Exploring Life & Business with Dustin Gaines of Elevate Exchange Clothing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Gaines.

Hi Dustin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
Hello, my name is Dustin Gaines, the CEO of Elevate Exchange Clothing. My brand is base off Elevating and Exchanging that with others around you so y’all can Elevate as a whole. It was July 4th, 2020, and the world was saying that they wasn’t wearing Red, White, & Blue for the holiday. Which they where wearing Black & White due to the fact of all the Police Killings. Which I just recently got a logo made around May for my brand the logo was Black & White and I just thought to myself this the perfect time to release my brand because I was procrastinating for a while on my brand release date. So, I made a post of the t-shirt and the meaning behind my brand on Facebook that day. Which people was interested in shopping with me, so I started with 12 Black & White t-shirts out of my car trunk. Which sold out in approximately an hour & half. The support I got that day was mad real, and I highly appreciate them individuals for believing in me and my brand. In 1 month, I had 75 orders for just that Black & White shirt. So, from that point on, I knew I had something special, and I just kept going. Which I was just doing black and white shirts for about 2-3 months, then they was requesting different colors, and from that point on it was up. I started to release hoodies, polos, and hats. My merchandise was in high demand, so I ended up developing a website for the supporters outside of my city. Which I receive about 6-8 orders from different states in a year span. So, the next year, which is 2021, I had presented a Local fashion show Downtown Flint, Michigan at the Ferris Wheel. Which the show was limited to 225 people, and the tickets sold out a week before the show. Which was mind-blowing because I never knew that my brand would just take off this quick. So, from that point on, I started to connect with locals businesses in the community and started to do pop-up shops in my community to share the support with them so we could all win as one. So, 2022 I had connected with some big brands in Detroit area and attended they pop-up shops so I could reach a bigger audience in that city as well. So later the year of 2022, people kept asking me what’s up with another fashion show? I kept hearing it at least 20 times a month, and I just was telling them it’s coming be patient. Here we are in 2023, and I decided to have a Birthday Fashion Show in May, which was called First Class Fashion Show. The show took place at Rutherford Ramp Downtown Flint, Michigan. It was a huge success; I had performance from Babyfxce E & Detwan Love. 

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?
The first couple of years was real smooth honestly; the support and love I got was unbelievable. Which I highly appreciate each and every individual who supported me from the bottom of my heart. But overall, it was a lot of trail and error, which I knew would come with it. Because I was just jumping off on faith and doing something that was new to me. This was something I had to learn on my own; I never knew anyone that was in my field. So, I honestly was just learning as I go. Which people think I got everything figure out, and I don’t. But I most definitely appreciate the process for sure. I done learn a lot of things through the process. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My brand is a high-end brand, which we create top-quality products. Our goal is to connect with individuals who are elevating in any field in life. You can purchase our merchandise on our website, which is www.Elevatexchange.online 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
My favorite book would be Think & Grow Rich. My favorite motivational speaker is Eric Thomas. Which I been listening to him about 10+ years now. 

Pricing:

• ($40) T-Shirts
• ($55) Hoodies
• ($100) Jogger Set’s
• ($150) Bomber Jacket’s
• (Cow Print Bucket Hats) $50
• (Elvis Leather Trucker Hats) $55
• (Denim Buckets Hats) $70
• (Hendrix Bucket Hats)$115

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Elevatexchange.online
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/elevate.exchangee?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Willz Photography
Eye Snap Studios