From My Mom's Garage to TikTok: How Dead Broke Clothing Co. Started

My name is Daniel J., otherwise known as "Dead Broke" on TikTok, and this is how Dead Broke Clothing Co. was born.

I didn't start this brand because I had a five-year plan or investor backing. I started it because I was living in my mom's garage with almost nothing — going through a really rough time, a huge divorce, and no clear path forward. I relocated across the country to Tucson, Arizona with zero money and zero plan except to rebuild.

The only thing I had was my reality, and I decided to post about it.

When I first started on TikTok, I knew I needed to monetize fast. Not because I was chasing clout — because I needed to eat. I figured out quickly that TikTok was the fastest platform to build an audience and make money, and going live was even faster than pre-recorded content. So I went live. Every day. No filter, no script — just me, the struggle, and the hustle.

Dead Broke Clothing Co. came out of that. I needed a product to sell during those livestreams, so I designed hoodies, tees, and hats that matched the energy of what I was building: streetwear for people chasing success from nothing. The brand name wasn't clever branding — it was literally my life. Dead broke, but never defeated.

Creators started wearing it. People started buying it. The community grew.

Today, Dead Broke Clothing Co. is a real brand built on a real story — and I'm still running it the same way I started: all-in, no shortcuts, grinding every single day on TikTok Live to build something that matters.

That's the Dead Broke story. No garage required anymore — but the mentality never changes.