Today we’d like to introduce you to Gino Durante.
Hi Gino, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always enjoyed traveling and as I got older, I was able to venture out farther and farther. I got my first travel tattoo in California, and every since that day, I was hooked on collecting pieces from everywhere I visited. A childhood friend and I set out on the rogue road trip a few years back and explored the back roads of the east coast. Before we left each state, I collected a tattoo that represented that state. I was posting my travels via Instagram and a lot of my followers were messaging me saying I should start to film these trips. Once the road trip was over and I bought myself a go pro and went back out on the road and started filming. Over the years, I’ve made the greatest friends through traveling and have experienced some amazing times. With the state of the world right now, traveling has been put on hold, so I’ve been more focused on building Drift Strangely as a lifestyle brand and getting as much merchandise out as possible.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The filming and traveling aspect of the project have been put on hold. Between the health issues, I have and now the way the world is going anywhere is a bit of a problem. Before, we used to be able to just walk into a tattoo shop and get tattooed now, you kinda have to jump through hoops to do anything. Until this whole pandemic settles down well, continue to build a brand.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I first got my recognition from skateboarding and posting videos to YouTube. Years later is when the traveling, motorcycles, and tattoos came into play. I’m most proud of the skateboarding projects I do. The thing that sets me apart from others is probably the lust for life I have.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
A person that played a huge role in my life is my old boss Dennis. He took me under his wing in 2007 when I walked into his skateboard shop looking for a job. He got me sponsored, gave me a job and taught me some serious life lessons. We’ve traveled together and have shared some of the greatest years of my life. Still to this day, I keep in contact with him and he’s proud of how far I’ve come and the projects I produce.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @DriftStrangely
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCid8G1OmChIe9WY7A5k6eBA
What to check out next:
Aleasha Bahr is a sales & marketing strategist known for showing introverts and ambiverts the Secret Art of Subtle Selling. She personally sold millions in revenue while discovering introverts are usually top sales people – as soon as they stop trying to act like extroverts. We’ve partnered with her to produce Introverted Entrepreneur Success Stories. Check out episode 1 below:
