The Current: Cesar Evans of Gifthorse

This was my first, in-person interview with someone I chose to spotlight. I recorded the entire thing in a voice memo app. Listening to it while transcribing- I giggled the entire way through- from our cutting up, to Amanda Young singing in the background to iPod jams and simply reliving the moments. This interview is about a multifaceted man who taps into the core of who he is and lives it out everyday in creative and inspirational ways. He is extremely self aware and really invests his ideas and being into the community and people that drive it- to serve them a slice of what he is good at, being Cesar.

"I don't label it. I just do it."

Cesar is the owner of Gifthorse Clothing downtown. His story is unbelievable in the fact that he started with a basic idea, like so many of us have, and grew it into what is now a part of downtown Gainesville. Gifthorse is a unique shop in the fact that it offers affordable vintage and stylish clothing without the boutique prices one would expect. When you walk in, you are likely to be greeted by a beautiful, positive employee with a great smile. The store is open and welcoming- with clean displays and various vintage and refurbished props and scores. What's hard to imagine is that Cesar started off with a small spot- printing his own shirt designs and now has a thriving business in the heart of downtown Gainesville with several employees. The best of all, he kicked it all up with out any bank loans and had the self discipline to start small, the support from his family and friends, and the self awareness to know what he was capable of.

I'll crack right into it and let you hear, for yourselves, Cesar's view and mindset on his life and business, Gifthorse. So it begins:

Is it just you or do you have any financial partners?

No, it's just me. I mean-It all started when I was across the street at the Sun Center, like a really small spot. When I first-first started, my folks helped me out with a little bit of money to start printing shirts which was about five years ago or something. My wife Sarah and I worked together, you know just family financing, - if something was slower she was like "cool, I can pick up a shift" and then I would watch the kids. So, it was a lot of teamwork when it came to that in the beginning. Heavy communicating and making that work out. For a long time there were no employees, it was just me. So I just had to do everything.

What about starting off- How was writing a business plan for you? Because, I know I have sat down with an idea that I was so pumped about- that I could see being a successful business and been stumped by a business plan. How did you approach that?
( This was a funny spot we were in for a moment because Cesar was not really sure what I meant in bank-loan terms because…)

I still don't even understand what that means when someone says that now-BUT when I start talking about what I do…people go "Oh, well that's your business plan." I don't label it. I just do it. My idea was…man, it's just crazy to me that- there is this place, Gainesville, with all these really cool people and there is not a local shop where there isn't clothing or a place to have art. It's weird to me that this doesn't exist. I was doing some art shows and I got a lot of great feedback and I just said to myself I should just ahem a spot. I'll make a small thing to start off with and let it grow. I'll work by butt of to make the hours just profit and incrementally grow. how I wanted it to grow, initially, was other artists showing their work…but there isn't really any money in art. So, that's how it started. It was just shirts…my original shirts. I did some shirts with Threadless because they had artists tees, you know- and a few other brands that were doing similar stuff. So to come back to it, I still don't know what a business plan is.

Well, I guess...did you apply for a loan because I know they make you write up your vision in it, cost and revenue shortfalls, 3 year projections, etc. and they ask for a business plan when you do that. By the time you get finished with it- it seems your passion behind it is just sucked dry.

No, I just did it all myself- starting small.

Wow, that's impressive. It's blowing my mind right now that you have this without a loan. You've avoided this huge process by starting small and reining-in your ideas to a main focus.

I just HATE debt. I hate debt. I feel like a slave to it and it preoccupies me. I was like, I'd rather just take it chill and not be in debt and still love my life. I'm okay with that. And if it makes me work a lot…like, I don't have to pay for my time. Obviously, that's because I have an awesome wife, that I love, and kids…she knew "hey, this is good for you" and knew that it was a long term plan we were working with. I know this isn't a flashy plan, but I am not going to have all of these investors…I don't want to have some guy breathing down my neck asking where are the sales…I wanna see some growth dude…what are you doing for advertising, etc. I love public businesses because they are a part of the community, networking, and they offer something. I love walking around a city and seeing local shops..I just love that culture side of it. I am not really a business man in the sense that "Oh, this will make money"…"Oh, I heard juice bars are the new fad, find an investor in Gainesville before anyone else does." That just doesn't appeal to me.

So, this is what you love- this is what you want to do…

Yeah...and it's evolving. Even now, it's not all I am going to do the rest of my life.

Coming from tee shirts in a 400 dollar space to this is impressive…and not on a loan.

Thanks, like I said, my folks helped me out a little bit up front to print the t-shirts and that was really cool of them. I don't even know what people apply for to start up businesses…what, here's fifty grand? I probably would not have even gotten it if I did apply. "Uhhh, you didn't go to business school kid." I mean, if you hadn't explained that further…yeah, it's all in my head…rent's this much, I need to sell this much and I need to pay myself this much and retail costs this much. It comes naturally, it's there. I have never had to write it on paper which is good because…

Do you think it would take some of the passion out of what you do?

