This side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Demi Marches, 32, Founder and CEO facilities. 12th tribeA Los Angeles, California -based fashion brand. Here is how he used $ 800 to develop a side hustle in a fully developed business, which is seen more than $ 250 million in lifetime revenue and more than $ 35 million annually. Reactions have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th tribe. Demi Marches.
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What was your day work or primary business when you started your side hustle?
After college, I worked in sale for my mother during the day and packed the order at night. I did not have a fashion degree. I just had a deep desire to make something that I thought – bold, global, connected. The identity of the brand suffers from that tireless Udham and is believed that women can make their own rules and lifestyle.
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When did you start your side, and where did you get inspiration for it?
I launched the 12th tribe in 2015 with a love for styling, storytelling and standing. While studying abroad in college, I traveled to 11 countries – each one shaped how I saw the world and fashion. I was fascinated by the idea of expressing where you are and who you are you wear.
At that time, I was curing one type of vintage pieces to avoid looking like everyone. A pair of Vintage Levi’s shorts became my journey staple and the first product that I officially nominated and “The short u pack when you don’t know that you’re going ahead”. That idea quickly resonated.
After going to LA, I started wearing clothes for Kachela with inspired pieces globally, I sour myself. The festival was a cultural moment, and I bowed – styling every detail from jewelry to shoes. The word spread, and soon I was not styleing girls for festivals, I was building an online destination where they could shop for the entire look.
Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe
What were some of the first steps you take to remove your side from the ground? How much money/investment was made in launching?
I launched the 12th tribe with $ 800, no external funding and a vision that I could not shake. I was a single founder, out of college, doing everything with my family and close friends, packing orders, styling shooting and responding to every DM. It began as a side of one side, but our first viral moment became a rapid hit. The festival season landed me on Sorritity Group Chat and Instagram, and I was handing the girls to the thrashher vintage shorts in La La. This small became our first creed product and something huge.
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If you can go back to your professional journey and change a process or approach, what would it be, and how do you want you to do it in a different way?
I must have spent a few years to work on management skills. Mening the high level of stress of the construction of the company from zero, it would also change my life to manage to manage people. I too must have trusted more on this process. When I was younger-and remember, I was launching this business in my 20s that had changed the genuine quickly-I guessed myself too much. I questioned what I knew. I allowed people to excuse me, and I wish I had trusted a little more on my intestine.
When it comes to this specific business, you should be particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who come in this type of work should be prepared, but not the possibility?
People look at the moments of photoshoots, product drop and glossy growth, but not sacrificed behind the curtain. In my 20s, I missed more relationships, as much as I can count. Not because I did not care, but because I was drought, was very stressed, very responsible or just empty from putting it in business every day.
Many people believe that a team is handling everything. But as a founder, especially from nothing, you are in its thick. You are not just running vision and strategy; You are taking the weight of the time limit, department and livelihood bound by your decisions. This is a responsibility that most people do not understand.
And as a woman, everything is constantly expected to be “just enough”. Very direct and you are cold. Very kind and weak you are weak. You are expected to lead with grace under pressure, but the pressure never really gives never. In fact, it is less about balance and more about stamina, self-confidence and still going on when no one takes weight.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe
Can you miss a specific example when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
During the peak season, at that time our warehouse partner incorrectly put the inventory for a major launch. Thousands of units were delayed, and the customer’s orders were sitting in Limbo. For a brand built on community and faith, the moment felt as if it could highlight the years of hard work throughout the night.
The first step was immediate transparency. I stepped into personally to communicate with my customers, making them know that we know about the issue, working around the clock, and that their trust was our top priority. Behind the curtain, I raised every department: Our operations team worked directly with the warehouse, our marketing team transferred messaging in real time, and we manually restructured the supply procedures to receive the order.
This was a decisive moment for me as a leader because it not only forced me to resolve the crisis, but also zoom out how we protect the long term of business. That experience eventually inspired us to transition to a new global logistics partner and overhall our fulfillment strategy.
Turning back, what could be one of our biggest failures that became a catalyst for scaling with more flexibility. This reminded me that as a founder, my role is not to avoid problems – this is to navigate them with clarity, communicate with integrity, and make difficult decisions that keep business in the future.
Related: I interviewed 5 entrepreneurs arising up to $ 20 million in revenue in a year – and they all have the same regret about starting their business.
How long did you take to see continuous monthly revenue? How much did the initial side earn?
In the beginning, it was only me-one-one female show-something with friends and family who will step into support. This was my first “tribe”. Because I kept the business lean and unhappy, I worked hard and was lucky to watch the monthly revenue within a few months.
I set intensive sales targets for myself and made a promise that if I was going to be less, I would find a way to do so. This meant that he was setting up a pop-up on shoes and shoes on the ground, inviting girls to shop in my apartment or sell on any occasion. I refused to let a month go to the number.
First of all, I was making only a few hundred, which increased in a thousand. I was staying at home, so my overhead was low, and I raised the additional income working for my mother’s sales company. But the real engine was pure udham – I didn’t just wait for sale online, I made them.
Finally, when the revenue stabilized, the first fare I made was a finance manager – because I was completely hated to cover the books. But whatever the scary, whatever it is, the beginning beginning laid the foundation for everything that came after that.
What does development and revenue now look like?
With more than $ 250 million in lifetime revenue and over $ 35 million annually, the 12th tribe has developed into one of the dTC fashion brands – without all external investment. The world is worn by millions of women and is supported by a loyal 600,000-fierce digital community, we have become destinations for organizations that create the most unforgettable moments of life. A full lifestyle brand launched with festivals has been expanded, motherhood and beyond college women have been designed. We have achieved growth from year to year, launched global shipping, which doubled international orders and opened a flagship store in Soho and in Venice, all 100% women founder-funded.
Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe
What does a specific day or week work look for you?
As a founder and creative director, my time is very deliberately structured throughout the week to extend the business to both visionary and operating levels. I start aligning with leadership each week; This sets the tone to ensure what it needs to be executed by clarifying top priorities, addressing obstacles and ensuring each department.
From there, I do the front-load of my week with marketing and product, as they are the heartbeat of the brand and require the most creative and strategic energy. At the end of the week, I change finance and operation, ensure that we are on tracks with budget, forecasting and organizational flow.
A specific day can swing between large-digestion strategy and very hand work. I am often on set for photoshoots, immersed in the creative process, as I believe in having shoes on the ground when talking about story and product presentation. It is a balance of vision-setting, team alignment and rolling my sleeves, where it matters the most, I am deeply connected to both brands and people that bring it to life.
I am currently creating one of the largest departments which is the center of the brand, so I work for a very heavy hour from Monday through Friday. I have given weekends to reset myself, but by Sunday night, I am ready for the next week. It is really important that I read a complete on my program and give preference to what is most important.
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What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
I want women – especially young founders – to know that you do not require a perfect plan to find a million followers, VC funding or start. You need punishment, community and courage to show you again and again. This 12th tribe has been created. And this is the one that will continue to move forward, a powerful moment at a time.
