Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Nguyen.
Hi Gina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My entrepreneurial journey dates back to when I was about ten years old. My parents immigrated to the United States from Vietnam and for as long as I can remember, they have always owned their own businesses. From grocery stores to gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants, a sewing shop, nail shop, and plumbing business-they’ve done it all! They have truly instilled extreme work ethic in me and it is one of my best attributes.
Although they fled from their country to give my brothers and I a better future with higher education, jobs with 401K’s and health insurance, I chose to follow their path and start my own businesses. My first big girl job out of college was in hospital administration. I learned so much from that job and the people I worked with. I truly enjoyed it, but I was very unfulfilled. I got all of the things my parents told me what made a successful person-a retirement account, an amazing job, and purchased my first home by the age of 22. I worked very hard for those things, however, there was still a void that was unfulfilled. An opportunity came up to start a business with my sister-in-law and I took that as a sign to get out of my rut and start something new! My husband and I picked up our lives, sold everything we owned and moved to Austin to start my first business. Unfortunately, that business did not survive the pandemic, but I learned so much from that experience that I will forever cherish and I’ll transfer those skills to other businesses I start. In the midst of a pandemic and after my first business shut down, Sarcastic Merch came to life.
Long story short… It took me a long time to find something I was truly good at. Something I did well and excelled at. I am not fashionable at all. I’m actually quite the tomboy. Pretty mediocre when it came to sports. I was an average student. I work really hard and I am passionate with any project I throw myself into. But something that I am *REALLY* good at is finding humor in any situation and always laughing at myself. I created Sarcastic Merch for my type of people! I get it. You have a twisted sense of humor. You laugh at things you probably shouldn’t laugh at. You don’t care about what people think about you. You’ve been told you are too much. Too loud. Too rowdy. Too crazy. Too ambitious. Too much cussing. Too bossy. I am designing these tee shirts specifically for the women who are NOT for everyone. You are my type of people and we’ve got to stick together! For now, Sarcastic Merch is a safe space for sarcastic people to display their personality on a t-shirt. We will eventually transform into a subscription service offering sarcastic tees for the athlete, entrepreneur, teacher, mom, pet lovers, you name it!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Short answer… NO. I did not have any formal education to start a business except what my parents taught me. I googled just about everything I didn’t know. I did not have a lot of funds to start any of my businesses, so I had to get extremely resourceful. Some people have said they quit a 40-hour job to work 80-hours for themself, and that is a true testament!! You will never work harder for someone other than yourself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the Founder, Director, and CEO of Sarcastic Merch. I founded Sarcastic Merch in December of 2020, in the middle of a pandemic!! Sarcastic Merch will eventually become a subscription service providing fun, witty, and of course, sarcastic t-shirts to womxn all over the world. Sarcastic Merch is known for our designs, product quality, and hilarious sayings. Community is one of our biggest values at Sarcastic Merch and we are always on the lookout for other small, women-owned businesses to support along the way.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Subscription services are really hot right now and I don’t see a lot of changes to our industry in the next five years. Consumers who sign up for subscription services are doing it for convenience and as the world and technology evolve, convenience is going to be the forefront of every brand.
Contact Info:
- Email: gina@shopsarcasticmerch.com
- Website: www.shopsarcasticmerch.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/damngina.co
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ginah.le
