Starting A Business After Divorce

Trenice Martin from Marrero, Louisiana (city outside of New Orleans).

What do you like most about Marrero?

What I like most about where I live is the culture and the vibe. New Orleans and all the cities surrounding the area are full of fun and celebrations. From the small things like birthday parties and second lines to the larger functions like Mardi Gras, Essence and Jazz Fest, it's definitely an area worth exploring.

How did you come up with the idea?

I've been creating custom t-shirts for 18 years now, but the idea wasn't my own. The business started with my husband and I in 2006. He was already dibbling and dabbling in it before I met him. As the years progressed, the business grew and blossomed into something great.

Through word of mouth & me implementing what I was learning about websites, SEO and advertising, the business became pretty well known in the city & was very successful.

In February 2024 I decided to begin the process of divorce and I started my own business in the same industry since I knew it so well. It was a really rough start though. I was in a new area and I had to gain new customers and gain trust all over again. Of course, I had customers that followed me on my new adventure, but it wasn't enough.

Word of mouth, advertising and great customer service helped pull in new faces and gave me the traction I needed to push forward. I thought about giving up...A LOT...because I didn't think it would be this hard. Especially since I had been doing it for so long, you know.

My new business made a year in April 2025 and I just started to see a flow of money! I knew I would be alright from here on out.

What are your income streams?

Multiple income streams is an absolute MUST especially when you only have one business. Right now I have my brick and mortar shop where you can walk in and place an order in person. I also have my ecommerce website, along with Etsy, Amazon and Facebook Marketplace. It's a balancing act paying attention to all those areas, not to mention the ordering that may come through text or direct message on Instagram.

How have you attracted new customers?

A lot of my new customers came through word of mouth which, in my opinion, is the fastest and cheapest way to gain a customer especially when you're a new business. The action that made the greatest impact would definitely be my customer service. That's the main thing that has grown the business for me.

First impressions are everything and I take that into consideration every time I see a new face. A customer will pass your name to everybody if they had a great experience. It doesn't cost anything to be polite and smile even if you're not having the best day and that goes a long way with people. Especially those that are giving you their hard earned dollars.

What is your favorite product?

My favorite product...hmm...well...i'm the t-shirt lady so, of course, shirts will be the product (lol), but there's a design style I like to mess with in particular and that's stencils or custom silhouettes. I create them depending on the theme or occasion. It allows me to get really creative and think outside of the box... literally.

Most shirt designs are boxed in and I like to get away from that and create something that gives the shirt a look that people aren't used to seeing. It keeps your creative juices flowing and allows you to challenge yourself to do better than your last creation.

If you could go back, would you do anything differently?

I would definitely do a lot of things differently if I could go back to starting this business. My biggest thing would be to not stress so much and trust the process. I cried regularly in my beginning stages. Most of my tears had to do with all the personal things that were happening in my life in regards to my divorce.

Aside from that, I was expecting more microwave type progress because of who I was in the industry and the years tied into it. I wasn't expecting to have to work so hard because I said to myself that all the legwork was done...the foundation was laid.

Then I realized that my prior business was structured differently and it wasn't cookie cutter. Same architect, but different blueprints for a different land and I needed a new foundation. If I would have grasped this concept earlier on, lots of things could have been avoided, money could have been saved and my stress levels would have been a whole lot less.

What are your goals?

My goals are to build more businesses, but more along the autopilot lines. I do generate money while I sleep because I have an e-commerce website, but I have to manually tend to those orders. I'm looking to take a digital approach to produce more money with less labor. You put time and labor into creating a product one time and it generates money for you repeatedly. I like the idea of setting it and forgetting it.

What platforms do you use?

Well my website is thru Wix, which I love because it's a drag and drop site. Very easy maintenance and simple to totally upgrade if need be. Social platforms are Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. I use other platforms, but those are the ones I'm most active on.

Do you have a favorite motivational quote?

Oh! I have a few of those (lol).

"If you get tired, learn to rest, but not to quit."

- Banksy

"Work harder than you think you did yesterday."

- Alex Elle

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."

- Arthur Ashe

"Discipline is remembering what you want."

- David Campbell

Where can we find you online?

Visit my website at www.datshirtlady.com.

You can also find and connect with me on social media.

Instagram @da.tshirt.lady

Facebook @datshirtlady

Pinterest @datshirtlady