Unannounced Pop-Up Shop
Sometimes the best experiences come from diving in without a safety net and without everything fully figured out. The best advice I ever received from another creator was simple: just start. That’s the hardest part. As someone who tends to overthink and overdefine everything, that idea really stuck with me.
Derma Table at the FREE Pictures with Santa Event at Futsoul in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
That philosophy came to the forefront again with Derma’s very first pop-up shop. There was no grand announcement, no promotional content, and no familiar faces in the crowd, aside from one other vendor who was also doing their first pop-up. That was intentional. I wanted to put myself in a position where I was meeting complete strangers, people with no obligation to support me, and see how they responded to what Derma is really about.
I found out about the pop-up the night before. It was a charity event hosted by Ahrian Vasquez, a 21-year-old creator from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He organized a free Pictures with Santa event to give back to his community and hosted it at his new indoor soccer facility, Futsoul. It felt like the perfect setting. The people walking in were already familiar with the kind of lifestyle we represent at Derma.
What stood out was how naturally people gravitated toward the brand. Someone might notice a lifestyle piece and feel intrigued, then see a uniform or hear about our recovery gear and start to understand how it all connects. Seeing that curiosity turn into genuine interest was powerful.
What really struck me was that many of the people I met had no prior connection to me or to Derma, yet they resonated with the idea. That outside support was a huge confidence boost and genuinely fulfilling. It reminded me that I’m not just building a brand that sells uniforms, activewear, or recovery pieces in isolation. I’m building a philosophy. A holistic ecosystem where all of these elements live together.
There is still a long way to go, but moments like this confirm we’re on the right path. It’s not about being another supplier or another fashion brand. It’s about creating something that quietly fits into people’s lives and actually means something to them.
