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

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk about innovation. What’s the most innovative thing you’ve done in your career?

The entire business model for Gemini Denim is innovative, in my opinion. The idea of giving denim a second life after being donated/sold to consignment stores is so beautiful to me. This item that could have ended up in a landfill has now been restored AND customized to an individuals interests. My hope is that through my business I can encourage others to shop secondhand to help save our planet. The fashion industry is a leader in negatively impacting our environment, and when I decided to start Gemini Denim I knew I needed to separate myself from the rest.

Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi everyone! My name is Nicole, and I was born and raised a Minnesota girl. In 2020 the spa that I worked at as a Massage Therapist closed for business, leaving me in a very difficult position. You see, I was struggling with carpal tunnel and needed to find a new career path. I wanted to do social media marketing work for spas as that was something that I had been doing for the spa that I was working at before and loved it. After taking a few marketing classes and putting together a loose business plan I came to the conclusion that it just wasn’t the right move for me. However, I was still left without a plan or an idea of what would come next. While this was all happening during the pandemic, the options of what to do were limited.

You know what they say! When you stop looking for something it usually finds you. I had just found a denim jacket that was plain and had nothing on it. I found a few designs that I loved on jackets and wanted to see if I could recreate them myself. Once my jacket was finished, I showed it to a few people, and they loved it! They loved it so much that they wanted ones of their own. In that moment I realized that I just stumbled upon something that was not only unique and innovative but also really fun to do! I sat down and created a business plan. By October 2020 Gemini Denim was launched and the rest is history.

Gemini Denim has a mission of keeping denim out of landfills while creating one-of-a-kind pieces of art for everyone. I source my materials from thrift stores, wash/sanitize them, and then create designs specifically for each individual customer. We have a consultation where we discuss the vision for the jacket and together we make your denim dream a reality.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One of the things that have helped me with my mindset is reading Joyce Meyer books. As a Christian, I relate so heavily to her lessons. Her book, Do It Afraid, was the book I read while starting my business and it helped me immensely! She touches on core behaviors that we have learned and how to break free of the doubt that is planted by the enemy meant to keep us spinning in place. As an entrepreneur I believe you need to be willing to be a sponge at all times. You have to be willing to take a leap of faith on yourself and Joyce’s books have helped me so much in doing that.

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

One time right off the bat that I know I showed resilience was my brand launch. I know, you would think that my launch would of been a success based on the feedback that I was getting from everyone prior to actually launching this business. However, that is NOT how things went, I went weeks without getting a sale once I officially opened my website. There was a time that saying that in an interview would of been embarrassing for me, but now I understand that not every business is a hit right away. I had to remember that this business was very innovative, and it would take time for people to trust my skills and abilities. It would take time to create the sense of trust in the community I was building. Showing up on my social media accounts, sharing the behind the scenes of making jackets, and sharing my story really helped. There have been multiple occasions where I thought about giving up, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I end up getting a new order right as those thoughts arise. God is good and will continue to bless my business as long as I keep moving forward with his plan. My resilience is made possible through him and his grace.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.geminixdenim.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/geminixdenim
• Facebook: www.bit.ly/geminixdenim