone on their toes.

Please tell us about your business.
TrueTone USA’s currently leading product is Mike’s ProLid. These Novelty Helmets are designed to look like baseball caps and can be worn both backward and forwards. With full customization available for the designs, that appear on the lids themselves, TrueTone is kept busy with liaising with Mike (Mike’s ProLids) and with catering to customer needs. With partnerships within the Phoenix area, make it possible for each customer to get the lid they want.

TrueTone in and of itself is not just the Western Regional distributor of Mike’s ProLids, the team operates as a brand of its own. An umbrella if you will, that at this time is host to “Nessa’s Damn Good Salsa (@nessassalsa on IG) and “Soul Stone AZ” (@soulstoneaz on IG) which produces custom handmade jewelry.

The brand itself is constantly growing, with new products and services being added continually. Even if (or better yet when) TrueTone USA expands beyond the valley, the “Customer-First”, the mentality will remain the same.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
For Tone, being a Chicago Native, Phoenix is an escape from the cold he grew up with. He can be quoted for his regular claims of “being tropical” and enjoying warm weather. Kikos, as life-long Phoenician, enjoys the sense of home he has here amongst his family and friends. Both agree that the best overall part of our city is the diversity that it fosters. So many people come to visit or stay that make the city itself great. There is always something new to try or experience.

As far as the draw backs, traffic makes the shortlist (and pretty high at the top for both partners). The biggest concern, however, is the way that it sometimes seems like Phoenix (and Arizona) is in such a rush to be like everywhere else on so many levels, from state and local laws to various chain businesses opening everywhere. Some times it seems as if the city has forgotten, the reason why some many come here to live, is because there is NO WHERE like here to live.

Contact Info:

• Website: wwww.truetoneusa.net
• Phone: 602-831-1979
• Email: truetoneusa@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truetoneusa/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/truetoneusa/

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