How My Deadlift Helped Me Sell Wall Art (and Start SWOLE PATROL)

Some people lift for numbers. I lifted for freedom. My deadlift didn’t just break plates—it shattered my fear of selling art. Here’s how the brutal discipline of deadlifting gave me the courage to launch SWOLE PATROL, a hardcore wall art brand that now fuels lifters, sculptors, and creators worldwide.

__________________________________________________________________________

The brutally honest journey of how deadlifting 600 lbs gave me the guts to launch SWOLE PATROL, a bold wall art brand for lifters and creators.

I didn’t create SWOLE PATROL because I thought it would be a good side hustle. I didn’t draw this beast of a mascot because I wanted to chase trends. I did it because lifting heavy weights and creating weird-ass art saved me from losing my mind. I was burnt out. Trapped between the grind of the gym, the heat of the kitchen, and the quiet frustration of knowing I had a talent I wasn’t using.

So one night, after a brutal deadlift session, I sat down at my workbench and just started sketching. I had calloused hands, chalk dust on my hoodie, and I was too tired to care if it sucked. That was the birth of SWOLE PATROL.

(1. The Deadlift Was My Rebellion)

When I first walked into a gym, I wasn’t thinking about business. I was thinking about survival. The barbell taught me structure, commitment, and pain tolerance. You can’t cheat a deadlift. You either lift the weight, or it crushes you. And over time, I realized that mindset applied to everything.

You can’t fake carving a design. You can’t shortcut building a brand. The barbell taught me that failure is part of the process.

(2. From Weight Plates to Wood Plaques)

After years of carving for myself—random designs, sculptures, kitchen signs—I started to toy with the idea of making something for lifters. Something loud. Aggressive. Anti-basic.

Enter the red, jacked bulldog with a snarl that says, “You ain’t touching my bar.” I carved him, inked him, painted him, and sat back thinking: This is me. It became the official face of SWOLE PATROL.

(3. The First Drop)

The first product was a hand-carved wall plaque. I posted it on Instagram with zero expectations. I had no ad budget. No email list. Just the raw hustle of a powerlifter who refused to quit.

The DM came within two hours: “Bro, do you sell these?”

I still remember the feeling. It wasn’t the money. It was the validation. The idea that someone out there gave a damn about something I made.

(4. Lessons from the Platform to the Storefront)

Deadlifting taught me everything I needed to run a business:

• Consistency beats hype.

• There are no shortcuts.

• You have to show up when you don’t want to.

My Shopify store became my new platform. My products became my lifts. Every drop, every design tweak, every email campaign was another rep in the set.

(5. Building the Brand Culture)

SWOLE PATROL wasn’t just art. It became a tribe. My followers called themselves “The Kennel.” They wanted shirts, hoodies, gym flags, decals. They tagged me in their gym selfies next to the plaques.

I never chased perfection. I chased progress. Just like training.

(6. Scaling the Hustle)

I reinvested every dollar. New carving tools. Better paints. Upgraded materials. I learned SEO the same way I learned to lift—by trial, error, and obsession.

My blog posts started ranking. My email list grew. I started pre-selling limited-edition plaque runs. I collaborated with other lifters, personal trainers, and gym owners.

(7. Failures and Setbacks)

There were nightmare moments. Lost shipments. Flopped designs. Chargebacks. Customer complaints. But I treated them like bad training days. You learn. You adapt. You keep showing up.

(8. Where It’s Headed)

Today SWOLE PATROL isn’t just a product line. It’s a movement. I’ve got lifters, sculptors, chefs, and gym rats from all over the world rocking the brand.

The mascot that was born out of a post-deadlift sketch is now on plaques, T-shirts, hoodies, and digital downloads.

(Closing)

The deadlift gave me strength, but carving gave me purpose. Together, they gave me freedom.

If you’re standing at the barbell—or the sketchpad—or the keyboard—wondering if you should start: DO IT. Embrace the grind. Fail loud. Create ugly. Just don’t quit.

Because sometimes the heaviest weight you’ll ever lift… is the belief that you can.

Want to join SWOLE PATROL? Check out the full merch drop at Teka Originals and subscribe for exclusive access to new art drops, gym gear, and raw creator rants straight from The Kennel.

Stephen Matthews - Swole Patrol - Prints & Punchlines