Today we’d like to introduce you to Trenice Martin – Da T-Shirt Lady.
Hi Trenice Martin -, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
If I had to describe myself, I’d probably say I accidentally became a serial entrepreneur. I’ve realized over the years that my brain just doesn’t know how to sit still. It literally never shuts off and I probably have about 14 business ideas running through my head at any given moment. I joke all the time that my brain is basically an entrepreneurial popcorn machine… ideas are constantly popping all day long.
I was introduced to the custom apparel industry 20 years ago, and that experience gave me the foundation to understand the business side of creating products. But somewhere along the way, I started developing my own style creatively and eventually realized I wanted to build something that belonged to me.
What started with custom apparel turned into me genuinely falling in love with entrepreneurship as a whole. I realized I enjoy creating things, bringing ideas to life, and finding ways to turn ideas into something tangible. There’s something really awesome about taking something that exists only in your mind and building it into something real.
These days I’m still growing my business, but my mind is constantly thinking bigger because creating is just part of who I am. If I can think it, I’m definitely gonna find a way to build it. I like turning ideas into income and creating opportunities for myself without limits.
Right now I’m also writing my first book, which has been a completely different creative journey for me and something I’m really excited to eventually share with the world, so people should definitely stay tuned for that.
At the end of the day, I’m just someone who loves creating, loves building, and probably needs an off switch installed in my brain because I’m always thinking about what I can do next.
But honestly… I think I’m just getting started.
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?
Absolutely not. It has been anything but a smooth road, but honestly I think that’s what shaped me into the entrepreneur I am today.
One of the biggest challenges in my journey came from navigating major personal changes in my life, especially going through a divorce. For a long time, I had grown comfortable operating in spaces where I wasn’t fully recognizing my own abilities because I got used to building alongside someone else. So when life shifted, I found myself in a place where I had to really ask myself a hard question… “Can I do this on my own?”
And truthfully, that was one of the biggest struggles for me. Not necessarily learning the business itself, but learning to trust myself.
I had to unlearn the habit of second guessing my own ideas. I had to stop questioning whether I was capable of building something independently. I had to learn how to stand on my own decisions and fully believe that I didn’t need permission, validation, or someone standing beside me in order to create something successful.
Of course there were financial struggles, setbacks, moments of uncertainty, and seasons where life felt overwhelming. Becoming an entrepreneur already comes with pressure, but trying to build while simultaneously rebuilding yourself as a person adds an entirely different layer to that journey.
But looking back now, I’m honestly grateful for every difficult season because those experiences forced me to discover strengths in myself that I probably wouldn’t have recognized otherwise.
I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that sometimes the hardest part of entrepreneurship has nothing to do with business. Sometimes the hardest part is believing in yourself enough to trust that you are fully capable on your own. I learned as time went on that I was powerful even after walking away from the structure I had become used to.
And I can say now… learning that about myself changed everything.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
This one is easy because honestly… my name says it all. I’m Da T-shirt Lady. That is quite literally what I do and what I’ve become known for over the past 20 years.
I specialize in custom apparel and bringing people’s ideas to life, whether that’s shirts for birthdays, graduations, family reunions, memorials, businesses, school events, sports teams, or whatever creative idea somebody wakes up with and sends my way. I love taking an idea that exists in someone’s head and turning it into something real that people can wear, celebrate, and remember.
But I think what makes me different is that I’ve never seen myself as just someone who makes shirts. Anybody can put ink on fabric. For me, I genuinely enjoy the creative process behind it. I like helping people bring their vision to life, figuring out how to make ideas stand out, and sometimes taking an idea that a customer believes is tiny and turning it into something way bigger than what they originally imagined.
I think my personality is a huge part of what sets me apart too. I’m naturally playful, creative, and I enjoy what I do, so I think people feel that energy when they work with me. I don’t believe business always has to feel so serious. I like creating an experience where people enjoy the process just as much as the final product.
What I’m most proud of is the fact that I’ve built something that people recognize. When people hear my business name, they know exactly what I do. I’ve built a brand around my creativity and around something I genuinely enjoy doing, and there’s something really cool about knowing I created that for myself.
At the end of the day, I love creating, I love making people happy, and I love proving to myself over and over again that ideas can become real if you’re willing to bring them to life.
Plus… if somebody needs a shirt, let’s be honest… I’m probably the person they’re calling (LOL).
What matters most to you? Why?
More than anything, what matters most to me is protecting my peace mentally and emotionally.
I’ve learned over the years that if your mind isn’t in a healthy place, it affects absolutely everything. It affects how you show up for your family, how you make decisions, how you handle challenges, how you run a business, and honestly how you function in everyday life.
As an entrepreneur, people talk a lot about the hustle and constantly working, but I’ve learned that none of that really matters if you’re mentally drained or emotionally carrying things that are weighing you down. You can’t build effectively when your mind is in survival mode all the time.
For me, emotional safety is huge because I’ve learned that the environments we allow ourselves to stay in can either help us grow or quietly drain us without us even realizing it. And sometimes protecting your peace means making difficult decisions, setting boundaries, and choosing yourself even when it feels uncomfortable.
I’ve realized that when I feel mentally stable and emotionally grounded, I operate differently. I think clearer, I can design quicker, I make better decisions, and I show up as a better version of myself in every area of life.
At 43, I believe peace is one of the most valuable things a person can have because when your mind is healthy, everything else has a much better chance of falling into place.
You can have talent, ambition, money, and all the big dreams in the world… but if your mental and emotional well-being isn’t intact, it becomes really hard to fully enjoy any of it.
So protecting my peace will always be a priority for me. Everything starts there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.datshirtlady.com
- Instagram: @da.tshirt.lady
