Meet Ryan Formica | Chief Fog Officer

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

Hi Ryan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Between growing up playing and touring in bands in high school, my experience post-college in sales, and the majority of my family all owning their own businesses, I knew I wanted to start my own company and loved the DIY mentality of it all.

Starting and trying to scale your e-commerce store during a global pandemic came with its own set of challenges that I’m sure everyone dealt with from simply procuring the bottles, to keeping all your manufacturing domestically, every step a bit more tricky.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
It still feels surreal to say, we got lucky during the pandemic. We knew the pandemic wouldn’t last forever (luckily) so we have been continuing to evolve, trying to add value to different channel segments and industries. Where we are today, will be changing greatly in the next few months with our current product roadmap that we’re beyond excited about.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’re proudly based in Pittsburgh, PA, the City of Champions, The Steel City, A Drinking Town with a Sports Problem (Not sure that’s unique to Pittsburgh, but let’s roll with it)

What can you expect to come to visit me on the weekend? Depending on the weather, here’s probably what it’d look like:

Morning:

Wake up early-ish and hop on the bikes (pedal bikes, no motors, we’re not that cool) and hit the trails. Preferably and weather permitting we’re hitting Frick Park, warming up with some laps on Iron Gate, then hitting The Slags.

Post-bike-ride beers and hot dogs at the local favorite D’s Six Pax and Dogz.

Afternoon:

After our post-ride dogs and beers, you can more than likely find us hanging with my Standard Poodle Snicklefritz (yes, that’s a Pineapple Express reference and/or Big Comfy Couch depending who you ask) hanging out at one of our favorite outdoor breweries like Allegheny City Brewing or 412 Brewing.

Evening:

Always a toss-up as there’s something for everyone here ranging from sports to music.
The ideal scenario looks something like this, though:

First, a quick stop at The Summit for a cocktail and order of French Fries. I’ll argue they have the best fries in the city.

From there, hit a show with a band that probably reminds most people of their middle school “Emo Phase”. It wasn’t a phase, Mom.

We’re wrapping up the night at Belvedere’s Ultra-Dive for Sadderday

Sunday – Maybe a casual bike ride around the city to sweat out the day before, or hitting Riverview Park for a hike with the pup.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This is a hard question as so many people truly had a huge impact on my decision to start this company and had a significant impact on where we are today.

I’d be remiss not to first mention my girlfriend who sparked the initial idea for the company. During the pandemic, she was working at a hospital as a nurse in the neuro step-down unit. She was coming home from her shifts, complaining of not being able to see out of her glasses as a result of them constantly fogging up from wearing masks and face shields non-stop for 12-plus hours.

Second, I’d have to shout out to my father, a true “OG” in the optical industry, who showed me the ropes of how to run a company.

Additionally, my first boss Jim took a chance by hiring me right out of college, green behind the ears, and truly showed me the ropes in sales and building relationships.

Website: www.antifogusa.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antifogusa/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anti-fog-usa/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/antifogusa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antifogusa