We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Damon Townsend Sr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Damon below.

Alright, Damon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I started thinking about becoming a business owner in 2016. I was working security at a strip club in Atlanta. I wanted to do something more. I was just walking around and thought that I should start a tee shirt business. I wanted to make something that all people could get behind the shirts and support a good message. i wracked my brains for weeks. I originally came up with P3. P3 stood for Prayer, Patience, and Persistence. It was a step in the right direction but felt incomplete. I didn’t know what was missing, but I knew something was missing.

October 2016, I left Atlanta and moved back to Kansas City. The business was still on my mind, but I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing. Then of all places for the inspiration to hit me, I was in the shower when it came to me. What was missing from the P3 was prosperity. Then P3 became P4. P4 stands for Prayer, Patience, Persistence, and Prosperity. Like that, my business was born.

Prayer. When things are going good or bad, pray. When you need direction, pray. When you are thankful, pray. It was the first word because of the importance of it to keep a person grounded. Prayer is not owned by one religion or spiritual belief. It’s something that most people can understand.

Patience. The universe works at its own pace. What is meant for you, will come when it’s time, not any sooner. This was my second choice because of how important it is to have patience in this journey of life. Sometimes we rush things in life. When we rush things, sometimes it leads to bad outcomes. Because life is crazy at times and our nature as humans is to be impatient. Since we are impatient, it is important to be mindful and practice patience.

Persistence. Just because you should be patient, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be persistent in chasing your dreams. Yes, the universe will provide you with what you need when the time is right, but it doesn’t mean that you stop working hard in your pursuit of your dreams. Be persistent with your praying. Be persistent working on being patient. Be persistent in chasing your dreams. Be persistent with being a better person. Be persistent in having a relationship with the creator.

Prosperity. If you have Prayer, Patience, and Persistence, then prosperity should follow. These 4 things are at the foundation for most successful situations. Everyone wants prosperity, but I wanted this to be the goal for people, no matter what the choose to purse in life.

P4 is an inclusive brand. Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhist, and every belief system in between can get behind the message that P4 stands for. I wanted a safe space for people to wear their beliefs openly, without having questions about what they believe in. The message works for the older crowd. The logo works for the younger crowd. Everyone is welcome in the P4 brand.

In May of 2018, I opened Pop Pop Townsend LLC. I then filled for my trademark, but that’s when I ran into a problem. Someone must have heard me talking about in North Carolina, when I was at my niece’s graduation. They filed a trademark, but didn’t have my logo, so they just filed for P4. Theirs looked totally different and doesn’t even get used, so it has been a battle. It almost made me give up on my dream.

I wanted to donate some of the money from the sales to random non-profits. I wanted my brand to give back and help those in need. I want people to be proud to wear my brand. We will see what the future holds for me and P4

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Damon Townsend Sr. I am originally from Boston, grew up in Baltimore, and moved back to Kansas City from Atlanta. I am a husband. I have been married going on 23 years. Been together going on 27 years. I am a father to two beautiful children (adults now). I was the baby for 4. I never got to meet my sister, she was born and lived in London. My two brothers were born in London as well, but we were raised together. My middle brother passed in 2022. My dad passed in 2010. My mom passed in 2023. Now it is just me, my brother, niece and two children.

I am an Air Force disabled veteran. I served for 22 months and got hurt. I was a proud member of the Air Force Honor Guard, but we call it the Presidential Honor Guard. It gives it a little more razzle dazzle. I used to bury veterans at Arlington National Cemetary. My other job was to do customs and protocol for various ceremonies for the Air Force. I even did a little work in the Pentagon during the 50th anniversary of the Air Force.

After getting out of the military, I worked mainly in protective services. I have been armed security, disaster relief security, unarmed security, bodyguard, armored car driver, and anything else in between.

I finally went back to college in 2014. I graduated from Georgia State University in the summer of 2016. I got a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, with a concentration in Public Management and Local Governance.

May 2018, I opened my first business. Since the opening of the business, I have been volunteering as a board member of a non-profit out here called thehelpkc.org.

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

I was all in on my business, but when I found out someone stole my idea, I had to slow down. I had to change my original website. It was called p4thebrand.com, I had to change it while I worked on the trademark. It literally slowed me down to a crawl. Since then, I have been just trying to find the right vendor to supply the shirts that I deem worthy of pushing.

Any advice for managing a team?

Be approachable and receptive to the people under you. Being a leader is hard. Do not compound the problem by being unapproachable. Your team will take whatever energy you have and make it better or much worse. Be the leader that is willing to get your hands dirty. Meaning, you should be able to jump in and do any job that is needed, without passing the job to a team member that is swamped with work. Be available to them. Allow them the opportunity to feel comfortable coming to you. Be fair and just. Try not to take sides. Allow the facts to dictate your decisions. Work on emotional intelligence. It will help you connect with the team on better level. When your team believes in you and your leadership, they will go above and beyond to make the team succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bigcartel.com/poppoptees
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigtown314/profilecard/?igsh=ajBvb2gzMTZobHlt
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/8AbhSTX7GfUu7whr/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damon-townsend-sr-09733987?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
• Twitter: bostimore