About

WELCOME

Hi there - welcome to Rooted Apparel! My name is Andrew, founder and owner, and this is my beautiful family - my wife, Kelsie, and our three amazing kids, Lucy, Asher, and Mateo. Together, we run the operations for Rooted Apparel - ideas, design, production, marketing, shipping and everything in between!

The mission here is simple - help others and ourselves to be rooted and built up in Jesus. (Colossians 2:6-7).

MY STORY

It was a long journey to get here from a spark of an idea during the quarantine days of 2020. The original idea for all of this was centered around pushups.... I know. (LOL *facepalm*). Fast forward to 2022, and I'm just grateful that God left the mission on my heart and led me to continue to pursue everything in His timing, ultimately leading us here. And now let's rewind...

In 2008, I came into college without a relationship with Christ, growing up in a house that didn't know Jesus. While I was a vocal music education major, with aspirations to teach high school choir, God really started to speak to me in these years through the power of music . One particular song really "hit" me - titled "My Flight For Heaven" by Blake R. Henson. The song seemed to really be geared towards an individual in their last days, with a particular line singing "I leave this light, and take my flight - for heaven". In hearing that line come together and how the text was so powerfully illustrated in the music, I really felt like God was telling me, "hey, it's time to be found", and to let my lost self see it's last days.

Through this new curiosity of the gospel and meeting new people, I got to know someone that would eventually become my wife, Kelsie, and God has used her (and still does!) in unbelievably amazing ways to help lead me - and now our little family - to be rooted in Jesus. 

One of the things I struggled with most during my time as a choir director was putting my worth and identity so much into my career. And I feel like so many others in the education field do as well - which can be easy to do since the work can be very personal. After battling with that for years (and a lot of help from my wife), I see now that my sense of worth does not lie in what we do or the eyes & perceptions of others - but in Christ, alone. 

After 10 years of a successful and very intrinsically fulfilling career as a music educator, I walked away from the teaching profession, entirely - for a vast number of reasons that I'm always willing to talk about over a cup of coffee. I miss my old students, and pray they're all well. But I rest now, knowing where my worth and identity lies - established from the beginning, and solidified in what Jesus already did for us all.

On to the next adventure.

THE BRAND

For the believer, it is encouragement through your struggle, your hardship, your pain, your doubt, your worry, your concern - to stay rooted in Him.

For the non-believer, it is invitation to put off your old self and come to Christ - it's never too late - "for God so loved the WORLD" (John 3:16).

I'm thankful that God has led you here, too! I appreciate you so much for taking the time out of your busy life to even stop by, let alone read this.

I humbly invite you to join me! Hopefully together, we can continue to make Jesus known, build a community of believers, invite unbelievers, and accomplish anything that ultimately glorifies Jesus.

Blessings,

- Andrew, founder & owner

Rooted Apparel

Timeline

2021

  • Spark to do something more for Christ
  • Original idea was centered around pushups (*facepalm*)
  • Didn't think it would work

2022

  • Abandoned the original idea & almost gave up entirely
  • Started doing a lot of research
  • New ideas started coming along
  • Filed LLC paperwork in August - time to commit!
  • More research and lots of prayer
  • Finally launched Rooted Apparel
  • First order: November 25th!

2023

  • Completely took over DIY production
  • Mission trip collab with New City Church in Long Island, NY
  • First ambassador sign ups
  • Local radio spots