We recently connected with Shanea Makinson and have shared our conversation below.

Shanea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The creation of Truth Be Told Apparel was born out of necessity, resilience, and my unwavering love for my daughter. After surviving over 20 years of a domestic violence marriage and an intense battle with aggressive breast cancer the prior 2 years — including chemotherapy, radiation, and a double mastectomy — I found myself standing at a crossroads. I had finally left the toxic life I have lived. I had to rebuild my life from the ground up and find a way to support my daughter and myself emotionally, financially, and spiritually while still trying to recover from cancers effects on my body and mind.
When I left, my family was fractured. My daughter was struggling deeply — severely depressed and suicidal. After many tearful conversations and sleepless nights, I finally asked her, “What do you need to start feeling alive again?” Her answer was simple yet powerful: “I want to race motorcycles — just like my brother did.”
That moment changed everything. I didn’t have the money, the equipment, or even a plan, but I knew I had to make it happen. As a mother, I refused to let hopelessness define our future. I needed to create something that not only supported us financially, the divorce left me with nothing. I had lost my health, my family and my financial stability all in a matter of months. I thought often – Truth Be Told Apparel I would do it all again knowing what life felt like to feel safe in my life each day. This was going to be the starting point and the ability to give us both purpose and healing. That’s when Truth Be Told Apparel was born — an apparel, merchandise, and branding company that became both a creative outlet and a lifeline.
By day, I worked my full-time job as an IT Systems Engineer. By night, I built Truth Be Told Apparel — often working another eight hours after my regular workday ended. It was exhausting, but every stitch, every order, and every design felt like a step toward freedom. I knew this was a worthwhile endeavor because it wasn’t just about selling clothing — it was about creating a message. I wanted to build a brand that reminded people they could rise from their pain, that truth and resilience could be worn as a badge of strength.
Through this work, I eventually earned enough to buy my daughter the motorcycle gear she needed to chase her dream — and in doing so, she began to heal as did I.

Shanea, 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?

My name is Shanea Makinson — I’m an IT Systems Engineer, entrepreneur, and Co-Founder and CFO of a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction. I’m also the Founder and Owner of Truth Be Told Apparel, a creative apparel, merchandise, and branding company built on authenticity, purpose, and heart.
My journey into this industry wasn’t planned — it was personal. After surviving a 23-year marriage marked by domestic violence two-year battle with aggressive breast cancer, I emerged with nothing left but unwavering determination.
I had to rebuild my life from the ground up, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. I wasn’t struggling alone; I also needed to support my daughter, who was battling deep depression and suicidal thoughts. When I asked her, “What do you need to start feeling alive again?” Her answer was simple yet powerful: “I want to race motorcycles — just like my brother used to.”
That answer changed everything. I didn’t have the means to make it happen — but I had the will. I started Truth Be Told Apparel, an apparel, merchandise, and branding company designed not simply to generate income, but to create meaning. I worked full-time as an IT Systems Engineer by day, and then spent another full shift each night building the business from scratch.
What started as a mother’s determination to give her daughter hope evolved into a thriving creative business built on authenticity and heart. Truth Be Told Apparel creates custom apparel, merchandise, and brand development for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits who want their message to make an impact. Every design and campaign we create is intentional — because we believe what we wear and what we represent should tell our story truthfully.
What sets us apart is the “why” behind what we do. We’re not just printing logos on shirts or designing canopies for events — we’re helping people and organizations express their truth, build community, and spark conversations that matter. From motorsports and athletic teams to small businesses and nonprofits, we help clients align their branding with their values and purpose.
I’m most proud of how Truth Be Told Apparel has become a vehicle for healing and empowerment. It allowed my daughter to chase her dream and helped both of us rebuild our lives with a sense of purpose. Today, the brand has expanded into partnerships that merge creativity, advocacy, and community — including The Remix Racing Project, a nonprofit I co-founded that combines professional motorcycle racing with mental health awareness and recovery advocacy.
At its core, Truth Be Told Apparel isn’t just about apparel — it’s about truth, transformation, and using creativity as a force for good. What started as my desperate attempt to save my daughter became a movement of self-expression, empowerment, and recovery. Truth Be Told Apparel represents more than clothing, cool tents and flashy merch — it’s proof that pain can become purpose, and that even in the darkest chapters, we can design a new story worth living.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A Lesson I Had to Unlearn
The greatest lesson I had to unlearn was how to silence the stories in my mind that told me I wasn’t capable — and finally learn to listen to myself instead.
For twenty-three years, I lived in a marriage marked by domestic violence — a life that slowly eroded my confidence and convinced me I wasn’t smart enough, strong enough, or worthy enough to stand on my own. Then, just as I was beginning to find my footing, I was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. Two years of chemotherapy, radiation, and a double mastectomy left me exhausted and broken — physically, emotionally, and financially.
When I finally escaped the marriage, I had nothing — no money, no stability, and a daughter battling deep depression and suicidal despair. Everything in my past told me “I wasn’t capable” of rebuilding our lives — but something inside me refused to listen. I realized that I wasn’t stupid, and I was no longer going to allow my past to be the main character in my story.
That realization became my turning point. I started Truth Be Told Apparel — an apparel, merchandise, and branding company born out of necessity, courage, and love for my daughter. What began as a desperate effort to give her hope evolved into a business that gave both of us purpose and healing.
Unlearning that lie — that I wasn’t capable — changed everything. It taught me that strength isn’t something we’re given; it’s something we reclaim. Today, I know that my past doesn’t define me. It only refined me, and it gave me the fire to build something meaningful — not just for myself, but for everyone who’s ever been told they can’t.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Who Moved My Cheese?
One resource that has significantly shaped my management and entrepreneurial thinking is the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson. I chose this book because it is deceptively simple yet profoundly impactful in its life lessons about change, adaptability, and mindset. In life, business, and entrepreneurship, change is constant—markets shift, customer preferences evolve, and unexpected challenges arise. This book taught me that success depends not on resisting change, but on anticipating it, adapting quickly, and taking proactive, positive steps to find new opportunities and contentment.
Who Moved My Cheese? helped me understand that what we value—whether it’s revenue, clients, personal goals, health, or our dreams—can shift unexpectedly, and clinging to the old ways can limit growth. By embracing flexibility, confronting fear, and acting decisively, I learned to approach both management and entrepreneurship with resilience and a problem-solving mindset. Ultimately, Who Moved My Cheese? reinforced that the ability to navigate change with curiosity and courage is more valuable than holding on to the status quo.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.TruthBeToldApparel.com
• Instagram: @TruthBeToldApparelUSA