Meet Emily Browning, a young entrepreneur who lives in graphic tees. She is a North Idaho native and loves exploring the Pacific Northwest with her fiancé and pup.

Generation: I belong to Generation Z. We are typically known for being very tech-savvy and naturally have a more entrepreneurial mindset. We also seem to care a lot about cool products rather than lots of cool experiences. I prefer to use my cool experiences to create cool products through 208 Tees.

Career and community involvement:

I started 208 Tees in March of 2019. I was in school at this time, but once I finished my spring semester at North Idaho College my small team and I found ourselves spending our weekends at lots of events in the PNW and spent our work week creating new designs and shipping shirts worldwide. We have so much fun traveling to art shows and crafts fairs all around Idaho and Montana. You can find our tees online at 208tees.com. Visit us at all of the community events we are able to make it to!

1. What made you decide to start your own company, 208 Tees?

I have always known I wanted to start my own business after growing up working in my family’s small business. I really wanted to have something that included the outdoors, and something that I was able to be a part of the production process. That's about the time that a good friend literally gave me a do-it-yourself screen print kit and asked me for a large run of shirts. I spent lots of time on YouTube learning how to print, and I knew right away printing and designing my own T-shirts was the perfect job for me!

2. Where do you draw inspiration for your designs?

Most of my design inspiration comes from nature and just exploring the outdoors. My friends and family are also always helping me brainstorm new ideas. My notebook is always full of thoughts for new designs. Since 208 Tees ships worldwide, and everyone wears T-shirts, I think my design options are limitless. On top of cool nature-inspired shirts, I love working with small artists to create designs. My favorite design is actually a sketch from a tattoo artist in Santiago, Chile. I love that the internet can connect me with people all around the world to create and share my shirts with.

3. What kind of response are you getting from people who acquire your attire?

The response I have gotten has been incredible! My Etsy shop has over 300 five-star reviews, and at the community events everyone raves about how soft the shirts and prints are. People always love to learn that we use only 100 percent water-based ink, so it is eco-friendly, and so much better for the environment than traditional plastisol inks. People love our style, and the wide variety of designs we have. There is truly a design for everyone.

4. What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I think people may be surprised to learn that when I was 16 I started managing my family’s restaurant while doing school online. During this time my mom was on maternity leave for two years, so I have two really young siblings which is super fun!

5. What is your favorite part about working with people and getting to know your customers?

I love traveling to events and meeting people from so many different walks of life! I also love talking about my designs with them and getting feedback. My customers LOVE giving me new ideas.