Meet Doc Dougherty | Tie-dye artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Doc Dougherty and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Doc, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
When we first stood-up Doc’s Dyes in 2016, we thought we had a pretty catchy phrase and had it incorporated into our outdoor venue banner “Making the world brighter, one shirt at a time”. Today, as we offer much more than just tees at the local Farmer’s Market, we’ve updated the tag-line on our business cards at least to read “Making the world brighter one dye at a time”. We still use our original sign when we’re on the road – it’s a pleasant reminder of where we began and how far we’ve come. It’s unlikely our tie-dye will ever be life-saving or life-changing, but we hope we at least bring a smile to one’s face. Several customers have reminisced about their own fond memories making and/or wearing tie-dye in their younger days. We use traditional dying methods as well as incorporating newer methodologies such as ice-dyeing. We like to think we help keep tie-dye mainstream and in-fashion.
Perhaps where we assist the community is in the passing and sharing of information such as other local areas of interest, shops etc. Additionally we use social media to pass on PSA information and/or upcoming events at local non -profits such as the American Legion, VFW, Boys and Girls Club and the Bisbee Animal Shelter. Additionally we, like many others, utilized our own SM outlets to pass on information regarding hours, optional entrances and on-line services for the businesses most impacted by the fire on Main St the night of 14 Feb 2024. We have a small community here and we try to help one another when the need arises.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
it was a bit of a leap from retired Master Sergeant USA to tie-dye artist, but one with no regrets. I find crating wearable art cathartic and relaxing. My new “job” is a lot less like work and a lot more like fun. I get to create at home with our three dogs. We use both traditional and newer dyeing techniques which hopefully keep us relevant in the industry. We are always looking for new ways to improve our technique or efficiency in dying. We offer a wide variety of sizes from youth to big adults in tees, long sleeve tees, dresses, skirts and more! We also do custom orders such as linens, towels and we’ve even done a couch! We now offer limited logo-making capability. The intent is to provide a cost effective, local source for businesses looking for their company logo on a quality tee shirt.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A week in Bisbee: There are a myriad of wonders to be found in Cochise County, AZ and one of them is certainly the historic arts district along Main St with lots of small shops offering wares, many of which are made by the owners/artisans themselves. This may be an old town, but it has a young soul! The music scene here is off the charts with world-class talent that lives, works, and plays here. That said, Bisbee’s Brewery Gulch is home to several hot-spots and well known dive Bars such as St Elmo’s, the Quarry, Chuckleheads Comedy club, the world’s smallest bar, the Silver King and our newest addition, Gene’s Place . But the action isn’t solely in Old Bisbee. Moving out of OB past “the Pit” (the open pit, Lavender Mine) quickly brings you to Lowell and Bisbee Breakfast Club as well as Erie Street’s collection of classic autos graciously on public display by private owners. There’s the Shady Dell and Dot’s Diner at the traffic circle and moving along Bisbee Rd into the Warren District brings us to another popular music venue, the Hitching Post. Not far past that lies the Nation’s oldest, continuously operated professional sports venue – Historic Warren Ballpark where vintage baseball is still played! Bisbee is also home to AZ’s oldest micro-brewery, Electric Brewing featuring their own beer and sodas just a bit further along Hwy 92 in the San Jose district but well worth the drive! That area is known as San Jose with wonderful views of Mt San Jose in Mexico across the valley and where our VFW and American Legion Posts are located. The American Legion hosts several musical acts during the summer on the patio. If food is what you’re looking for don’t bother looking for chain-stores. The only one we have is BK. Everything else is locally owned/operated and wonderfully so! There are a couple vegan options with Main St Bistro and Cafe Cornucopia, Mexican/Southwest options include Taqueria Outlaw and Contessa’s and just beside Contessa’s is Banshee Pizza. Cafe Roka offers fine dining for that special night out in OB, and the Copper Pig in Warren is a solid option for date night. Casual dining is conveniently co-located with the Hitching post at the Feedlot Diner and for something out of this world – Bisbee Burger Truck. Get the Zacatecas burger and pair it with a brew from Electric or Bisbee Brewing Co.
If getting outside of town is more your thing, put on a tie-dye and head out to explore Coronado, be bold (and preferably in a 4WD vehicle) and head along the US/MX border and take the back way to Parker Canyon Lake. If you like birding, White Water Draw has the annual Sandbill Crane migration and the next town over, Sierra Vista is the US’ humming bird capital. Get back out into Ramsey Canyon or if you have access, Ft Huachuca and the museums on post. Related to that, Camp Naco is currently undergoing restorative efforts which include a museum and honor the Buffalo Soldiers stationed there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I fully believe that our success came from the help and support of our friends and loved ones. The ones who sat and listened to the crazy idea that became a reality. Additionally the self-confidence and resilience garnered through 20 years in the Army certainly helped a great deal, but there is one unit that needs recognition as without their guidance we simply would have never been able to get started and they did so amazingly well – the Cochise College Small Business Development Center (SBDC). They helped us implement that crazy idea into a business plan and gave us the building blocks to continue to move forward and grow as a small, successful business in just a few years. We would not be here without their guidance.

Website: www.docsdyes.com

Instagram: docsdyes

Linkedin: paul.doc.dougherty

Facebook: Doc Dougherty

Image Credits
myself, my wife – Katie Dougherty