About Yesterday's Medicine - Real Men, Real Values
The Story Behind Yesterday's Medicine
My name's John Roth.
I run this brand out of Alexandria, Tennessee.
I didn't start Yesterday's Medicine to get rich. I started it because I believe the old ways still work—and they're worth celebrating.
How I Got Here
I was in the boxing ring at 5 years old. My father was a ranked boxer and coach. My brother and I competed in 10 tournaments a year for a decade, training every single day.
By age 5, I was also crawling under houses and digging ditches with my dad's plumbing company. That's just how we lived.
When I was 13, my father got Guillain-Barré Syndrome. He became severely handicapped overnight. We lost the business. There were no disability checks coming. My younger brother and I had to go to work to support a family of six.
That same year, our house burned to the ground.
My dad had one piece of equipment left from auctioning off the plumbing company: a Kubota backhoe. He made us a deal: turn the two-car garage into a house for the family, and the backhoe is yours.
So we built it. I was 13. My brother was younger.
Dad sat in his wheelchair and guided us through every step.
That house is still standing 45 years later.
What My Grandfather's Generation Understood
My father never complained. He didn't make excuses. He didn't wait for someone else to fix his problems.
Life dealt him a hard hand, and he played it with dignity.
That's what men did back then.
Your grandfather was probably the same way. He didn't need permission to be strong. He didn't apologize for working hard and providing for his family. He simply did what needed to be done.
That wasn't toxic. That was character.
Why This Brand Exists
I've been self-employed for 34 years running Clean Cut Fence Company in Middle Tennessee. It's hard work that breaks your body down, but it's honest work.
I trained and competed in Jiu-Jitsu at age 49 until injuries forced me to stop.
I'm 58 now. And while I'm proud of the life I've built, I'm ready for something different.
I created Yesterday's Medicine because I want to celebrate what your grandfather knew:
- Strength isn't something to apologize for
- Self-reliance is a virtue, not selfishness
- Being a protector and provider is honorable
These aren't controversial ideas. They're foundational truths that built strong families, strong communities, and a strong nation.
Our Four Pillars
Everything we create reflects these values:
Faith – He Leads, I Follow
Family – Coming home to what matters
Masculinity – Hard times make hard men
Freedom – Living with purpose and dignity
These aren't just words on a shirt. They're principles worth living by.
What You're Supporting
When you order from Yesterday's Medicine, you're not funding some faceless corporation.
You're supporting a fence builder from Tennessee who's building something meaningful.
Something that celebrates the men who came before us. Something that honors the values they lived by.
Something your grandfather would wear with pride.
The Guarantee
If your order isn't right—fit, quality, whatever—just let me know. I'll make it right.
That's my word.
Same way my father's word meant something when he sat in that wheelchair and told two kids to build a house.
We built it. And it stood.
I build the same way.
Why "Yesterday's Medicine"?
Because the cure for what's wrong today isn't complicated.
It's remembering what worked before we forgot.
Your grandfather ate real food. Did real work. Had real purpose. He knew how to be a man because he watched men who came before him.
Yesterday's medicine is today's cure.
Where I'm Headed
I'm engaged to a woman named Fhaye from the Philippines. 
We're waiting on her K-1 visa approval.
When she arrives, I want the freedom to spend time with her—and the ability to visit her family in the Philippines whenever we want.
Her family represents everything I admire: hard work, genuine kindness, deep faith, and strong family bonds.
This business gives me that freedom.
And if it gives you something to wear that represents who you are without apology?
Then we both win.
— John Roth
Founder, Yesterday's Medicine
Alexandria, Tennessee
