(Editor’s note: John Annetti is the person behind the JohnnyVacay.com brand. He took his passion for photography and travel and created a t-shirt and lifestyle brand. He told “Good Morning America” how he got started and the ups and downs that came with pursuing his dreams.)
Fueled by my love of photography and interest in travel, I booked a one-way flight to the Caribbean island of St. John in 2013. With $800 in my pocket, my life in my backpack, and the contact details of a friend of a friend, I set off for paradise.
Although I achieved my goal, the first few months were tough. I slept on a half-inflated air mattress in a hot, mosquito-infested apartment and worked odd jobs to pay for rent, food, and lots of rum.
But my luck soon changed when I met the owner of the biggest surf shop on the island. He offered me a job screen printing t-shirts for his shop. I asked if I could print some of my photos on the shirts and display them in his shop.
They sold out quickly and I realized I was onto something.
For the next five years, I traveled from island to island, taking thousands of pictures, creating new designs and selling the Johnny Vacay brand. I never spent more than seven months in one place and expanded the brand into St. John, Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Nantucket and Malibu.
Today, my daily routine is different than it was five years ago. When I started, I screen printed all my t-shirts by hand while working full-time in hotels and traveling, spending six months at a time in different destinations.
My day-to-day life continues to evolve, but the constant is the ever-growing to-do list. The exciting thing is that my days are constantly changing. Running a clothing store comes with seasonal tasks – especially for me, since I do most of my business in the summer.
For the past two years, I have spent my summers on Nantucket selling and meeting customers for my wholesale client – Nantucket Surf Co. I open the shop with the owner and spend most of the day selling.
I’m off exploring the island, taking photos, creating new designs and of course stopping by my biggest client, Cisco Brewers, for a cold beer!
After summer ends and we move into fall, it’s time to reach out to new clients. I travel around the region, looking for new business opportunities and exploring new areas to create new designs.
Fall quickly becomes the holiday season, which is jam-packed with marketing and advertising. Packing orders and customer service are also a big part of my job.
After the holidays, the trade show season begins. Now is the time to sell for next summer.
When the trade fairs are over, it is time to place orders with the manufacturer and clarify any outstanding issues for next summer.
Spring is coming and then the stores start receiving their products. Hopefully everything goes well and there are no returns. Spring turns into summer and we do it all over again.
The ups and downs of the last few years seem to have been a big up and down.
The best ups for me consist of a few things: Opening new wholesale accounts and making them successful is the best for me. It shows me that people are resonating with the brand. It’s a huge morale boost that motivates me to keep going.
I was recently featured in the Aspen Times for the first time. It was a great way to end the year.
As an artist, I always get a thrill out of completing a new t-shirt design. They are difficult to make, but when one comes together – from concept to final product – it’s a great feeling.
The lows hurt. They can damage morale and they can damage the bank account. I’m not sure which is worse. Last season we used a new manufacturer in China. We made a big mistake and I ended up with 2,500 women’s T-shirts instead of men’s T-shirts. That hurt the bank account.
The hardest part is getting new wholesale accounts. With young brands, store owners are hesitant to give you a chance. They want to see success in other stores and markets before they give you their money. Business is heavily based on relationships, so cold calling and emailing without success can damage morale.
I have learned that patience in pursuing your dreams is not only a virtue but a necessity.
