Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Lucero.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Jason Lucero, and I’m from El Paso, Texas. I’ve been living in the Austin area for almost 10 years now. As most of us do, I’ve had lots of challenging times & struggles along this road that we call life, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. For a long time, I would always wonder why. Why did these things always happen to me? It was somewhat of a victim mentality that is the easy route to take when things aren’t going your way. Having that mindset over some time starts to get exhausting because, over and over, it feels like nothing is going your way. I was tired of feeling that way, so I shifted my mentality. It started with a choice. What if I take responsibility for everything in my life? What if everything that happens in my life is because of my choices? What if I come out stronger on the other side of the struggle?
I started to see change once I changed my perspective about these specific parts of life. Change in the way I felt, change in the way I worked, change in the way I carried myself. Just choosing to change my perspective bled over into every part of my life in a positive way. That change, combined with my love for clothing & fashion, is what inspired the idea for my brand, Uphill Battle. The idea is the name itself, “Uphill Battle.” We’re all fighting one; everyone in this world is. We all have struggles, we all have our problems & that is what ties us together. That’s how we can relate, but having the mindset to realize you will come out better on the other side because of them is what the brand means to me. The struggle you have today is developing the strength that you need tomorrow.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not. I jumped into this space head first with no experience at all. I needed to figure out where to start; I had no money and needed to learn about producing clothing. I wanted to create something special & I would learn everything I could along the way. When I started, I took a couple hundred dollars from my savings account, ordered some hats from a wholesale store online & took them to an older lady who sewed out of her home. I had her make my first-ever hats in that house. I didn’t even have a logo designed into a file; I had a sketch of my logo that I penciled onto a notecard. Luckily, she helped me bring that to life. That’s the kind of effort I’ve had along the way. I know what I want to do & I’m going to figure it out along the way. Through trial & error, I’ve learned so much about this industry that I never thought I’d know.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Uphill Battle?
We are a brand that hopes to inspire people to keep going. It’s going to be alright. Things are going to get better; you’re going to be better for it. Choosing to take your challenges head-on is what the Uphill family does. What sets us apart is the message. The foundation of our brand is not “what” we do but “why” we do it. Yes we make quality clothing, but who we represent is much important than that. We represent a community of people. I’m most proud of the community we’re starting to build. It’s something I didn’t expect; it’s something I didn’t think about. Then people began to buy into the idea, and it’s becoming something beautiful and seeing people embrace their challenges and become better people for it.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy? There are a few things. Building this brand is something that I truly enjoy; seeing people I’ve never met wearing a hat or a tee is pretty awesome. It means that the idea is starting to catch & people believe in it. It means that people are buying into the idea & believing in their capabilities by shifting a perspective. When you have your head down working for so long, sometimes you need clarification on whether your work is paying off. So, looking up & seeing that is a subtle reminder that brings me joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: Uphillbattle.co
- Instagram: @Uphillbattle.co
- Other: @JasonLucero_
Image Credits
@scottsimnz @austinndepew @swoletographer @cmyvision_
