Hidden Gems: Meet Kari Marin of Marin’s Custom Apparel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Marin

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Funny enough, I am nowhere near where I thought I would be if you would have asked me just five years ago. On my way to doing big research projects in the Audio/Visual world and mixing audio full-time for bands, churches, and other events, everything just came to a halt. From 15 minutes of fame to being lost in a wilderness not knowing where north is, my ears decided it was time for another career path when they started giving out; hearing problems were not expected. I had to quit my full-time job and put everything on hold. In the midst of a dry season, I was praying to figure out what I was going to do, and eventually, I knew what that thing was.

Besides doing audio, which I had made my identity, I knew I had a love for God and people that was buried beneath the striving for selfish ambition. With my education and past experiences, I was able to give those talents and gifts over to the One who gave them to me. I was going to do full-time research to help reconcile God’s love to people who don’t know it by gathering resources and finding the people who need them. In 2022, I started a research ministry called The Forever Findings in order to get all this started. I was so excited that we wanted to start making shirts and hats with our logo on them, so we went to a t-shirt shop down the street from where I live, but nothing really came from that. Then came 2023 — I ran out of funding (it was mainly coming from out of my own pocket). My husband and I were struggling to make rent, but somehow we always did. We knew we wanted to continue the mission, but we also knew we had bills and other expenses that needed to be taken care of, so job hunting started and The Forever Findings was only a part-time dream…

Nearly 30+ job applications, and nothing, zero, zilch, NADA! We had to shop frugally for everything, and the Dollar Tree became our Disneyland. Going there religiously, one day I bumped into someone familiar — it was the owner of the t-shirt shop I went to to get shirts and hats done for The Forever Findings. I said hi, and he actually remembered me; he asked me how I was doing, and I gave him a synopsis of what was going on, and long story short, he offered me a job at his shop! I had no experience, but he offered to teach me. I didn’t know the pay, but anything was better than nothing. I started in the early spring of 2023.

I had learned so much from him that by late November 2023, I had already left. I had a tugging on my heart to continue the ministry, but I didn’t know how and I knew I had to leave the shop. Throughout the time being there at the shop, my boss had already started encouraging me to start doing my own shirts and venture off doing my own thing. So, that was my first step. I was going to design and print shirts to sell in order to raise money for my research. He even bought me my first heat press to get started! I told my family what I was going to do and they encouraged me to start doing custom shirts for other people as well, but I didn’t really want to. Then… more than enough people started asking me if I did custom shirts. My husband was encouraging me to also do shirts for other people. I wasn’t on board entirely.

I gave in and realized this was probably going to help us get back on our feet financially. So, around late November/early December, My husband and I came up with the name. designed the logo, filed all our paperwork, received our permits and licenses, and Marin’s Custom Apparel was born! Fast forward to today, and we have been blessed with so much work that my husband has been able to quit his job and come onto our business full-time! We are currently trying to figure out how to rebirth The Forever Findings, but for the meantime, we are giving it to God to see what He wants to do with that.

We’re currently working with many schools and organizations. Being able to work with many people and making sure I treat them as people and not numbers is a ministry in itself. Today, I am living for God and people — just not in the way I thought I would be.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
At first, we only had very few orders so it was very discouraging. We didn’t have much to market ourselves.

Once we got the jobs, I was the only one doing the majority of the work. My husband was still working full-time at his other job, so he was only able to help a couple of hours a week. The amount of work was overwhelming, and that was discouraging as well.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Marin’s Custom Apparel wants to bring fun, color, and a nostalgic fuzzy feeling. We are taught to be creative and to have fun as a kid, but for some weird reason, we’re expected to forget that once we become adults. There is a specialness of being child-like that doesn’t have to end, but rather that we should lean into more as we grow older. At Marin’s Custom Apparel, we want our customers to experience a true relationship, tap into their creativity, and know they are taken care of.

We specialize in building online stores for schools, organizations (churches, non-profits, etc.), and businesses. We also accept many other types of work whether it be for family reunions, birthday parties, sports teams, hospitals, etc.

Our main methods to decorate apparel include (but are not limited to) Direct-to-Film transfers, heat transfer vinyl (i.e. glitter, reflective, puff, glow in the dark, etc.), and embroidery. We can decorate all kinds of shirts, sweaters, jackets, jerseys, bottoms, bags, hats, drinkware, and much more.

We work towards having integrity, being communicative, extending patience, and are people-centered.

How do you define success?
On the grand scheme of my life, I think personal and business success can’t be two different definitions. Hence, success would be knowing I have tried my best to serve God and serve people. If I’m aware I have messed up, then getting right and reconciling with those relationships is what is going to bring a full, meaningful successful life.

Practically speaking for the business, success can be receiving orders that challenge us, because that means we’re growing if there is some pain in the learning curve. Receiving feedback from our customers, whether that’s good or bad. That means we can know what we did right and what we can improve on. Success is also knowing people are referring us to others! It can be a feeling of excitement when the project is coming together and looking good!

Pricing:

• T-shirts start at $13.99
• We can work with most budgets

Contact Info:

• Website: https://MarinsCustomApparel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinscustomapparel
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinscustomapparel