I started DIY Wrap Club stuck in Atlanta traffic.
Back in 2018, I was teaching a winter session at Morehouse College, and one day, while headed to class, I was stuck in some particularly bad traffic, even by Atlanta standards. I’d just gotten my Tesla a few months earlier, and sitting in gridlock, I kept thinking about one thing: Why didn’t Tesla put labels on the door buttons?
Though that might sound like a trivial matter, back then, if someone used the emergency latch instead of the correct button, it could damage your Tesla’s trim. Annoying.
So I did what any obsessive Tesla owner would do. I bought a Cricut cutting machine off Craigslist for $150, went to the nearest Joann Fabrics store, grabbed some vinyl, and started practicing my handiwork. My first cut was my niece’s name. I had no idea how to use a plotter, but somehow, I just figured it out.
Then I made the door button labels.
I posted them in a few Tesla Facebook groups, and people started sending money my way via PayPal. No website. No store. Just PayPal. We sold hundreds that first weekend. My cofounder and I looked at each other like,“Is this actually happening?”
For someone to pay you money for something you made with your hands — that feeling was unreal.
We already had a blog, so we added WooCommerce in 30 minutes and officially launched TESBROS (the original name of our startup) in 2019. What started as a side project to solve my own problem was suddenly a real business. And we were just getting started.
The Early Days in Chattanooga
Week one after moving to Chattanooga in 2019, we got connected with CO.LAB, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, and the broader entrepreneurial community here. Coming from the smaller town of Oxford, Mississippi, Chattanooga was a breath of fresh air. Everyone we met was genuinely excited about what we were building.
We moved into a small office right next to Basecamp Bar & Restaurant on the North Shore. It was about 800 square feet in all, and I figured we’d stay there a year, and if we outgrew it, we’d find something bigger.
We outgrew it in a month.
Luckily, our landlord let us rent a larger space, and we moved into a 3,000-square-foot warehouse. The TESBROS growth was fast, and Chattanooga’s startup ecosystem gave us the support we needed to keep up.
The Brickyard Partnership
Shortly after moving to Chattanooga, I met Cam Doody and then Matt Patterson. They had just transitioned out of Bellhop, the moving company they’d founded, and were in the early stages of building Brickyard, a venture capital outfit. Cam’s energy was unreal, and we hit it off from the start.
Over the next few years, Matt and Cam mentored us through the struggles of building a business. They helped us see the full potential of what we were creating — not just a product company, but a platform that could change how everyday vehicle owners think about customization and protection.
What made Brickyard different was their mentality. They didn’t just offer capital. Rather, they brought an operator’s mindset. They’d been in the trenches themselves, scaling Bellhop from a college startup to a national brand. They understood the messy middle of growth: when systems break, when you’re hiring faster than you can train, when you have to make hard calls with incomplete information.
That perspective was instrumental in helping us find continued growth. They pushed us to think bigger while staying disciplined. They challenged our assumptions, helped us build the right team, and gave us the confidence to make bold moves — like our recent rebrand.
By 2024, we were ready to scale. Joining Brickyard officially wasn’t just a funding decision. It was a partnership with people who understood what it takes to build something that lasts. It was time.
The Rebrand
We started the brand under TESBROS, not because it was all that strategic, but because I had bought a Tesla in 2018 and was excited to drive something from one of the most electrifying car companies out there.TESBROS was the right name at the time.
But at the core of our culture, we always wanted to help vehicle owners customize and protect their vehicles regardless of make or model. So at the end of 2025, we rebranded to DIY Wrap Club to reflect that bigger vision. We’re now in the process of expanding into new markets each month, serving vehicle owners across the country.
What’s Next
We’re extremely grateful for our community here in Chattanooga. The support from the Chamber, CO.LAB, Brickyard, and the broader business community has been invaluable.
I truly believe Chattanooga is one of the best places in the country to build a company. And we’re just getting started.
Follow our journey at DIYWrapClub.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.
Ji Hoon Heo is the Founder and CEO of DIY Wrap Club (Formerly TESBROS)
