Meet Cody Montgomery | Owner of Totally Blown

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

Hi Cody, how do you define success?
What was your thought process behind starting your own business?

When I first had the idea for Totally Blown I was living off the grid in an old chicken coop from the 1890’s called the Danger Shack on my family’s tree farm in rural Iowa. Not exactly the kind of place to be looking for a fashion idea, but when a mouse chewed all these little holes in one of my t-shirts I started loving the randomness of the effect and began experimenting with different ways to replicate it. One day it clicked, quite literally, and I found myself out behind the cabin shooting holes in my clothes with my brother’s old shotgun. It was exactly the effect I was looking for and then I had the idea for the name “Totally Blown” and I knew I had something. From there it just made sense to start my own business because no one else was doing anything quite like it. That was back in 2012.

Social impact: how does your business help the community or the world?

So, Totally Blown uses the shotgun as a tool essentially and then a portion of the profit every month goes to organizations like Everytown and Moms Demand to help end gun violence. I think the work that we do is important because it is essentially walking the middle path by showing that guns are useful when used creatively as a tool and have purpose for things like hunting or self defense but that also they need to be regulated so that mass killing weapons aren’t being made and people with violent tendencies aren’t allowed to own them. It’s not a black or white issue, so it just encourages people to think critically on the subject by presenting it through a unique lens. We’ve been able to raise money to support legislation to end ghost guns and things like that which feels really good and just gives more depth and purpose to our brand.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Totally Blown is definitely full of risk. Just shooting a gun is risky, the chance of something mechanically going wrong or ricochet and things like that and therefore I do all the actual shooting myself for the brand. It’s also the risk of the unknown that makes each piece unique and keeps the process exciting for me as a creative because there’s only so much control involved and I never exactly know how each piece will turn out. It’s like a zen, wabi sabi experience where you have to detach from the clothing and the money and just embrace the chaos. Guns are also things that people can feel very strongly about and so there is also the risk that our process will just be a deal breaker for some people. But hey, that’s what good art does, it evokes emotion, and makes people use their brains.

If you are a parent, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact on your children?

I have two boys that are 3 and 9 and becoming a father has been a life changing experience in many ways. The most impactful things we’ve done for the kids is probably our extensive traveling with them which has exposed them to many different ways of life and living. Our 3 year old for example has already been on a road trip across the country and back, to Iceland, Costa Rica, Thailand, Korea, Hawaii, and we’re all heading to Australia and Tasmania on a family trip this summer. Travel is something that me and my wife are both passionate about and it can be pretty stressful traveling with kids and especially the baby, but we always seem to make it work and arrive home enriched and with tales to tell.

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?

I think the uniqueness of the brand has been the driving factor of its success over the years. Nobody really does what we do and we’ve just stayed consistent with the process and quality of goods that we make without chasing trends or anything like that. We have a unique product with a positive message and impact and people really dig it.

How to know whether to keep going or to give up?

Sometimes it’s hard to know whether to keep going or to give up. Covid changed a lot in the clothing industry and it definitely had an impact on our in store sales in particular, but we shifted more to online and it’s been working out. But in general, what keeps me stoked and going with Totally Blown is running into people who love the brand. The other day I was in Pioneertown and my friend introduced me “this is Cody of Totally Blown” and the lady was like “oh my God, I love you brand! I’ve been shopping with you forever” and then the lady next to her was like “oh wow, yeah I turned my Mom onto your brand back in Ohio and we come from this long tradition of firework making and my Mom was so inspired by your brand that we made a Totally Blown firework in your honor”!! and she showed me the packaging. That was like the highest compliment ever for me, inspiring someone in a different field on the other side of the country to make something wild and explosive in my honor. I was like “I made it, my work has transcended its genre, I’m pure Americana now.” We’re in the process of a collaboration now too which is really exciting and it’s random encounters like that that keep me going.

Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?

Having kids has definitely shifted the work/life balance significantly. Parenting and the kids/families needs just completely takes over but then it’s like when you do actually get uninterrupted time to work, suddenly it’s like a vacation because anything is easy compared to parenting. You just have to plow through things because you have like one hour to do an entire day’s worth of work, so you just get way over caffeinated and spaz after it in this new hyper efficient way. Honestly, I don’t think the word balance really applies once you become a parent, but for me working out regularly and practicing Transcendental Meditation is the closest I get.

What makes you happy? Why?

What makes me happy these days is spending time with my family and watching them grow. I’m also a hobby musician and I’ve been finishing a lot of tracks that I’ve recorded over the last decade and it’s really fun to finally be bumping them in the car and sharing them with friends. I’m always stoked to be at our place in Joshua Tree and to get out in the national park to explore and enjoy nature. I’m looking forward to our trip to Oz and Tazy next. It’s been a hard year with the fires in Los Angeles and some health stuff in our family, but it’s also a good reminder not to take what we have for granted and to appreciate every day.

Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?

I pursued a creative/artistic career because that’s just what I’ve always been attracted to and good at. I have a degree in photography and commercial advertising and I also studied textiles and business. So I think what is fulfilling about Totally Blown is that it really utilizes my diverse skill set and there are so many facets to owning and running a creative business it never really gets old because there’s just too much to do.

How do you define success?

There’s many forms of success, but for me it’s more about happiness than material possessions. I use money to travel, to live a healthy life, to have new and enriching experiences and to be generous with my family and friends. During the fires in Los Angeles we housed 17 people between our places in South Pasadena and Joshua Tree and I think that was a defining moment of our success, that not only did we have enough to be self-sufficient during a serious crisis, but we also have the trust, resources, and connectivity to provide for those that we love in a time of great need and lo

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Basically, the clothing I make is my art. I use a shotgun to distress the clothes and then a portion of the profit goes to end gun violence. I call it Totally Blown and I use the shotgun to make organic distressing patterns and then I hand dyed the pieces to give them a fade and coherent look to match the distressing. Each piece comes out unique this way and is also loaded with controversy, social implications, peace, violence, and the zen like experience of letting go of control during the creative process. The pieces are utilitarian in that you are meant to actually wear and use them. This gets the art out in the public realm and invites the opportunity for further discussions and debate around gun use, gun violence, and the purpose of art. It’s never easy doing what I do because of the inherent controversy, the extremeness of the process, and just the challenges of running a successful clothing business. I just stick to the unique approach and keep refining it with perseverance and that seems to overcome most of the challenges. I’ve learned that owning your own business isn’t easy, it takes a ton of self control and self motivation and the ability to juggle lots of different pieces at once. It’s scary because it’s really up to you and there’s no one else to blame, but then you also have this incredible freedom to create your own world.

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.
Joshua Tree is the place I call home. I recommend visiting Art Queen, Mojave Flea, The Station, Mas O Menos, Country Kitchen, The JT Saloon, Luna Bakery, Noah Purifoy, Pioneertown, 29 Palms Inn, The Joshua Tree Retreat Center, and of course the National Park. There’s lots to see in the high desert, it’s a unique community made up of a bunch of small towns, each with something to offer and explore. Check out the Pioneertown Gazette for weekly events.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all my parents and wife and kids for their continual support. My brother Ian, for helping me build out the Danger Shack and for buying that shotgun. The creative kids I grew up with in Iowa. Transcendental Meditation, Brookes Institute of Photography, and the arts community of Joshua Tree.

Website: https://www.totallyblown.us

Instagram: @totally__blown

Facebook: https://facebook.com/totallyblown

Image Credits
Cody Montgomery