Exploring Life & Business with Hagan Hagmaier of Sabal Palms Apparel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hagan Hagmaier.

Hi Hagan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m 21 years old and the co-founder and CEO of Sabal Palms Apparel, LLC, which we started back in 2016. Sabal Palms means so much to me and has added so much value and purpose to my life, but to define it at it’s core, it is the journey of an inspired individual, realizing his passion and pursuing his ambition. Our motto is “extraordinary things happen to ordinary people”, and this is what the “Ambitious Journey” of Sabal Palms has become. Sabal Palms started out as the name of a local apartment complex in MetroWest, near where I lived. This may sound very “ordinary” which it is, but this is the origination of our brand’s name and the start of my life-altering journey. Born and raised in Orlando, I always knew that I was living in a special place in the world, with all of our theme parks, attractions, and entertainment. I believe that this sparked the desire in me to always live for the “extraordinary”. Within this environment, I grew very fond of companies such as Disney and Pixar, in which I originally wanted to go to animation school and work for them. That was my initial dream and ambition, and my passion for it was through the roof. I wanted to take the right steps towards that career, so in the weeks right before I started high school, I attended a local animation academy to learn the basics and get started on my future. I really enjoyed this academy and I planned to go weekly throughout high school.

Along with this, I wanted my classes in high school to be centered around animation as best as I could, and the guidance counselor recommended that I take Digital Art Imaging. With high school however, I quickly lost my desire for animation as I joined the football team and my schedule became busier and more demanding. Digital Art Imaging was still with me and was a class that I took for three years straight with the same teacher: Angela Lunsford at Olympia High School. She became one of my all-time favorite teachers and mentors, and not for the art of animation, but for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I quickly became so intrigued and passionate about Photoshop and Illustrator and really enjoyed creating designs and digitally painting. That class was so fun and enjoyable and served as a “creative” break from the daily grind of my other classes and football. It was awesome to progress over the three years that I took the class, and I walked away from the class with a new skill. The newfound graphic design skills did not immediately translate into me wanting to start my own clothing brand, but it definitely came in handy when I made the decision to do so and become an entrepreneur.

Looking at Pixar and other companies, I was always fascinated by entrepreneurs and their origin stories of taking an idea from ordinary beginnings and then working their ass off to make that idea a reality to creatively expand upon. Learning of these different origin stories was the most inspiring influence to me of all, regardless of who it was about or what success the entrepreneur received. I just loved the concept of a “success story” and how these people could live a life creating for their passion. Finding my passion of Sabal Palms Apparel was actually easier than some may think. It was honestly just a natural progression of realizing the inspiration that was already around me and within me. For me, passion and ultimately an entrepreneurial venture arises from your skill sets, environment, people you’ve encountered, and most importantly, your life experiences. All of these factors, throughout the past, present, and future, come together and ignite the “spark” of an entrepreneur. The initial flame of Sabal Palms started from when I heard the name for the first time. I heard it from my best friend and fellow co-founder, Ethan Beaudoin, as the name of the apartment complex he just moved to a couple of miles away. He used to live in my neighborhood where we first met, and I was sad to see him move away, even though it wasn’t that far.

The disappointment of him leaving however quickly dissipated as when we would hang out periodically over the next few years, he would tell me stories of “Sabal Palms”. The stories became the absolute highlight of when my brother and fellow co-founder Jake Hagmaier and I would hang out with Ethan. I always appreciated the stories he would tell, not only because Ethan was a great storyteller, but because it was a lot more “human” and “personal”, that just watching TV or playing video games as I did with all of my other friends. These stories were Ethan’s “fight” stories at the playground, behind the buildings, and in the fields of the Sabal Palm at MetroWest apartment complex. He was so passionate about these stories and told them with so much confidence and charisma that it was infectious. It gave us all a great energy and was almost like watching an action TV show. We would see Ethan only about once a month and when we did, we would wait till the end of the night when no one else was awake for him to tell us the next “episode” in the series. We gave Ethan the nickname of the “Sabal Palms Brawler” and the stories were then retold over the years after Ethan moved once again.

Years later in high school on spring break in 2016, Ethan retold the “Sabal Palms” stories for one last time. As he concluded the stories and we were hit with the nostalgia of the past, we decided that we should go and revisit the apartment complex. We got on our longboards and skated over there, and then walked around the apartment complex, with Ethan showing us around and giving us some context to locales of the stories. After the visit, we skated back home and on the way there, we stopped in front of my old elementary school to take a break and talk. Ethan talked about getting a Sabal Palms tattoo and started throwing design ideas at me about palm trees, crescent moons, fists, etc. These design ideas sparked the realization in me that I could create these designs in Photoshop with my new knowledge of graphic design. That then prompted me to give out the idea of making t-shirts for ourselves with the Sabal Palms designs. I had the interest in clothing not only because of skateboarding and streetwear but because t-shirts made art practical and useful. It was wearable art, wearable representation.

