The apparel industry is extremely competitive in today’s fashion scene, with a plethora of brands fighting for consumers’ attention amid a sea of fads, aesthetics, and short-lived viral moments. Many up-and-coming brands have trouble striking a balance between creativity and purpose; they frequently prioritize profit over impact or forego meaningful messaging in favor of eye-catching designs. Being unique necessitates more than just a striking appearance; it also calls for a narrative, a philosophy, and a personal connection.

Here comes Demons Behind Me, a clothing company founded by two friends, Jim Thelen & Chris Richardson, that aims to do more than just make clothes. Wearers are encouraged to move on with resilience by the brand, which combines striking, eye-catching designs with a universally uplifting motto. A growing clothing line that combines eye-catching graphics with a message of hope, empowerment, and community has grown from a simple idea that was inspired by a shared conversation about life, tattoos, and personal development. From their first 24 shirts to the well-known flannels, hoodies, and accessories made in Jacksonville, Florida, Demons Behind Me has continued to transform curiosity into dialogue and dialogue into connection, building a brand that is both visually striking and meaningful.

In an exclusive interview with Business Fortune, Jim Thelen, Co-Founder of Demons Behind Me, shared how their Jacksonville-based brand grew from a shared tattoo-inspired mantra into a clothing line combining bold designs with positive messages, fostering community, resilience, and meaningful conversations. Below is an excerpt from the interview.

Interview Highlights

Thelen, could you walk us through the moment when Chris showed you the demon tattoo and said, ‘I put the demons behind me’, how did that conversation exactly unfold, and how did that turn into a conscious decision to start a brand around that message?

Prior to meeting Co-Owner Chris, I had a strong desire to create a clothing brand. With an undergraduate degree in Graphic Design, I wanted to put my talent and education to use. While reading The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki, I came across a passage that stuck with me: if you want a business to last, it must be built around a mantra that benefits society. Inspired by that idea, I began searching for a mantra to build a clothing line around sometime in 2004 – but for years, nothing really clicked.

Fast forward to 2008: Chris and I were working together at a restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, FL. After finishing our shifts early one day, we headed to a local spot to hang out. During our conversation, we discovered a shared dream of starting our own businesses. I mentioned my hope to start a clothing line, and we left it at that for the time being.

Later, our conversation turned to tattoos. Chris showed me a tattoo of a demon tearing out of the back of his calf. He explained, “I put the demon there because I put my demons behind me.” The moment he said, “demons behind me,” it hit me like a punch to the chest. I immediately realized that this was the mantra I had been searching for. I shared my excitement with him and insisted we put it on a shirt, to which he immediately agreed. Almost instantly, we began brainstorming ways to move forward and envisioned the look and style we both wanted. The very next day, I was designing our first shirt, proudly featuring the powerful message: Demons Behind Me.

When you first launched in 2009, what were the fears or doubts you both had, either about yourself, about the market, or about sustaining a brand with a message rather than just a fashion product? How did you overcome those?

Our biggest fear was affording the business and production costs. Chris was more stable financially, but neither of us had much expendable income. As the designer, I also worried that my work might go unnoticed or unliked, since I’d never sold my own designs before.

To address our financial fears, we started simple: we printed only 24 shirts of our first design. This let us test the waters, gather feedback, and improve. Encouraged, we created a second design, printed 48 shirts, and set up a table at our restaurant on July 4th, 2009, introducing the Demons Behind Me mantra to the public.

We continue to move forward slowly, minimizing risk while trying new things. We also seek feedback from supporters before launching new ideas or items.

How did you define what ‘putting demons behind me’ means in a way that resonates with so many different people, with different struggles (mental health, addiction, trauma, illness)? Did you worry about being too broad or too vague? What guided you in clarifying that message?

