Meet Kevin Hobby of The County Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Hobby.

Hi Kevin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am the founder of The County Project, a company that tells the story of Orange County, California through art, fashion, culture, and community. I am from Brea, California and I have been raised in living in the OC for over 20 years. The seed idea for County was planted in the fall of 2016 while I was attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia when I mocked up a hoodie that was meant to be a 1 of 1 piece for me to represent that I was from the OC because there was nothing on the market that resonated with me. I wanted to make something that was simple but caught people’s attention when they saw it. I showed my friends the original concept, which is our classic orange hoodie today, and they loved it so much that they wanted me to start a clothing brand. I wasn’t sure about it at first; I wasn’t too passionate about clothing/fashion to the point that I wanted a clothing brand. However, as I thought about it more, I thought about the impact that a brand based around community could have within Orange County, especially with how the OC is misrepresented as a place of monolithic living at times. I wanted to show people what life is really like out here and how diverse it is with people from various cultures and backgrounds living out here.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There is nothing smooth about being an entrepreneur; that’s just part of the deal when you sign up to be one. My journey has been interesting from the jump because I launched County while going to school in Atlanta and was only working with the content that I got while back home during spring break. I ended up coming back home to go to finish school, which was hands-down the best decision for me. However, I was still caught up with school and working a job, so any major progress on the project was put on the back burner until a semester break. Once I graduated from college, it was easier for me to focus on the project, but that didn’t mean the struggles went away; it just meant new ones were formed. I will say that the biggest struggle has been being on this road alone until you meet the right people to believe in you. And when I say the right people, I’m talking about the people who support you however they can, whether they are pushing me to keep going, telling others about the project or connecting me with people they know that can help take County to the next level. I don’t view purchasing something from us as the only way of supporting, and I have been blessed to meet a lot of people who have supported in ways that they didn’t know that they were.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
What we want people to know is not a clothing brand; this a community project. The clothes are just tools we choose to use to build our community. Our goal with The County Project is to one: build community right here in Orange County between ourselves and two: create a platform for creatives here to showcase themselves and their work. There is a lot of potential in Orange County that has been untapped because people are so quick to go over to LA or the Bay or even New York to make things happen for themselves when those areas are already oversaturated with talent and creatives. We have enough creatives here to work together and make things happen right here at home and leave a bigger impact. My favorite part about The County Project has been the fact that I have been able to collaborate with various amount of creatives. I’ve worked with photographers, models, skaters, surfers, graphic designers, graffiti artists, tattoo artists, musicians, videographers, screen-writers, cooks/chefs, and more. This is the most beautiful and most proud thing about my brand. There is something here for everyone that is a part of this project and it was grown this was on purpose.

What sets us apart from everyone is that we are not trying to make a few dollars off a t-shirt. Like I said earlier, I have never been into fashion, but I have always loved creating and collaborating with others. I believe people see this when they see the work that we have done and that we are currently doing. We try our best to be present in the community as well whether that be putting on our own events or assisting with other events that are happening throughout the OC. We have put together sleeping bag drives, clothing drives, toy drives, and skateboarding clinics teaching kids how to build and ride skateboards. Volunteering has been at the core of me from a child, so I’m just doing what I have been doing all my life at the end of the day.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I would say the role of consistency has helped me luck up on things in life. If you are consistently working on your business, you are going to luck up on some good/great opportunities. If you aren’t consistently working on your brand, then you are more than likely to run into some bad luck. Everything blessing that has occurred with me or The County Project has come from staying consistent.

Contact Info:

• Website: thecountyproject.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecounty.project/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecounty.project
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe2qhaMypCD-XfQHMd4g2pA

Image Credits
Photo of Hobby: Jason Ortiz Skater Group Photo: Bailey Pena Classic Car Group Photo: Berenice Lomeli Bucket Hat Photo: Jason Ortiz Lowrider and Skaters: The Knawledge Graffiti Photo: Efrain Martinez Tacos Photo: Robby Gonzalez Pickup Truck: Jairo Valdez