We were lucky to catch up with Dean Stockton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dean, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

In 2007, I was in Nashville, TN songwriting. Nobody wears a cowboy hat in the country music capital of the world. Which is odd to me… I was standing alone in the Tinroof off of Demonbreun St watching a band play. Nobody was even standing around me. The closest people were 30 feet away by the band. A complete stranger comes walking up to me and says, “Hey man, cowboy’s where the original hippie. They just went from place to place to place.” I laughed and said, “Man I guess you’re right I never really thought about it.” Then the guy walks away…

The next day I’m standing underneath my carport. It was like God spoke to my heart, and said, “how about a clothing line?” I remember it like it was yesterday. I was like, “Now that’s a name for a clothing line!”

In life and business, it’s all about timing… Even though I had the name and idea. It wasn’t time yet to let it all out. In the world we live in today, people don’t want connected to a brand. They want connected to a person. They want to feel part of the process, part of the vibes and know the brand is real, because the person is real. That’s why it wasn’t ready to release until 2017. I was finally ready to be who I needed to be for the brand and all connected to it, to give honor to what I had been given.

The way I have approached OH differently than other brands is most talk about bullying or anti-bullying these days. I never do, no matter what comes at me. I end all my posts or videos I do with Kindness Is Kool…and So Are You! The more light we shine into the world, the less darkness will have a chance to grow. I don’t believe in giving value to anything that doesn’t deserve our time or energy.

Dean, 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?

In life and business, it’s all about timing… Even though I had the name and idea. It wasn’t time yet to let it all out. In the world we live in today, people don’t want connected to a brand. They want connected to a person. They want to feel part of the process, part of the vibes and know the brand is real, because the person is real. That’s why it wasn’t ready to release until 2017. I was finally ready to be who I needed to be for the brand and all connected to it, to give honor to what I had been given.

The way I have approached OH differently than other brands is I wanted to create a family…not a brand. I call them the OH Fam. It’s been amazing watching all the OH Fam get excited about one of them posting on social media with OH on. How they support and love each other with kindness.

In a world of bullying or anti-bullying these days. I never mention it no matter what comes at me. I end all my posts or videos I do with Kindness Is Kool…and So Are You! The more light we shine into the world, the less darkness will have a chance to grow. I don’t believe in giving value to anything that doesn’t deserve our time or energy.

The OH Fam has found a place where others support their dreams and goals in life. The youth have really embarrassed OH and love being a part of the OH Fam. I never believed when I started Original Hippie I was the hero in anyone’s story of life… They are the heroes! I’m only a very small part of the story and feel blessed to be a part of their journey.

When I see someone wear OH. I see the words Love, Kindness, Peace, Joy, Laughter, Memories, and Family on there apparel.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Going into 2020 and the Covid worldwide shutdown, it really crushed a lot of small businesses. Not just financially, but mentally, spiritually, and took a physical toll on people’s body from stress.

I had finally gotten some momentum. Crop apparel was my best sellers and it seemed OH was finally going to be having the start of the growth I had seen in my head when I started it.

Then Bam! Like you flipped a switch I couldn’t get crop apparel and it all slowed down to a very small crawl. It seemed to go on for about a year and a half until I moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL. I felt that Florida would help the brand grow. The truth is… Florida helped me, help the brand grow. I found a new wind for my sail again. New vision and new dreams.

Through this time I learned that OH was part of me, but not all of me. I had to enjoy my life. I had to live my brand, not just make a place for others to live with it. I was tired of taking no for an answer from manufacturers, saying no we can’t get this apparel or that anymore.

I started making crops in my condo because the youth wanted them. They found joy and excitement too through the ripped cutoff crops I was making. Which gave me more wind for my sails to see them loving what I had seen in my head, that became their fashion vibes. I’ve went on to add the long sleeve UPF performance shirts that have added more options. As men and women have asked if the shirt I’m wearing in person or on my social media videos are on the website. Momentum is a real thing. When it starts to move we have to do our part to keep the wheel rolling. No matter how slow it’s moving. It’s moving…

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

With social media, business or life. Real growth always takes time. It’s part of the process. In a time of instant gratification, and where people buy followers to look bigger than they are. If someone has 30,000 followers, yet get $0 in sales with all the posts after buying the followers. Whose bottom line moved to a better place? Only the person selling the fake followers.

The only way to grow real on social media and life is to be real, unique and to give value to your audience. With each one of the OH Fam when I post I want them to feel they matter. I do my best to build them up and help them see they have greatness inside them. I’ve never focused on sells. I focus on the people and have figured the rest would always work itself out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.originalhippie2007.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/originalhippie2007
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/originalhippie2007