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Meet Dalton England of The Tie Dye Company in Gilbert

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dalton England.

Dalton, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
To be honest, the more I try to tell my story, the more I realize I’m still figuring it out. I played baseball my whole life up to the division 1 level, graduated with a degree in psychology, and just over a year ago, took a leap of faith and quit a job I wasn’t happy at to try and build something for myself. I had no backup plan or any idea what I was going to do, but I wasn’t going to waste my time pretending anymore. It’s like, the older I get, the more aware I am that life is too short to not chase the things that make us feel alive. I truly believe that a lot of our internal problems can be solved by simply doing what we love. Start saying ‘Yes’ to the things that make you feel good, and ’No’ to anything else.

So, I quit my job and started a solo mission, or so it feels, to make my dreams come true—whatever those dreams are. All I know is I’ve been looking for happiness and wasn’t finding it at any “real job”. To make money, I sold all my personal belongings on eBay. I took online courses for social media and internet marketing, eCommerce, and read several books on startups, networking, and online entrepreneurship. My eBay store sales were making me more money than I made at any of my previous jobs and I was selling stuff that normally would have been donated. However, I was running out of things to sell and needed to think of a new strategy for income. So, I started researching products that consumers are searching for using a program that tells you the frequency of keyword searches as well as the number of results for that specific keyword. This is where I stumbled on tie dye. If I told you how many people were searching for tie dye online and how many online sellers there were a year ago, you probably wouldn’t believe me. Let’s just say, I thought the program was broken until I did more research. Next, I bought the domain name www.TheTieDyeCompany.com and then made my first tie dye shirt in October 2018. December 2nd, I made my first online sale and have made thousands of tie dye products since then.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I wouldn’t even call it a road. I’m not following any map, formula, or blueprint. The only thing I’m following is my gut feeling and that is the only thing making the journey smoother. I think a lot of people focus on the bumps and obstacles in the road like they’re inconveniences, rather than realizing there are all necessary and part of the process. I’ve sacrificed everything for what I have right now. For months, I had only one pair of shoes and both had holes in the bottoms. When I walked, my socks touched the ground. I lost weight from working so much and not eating as frequently so I could save my money to keep the business and brand going, none of my old clothes fit. I still, to this day, have not driven a car to the post office and use that trip to the post office as my “break” to get some fresh air each day. Those trips to the post office give me time to reflect on everything I’m doing. I guess you could say I’ve been embracing the struggles.

Please tell us about your company.
My Company is The Tie Dye Company. Creating vibrant apparel for positive people and empowering them to “Dream In Color”, our motto, which means to chase your dreams in a tie dye shirt. We are known for our “Company”, which are the people we surround ourselves with. The Tie Dye Company is a creative community aimed at empowering the people around us by providing a vehicle for expression through vibrant, handmade tie dye apparel. The label strives to awaken and create confidence for individuals who want to take the road less traveled, enabling them to fearlessly chase their dreams alongside one another. Through combining on-trend statement pieces and positive lifestyles, The Tie Dye Company colorizes passionate visionaries, bringing their dreams to life.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
School. We had it so backward in our heads growing up. I’d love to go back and hang out with my friends in school again. Growing up is overrated.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
@phlixphotography @kristin_nascimento

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