We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nick Eller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nick below.
Nick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
My ultimate goal is that I leave this world better than I found it. If, in some way, I can inspire someone to do more with their talent than they think they can, then I have achieved. As a father, I hope my kids know that they are loved beyond measure. I want them to have a better life than I have had, which has been pretty awesome. I pray that I teach them the value of honesty, hard work, and treating others with respect and equality. If people can look back and say that I had a positive impact, it will be a life well lived.
Nick, 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?
First and foremost, I am a husband to a wonderful wife of 16 years, and we have 3 wonderful kids together. They are my biggest supporters and my motivation to do better each day. I am a lifelong student of many disciplines and an artist at heart. I have been fortunate to be connected and surrounded by some amazing people who have poured into me and helped me develop into who I am today. I started out painting and drawing at a young age and have always looked to satisfy the creative side of my personality. I started Tennessee Grappling Apparel as a way to connect my love of the sport of wrestling with my love for art and apparel. It initially started as a shirt company where I designed the graphics and logos. It has since grown into team apparel, singlet design, as well as logo creation and graphic art. I aim to connect the vision of potential customers to the clothing they wear and compete in. I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing clients who cast their vision and allow me the freedom to utilize my creative ideas to develop their own branding and identity. I also have a passion for building the sport of wrestling through offering team apparel at an affordable cost with efficient turnaround times. I am committed to going the extra mile to earn my customers’ business, as I look at each customer as more than just a customer, but a relationship that can support all of our growth. The sport of wrestling is my passion, but the people I work with allow me to give back more to the sport and community that has given me so much throughout my life.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
One of the most unique things about the wrestling community is that is a small community with some amazing people involved in it. There are aspects of discipline, integrity, and work ethic that are at the core of the values the sport instills in the serious competitors and families. I get the opportunity to go to a lot of tournaments on the weekends coaching and supporting my oldest son, and that is where many of my relationships have started. I tell every potential client that my main goal is to carve out a niche in market share that is here for support and growth. This is where branching out into the team apparel and graphic design really started to fuel my growth. While this isn’t my primary means of income, I am working with the intention that it will be one day, and the customers I have now are the foundation that it will be built on. That is why every sale is more than a sale, I am investing in the future of customers, programs, and the sport. My work has opened up the opportunity to go beyond wrestling, as I am currently working with local artists to branch out their work by putting it onto shirts and hoodies. I have had the pleasure of creating advertising and marketing material, along with branding strategies to help companies just like mine to grow.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
One book that has had a significant impact on me is “Chop Wood Carry Water: How To Fall In Love With The Process Of Becoming Great” by Joshua Medcalf. I grew in a very small town in the mountains of North Carolina where hard work was a way of life. I read this book much later in life but was brought back to my upbringing as I was reading it because I could hear my dad sharing many of the same lessons. When I started this company, I knew I was going to have a lot to learn on so many things, and if I wanted to be successful, I was going to have to be patient, trust the process, and be agile enough to grow and branch out of my comfort zone when the opportunities presented themselves. Today, more than ever, I appreciate where I came from because it gave me the skillsets needed to be successful, as long as I am willing to put the work in to do so. My core principles, and the core principles of my business, are very simple: Do the right thing even if it means taking the hard road, treat others with respect and dignity, and unselfishly support others around you as rising tides raise all ships.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tennesseegrapplingapparel.com
- Instagram: tennesseegrapplingapparel
- Facebook: Tennessee Grappling Apparel and/or Nick Eller