Meet Kevin “skaderkai” Wilmer of DYS Collection in North Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin “skaderkai” Wilmer.

Kevin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I want to be the youngest entrepreneur in my family…well I am, I realized that I did not want to work for anyone I wanted to create my own thing and why not something I love. I love skateboarding and got a job at the mall at local skateboard shop and learned more about boards and building them and the retail side of things.

I literally got started because I watched the movie Mid 90’s and that sparked my interest in skateboarding seriously, I was always good at sports but I knew that if I put my mind to it, I could be GREAT at something and for me this was it.

Has it been a smooth road?
Mainly the struggle of being a teenager wanting to start my own business because a lot of things that has to be done requires you to be 18 and requires more money than I actually had. I wanted to get sponsored so I posted videos and go to the skate park daily trying new tricks but getting sponsored wasn’t as easy as I thought! Every little dollar I made went toward getting my website and brand off the ground and I’m still not done. My father passed away was probably the biggest struggle that I ever known, I was thirteen and he suddenly passed in his sleep and I knew then that I had to fight to man up nobody cares like they say. I want to eventually become an advocate against tobacco, my dad shockingly died from tobacco use. I used to see commercials and thought that wasn’t real even after learning it in school. I still didn’t believe it was possible but I did rush home one day and begged my mom and dad to stop smoking, my mom didn’t really smoke much but my dad did and when I asked him he said ain’t nothing gon happen to me boy”! A year later, he was dead. I was heartbroken but I do want other people to know this is real and can happen to anybody because it happened to my superhero!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with DYS Collection – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m known for skateboarding so I wanted a brand that shows my love for it! Me and my friends were coming up with names for a brand we can start because we all love skateboarding so I came up with the name and we all are one day going to be business partners. I am just the one who created the start for all of us! I created a logo and started doing T-shirt’s and hoodies and whatever else I think I would love and I go from that but mostly I do hoodies and T-shirts. I am most proud of the website and what sets me apart is my age.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Atlanta but I want to one day move to California because its beautiful there and I think I would love the skater vibes out there!

Pricing:

• Beanies $15 and up
• Tshirts $25
• Hoodies $40

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopdys.com
• Email: skatedys@gmail.com
• Instagram: @skaderkai

Image Credit:
@Photographybyace (The blackhoodie)

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