Hidden Gems: Meet Tyler Simon of Paddle.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Simon.

Hi Tyler, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The story of “paddle.” started in 2016 when I first came up with the idea. It was one of those think outside of the box moments to get me outside of the box I was stuck in. I struggled with schizoaffective disorder heavily back then and could never seem to find my way out.

I was on meds for maybe a couple of months before I realized they made things even worse than before. I would sleep, and sleep, and sleep for hours. Sometimes until 4 or 5 o’clock at night. It made my hallucinations more severe and just took away any hopes I had of fleeing that box. It didn’t take long for me to make the decision that I would quit taking meds and figure this thing out head on. I was tired, not wore out, but tired of feeling defeated and hopeless. That moment changed my life forever, and I’m not saying that that is the best option for everyone but it was MY turning point in life.

I was able to gain clarity, find real love, begin loving myself, and ultimately I was able to start becoming the man I am today. Because I didn’t give up, no matter how deep the pain cut. I paddled on through the depths of the darkest waters to find myself on the other side of hope where the lights shine gloriously.

When my wife got pregnant life got even way more serious, and that’s when I thought to myself “it’s time to take action.”

So that’s what I did. I started studying and reading everything I possibly could to help because in all honesty, I had no idea where to start. I got the name, but where do I go from there? I reached out to my best friend and had him come make some designs with me and talked to him about what it is that I was trying to do. After a couple of days of designing, I asked him “Hey Isaac, what do you think about going into this business with me 50/50?” I think it probably took him .002 seconds to say, “100%, I’m in. This is a message that needs to be spread across the world.”

So just like that, we filed for an LLC and got started. We had no idea what we were doing on the business side of things. I mean it took us a long time just to figure what kind of shirts to use and where to get them, what kind of printing we wanted to do, etc. All we knew was that we wanted to create a lifestyle brand that supported mental health. Not just a facade that puts inspirational quotes on a shirt and leaves it at that. We want to dive into communities and make local impacts. We want to take %’s of our profits to put towards community events that we can take around the states and further. One stop at a time, we want to come in and raise money to put right back into the community in support of mental health. Letting people know they aren’t alone and giving people chances to find their way out of their own box.

As a tournament paintball player and Isaac as a photographer, we were able to agree that we should put our roots in the paintball community. Finding support from players across all divisions including former pro Carl Markowski. Who has publicly stated his support for our company and our mission. Next year we have a lot of things planned within the paintball community in Kansas and surrounding states (there is more I want to tell you but I can’t until next year……) that we can’t wait to announce.

Wherever it be that our roots are planted, the branches extend to all those dealing with mental health or those who want to support mental health. This is a mission that can not be achieved alone, so we thank everyone for the support that they have given us or decided to give. We are excited to continue our journey as it has helped me and my partner evolve as individuals but mostly for the impact that we can make on the people around us.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not, jumping into this with neither of us knowing anything about running a clothing brand it has been an uphill battle the whole time. Whether it is the legal side of starting a business, the behind the scenes of finding quality garments, or the networking/marketing side of things, there’s always challenges. It is though, overcoming all of these speedbumps that has taught us much more not only about the business world but about ourselves.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Well, as you probably know by now, we are a clothing company. In order to promote self-love, we wanted to find a garment that was made with quality material made here in the US that feels good when it lays down on our skin. We didn’t want to go the get rich quick route and use cheap materials, after all it is our art that we are putting on our products. Everything we design is made out of expression from my partner and I and is a process that we take very seriously. From the color of the shirts down to bringing parts of the designs out of the shirts and into stickers. You are getting art from real artists on a high-quality garment. I’m most proud of finding and creating meaningful relationships in the paintball community, and I think that comes from just knowing that we are setting up a foundation that will allow us to truly make an impact on the world around us. I have a very big heart and just want everyone to be at their best and feel the best about themselves so that they can make their impact on this world. Imagine that ripple effect…

What does success mean to you?
We will know we are successful when we can take money and put it into the hands of the people in different communities around the world that will actually put it to good use in the case of mental health accessibility and alternative/traditional therapies. Success isn’t something that is defined by money for us, rather the ability to help people just like us get through deep waters.

Pricing:

• Short Sleeves – $28
• Long Sleeves – $36
• Hoodies – $60
• Sticker Packs – $4+

Contact Info:

• Email: admin@paddlexx.com
• Website: https://paddleclothing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paddle.xx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paddle.xx
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC195kuB4tRJQPfzXQE3tnrA

Image Credits
Photos taken by Isaac Mendez