We recently connected with Kim Hernandez and have shared our conversation below.

Kim, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I remember bringing up the idea of creating a clothing brand to my siblings and close friends a couple of years ago. I would have late night talks with my brother, dreaming about what could be if I just had the resources- the knowledge and the finances- to actually make this happen.

When 2020 came, I was already starting to brainstorm how I could pivot in my entrepreneurial journey, but I didn’t have the finances to actually go forward with it- that is until the stimulus checks came in. I knew that this was my opportunity to invest in something I truly believed in, a business that I could be proud of.
Fear was a huge obstacle that I had to overcome when jumping into a business that I didn’t know much about but with the immense support of my family and close friends, I was able to believe in myself and in this dream.

About God Shop was born in a time when I was finally confident of my true identity- a child of God and I didn’t want to be ashamed of it but rather be bold about my faith. I was able to create a clothing brand that represented me, my modest style, and my lifestyle that is based on having an intimate relationship with Jesus.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was born and raised in North Philadelphia in a very close-knit Hispanic household. My mom was born in Peru and my dad from Puerto Rico, I was the youngest of five siblings. My parents were such hardworking people and although we didn’t have many materialistic things, we knew how to be grateful for what we did have. Growing up in a poor and dangerous community, my parents taught us about God at a very young age and church was our light in the middle of the darkness we lived amongst. I had a rough childhood when it came to my school years because I was constantly bullied for the way I looked and for the way I dressed. For years I dealt with very low self-esteem, and this would affect me for most of my adolescence.
As a young adult I struggled to be confident not only in my physical looks but also in who I was and how my life looked at the time- I was a college dropout (due to health conditions) that never had a “real” job and struggled to make enough money as an online fashion reseller. I was in my 20s and could not think of a thing I was proud of.
When I started to take my relationship with Jesus more seriously, I asked Him to help me be more confident not only in myself but also in sharing my faith. At the time I was growing a passion to start my own Christian clothing brand and through that business I was able to fall in love with fashion, photography and to my surprise- modeling! God helped me overcome my internal battles of self-hatred and low self-esteem and I was finally able to see myself in the eyes of God- someone who loved me so much and believed I was His beautiful creation.
I strongly believe that About God Shop came at the time when I needed it the most. It was created as a form of worship to God. Through my clothing brand I hope that people can share their faith, not be afraid to stand out and speak up about what they believe in.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

For the past couple of years, I’ve been living with a health condition called hypothyroidism which has made it a little more difficult to progress in my business journey. This condition comes with lots of symptoms that occur randomly which makes it hard to have a consistent routine and be productive. Some days I have fatigue, body aches and pains, and other days I feel absolutely fine. I would love to have a steady routine when it comes to working on my business but as long as I’m dealing with this condition, I won’t be able to do so because my body needs to rest more often. It’s especially hard when I compare my business journey to others because they are able to work so many hours without fatigue or pain while I have to be very conscious of listening to my body when it needs to rest. I am still learning to give myself breaks and rest and see that as productive. One thing I know for sure and that is that I’m no quitter and I will continue working hard on making my dreams come true even if it takes longer than the next person because I know that with God all things are possible, and I am believing that my business will grow for the glory of God.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When it comes to building my social media presence my ultimate goal is to have my brand be visible in as many social platforms as I can manage. My audience, which started off being just my family and friends, loved to see the behind the scenes of me growing a small business from the ground up. I have been able to connect with so many people all over the world that want to support me and my brand because they relate to the message I speak about. Social media is such a powerful tool that can help your brand grow immensely. My biggest advice to others when starting to build an audience is to be authentic, find a way to stand out from your competitors, and remember that your followers are just people that want to build a connection to you/your brand. Creating content that you love and believe in is also super important. My last advice would be to always be grateful of the support your audience gives no matter the size of following because it’s important for your supporters to feel seen and appreciated.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aboutgodshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aboutgodshop/
• Other: Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itskimslife_/