I don't know. If I was just writing down what was already in my head it wouldn't be too hard but I guess I am just comfortable with how fluid things are in my head. I suppose it's all kind of more pulling a number out of the air and telling the bank what they want to hear anyway. Before I just needed this much hundred to do this per month for that little spot. It was all work that I produced.

When was the point where you said to yourself…I need help. I need other employees?

That was when I was on Main Street when I had my first employee. That was I would take…I do believe in a sabbath- I think it is a physical healthy good thing and a spiritual thing as well…so you don't burn out and lose that passion for what you are doing. I have a family, so I am like yo, I am not getting into this business so that I can lose my life. This is supposed to give me more time for what I want to do. This is so that when I am working it's something that I like- that I have time to be creative or do something that is in my suit. That was the situation- I did a lot of other things but don't really think I was suited for those jobs. I knew that anyone could do them better than me and knew that I am really good at something…I just need to find what that is. For me, the answer wasn't find it- it was you need to make that happen. Make a space you fit in.

Was it hard to narrow down your ideas and grasp onto a realistic focal point?

Oh yeah, there are tons of other business and things that I want to do. But starting off small for me was definitely it.

Where do you see Gifthorse going?

What I would like to do is show more art. I'd like the upstairs to be a gallery space. We haven't even finished out our first year at this location so we still are working out a lot of the details on what works and sells; cutting items that sell and trial and error situations with pricing lines that work with Gainesville, a college town. It's like you said, having these big ideas…you have to find where your ideas meet with the reality of your circumstances. These guys have to spend money on their tattoos, amps, social lives…going out…it's a lot to pay for on an average wage so that's the reality. That's why I love Gainesville because it makes you be creative with what it offers. It is the perfect training ground to try stuff out and to hone your skills. Once this one is set- in the future I'd like to have other ones as well. I try to be aware of what I am good at…and seeing what I am not good at. Managing, details…are not my strengths. I hired…one of my employees was really keen on that so she came up to me right off the bat and said hey, you know, I foresee a need for an assistant manager at some point and I like what you are doing here. I told myself - you are going to mess this up if you don't hand this off to her now so I delegated that to her and it's running smoothly. What might take her an hour would take me five or six.
She is good at it and I see it growing with the help of others. I like this spot because we have lots of other shops on this strip. Our Main street location was cool but our only neighbor was the Land Before Time smoke shop and they had their own clientele. Almost everyday we would have someone walk in and look really confused. Like glazed face, wait…where am I? So I got so used to it that they would walk in and I would just say…"two doors down" and it would throw them off so bad. haha.They'd say "Oh thanks and look back like…wait…how did you know that?" So….this spot is is so much better.

What do you beyond owning Gifthorse?

Family. I have a daughter and son, wife…Sarah and that takes a lot of my time. My wife is a nurse, so she leaves the house around 6 something. So I get up and get my kids ready for school and that determines what I do the night before. It balancing that and my social life. I have a band, Daggers and that takes up time too…but even that…band practice is from this time to this time…whatever we create it needs to fit in that time space- that's it. It's a two piece band and we both respect the creative confines of the situation. We don't have to teach parts to other people..I have known the drummer for years so musically we are really on the same page. The next show is Monday, March 35th at Display off Main. We are playing with Flashlights, one of my favorite bands in Florida right now- kind wild party punk music. I am looking forward to it…and a few other bands. We are in it for the fun and will keep it for the fun of it. I am not looking to make a rock and tool career. You do it because you love it and people love hearing that vibe and being around it. We put out a 7" record last February and that was purely someone liking what we do…wanting that to be his second release and financed that for us. We are keeping it real and people are receptive to it. That's what I want. Samantha, I just really wanna chill. It's all I want to do with my life. I really love the beach. There isn't much too it- I just like being around it. It's good for me…my soul. Gainesville will always be my home.

Alright, so, tell me…What's behind the name Cesar.

The name change. I was born Roberto Antonio Evans. About August I changed it to Cesar. It as something that grew in my head and it just seemed more true to who I am today. How it happened? I was on a road trip to see Sarah's parents in Alabama and it was Sarah, I, our good friend Jason and Sarah's sister Rachel. We were talking…Rachel's name was almost summer because she was born (fumbling with the date and laughing)..actually I can't remember…you can edit that part out. So I was saying how Summer really fits her and I could totally see it. She said "I wonder if my life would be any different if that had been my name…and maybe it would have." She asked me "what would your name be if you could have it be something different" and I said "Cesar" - like obviously..it just came out. I hadn't really made that choice but it just fit…it was right. So that was the seed of the idea. It stayed there and germinated in my head.

