Today we’d like to introduce you to Tremaine Mcrae.
Tremaine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey as an entrepreneur has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I credit people like Dame dash master p and the late Nippsey Hustle. Growing up, I was always taught to go to school and get a job. From young I walkways feet like there was something wrong with the things we were taught in school. I couldn’t figure out exactly why I felt that way about school but I completed high school and received a bachelor’s in criminology. I chose criminology over criminal justice because I was more concerned with why criminals make the decisions they make was opposed to how the criminal justice system works. At the time I graduated college in 2007, I was not knowledgeable on African history or a lot of the fake narratives that are taught in school about the history of America and the global history of black people.
Once I graduated, I started to learn information on the chemical melanin as well as historical events like the bombing of black wall street and the dismantling of the black Panthers. I credit the docu series hidden colors with kickstarting my search for more knowledge on the global history of black people and how it relates to the current conditions of black people in America. My research on the history of my people led me to start thinking about my own life and circumstances surrounding not growing up with my dad and not really understanding why he was never around. In 2014 I was proudly welcoming the birth of my daughter “TJ.” My daughter’s mom and I had known each other since 2003 and decided (for in hindsite were the wrong reasons) to have a child. Shortly after my daughter was born, I found myself in family court and child support court. After eight short months of being a father, I was now fighting for my paternal rights and the right to remain in my daughter’s life, a situation I never dreamed of being in because I know what it felt like being a child growing up without my dad.
My research on the condition of black people as well as my research on the workforce, money, religion, and business increased dramatically during the time I was struggling with child support and family court. The extreme stress of the situation led me to start thinking about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and what I wanted for my daughter’s life. I decided I had to build a business and legacy for my daughter to take pride in. The building of the business would also serve as a way to use the anger and frustration caused by going through family court for something positive. It was clear to me that my daughter’s mother was not concerned with the racial climate of the United States and the rest of the world, as well as how important it is for my daughter to grow up having a healthy relationship with her dad. I had. Dream one night about six months into my fight in family court about using my nickname as an acronym for a business name. My nickname is trey. The acronym was The Trinity Rub Experience. I have always lived the number 3 hence the word trinity and had always been told that I give good massages. I decided to build a mibile massage business/spa party event company.
This was the beginning of my journey as an entrepreneur. I immediately fell in love with the marketing, logistics brand building and relationship building that it takes to build a successful business. I started meeting several models, venue owners, photographers, and successful entrepreneurs. I began throwing spa parties at venues in my neighborhood of East flatbush/canarsie Brooklyn I became increasingly popular for my direct marketing style and passion for branding. The “TREX Spa Lounge” had become a brand that I could use to express myself as an artist and business man. I became my own photographer content creator and marketing team. At one of my spa events, I met a guy who had his own clothing line and he urged me to create a line of apparel for my brand. The creation of the apparel further boosted my passion for marketing and sales. I started selling g my apparel and coordinating photoshoots with models and influencers all over the world.
The success of the apparel line fueled my passion for business. In 2018 I was awarded joint custody of my daughter after four years of court and two false arrests. My daughter’s mother had become increasingly vindictive and jealous of my success as an entrepreneur which led her to lie to the police in an effort to ruin my chances at joint custody. Fortunately, her attempts were futile. In 2018 I also decided to change careers. I had been working in law enforcement for the previous four years and no longer wanted to wear a badge. The circumstances surrounding law enforcement and black people prevented me from continuing to wear a police uniform. I decided I wanted to be a teacher and try to help the kids in the community. I became a part of an initiative call NYC Men Teach, which was a way for NYC schools to have more men of color within the school system. I taught in the Brownsville East New York section of Brooklyn for two years as a elementary school teacher.
As a teacher I was able to show my students some of my efforts as an entrepreneur and the importance of being an entrepreneur as well as teaching character education. In Feb 2019 I was presented with the opportunity to create my own skin care line. I decided that the skin care line would be a great transition from the spa parties and branding that I had already created. And so TREX Skin Care was born. I quickly fell in love with building an e-commerce site for the products as well as adding to the marketing and content I had created for the TREX Spa Lounge. I also realized how cool it would be to pass down a skin care company to my daughter. My daughter TJ who is now six years old has been a big part of the marketing of the skin care line and is a major source of my passion and resilience as an entrepreneur. In less the two years TREX skin Care has released 15 -20 products and has been sold in five different local stores and salons. Our assorted flavors of herbal soaps, all natural moisturizers, serums and hygiene products have become very popular. I use the brand to promote fatherhood unity education healthy lifestyle and entrepreneurship.
As result of the success of trex skin care I also started City of Dreams marketing and trex brand. City of Dreams marketing is my own marketing firm and entrepreneur coaching platform which I use to promote and sell my products as well as the entrepreneurial endeavors of my friends and business partners. A quote I always use for my personal brand TREX Brand is “when I first started the company I was just looking for a ways to stay in my daughters life”, really epitomizes the my focus and never quit attitude which has brought me out of would could have been a tragic story. I appreciate this opportunity to tell my story and spread awareness on the importance of fatherhood, knowledge of self and brand building.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road at all. I have gone through six years of child support family court two arrests a career change job loss global pandemic car accidents. Almost being homeless. Racism etc.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the TREX Skin Care story. Tell us more about the business.
I currently own and operate three business @thecityfdreams3, @trexskincarenyc, @trexbrand. TREX Skin Care is my daughters company I built it for her to have the opportunity and understanding of running a business from an early age.
TREX Brand is my personal brand which sells similar products but focuses more on hygiene product and not on skin care products. The City of Dreams marketing is what I am most proud of it is basically a collection of the resources I began collecting during my early stages as an entrepreneur. The success of my two personal brand prompted me to realize I have a real passion for marketing and branding and helping to build other peoples businesses.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck or fear. I am big on accountability and fighting for what you believe in and not letting a circumstance or situation stop you from. Achieving your goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.trexskincarestore.com www.trexbrand.com
- Instagram: @trexskincarenyc @trexbrand @thecityofdreams3
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