Meet Alexis Alvarenga and Candance Fitch of Animals Anonymous Apparel in Rhome

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Alvarenga and Candance Fitch.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Alexis and Candance. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always wanted to be a zookeeper, my mother helped me in my journey. I owned unique pets as a kid like hedgehops and prairie dogs. I landed some cool jobs and eventually found myself at the Dallas World Aquarium working with animals like three-toed sloths (the only ones in North America), Fairy penguins, pygmy marmosets, toucans, and so much more. I met my husband there, I got pregnant in 2015 and being a pregnant zookeeper is hard. Crawling in and out of exhibits, working with primates, climbing ladders, carrying large items. By the time, I was five months pregnant, I struggled with leaving my dream job. My mom, Candance, has always been my biggest supporter. She always pushes me in the right direction and she has no fear for life. She said “Just Quit” and “Come, make shirts with me.” My parents had started their own brand called Fireman Up, a brand that inspires other firefighters. My father has been in the fire service for over 25 years and recently retired, only to become a volunteer chief for our little town. They are the backbone to my success. My mom told me to make my own business. I had no plan, no ideas, and I was beyond nervous. I’m a planner, I need structure and my mother is the total opposite.

I worked so many hours and had an over hour commute that the brainstorming for the company did not happen till the day I quit. I had no choice but to succeed. This new little life was counting on me and I only had a few short months till I was a mother. I had raised Lemurs, Camels, Zebras, opossums, you name it. But a child… you can say, I was stressed. I knew that my company had to make a difference and do date we have raised over $30,000 for wildlife conservation around the world. We donate a hefty 20% of net sales to many different organizations and our largest supporters are people just like me, zookeepers who have a passion for making the world a better place. Who doesn’t just want to take care of animals but be sure they are forever on this planet. Saving many from extinction and building a community and a voice. Which is so crucial for animals like the Simitar Oryx, Saola, Giant otter, Sumatran rhino, and so many more. I never plan to stop. There are so many endless possibilities for this company and I can only hope the future holds more opportunities.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Well, the company started from nothing, no funding, no ideas, no room. Just me and my parents in a small garage. In fact, that garage was part of my new house, built in 1949. As we grew, we recruited my younger brother. I had a child and got pregnant again. Then, we grew some more and finally rented a 2,500 warehouse and hired my oldest brother. We bought sticker machines that we struggled to learn. We bought embroidery machines not even knowing how to put a thread through a needle. We fought like cats and dogs, we hired friends and fired friends. And I am currently pregnant with my third child… and can we talk about hormones? Tantrums? Two toddlers and an unexpected third. It has never been a smooth ride.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are Animals Anonymous Apparel, we handprint/sew all of our items to order. We are unique in that we keep no stock except a few blank shirts. We are known for our unique animal’s designs that evoke imagination and conversation. We print designs of animals not well known to the public as a way to educate others. We use eco-friendly inks and packaging. I am proud of how far we have come and how we can support my entire family working full time. But I am most proud of what we have contributed to wildlife conservation. I think the high-quality shirts and the fact we run a screen printing business yet also two apparel lines sets us apart from other businesses like us. We also run a closed Facebook group that started as a small way to sell Oops tees so they wouldn’t go to landfills and people on a zookeeper budget could enjoy them. It has turned into the heart of our business and a great way we stay connected to our customers/ADDICTS! Which is what they call themselves. They say they are AA Addicted. We also run two more groups on top of that a buy sell trade which is great for swapping mystery items and a spoiler alert group for our monthly subscription box called an Addict pack.

What were you like growing up?
Quite, shy, obsessed with animals. I knew I wanted to be a zookeeper. I did on occasion make my own clothing from goodwill finds but never thought someday I would be doing it full time. I made good grades in school but only had a few close friends. I kept to myself. I even tried out college but just couldn’t stick with it. When I was halfway through my associates at the age of 21, I was asked to be an animal director of a small non-profit wildlife facility. I ended moving there and working day and night six-seven days a week. That is when I knew I was never going back to school.

Pricing:

• Most of our tanks and shirts are $21-$27

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AnimalsAnonyousApparel.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/animalsanonymousapparel
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/animalsanonymousapparel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/animalsanonym
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnimalsAnonymousApparel/

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