Growing up in a bustling household with six boys instilled a competitive spirit and a love of sports in Kelly Yarborough. Much of that can be attributed to Yarborough’s father, who worked for the Kansas City Chiefs for 26 years.

“Football isn’t just something we enjoy, it’s a part of our family’s life,” says Yarborough. “I had the greatest childhood a football fan could have. I was at the stadium every chance I got and at training camp during the summers. I was a very fortunate kid.”

For the CEO of Sock101 (asi/88071), that deep-rooted value of grit has certainly carried over, though his professional journey into the world of foot fashion was unexpected. Initially involved in the wireless industry, Yarborough faced a sudden career shift when his franchises with AT&T, Cingular and Southwestern Bell ended. A friend suggested starting a sock business, which Yarborough looked at with skepticism. “I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me? Come on, we can find something better than that for the next thing,’” he recalls. “But that day when I came home, my sons were shooting basketball in the driveway with no shoes, but they had on those Nike Elite socks that were popular at the time. Well, it just made me think, ‘Hey, the kids are getting into these kinds of things,’ and businesses were starting to go casual. So we started a sock-of-the-month club.”

A pivotal moment came when a customer requested 6,000 pairs of custom socks for an Adobe product launch. This marked the beginning of Sock101’s venture into custom promotional socks. Unfamiliar with industry jargon, his first trade show experience was a trial by fire. “I set up on day one and I knew I was in over my head,” he says. “I had no idea what PMS match or FOB meant. The first hours in the booth it was crickets and I’m thinking I just blew $15,000 on something I don’t have a clue about.” But then an encounter with a distributor whose client was the U.S. Post Office turned the tide. He liked what he saw and ordered 50,000 pairs. “It just clicked from there,” he says. “Selling to salespeople was in my wheelhouse. We gotta make their job easier for them to present our product and do that in an efficient way so they’re not wasting time.”

Since its founding in 2013, Sock101 has quickly grown under Yarborough’s leadership. He attributes its success to his talented staff, whom he considers smarter than himself – a low bar, he jokes. Yarborough’s clever title, “Chief Wisdom Officer aka Sockrateez” reflects his playful approach to business. His team of “sock brokers” and a VP who dubs herself HBIC (“and yes, it means what you think,” Yarborough remarks) showcase the company’s fun, lighthearted culture. In addition to socks, the supplier offers shoes, accessories and hard goods. Its “shoe bar experience,” where guests customize their own footwear onsite, is a hit at events.

“Kelly is always willing to do what it takes to get the job done. He’s honest and reliable, plus his collaborative spirit make him an absolute joy to work with.”Jonathan Cavotta, HALO (asi/356000)

Clients rave about Yarborough and his staff. “Kelly is one of the good guys in the promo world,” says Jonathan Cavotta, senior account executive at Counselor Top 40 distributor HALO (asi/356000). “When customers ask: ‘What’s new and cool?’ Sock101 always has the perfect fit. His innovative range of products brings an element of fun and excitement to our industry. Kelly is always willing to do what it takes to get the job done. He’s honest and reliable, plus his collaborative spirit makes him an absolute joy to work with. We certainly need more ‘Kellys’ in our industry.”

Sarabeth Anderson, regional VP at Counselor Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900), agrees: “Kelly and the Sock101 team have become the gold standard of our industry. Under his leadership, they’ve evolved from a small Midwest firm to the go-to source for socks, shoes and accessories. When I think of companies with happy employees, stellar service and standout products, I think of Sock101 – and that’s all due to Kelly’s vision and drive.”

Youssef Fadel, promotional consultant at NEPM (asi/279381), adds: “Kelly is one of the most genuine people you can meet. From day one, I felt like I knew him forever. He surrounds himself with people who share his enthusiasm – it’s always a pleasure working with them.”

These days, Yarborough enjoys life at his lakefront home with his wife Becky (his high school sweetheart), their three sons and a bulldog named Tito “who keeps us laughing.” A proud father of a recent Air Force Academy graduate, Yarborough is a longtime supporter of the military. “My brothers were all Marines, and seeing my son walk across that stage at graduation – yeah, it makes you feel good to be an American,” he says.

Despite challenges like tariffs, Yarborough remains optimistic. The company manufactures the majority of its socks in the U.S. but does source other projects from overseas. Yarborough is navigating these obstacles with the same determination that has driven Sock101’s success. “I told my staff, compared to COVID, this is just a blip,” he says. “We’ll get through it.”