This was one of the more challenging aspects of growing the brand. What made it easier was that we didn’t force it by trying to choose a direction right away; instead, we allowed the message to evolve naturally. When we first started selling to the public through pop-up shops at Daytona Beach Biketoberfest and Bike Week, customers came into our tent and shared what Demons Behind Me meant to them and why. Many opened up with deeply personal stories about addiction, mental health, loss, PTSD, divorce, and more, explaining their emotional connection to the mantra.

We realized Demons Behind Me meant something different to each person, but the common theme was moving forward and leaving the past behind, regardless of what that past was. This is where the catchphrase “and so is the past” was born: Demons Behind Me. And so is the past. Our intention was to keep the message broad enough to resonate with anyone overcoming, or working to overcome, life’s obstacles. We knew it had to be universal because of how uniquely each person connected with it.

Your product lineup includes flannels, hoodies, beanies, caps, etc. How do you decide which new category to explore, what designs to adopt, or what collaborations to pursue? What design principles do you refuse to compromise on?

Two main factors guide us when choosing our designs and products: first, Chris and I select items we personally like to wear; second, we create products our supporters want. As mentioned earlier, gathering feedback from our community is a regular practice for us. We always welcome ideas as well as constructive criticism. We enjoy sharing concepts on social media and asking for input, often running polls when we’re deciding between two or three new products or designs. These simple yet effective polls – such as “Which do you prefer, A or B?” – remove the guesswork from product creation.

There are two things we will never compromise on: delivering positive designs and messages, and ensuring high-quality items that last. Since we actively listen to our supporters, we provide items they want and need, as long as they align with our standards of positivity and quality. If we move forward with a collaboration, the partner must not only resonate with our message but also share similar values.

In a saturated fashion/merch/apparel market, what differentiates DBM, beyond the message, in terms of brand identity, voice, culture, community? Who do you see as your competitors or peers, and how do you set yourselves apart?

Our look, combined with our completely positive message, is what truly sets us apart. Most of our items feature an aggressive, bold style with bright colors and skulls, yet the message behind them is entirely uplifting. There really isn’t anything else like us on the market. While you may find skulls and a hardcore aesthetic from other companies, their designs often lack meaning – or worse, carry negative messages.

At Demons Behind Me, we want our name to be big and loud on our products – not just for brand recognition, but to spark curiosity in others who see our supporters wearing our gear. That curiosity often leads to questions and, more importantly, to genuine conversations about what Demons Behind Me means to each individual. These conversations are powerful and, in many cases, life-changing.

Your growth has been remarkable (Inc. 5000 recognition in 2024 and 2025). What have been the growing pains, operational, teams, supply chain, logistics, that you didn’t anticipate, and how did you adapt?

One of the growing pains we did not anticipate was keeping up with the demand for our most successful products. Our flannels became a game-changer, but their popularity quickly outpaced our ability to keep them in stock. Since production is based overseas, restocking typically takes at least 30 days – often closer to 45. This created frequent revenue peaks and valleys, which was less than ideal. It also led to challenges with limited inventory space.

To overcome this, we became hyper-focused on our sales data and developed stronger forecasting strategies. However, since we were still in growth mode, it was difficult to determine how much more we could have scaled with adequate inventory. Forecasting purely on past data proved ineffective, so we had to balance historical trends with anticipated growth projections and the financial feasibility of increasing inventory.

Looking ahead, do you have any plans to grow more globally, outside the US, in terms of distribution, storefronts, or partnerships? What are the unique challenges you foresee in entering new markets, cultural translation of the message, or logistics?

Our next growth goal is to expand our wholesale business by offering select retailers the opportunity to carry and sell the Demons Behind Me brand. We are currently in a handful of retailers across the U.S. that perform very well, but the challenges ahead involve managing inventory, space, and keeping up with wholesale demand.

As a two-owner operation without deep pockets and carrying some debt, we recognize that at some point we may need to explore bringing on additional owners or investors to support the growth and meet the needs of Demons Behind Me.

“Just like dressing for the job we want, we need to dress for the life we want. When we wear positive sayings, they become more than a saying, they become a mantra and words to live by.”