Hi everyone, if you’ve found this, you’ve found my first ever attempt at a blog. Hopefully they’ll improve over time but if not……..i’m really, really, really, really sorry. To start, i’m a not yet 50 something who has a tendency to waffle……a lot, I have a wonderful family, my wife Jill and our 2 boys, who mean the world to me and inspire me on a daily basis to be a better man.
So, time to get right down to it then….I’ve more or less been in retail all of my life and have a passion for meeting people and trying to find what they really want. Once you factor in the position I found myself in after the start of Covid in early 2020, I needed to find a new direction and for once I had the opportunity to find something that I really wanted to do.
I decided to pull from my 3 passions, the first I’ve already mentioned (in essence, thats you). I also have a love of design and creating things. I find that this gives me an immense sense of pleasure to look at things that I’ve designed, and even more so to know that others appreciate what I have created. Finally, and my most recent one is paddle boarding. Having tried SUP’ing nearly 3 years ago I got the serious bug and have loved it ever since. There is something incredibly relaxing being out your board and just enjoying the water lapping against the rails.
ShoreTees was borne out of the need to try and be original whilst pulling in my passions, but even more importantly I wanted to give something back and I felt that, even though there is a noticeable shift to recycled and sustainable products, there were still nowhere near enough options for people who wanted to make that choice.
I honestly believe is that ‘Fast Fashion’ is having a massively detrimental effect on our whole environment, and that led to the creation of my brand, with the aim to focus, wherever possible on utilising recycled, sustainable and ethical materials in my clothing range. Don’t get me wrong…we are not perfect, far from it in fact, but what we are doing is trying to make a difference whilst attempting to make the best choices we possibly can for our business and its customers.
Some people will love and agree with what I am trying to do, others won’t, and that is always their choice. I strongly believe that everything we do in life is a choice, our choice, and we live by the choices that we make, plain and simple….no judgment.
One thing to be clear on is that we are not a big company. If you look up microbusiness in the dictionary you’ll see a picture of my grinning face staring back at you. ShoreTees SUPwear is literally me as owner, designer, printer, coffee boy (arguably one of the most important bits), and general do everything type guy for 95% of the time. But, and most importantly……. as they say, behind every man trying his hardest (I cannot claim to be a great man), there is an even better woman. I am blessed that my wife Jill, on top of a full time job, helps me when ever she can. I literally couldn’t do any of what I have achieved to date without her love, guidance and support.
There you go, thats the first edition of my blog and random ramblings. I hope you enjoyed it and understand a little bit more about who I am and why I do what I do. Last thing, and the tagline that runs through the very heart and soul of this business and you will get to love or hate (definite Marmite moment)….#LiveBeyond the expectations others or yourself put on you, you are the controller of your destiny and never allow people to stop you from achieving what in your heart you know you can.