Meet Sunterrah Palmer, M.Ed. | Designer | Roller skater | Entrepreneur | Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sunterrah Palmer, M.Ed. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sunterrah, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea for my clothing line came from roller skating! When I began skating, I used to obsess over perfection and it hindered my progress. I was constantly beating myself up about how I wasn’t good enough but, at some point, I realized that perfection is a facade – because humans aren’t perfect – and I should be aiming for progress instead. By doing this, I have been able to enjoy all of the moments of growth because each new improvement, however small, is still something to be proud of. Without embracing the small moments, you can’t truly appreciate the big moments of progression. On my journey I was inspired by my younger sister, a talented creative, making art with her Cricut maker and I thought it’d be cool to make a sweater for myself with the phrase: “the goal is progress not perfection” to wear it as a reminder. I figured maybe I’d make a few sweaters for friends in the skate community to encourage them to be patient with themselves as well, but I didn’t anticipate starting a business. After wearing my sweater around Venice and the Greater LA area for a couple of weeks a lot of people who wanted one themselves reached out to me in support. Surprised but inspired, I decided to officially start a clothing line of motivational and inspirational phrases, all designed, vinyl-printed by me.

What should our readers know about your business?

Sunnee Shenanigans was created with a central mission of encouraging people to be their unapologetic selves and give themselves grace. The brand is made up of multiple collections including: “Love More”, “Stop Watching Start Doing”, and most recently, “DONT FXCK WITH MY ENERGY” aka “DFWME”. Each of my designs are created in the heat of a creative vision. When I feel passionately about a particular topic or emotion I design in that moment and that’s what I mass produce! Fun fact: my latest design (DFWME) was not supposed to be released because I thought people wouldn’t like the message. One day, I needed something to wear and just threw on the mock up sweater and ended up recieving so many inquiries that I decided to create more… another reminder to stop doubting my creativity!

With the content creation that accompanies my brand, my posts are generally funny, playful, and/or chaotic including dancing in public places, skating in the street, or using absurd filters – to convey messages that I don’t take myself seriously in hopes to help others do the same). I want to encourage people to stop caring about the negative opinions of others and enjoy being themselves. It’s freeing when you embrace your uniqueness and let everyone see exactly who you are.

Building this business has definitely not been easy. I have had to learn what graphic designers spend years studying, in the span of months, learn to print with and troubleshoot a vinyl-cutter, stop burning all of my vinyl (lol not fun), find a dependable blank retailer, and promote, ship, and advertise my business all on my own. One of the most challenging things about this is remaining disciplined and consistent even when sales are low and/or content isn’t getting views and engagement; I also balance everything with a full time job. I’ve been able to do all of this by remembering why I began: to inspire.

I’ve always loved motivational quotes so having a clothing brand with them at the forefront is very exciting. With an attitude of “why not?” and “everything will work out”, I have continued to create and promote my brand even when I get close to burnout. It warms my heart everytime I see anyone wearing my clothing and sharing posts about how inspired and positive they feel. It’s surreal, but I’m honored and motivated to continue.

Our lives here on Earth are short (allegedly?) so it’s important that we live a life that we’re proud of. For me, creating this brand helped me to take my own advice and push beyond my comfort zone by creating art that I like, simply because I love it – not for the validation of others. If people resonate with it and feel inspired, it gives me joy, but if they don’t I’m content because the message will reach those who need it most. I think it’s important that we continue doing what we love regardless of others’ opinions because that is how we can be certain that we are truly confident in ourselves. I hope this inspires you to start DOING what you want to do and create the life you have imagined. I am so grateful for the support of all of you thus far and excited to see what’s in store for our futures! Be well.

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.

Ah, the question of all questions: “What do you like to do in LA?”. Truthfully, it’s rather simple for me. I’d take my friend to Teapop in North Hollywood. It’s a quaint little coffee shop that also features local art and frequently has vendors. I enjoy it because I can work from home there, it has a giant window of light on the inside and has nice outdoor seating that’s perfect for content creation. Also, they have really good milk tea.

On another day I’d walk Ventura Blvd and make sure to visit Crossroads, a local thrift store, and Beignet Box, for DELICIOUS beignets. A good friend of mine brought me to Fusion Sushi in Manhattan Beach and I haven’t been able to get it off of my mind so I’d add that. Sushi is a top 5 food for me and this place is one of the best places I’ve been to so far.

To close out the week, I’d be sure to take them skating at the Venice Beach Skate Dance Plaza on Sunday. It is hands down my favorite place to be on the weekend; it’s a party on the beach and you don’t even have to skate. There can be anywhere from 30 to 70 rollerskaters dancing on skates, creating routines, and enjoying each other’s energy. This is a historic location for roller skating and it’s phenomenal to be a part of the skate community and roll around there with my friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My younger sister truly took me under her wing and encouraged me to make my shirts by hand. She taught me how to design with Illustrator and Cricut Design Space, how to cut and press vinyl and how to make stickers. Truthfully, without her guidance I may not have progressed so rapidly (or at all?) because I was not planning on doing this! I’m extremely grateful and it’s empowering to say that everything I produce for others is handmade by me. My parents supported me in the very early stages by being the guinea pigs of my merch designs (even the not-so-grand ones) and helped build my confidence in designing my own items. Seeing them walk around proudly in clothing designed by me is pretty surreal – not to mention, now other people over the U.S. wear it too?! Wild! Lastly, I want to acknowledge my close circle of friends as well as the skate community in Venice and Long Beach who supported me from the beginning by encouraging me to self-advocate my brand and helped to spread the word on my business. It takes a village and I am grateful for the support of friends and family.

Website: sunneeshenanigans.com

Instagram: sunneeshenanigans

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtaina8Hc2_WGJXVn4Fosng