Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Thelen Chris Richardson.
Hi Jim Thelen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Demons Behind Me is an inspirational clothing line that started in Jacksonville Beach, FL in 2009. Co-Founders
Chris & Jim came up with the idea one Sunday afternoon talking about past tattoos. Chris has a random tattoo of a demon tearing out of his calf muscle and Jim asked him what it was all about. He simply said, “I put the tattoo on the back of my calf because I put my demons behind me.”
Jim was hit with an “a ha” moment, the light bulbs went off, and the two have been brainstorming ever since.
Our message isa positive one, understanding that many people struggle with demons or obstacles of multiple sorts, but we can all work to put them behind us. We appreciate your support in helping us to share our message.
We’re all going through different challenges in this life, and we have an option to live right here, right now, and put our demons behind us. Of course it’s always easier said than done, and that’s why we’ll always be here for you like you have for us. We’ve all gone through different things, we’ve been high, we’ve been low,
and we can all help each other out. We’re much more than a clothing company, we are you, we are community,
we are the next generation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been many obstacles both large and small. The largest obstacle was COVID right before we were about to sponsor a number of music festivals and at the time we thought that was how we were going to put Demons Behind Me on the map. It was crushing to learn that they had all been cancelled indefinitely. At that point we had to go back to the drawing board and taught ourselves how to utilize social media to sell our products online, which in turn became a blessing in disguise. From there we worked with Social Media Agencies that just bled us dry, we had products produced overseas incorrectly, and too many other obstacles to name, but the one thing we always did was regroup, adjust, and kept moving forward. Obstacles are inevitable and necessary, and the companies that see them as opportunities are the ones that have a chance to survive.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Demons Behind Me?
Demons Behind Me is a brand based on the Demons Behind Me mantra, which in summary simply means to move forward and leave the past behind no matter what that may be. We currently produce tees, hats, hoodies, flannels, and accessories for both men and women.
We specialize in hardcore, edgy designs, with bold bright colors, but with a totally positive message. The message itself has become the catalyst for difficult conversations among our customers and the inception of a Demons Behind Me community of support and hope that are a product of the difficult stories. This is what we are most proud of, that our brand has the ability to connect others, and connect them by acknowledging the difficulties of their past, and utilizing those past experiences to help others going through something similar.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If you start your business around a mantra that is helpful to society, you already have a leg up. Next, don’t focus on the almighty dollar, but rather focus on spreading that positivity and the dollar will take care of itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://demonsbehindme.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/demonsbehindme
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/demonsbehindme
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@demonsbehindme
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@demonsbehindme