Do you think that it has empowered you or you function differently now? Do you feel that is is kind of like coming out in the sense of it's who you feel you should be?

Ya, it is definitely an identity thing. When I have told my friends who are gay they are like "huh, I guess that's how I felt when I came out as gay in a way." What you know inside and how you almost make a public announcement like "Hey this is who I am, this is what I am doing, this is happening." I guess it is kind of the same idea in that you are figuring yourself out and choosing what you will be and make for your life. My mom was so supportive actually and some of the most supportive people have been gay people because they say "Hey you are choosing this and I am going to respect that."

Ha, funny thing. My boss Mitch…he wants to be called Don so badly. I feel like he just needs to make the move. And it's funny because it's just who he is to me. Freakin Don.

Do you think it could be something to do with our names representing a younger version of who we are? I know for me, Roberto was a younger thing for me. If you choose that, to be called- When Sarah asked me "would you really change your name, would you really make that shift?" I remember we were in the back of Flacos and this is when it hit me…It got to the point where I knew if I didn't do this I would be a coward. No- what if I had been….No. I have to do this now. SO, I started looking into what I needed to do legally and went to the courthouse by Bo-Diddly and got fingerprinted….background checks…all that. They aren't allowed to ask you why…but asked enough to reference back to legal bindings and wait for the judge to sign the paper. But I had to do this…it's like jumping off a high dive…you can't not jump. You can't be that kid that doesn't jump at the pool. I live this way with a lot of what I do…I think you choose your stuff but I don't like shrinking back. I don't like regrets. You think you are going to fail sometimes but fears can be so much bigger in your head than what they really are. I have apprehensions towards anything bureaucratic, for example but I can't let it hold me back.

His poetry: how he changed his name.

Did you know you would be selling consignment and vintage in the beginning or was that part of the evolution of trial and error?

So that started back at my second spot, The Exchange, when I was on University Avenue and that's what I like to wear so make it easy for Gainesville people to consistently have that. It's what I like to wear.

So how many spots have you had?

There was the Sun Center one called Bertos- that was just my art. The University one was The Exchange. The concept behind that was to do everything I did at Bertos but add people into it. We hosted shows for other artists and had other's tee shirts and work. Main Street was the first Gifthorse. That was more focused on clothes but we were limited on space for art shows. Here, we have more space and an actual shopping area. I am able to carry more brands that I like.

Are you open to people bringing their local clothing lines in here to sell as consignment?
Because I know several people, for example, Ant Apparel, I've seen my friend, Bertsch, sewing his ass off in a small room cranking out really cool shirts that I know would sell like wildfire here. Like me, you sell my jewelry and I have these great products but lack a successful venue. I tried Etsy but it's just a black hole of a spot.

I'd totally be town for stuff like that. I love the community aspect of stores so there are two things: If it fits what I am doing here which is cruelty free, local, vintage and fits our customers taste and fits their price range that's kind of it when it comes to local stuff. I'd like to start printing my own shirts again and I just like making stuff. I like drawing robots and skeletons- I like the idea of an inanimate object and people projecting human emotions onto it. It helps people to see themselves easier- it puts away all of the human and isolates that one emotion. It's something quirky like a robot on a card…a robot doesn't miss you but people can relate to a specific emotion. A flawless object full of flaw- a bit minimalist type of thing. I don't totally know why I like them but I like that it is open ended in how I can draw them however- there is no specific way they have to be…they can have two heads and that's OK.

The skeletons..the bones one is from when I was a kid, young, like three or four. It actually scared my mom. She was seriously concerned. I would buy books as a kid about bones. "Yo, why is your kid so morbid"- I'm not kidding. So, for my birthday I had a bones themed party. Don't buy this kid a pet!
We did like Godzilla to compromise- totally 80's, but I snuck in these bones party favor glasses that were two skulls over each eyeball. Looking back, they were really creepy. I was like "yeah, dude here you go"…handing them out to my friends. Boys and girls. I just think…the parents and kids must have been like "it is a birthday…what's with this kid." So yeah, same with the bones dancing…projection on something dead. I don't like drawing people.

Favorite thing about Gainesville…go.

I grew up here so it's a LOT. It's the people and that's the core of it. It is so connected…most places you wouldn't know random people walking or know where they worked…like I know you work at Palomino and Mitch…I know of him but am friend's with his girlfriend, Kaleigh..So it's a lot of connectors here. There are just consistently that amount of cool people in one place. Originality and connection. That's an anomaly. Favorite restaurant lately I have been crushing on Southern Charm Kitchen….comfort food. On the go…Flacos…the weekend tacos in the back, man.