Meet Thomas Hicks | Gemst0ne & Digital Artist & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Thomas, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think the success of my business comes from a handful of things:
First, choosing Pokemon as the inspiration for my art taps into the “collect them all” mentality that so many people have ingrained in their brains from decades of pokemon games, and media. People don’t just grab one bracelet, they usually grab several and buy some for their friends too. I didn’t know that would happen so frequently when I first started making this business. I didn’t know if anyone would think my work was worth buying. But I had a hunch they would and I followed it.
Second, is that my product in large part hasn’t been done before. Yes, there are countless gemstone artists out there making really beautiful stuff but no one is using gemstones in the way that I am. I am capturing pop culture in a really refined way. People have called it “subtle geek merch” and I really love that description.
Third is that I am always going the extra distance to enhance what a Poke Bracelet is and how people can enjoy it and express themselves with it. Of course people wear my bracelet, as they should, but they are also buying my custom displays so that they can put them in their trophy case, have a shrine to their favorite Pokemon at their work desk, or display them next to their watches or other jewelry at home. The pieces I make are striking and vibrant and they look good on and off a wrist. Now a big part of this is the custom cards that come with each of my pieces. They are cool entirely independent of the bracelets because of their custom artwork featuring the pokemon or characters they piece is inspired by. The art is done by some of the coolest Arizona illustrators that I know and they feature commentary on the Pokemon, the Pokemon world and our world at large. I have a lot of fun designing, and writing what’s on those cards. I pour my heart into them and when people read them I know it resonates in some of the deepest and truest parts of themselves.
Lastly, I think this business is successful because of my overall tenacity, dedication and investment in time to keep my business growing by researching new markets and events to attend while growing my online sales as well. Recently, I started traveling to our neighboring states for cons and expos, bringing my product to tons of new pokemon fans and converting them into e-commerce customers. The better I get at converting those in-person customers into online buyers, the faster my business can grow.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career has seen quite a few big changes, with me bouncing from one job to another in fields that are not always related. Most of my employment since I started working in 2005 has been in retail, retail management and field marketing. But I’ve gained a lot of unique brand building and marketing experience starting with my time as a content creator making videos for my YouTube channel, Cereal Snob, where I mostly reviewed the latest and greatest cereals, and from my time acting and modeling in Los Angeles from 2016-2019. This led to me finding work at digital marketing firms over the past few years, where I got to learn a lot more about the inner workings of B2B Sales and Marketing. After a couple years of not quite finding the right home, to put it lightly, I decided it was time to take all of what I’ve learned and put it to work building something totally different for myself so that I could really take the reins of my life into my own hands. It was a risk, but as of 8 months ago, Poke Bracelets became my full-time job. That is a fact I’m incredibly proud of. I feel like the last few years the universe has been pushing me towards being my own boss and I finally surrendered to that. I find myself working 60+ work weeks almost every week but the work I’m doing is exhilarating most days. I really enjoy the many facets of what it takes to run and grow a business. I have a new found confidence in myself, and I know things about business and marketing from personal experience now that I couldn’t have dreamed of just 2 years ago. But, I suppose, that is what happens when you dedicate yourself to something, stick your head down and get to work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When someone I know comes to Arizona, I will always take them to Harumi Sushi in downtown Phoenix. Sometimes I take them twice. I make sure they try the Oh-My-God Roll, Yellowtail Carpaccio and Hot Havana Roll. While we’re downtown I’ll see if there is a good show at either Walter Where? House or Walter Studios. I find the crowd at both places has some of the most open and welcoming culture in the city. The people there are generally super playful in a way that is so refreshing as someone who has to “Adult” all the time. I always have fun dancing there and experiencing whatever art they have showcased.

When we head back to my side of town, Tempe, I’ll make sure we eat at Yupha’s Thai Kitchen. I highly recommend their green curry or their Yupha’s fried rice, and finish it off with mango sticky rice. I would make sure we go check out Tempe Town lake at either sunset or sunrise riding my Onewheels, I have 2. I swear everytime I take someone on a Tempe Onewheel ride they tell me it’s some of the most fun they have in their life. You know what? I agree with them. It’s literally the best time everytime(except when you crash, which I’ve done). We usually go on a few rides around town riding up through the Hayden park channel and into Scottsdale, over to Papago park and back down to Tempe Town Lake. Some days might be hard to get through or my mind might be too busy, no matter the thing ailing me, Onewheel is the prescription.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I have to shout out my bro Adam. Not only has he been a supporter since day zero but he was the inspiration behind me making my very first pokemon inspired gemstone bracelet, I made 9 poke bracelets as a gift for him and all of the guys at his bachelor party. They all loved them so much and encouraged me to try and sell them to other people. Adam helped push me along as I took my first product images and created my Etsy Store.I love you Adam!

Second, but even more impactful has been the support from my love, Angelique. She has been by my side since day 1 helping me set up my booth and engage with customers. She’s a big part of the culture of the Poke Bracelets shopping experience. She has also invested serious time and effort helping me print and cut Poke Bracelet cards, bracelet assembly and many more things that words are not enough for. Angelique is my superpower.

Third person I am compelled to shout out is my 14 year old daughter, Scarlett. She is often with me at events helping sell poke bracelets and engage with customers. We get pretty busy at times and without her support a lot of people would have to wait a lot longer. She is incredible at stepping up and taking care of business when she needs to. Poke Bracelet wouldn’t be the same without her.

Website: https://www.pokebracelets.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poke.bracelets

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRDNZSIove2lB-iqqikqJcQ