What's the story?

Hi, I’m Bren, founder of The Humble Turtle Store.

The idea for this store was born while I was living out of my car. Drinking had been a problem my entire adult life, and by my mid-30s, I was broken mentally, physically, and financially. At 36, I moved into my car so I could pay off debt, get ahead in life, and work on getting sober.

I adapted quickly and even found joy and freedom in the process, but I also had my share of dark days and nights when I fell off the wagon and slipped back into destructive drinking patterns. During those times, I felt hopeless and fearful, and the only thing that could take my mind off it was another drink. I struggled with it on and off, but I knew the road back would take time. At my lowest point, I realized I had to offer it up to a higher power and told myself that if I could focus on small daily wins and allow myself the time to improve, I would get there eventually. The guilt of having been an irresponsible drunk for so many years was a heavy weight to carry, but I knew I had to forgive myself in order to grow.

For three years, I lived in my Subaru Outback through freezing winters and hot summers, working gig apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats to pay off debt. I also documented my journey on YouTube, eventually building a supportive community of nearly 70,000 subscribers, and my channel racked up over 10 million views! This changed everything for me, as the ad revenue combined with daily delivery work helped me gain stability and build a new life.

In time, I got my drinking under control and even met someone. We now live together happily in a beautuful apartment, and I’m coming up on one year sober.

The idea of starting an online business had been on my mind since the pandemic days. After countless hours of research, learning, sampling, and trial and error, I finally launched the store using Shopify and partnered with the biggest and best print-on-demand company in the known universe, Printful, to bring it to life. Even while living in my car, I was able to run this business remotely, and it became another step in rebuilding my life.

I created the perfect embroidered turtle and placed it on hats, tees, and sweaters as a reminder to allow yourself the time to grow and to stay humble during the process. Being humbled by my circumstances was what set me straight, and I want to stay that way. And as a lifelong Ninja Turtle fanatic, the turtle felt like the perfect symbol.

Today, The Humble Turtle Store continues to grow, and I’m committed to providing top-notch customer service while delivering products that encourage people to stay the course. Slow progress is still progress, and you are worth taking the time to build the life you want.

Thanks for stopping by and for supporting this journey.

Stay humble,

Bren