Meet David An | Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with David An and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I personally can vouch that there isn’t one single important factor when it comes to the success of a small business. Success comes through a balance of resilience, networking, customer care, and employee morale. First of all, any business isn’t going to go according to plan. Especially a small business. When one aspect of the business teeters, the whole ship rocks. I found comfort in treating change like a game. The moment something changes, it becomes a puzzle to figure it out and repair it as soon as I can. Definitely try to find ways to make challenges amusing, it will become your saving grace when things start to not go according to plan regularly. Small business doesn’t have the liberty of having an endless supply of capital. So, your network of colleagues, friends, family becomes vital to your success. They can provide insight, creativity, emotional support, and so much more. I can attest that without my network of friends, family, and colleagues, my business wouldn’t even be able to think about success. Lastly, customer care and employee morale goes hand in hand. There needs to be a balance of tending to your customers every need, but within the limits of your employee morale. Regardless of what business you are in, your customers sentiment toward the business can become more important thant the product or service itself. However, your customers will never experience this if your employees don’t feel the same way. Take care of your employees as if they are your family, and they will reciprocate that care to their clients or to your customers. Any business owner can cookie cutter a business together and be successful for the short term, but without caring for your customers and your employees, eventually the business will fail.

What should our readers know about your business?
I lived my childhood modestly. My mother was a tailor and my dad was a cobbler. Even though we did not have an exorbitant amount of money, we cherished each other and fed off each other. My father went from being a cobbler to owning hotels to losing those businesses during the market crash. One thing never changed, his mentality and care for his employees, his family, and his customers. My parents taught me what hard work is, but ultimately, showed me how to succeed in a business that you can be proud of regardless of how well it is going. I’ve seen my father go above and beyond and even purchase a car for his employee that had his car just break down. It says so much when I hear that his employees moved to another state with him just to still work for my him. How his customers treated him was the same way he treated them. It was always like family. I knew that despite the pandemic, growing pains, and even if it were to go belly up, we will never give up on our clients, our employees, and our family.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a whiskey lover so gotta say 7 Grand is one definite go to. As for everything else, LA has way too many places to list. Try everything. Take a day to walk in different regions and you will not be disappointed one bit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to all of my employees, friends, family, and our loyal client base. Every single one of you have brought our company to where it is today, and our hope of steady expansion is coming to life. TruTailor Company Custom Suits is truly nothing without all of you.

Website: https://www.trutailorcocustomsuits.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trutailorco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trutailorco
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/trutailor-co-custom-suits-los-angeles-2