We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Weis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process was kind of all over the place. The thought of being self employed is great however, there’s more to it than most people realize. People don’t see the trial and error that goes into starting your own business. They don’t see the money and time spent to not always get the results you we’re hoping for. It’s a very slow process but consistency is your best friend. Rather than looking at this as some “get rich” type of scheme, I looked at it as a way to share my crazy lifestyle with people while trying to get them to ride that same wave. The RAD Co is more than a brand, it’s a lifestyle. One where we believe in creating your own reality and living by your own standards. After getting in a bad car wreck when I was 18, my outlook on life change drastically and I started taking more risks and experiencing more because life is too short. Eventually it led me to starting this brand and like I said earlier, it’s more important to connect with people and share experiences with them. If the money comes, it comes, but that wasn’t my ultimate goal when I started this business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am by no means as professional, I am still learning and evolving my craft, but I make all my logos and designs along with creating the apparel myself too. It’s not to brag about, I just truly enjoy the process of having a vision and seeing it come to life right before your eyes. I take pride in that and really try my best to produce the best quality products I can. Don’t get me wrong, there’s been a lot of trial and error in my 3 years of doing this but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You have to understand you’re going to make mistakes, but you also have to learn from them. Everyone has to start somewhere.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live about 10 minutes outside of downtown but am no stranger to the city. Although I spend more of my time in the mountains, I have some favorite spots in the city! I would definitely take them to Waffle Bros for breakfast, to Denver Ted’s for lunch, and then find somewhere for dinner. Some places I frequent for nightlife are Milk, 1up, and anywhere with pool tables. Union Station area and RiNo (graffiti art area) are gorgeous and 16th St Mall is cool to check out if you’ve never been. Rockie’s games are always a blast too!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I went into this process head first without much help or knowledge in this field. While I did provide the financial end of things for myself, and I create the apparel myself, I did have people to provide me knowledge and guidance along the way. I’ve had many friends offer suggestions and advice which has helped me tremendously! My closest friends are always there to support and show love, and as always, my mom and my family are always my biggest supporters as well.

Instagram: @theradventurecollective

Facebook: The RADventure Collective

Other: theradventurecollective@gmail.com

Image Credits
@courtneys.cameras

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