With this realized passion that emerged from so many different influences, I said that we should start our own clothing brand and with the shaking of our hands, Sabal Palms Apparel was born. A couple of months later on July 6th, 2016, I created the crescent moon-palm tree design, which has remained our logo ever since. The palm tree represents an individual’s journey and growth up towards the sky of opportunity, then met by the moon. The crescent moon represents and individual’s ambitions and dreams, lighting up the sky and serving as a beacon. I always loved the palm tree aesthetic as it represented “paradise” and was the one object that was always around me everywhere I went. Once I created the logo and worked on some designs here and there, along with gaining some inspiration and meaning for the brand, we created the first website for Sabal Palms on April 29th, 2017, and started selling our first t-shirts and apparel. I’ll never forget our first sale because it was made by Ethan as we were talking on the phone. He got a family friend at a restaurant to buy our first t-shirt. The first t-shirt was designed by my brother Jake, and I was super proud and impressed. We continued to sell a few products here and there over the next year, and I was grateful and proud of what we were able to do.

My journey in Orlando came to an end, as I now went off to college at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. I originally wanted to go there because it was a smaller school that nobody else at my high school was going to and that it met all the criteria I wanted in a college. It turns out that FGCU was the top university in the state of Florida for Entrepreneurship, which I had no idea whatsoever, and offered the “Runway Program for Entrepreneurs”. This program was a start-up business incubator for students, in which they would work with a mentor to start/further develop their business. At the end of every semester, the students would do a business pitch in front of local investors in order to get the chance of receiving some seed capital money for their business. It was similar to “Shark Tank” and was very exciting as well as nerve-wracking to do. I worked alongside my mentor, Professor Vincent Izzi over five semesters, further developing my business and competing in pitching competitions. I never wound up receiving any seed capital, but the wealth of information I learned from Professor Izzi and the different entrepreneurial experiences of the program are things I will always cherish and serve me well to this day. I still work with Professor Izzi today, and he has been one of my biggest supporters throughout this journey.

During my time at FGCU, I continued to design and release collections and slowly kept selling products. My college friend group were really interested in the brand and wanted me to design a hoodie custom for them as a group. I was excited and up for the challenge, as I appreciated an outside influence for the brand. They gave me great ideas for the brand and for what they would like to wear. They told me they wanted a black hoodie that said “UNSTOPPABLE” on it because that was a word that I constantly said as a joke and they thought it was funny. I designed the hoodie for the group as well as fit it into the overall brand aesthetic, and they all bought one and wore it. This gave me the idea of giving more of the creative control of the brand to the people, as they will wear and buy things that they helped design. It was exciting for them to be apart of the creative process and see their idea come to life, as well as exciting for me to act as a skilled freelancer and give clothing an “experience”. This led to the idea of having the brand be “customizable”, but throughout my time in the Runway program, I could never fully explain this idea to the investors. The investors appreciated and saluted me for my undeniable passion for the business but just saw it as another “clothing brand”.

Most of the other students were working on more “worthwhile” businesses towards great causes, and mine didn’t really encompass that. What made me different however, was that my business was already up and running, and I came into the program with a business from the start. A lot of the time with the pitching, the investors didn’t understand my brand, nor did they think that I actually needed seed capital. Regardless of the outcome of these pitches; I continued to stay the course and stick with the program, along with continuing to sell online. I graduated from FGCU this past summer in 2020, and now it was time to turn things up a notch. During quarantine, I continued to work on Sabal Palms and they came across a DM on Instagram from “Agenda”. Agenda is one of the largest streetwear tradeshows in North America, and they sent me a message regarding information about their upcoming tradeshow at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was instantly excited and took a look at the information they sent me.

In this upcoming show, they were introducing the first “Agenda Market”, which would be a shared space for up and coming, emerging brands. This show is designed to give brands exposure and connections to retailers in the streetwear industry. I saw the names of retailers such as Zumiez, Champs Sports, Amazon, and a bunch more at last year’s show, which only heightened my excitement. My number one goal has always been and still is: to get Sabal Palms into retailers, and now this was the opportunity. I inquired about exhibiting in the Agenda Market section and asked about prices. Then a couple of days later, I signed the contract to do the show. This was a big deal for me and a defining moment in my life and the brand. The show is from February 17-18th, and I am blessed to have received an opportunity like this. Along with this, I am releasing a new collection in January called “MIRAGE”, which will feature the largest and most diverse product offering to date to take to the show. My brand has now moved into “extraordinary” territory, and I couldn’t be more satisfied and fulfilled with how far I’ve come and how far I still want to go.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Sabal Palms has been like climbing a palm tree: very difficult. There’s not much to hold onto with no branches and a slippery surface, and the more effort you put in as you climb to the top, the more tired you get. The hardest part is right before you reach the top because of all the effort you just put in to climb there. This climb however, has been the most worthwhile journey. This concept of climbing a palm tree to “GET TO THE TOP.” was also the initial meaning/motivation behind the brand. The hardest part of this brand so far has not been the work and capital put into starting and running the brand but the defense of the idea of the brand in the eyes of doubtful individuals. Like I touched on earlier, I never received any seed capital from the investors in the Runway Program, and for me it wasn’t about money. It was the fact that they didn’t fully believe in the concept and saw it as just another “clothing brand”. No matter how hard I tried, they could just never see the value in what I was doing. I’m proud that through that, I was able to stand up there in front of them, deliver a solid presentation, and defend my idea and passion. This “doubt” creeps in not just in the business world but from everyday people that you encounter. When I tell people I have a brand, one of the first questions they ask me is “how much have you sold?”. I am reluctant to answer because we are a small business in development and for me, it’s never been about the sales. I understand where people are coming from however, as when you bring up terms like “entrepreneur” or “business”, people automatically think of fame and fortune. I thought the same thing when I just started out and I thought “now that I have a website, I’ll be raking in sales.”

Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. That taught me the lesson of marketing and how important it is for a visual business like myself that stands in one of the most crowded and competitive industries. With that, I’ve realized how important it is to have high-quality marketing and that as an entrepreneur, my self-image is part of that overall marketing mix as well. I am Sabal Palms and Sabal Palms is me. I made a promise to myself to try and always embody my brand and what it represents. I see my life right now as having an amazing opportunity and that I have cameras on me at all times. They are filming my “life story” and so, I should act accordingly. “What story to do I want to tell?” I do love seeing people that I haven’t seen in years, and the first thing they say is “how’s the business”. It makes me feel good knowing that people recognize me as an entrepreneur and care about what I’m doing. They can see the effort and work I’m putting in, and I’m humbled that they respect that. Overall, the obstacles and challenges won’t impede the progress of my brand or my happiness. The adversity adds to the story.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Sabal Palms Apparel is a Florida streetwear brand started in Orlando, Florida in 2016. The brand symbolizes the “Ambitious Journey” of an individual, from ordinary beginnings to extraordinary new heights. The palm tree is now more than just the symbol of paradise. There is a deeper meaning present that has always been surrounding us. Our brand is about the people, about the individual. We want to tell your story and express your creativity. That is why we have created the “SIGNATURE SERIES”, which is a collection that features customized apparel by our loyal followers and fellow creatives. You can either customize an existing design, send in your own design/image, or collaborate with us to create your own design from scratch. All ideas are welcomed and all product offerings are available, from t-shirts to hoodies to hats to joggers, etc. The goal is to create an “experience” with clothing and provide wearable representation. This is how people get excited about clothing and how we can take clothing to the next level. The fulfillment of creating your own apparel and the benefits of the entire creative process are now available to you. We are proud to have people become part of our brand, part of our story, and part of our “Ambitious Journey” in the streetwear space. Our next collection “MIRAGE”, is releasing in January and offers not only our largest and most diverse product offering but is another opportunity for you all to customize with us for the “SIGNATURE SERIES”.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory has to be the many days that I spent at my local waterpark down the street: Wet’ N Wild. I absolutely loved this place and was sad to see it go in 2016. I was there on the last day with my brother and my friends, and it was definitely bittersweet. Throughout high school on almost every weekend, we would go to Wet’ N Wild and have the time of our lives. Wet’ N Wild was a hidden, local gem for us, as it wasn’t Disney or Universal. It was the cornerstone of International Drive that we always passed by and admired, and it became ingrained into our local landscape. All of the slides there were fun and unique, with my favorite being “Brain Wash” and “Disco H20”. The park wasn’t huge, flashy, or themed, it was just “our waterpark”. I was proud to say that I went there and encouraged everyone else to do so. It became a part of my identity and excitement, and that feeling was special. I miss the sun-burned days of standing up top one of the slides, ready to go down, feeling the cool breeze and looking over International Drive.

These were the moments where time seemed to “slow down” and it was honestly peaceful. That peace was then met with a rush of excitement as I climbed into the tube with my friends and went down the huge drops and turns, yelling and laughing hysterically. Ever since Wet’ N Wild closed and I discovered its rich history, of being the longest-running waterpark in the United States with it coining the term “Lazy River”, I made the goal of one day re-building Wet’ N Wild and to bring it back to Orlando where it belongs. It is the heart of the city and with the ideas I have for the new park, it would be an extraordinary honor to revitalize it. Wet’ N Wild designs and images are seen in Sabal Palms as well, in the new upcoming collection “MIRAGE”.

Pricing:

• Organic cotton t-shirts: $24.99
• Long Sleeves: $27.99
• Hoodies: $39.99
• Joggers: $41.99
• Fleece Shorts: $31.99

Contact Info:

• Email: sabalpalmsapparel@gmail.com
• Website: www.sabalpalmsapparel.com
• Instagram: @sabalpalmsfl
• Facebook: @sabalpalmsapparel

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