Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kyle Menard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kyle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

The best ideas can evolve through a series of not-the-best-ideas. That’s exactly how the origin of my business, Totally Good Time, got its name. In 2015, I was going to start a business and was setting up the groundwork for doing something I love. Originally, the idea was to incorporate my own line of greeting cards for my LGBTQ community. Being literal and obvious with design is one of my favorite ways to create. I thought of this name, “Totally Gay Cards.” Literal? check. Obvious? Check. I marinated on it for some time and soon realized the passion I had for greeting cards did not live up to the passion I had for graphic apparel. A quick pivot had me playing with the name and I soon stumbled upon, “Totally Good Time”. The name stands for a place where the fictional and the nostalgic live rent free and the vibe and the aesthetic elicit a good feeling. Totally Good Time was born on that day in the spring of 2015.

Kyle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Everything I did was late in life. I never followed the track of what society would deem as normal with education and work. I took time off and to experience life before I eventually found my way back to attending college and pushing the needle of my own life forward. It’s all those experiences that led me to the place I’m at now.

Before entering college at the age 27, I had already experienced the ups and downs of marketing various products, like Vitaminwater, in the field. These roles were fun, challenging and taught me a great deal about how to work with people. How consumers operate, how to speak to strangers, and be empathetic to their needs. My interests and goals started to become a reality once I entered college. I joined the radio station as a DJ and Business Director. For a short time, I left the campus I was attending in Florida and headed to the Big Apple to simultaneously intern at Sony Music and MTV Networks. I lived for these internships and focused on understanding the goals I was given to achieve. These internships taught me about time management, goal-oriented focus initiatives, and working solo, but also within a team to make the sum of the parts a greater success.

Fast forward some years and I put all these experiences into motion with my brand, Totally Good Time. I wanted to keep my feet in entertainment like at my internships. I wanted to be vocal about what I was offering like at my college radio station. I wanted to offer a service that had to be marketed like Vitaminwater. Something tangible. Creating graphics, like fictional tours, to satiate an audience that feel the way I do makes the shop so rewarding. Offering different styles like tees, crew necks, joggers, and hoodies that we can use to express our love for feeling good or feeling connection is how I want to be of service. To connect with my audience through different mediums with the creations I design is the ultimate reward.

There’s plenty of success with Totally Good Time. From Reese Witherspoon purchasing dozens of Big Little Lies crew necks I created and giving them to as crew gifts to Elisabeth Moss having me make up custom hoodies for her movie, The Invisible Man. Many notable people have come through the shop and it feels good that someone I connect with is connecting with some I designed. However, some of my early experiences weren’t always success stories.

Each experience brought me to where I am today with Totally Good Time. It helped me handle pressure, anxiety, and stress. Sometimes the biggest obstacle we need to surpass is ourselves. And to be self-aware enough to know to take time, to do my best, and to offer something that is original and memorable feels good.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson to unlearn is to understand when something isn’t working. To separate the things you love (and sometimes believe in) to ensure your business thrives and grows. The community you started the business with may have grown into something entirely different. It’s important to grow with it. I think in life we learn that we want to please. We want to please ourselves and the people that are supporting our business. We keep the plan in motion, but the plan doesn’t always work. It’s good to take a step back and know when it’s time to reevaluate to have your business grow.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I started the shop, it was purely based in the world of fiction and inspired by pop culture. In the fall of 2022, I opened the first brick and mortar Totally Good Time. The reaction from the community exceeded my expectations. It taught me that the connection between the brand and the consumer is greater than I realized. Since then, I’ve been pivoting and creating more and more branded styles in the same vein as the previous fictional styles, but now, more focused on the vibe of Totally Good Time. The brand is about feeling good and that it’s okay to feel good. Since I’ve started this pivot, it’s been revolutionary for the shop and for me personally. I feel more in tune with the consumer and myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.totallygoodtime.com
• Instagram: @totallygoodtime
• Twitter: @totallygoodtime