Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron & Allie Thompson.
Hi Aaron & Allie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Bo Jacket really started from a gap I kept seeing while I was playing shows, both on the road and on Broadway—sometimes up to 200 shows a year. I was working closely with a lot of newer and opening bands, and one thing became pretty clear: when it came to protecting gear on stage, the headliner always came first. Everyone else was left to figure it out on their own, even though their gear mattered just as much. At the same time, Allie was studying fashion merchandising at Belmont University and had a background in both sewing and engineering. I asked her if she could help me make a simple protective cover for my pedalboard using materials we found at Hobby Lobby. That first prototype—a pedalboard cover—was made in 2022, and I ended up using it consistently for the next three years. It held up through touring, travel, and all kinds of conditions—water, wind, dust, and sun—which is when we realized we might be onto something. Most of what we make today still centers around those pedalboard covers, just refined and built to last. As other musicians saw it, they started asking for their own. What started as a one-off solution quickly turned into something people genuinely needed. Around that time, the name “Bo Jacket” came naturally—it’s short for “Board Jacket,” but also named after our dog, Bo, who became the inspiration behind our logo and the personality of the brand. In 2024, we got engaged and bought our first house, and not long after, we decided to officially give Bo Jacket a shot. We did a small launch last summer while still refining the design, and the first month of sales was way better than we expected, which gave us the confidence to keep going—expanding into new designs and exploring additional products. Since then, we’ve started taking group orders for notable bands and are continuing to grow, now working toward new designs and opportunities with larger artists and musicians.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest challenges has been figuring everything out as we go—especially when it came to finding the right materials and developing a design process that actually holds up in real-world conditions. Early on, a lot of it was trial and error—testing different fabrics, construction methods, and fits to make sure the covers could withstand what touring really throws at them. Another obstacle has been balancing quality with efficiency. Everything we make is custom and built to last, which is really important to us, but it also means production takes time. As demand started to grow, we had to figure out how to keep that same level of quality while increasing output, all without cutting corners. On the business side, there was a learning curve too—but that’s where things started to click. Allie’s background in marketing allowed us to get that side of the business up and running early on, from branding to outreach, which made a huge difference as we started gaining traction. There’s also the challenge of building something like this while managing everything else in life—touring schedules, work, and starting a life together. A lot of Bo Jacket has been built late at night, in between trips, or in small pockets of time, which can be exhausting but also really rewarding. And then there’s the challenge of growth. As we’ve started working with larger bands and taking on group orders, we’ve had to think more seriously about scaling—how to produce more, expand our product line, and keep up with demand without losing what made the product work in the first place. At the end of the day, every obstacle has pushed us to make the product better and the business stronger, even if we didn’t have all the answers at the start.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My (Allie) background in marketing has played a huge role in shaping Bo Jacket from the start. From branding and positioning to content and outreach, I’ve been able to take what was originally just a functional product and turn it into something people recognize and connect with. It helped us reach the right audience early on and build momentum in a really organic way.
Outside of Bo Jacket, I run my own freelance marketing and design business, AllieCreate, where I work with small businesses on everything from branding and content strategy to website and print design. I’ve also worked with brands like Artful Agenda, Amelia’s Flowers, and Bar-B-Cutie, which has helped me develop a strong sense of how to build and maintain a cohesive brand across different platforms. I’m currently working with small businesses in Nashville—including artists and brands—and am always looking to take on new clients. That experience has translated directly into how we’ve built Bo Jacket—being intentional about how we present the product, how we communicate with customers, and how we grow in a way that actually makes sense for a small, hands-on business like ours.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
One of the biggest sources of support for us has been our clients. A lot of them are fellow musicians Aaron has worked with for years, and they’ve been incredibly important in helping us shape the product. They’ve given us honest, real-world feedback—what works, what doesn’t, and what could be better—which has been invaluable as we’ve refined our designs. At the same time, we’ve also had so many people we’ve never met take a chance on us, which has meant just as much. Seeing orders come in from people outside of our immediate circle has been a huge reminder that the need for this product goes beyond our own network, and we’re really grateful for the trust people have put in a small, growing company like ours. We also have to thank our friends who have helped spread the word around town. Whether it’s sharing what we’re doing, making introductions, or just supporting us along the way, that kind of community backing has played a big role in helping Bo Jacket grow.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebojacket/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585117310832
