James Petts is a young creative entrepreneur from Gloucestershire who has recently caught some attention with his Mental Strength clothing brand, Proud Phoenix Club.
The Music Works has been working with James for the past year as part of the Upsurge Creative talent development programme, and now he’s taken the next steps. James has just been named one of five winners of the Do Your Thing! Young Entrepreneur Awards, walking away with up to £2,000 in funding to progress his business. We caught up with James to find out what winning means to him, and what’s next for him and his brand.
Congratulations on winning, what was your reaction when you found out?
When that email came through, I wasn’t sure if I was reading it right! I read it over 5 times just to make sure it was correct! At first, it didn’t feel real but after about an hour I had huge wave of proudness and gratitude. All my hard work over the last 3 years finally coming into fruition. Last year I applied for 3 awards and fell short in all of them, which was gutting! However, I used that as fuel to keep going and look what happens when you don’t give up! This is a huge moment for me and Proud Phoenix Club, my first business award and I couldn’t be happier!
Tell us about Proud Phoenix Club. Where did the idea come from, and what makes it different?
My story starts at 13 when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. It was the hardest point in my life struggling mentally and physically. However, the biggest lesson I learned is that EVERYONE goes through pain without permission, so I decided to create something we could wear that could help us get through those struggles. Each product line represents a quality: Resilience, Belief, and Courage. With each design subtly embodying that quality. The clothes are to be worn with intention, if you are having a tough day or tough day ahead you can wear your Resilience hoodie, Belief t-shirt or Courage cap to serve as a reminder of your strength. The name came from my personal experience… it all started with Resilience as that is what has got me through all the tough times. And what a better way to capture that then the Phoenix, who rises from its own ashes to be reborn into something better! Proud came next as I believe that’s the best compliment someone close to you can give you. And Club because It’s a community that helps and supports each other through any challenge. To be a Proud Phoenix is to be brave, do it for you, and always rise again… every single time. I must mention we understand that some people need more than a t-shirt, that’s why 10% of profits are donated to mental health charities as well as starting to create free nature walking group where people can come along, connect with each other and nature and just have a chat if they feel like sharing.
As a young creative in Gloucestershire, what challenges have you faced trying to get a business off the ground?
From the very beginning I have done everything myself. From all the clothing designs, to supply chain, to content online, to website building, legal and financial planning. I think I have struggled the most in finding other people to share this journey with that understand, as it can be very lonely at points! That’s where The Music Works and being on the Upsurge programme has helped massively. Just being in the hub and around so many creative people, I feel like I have found my tribe. Everyone is so supportive, wants to see you succeed (which is super rare), and you can have those deeper chats with people that understand! I have grown massively over this past year all thanks to The Music Works and would 1000% recommend any creative/music artist/entrepreneur to apply for the programme!
What’s the dream for the brand? Where do you want Proud Phoenix Club to be in three years’ time, and what would you say to another young person in Gloucester who’s sitting on a business idea but hasn’t taken the leap yet?
The dream is to have a global brand that helps people all over the world! My mission from the start has been to help 1 million people, whether that’s through the clothing, content online or in person! My personal dream is to be able to travel the world with the clothing and friends going to insane nature spots, sharing stories and inspiring others to embrace their Resilience, belief and Courage!
In 3 years time I would love for it to be fully self-sustaining. Currently I am a freelancer videographer, photographer, consultancy for other businesses. This is how I make my money and how I’m able to fund this dream. I would also love to have a small team around me to take the brand to the next level!
Some advice for a young entrepreneur would be making sure your why is big enough! I have started multiple ventures which all failed because I was just doing it for the money. When it gets hard, which it will, if your why is big enough you will be able to get through anything. Also, expand your time horizon and financial plan. Everything takes longer and is more expensive than you think. It’s not going to take a year of hard work… it’s going to take multiple years of stacking the days, every single day, but over time the wins will stack, and you will slowly build your dream life. If you keep putting in the work, it’s a matter of when not if and if you believe it will all work out, you get to enjoy the process, every high, every low, its all part of your story. 2 of my favourite quotes I love from Alex Hormozi to leave you with: “Do so much hard work that success is inevitable” and “This will be the story I will one day tell”
Thank you for reading, James 😊