Print On Demand Seller Tells His Story
Jamey, the Founder of Glass Fin Fishing Co. moved from Phoenix, Arizona to New Mexico to help support his family.
He needed a way out of a 9-5 grind in order to take care of his mother and grandpa.
He was searching for an alternative, something Jamey could do remotely while pursuing his passions and not just to make ends meet.
Jamey decided to challenge himself. A journey of countless hours, hard work, and determination Jamey was on a path to make this work. Jamey continues to expand his e-commerce knowledge till this day.
“I am thankful to have found an avenue that gives me the freedom to help take care of things at home while I truly enjoy the process of building a brand from the ground up”.
As an avid fly fisher, Jamey decided to go on a limb and create a brand to share his passion for fly fishing. Recently, Jamey moved back home with nowhere to go and nothing to do, he decided to give fishing a shot. Although Jamey didn’t think he could fall in love with fly fishing, he fell hard for this sport. Fishing gave Jamey a new life purpose and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The fly fishing community is an amazing group of people that are some of the most empowering, kind, and encouraging people that I have ever met in my life.”
What started as a small trip down a river with his good friend Caleb, slowly opened doors to new experiences and friendships. Jamey continues to meet new avid fishers every day whether it is on the water, fly shops or just casual street chit-chat.
“It doesn’t matter if you are stranger or not, you strike up conversations and you just get to know each other even if its one time experience, usually it is a positive one.”
Community is a powerful thing, the feeling of belonging is like no other. Jamey looks forward to connecting with people all over the world.
“It has really been an amazing experience so far.”
Want to get a little taste of Glass Fin? Follow @glassfinflyfishingco on Instagram or check out Glass Fin products.
“I am thankful for the experiences and connections that I have gained since opening the store.”
“Background of design and web development, surely made the transition to e-commerce little easier.”
Jamey is on the mission to bridge the gap between major companies and novelty products.
“I wanted to create an apparel brand that recognizes the fact that fly fishing is who you are, more importantly, an apparel line that one can wear in a fashionable way.”
Jamey’s goal is to offer high-quality products showcasing passion that everyday people can buy.
What was your initial experience with CustomCat?
“After countless hours of research, I was mind blown that there are companies that handle these side of things.”
As a one time Michigander, Jamey decided to show Detroit some love.
“I really wanted to give CustomCat a try. I was a little hesitant at first, I read a lot of reviews that were spotty. So I reached out and I talked to a few customer support people and told them – let’s give this a shot. I am so happy I did. Truly. “
What advice do you have for fellow e-commerce entrepreneurs?
Jamey recommends, that if you are considering building a brand make sure it’s something you deeply care about. It surely isn’t an overnight type of situation. It is a trial and error thing but well worth it.
Jamey is self- educated and self-taught entrepreneur, learning to navigate social media and advertising sphere. “I still have a lot to learn”. If you want to be a successful e-commerce seller you must keep turning pages and never stop learning new ways. It will get hard, you will doubt yourself but according to Jamey, “It’s incredibly rewarding.”
“I think Glass Fin is where it’s supposed to be at this moment. I still have a lot to learn – advertising and driving traffic. Right now it’s a labor of love. I think it will do well as long as I keep my nose pointed in the right direction and make sure that I am providing an awesome product at a good price with a good message. I believe eventually Glass Fin becomes little stable somewhere as in brick and mortar store, I am hoping.”
What was your biggest challenge with getting Glass Fin up and running?
According to Jamey, the key to launching a successful brand is to be familiar with your audience.
“I think CustomCat is brilliant and without a company like yours, there is no way I could do this. I am where I am because of you guys.”
The road of an entrepreneur isn’t always a straight line, sometimes there are hoops to jump through.
“It gets frustrating, every now and then I start to doubt myself but then I get a cool message or see a photo of someone enjoying my product. To this day, that blows my mind, I never even put my hands on those products.”
“I am wearing one of my shirts right now and it still freaks me out, and I love this shirt.”
“It’s amazing to see someone wearing my hat in New York or shirt in Montana. That one shirt had a pretty amazing journey as far as production goes and getting into the hands of my customers.”
What’s next? Any big plans?
Jamey plans to get more involved in the fishing community, particularly fly fishing community, outdoor conversation and education on local and maybe one day on a state level. Jamey’s ultimate goal is to get to a place where Glass Fin can give back to the fly fishing community.
“It really saved my life in a weird way, I was in a crappy place in my life. When all things started happening. I wasn’t going to be able to do a lot of things that I had planned. Fishing completely reversed my mindset for better. It has given me something to look forward to and I absolutely love it.”
For Jamey the combination of e-commerce and fishing has been a huge game changer in a small town in the middle of nowhere, Glass Fin Fishing Co. gave Jamey a purpose and drive to think big and continue to pursue his passions.
Thank you for being a loyal CustomCat seller. Good luck with everything!
PERSONALIZATION AVAILABLE
Featured Resource
