About Us

Here's the thing. All over this site you will find little snippets about positivity. You will find our message displayed in every nook and cranny. We'd like to break it down a little more here. 

Who are the Happy Dudes?

My Dad and I have been best friends and business partners for as long as I can remember. He's pushed me to do and be more than I could have ever thought possible. He has taught me that every action needs reasoning supporting it, and every failure has a lesson to teach. We must take the bad, roll with it, and hit the ground running again with a smile. 

My Dad, Trae Gaenzel, in my opinion perfected and coined the phrase "Dude". It's his term of endearment. If you're in his good graces, it's a "Hey, dude." He's gone so far as to request that when he has grandkids, he wants to be referred to as "The Dude". (needless to say, we have watched ALOT of The Big Lebowski). Trae believes, and has always endorsed the "dude" lifestyle. Handle what you can control, don't sweat the rest. 

"I no longer measure my success in monetary terms. I measure it in how good the product makes me feel. Am I proud of what has been created? Is it the best I could possibly create within the craft using my current skill set?" - Trae Gaenzel

I, Garrett "Dean" Hollis, having grown up with that mindset, try to live that to its most dire extent. Love hard, be kind, and let the bad ride, it'll be alright. One way or another. Be thankful for the life we have every day, and be happy that we can make a difference as long as we have breath to breathe. 

"No worries, dude." - Dean Hollis

My Dad and I are best friends, we're business partners, and we're trying to spread the word; Be Happy, There's too many reasons to not be. 

 The Start

We sat down late 2019 to discuss something we've talked about for years; Screen Printing!

The world as we know it seems to be falling apart as we watch from behind our screens. What's the point of it all? Why even get up in the morning?

"Because, dude. Look at the good! Look at all the shit, look at all the terror and destruction. Now see the flowers growing in the concrete. See the life born each day. It's our responsibility to bring light to the darkness."

What's the one thing nearly everyone has, will buy, and will continue to buy? Clothes. More specifically, T-shirts. Its what he and I were currently wearing at that meeting. It's what i've based my style on since the age of 10. T-shirts. We are inundated with messaging we don't consent to day in and day out. What if we got to choose the messaging we put out every day? What if we could put out happiness, everyday. What if everyone could?

These questions sparked a thought, which sparked a hundred thousand thoughts, all boiled down to one. Spreading happiness and positivity with high quality, hand-crafted T-shirts. 

Thanks for taking a look at our site. We can't wait for you to help us spread the message of positivity. 

Much Love,

The Happy Dudes