Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Reading.
Hi Dan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m lucky enough to have a highly successful 20-year (and counting) career in insurance investigations. That said, I’m a creative person and tend to get involved in extra-curricular passion projects to channel that creativity toward fun, positive, and fulfilling outcomes. I’ve been a musician playing in bands since I was in middle school. Over the years I was lucky enough to take that creativity and my love for music and turn it into some really amazing moments, memories, and fun. I gave drum lessons to some amazing students, did some collaborating with other artists in the studio, put out several albums wherein I would play multiple instruments while being the primary songwriter, shared the stage with national and “big” acts, and of course my personal favorite – headlining the legendary Freebird Live at Jacksonville Beach. (I miss Freebird!) I still put out music on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify, but these days my creative juices are mostly spent on TempoChange.Shop.
TempoChange.Shop was launched in late 2021, with our Instagram following in Q1 2022. 2021 was a challenging year for so many reasons, but I remember just wanting to do something positive to help jumpstart a new narrative. One where smiles are prevalent, fun is for everyone, and positivity is a focus. I began writing editorials for Florida papers. mostly about race relations and how we needed to enact change, one step at a time, to make things better in America for people of all colors and backgrounds. After having some articles picked up for publishing, I wondered what was next. What else can I do?
Taking our love of music and our desire for change, TempChange.Shop was slowly born. My partner and I began creating a clothing brand, predominantly t-shirts, where positivity is the focus of the messaging without sacrificing fun or being too heavy-handed. The goal was inclusion for all. Don’t alienate anyone or have a “target audience”. Create a brand where regardless of your age, orientation, race, style, likes or dislikes; you could find common interests and more often than not a design you thought was “cool”. The site started out with roughly 6 or 7 designs, and today is closer to 100!
Another key aspect of TempoChange.Shop is our charitable work. So far, we’ve created shirts for 2 “inspired by” charities that I’m personally connected with and passionate about (Ronald McDonald House and Wounded Warrior Foundation). We donate a portion of the sale of these products directly to the charities and at the end of the year, we also match a percentage of the total donations. We hope to expand on this as we grow and generate greater awareness of the brand mission.
This story is ongoing, and this is only the first chapter. Stay tuned…
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?
Growing the brand is really the hardest part. The creativity is pretty natural, and we get that not every design will connect with everyone, but if no one knows your brand exists…that’s problematic. Finding the right balance of marketing investments, grassroots boots on the ground, and word of mouth has definitely been a challenge. It’s getting better each week, every month, and we are very excited about how 2022 is going to wrap up!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At the risk of sounding cliche, I’m incredibly blessed. That said, I do think a lot of my creativity and desire to push through obstacles and challenges comes from a place where I wasn’t always so comfortable. I was born with a cervical spine defect that eventually required surgery, a long recovery, and a life-changing adjustment. Everything worked out great all things considered, but for a while (and even a little today) my self-esteem was negatively impacted. I found comfort, comradery, and a home when it came to music and the arts. It truly helped me heal, grow, and find the confidence to take risks and embrace challenges.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Everyone needs a cool t-shirt, right? Jokes aside, t-shirt companies are a dime a dozen. Our mission has to stand out, and we will continue to make good on that objective and be different for all the right reasons.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tempochange.shop
- Instagram: @tempochange1
