Pine Hills angler combines fishing and fashion into a successful entrepreneurship – Orlando Sentinel

Black men and women were thriving in small towns and big city 100 years ago.

They had land, homes, and new cars. They were also attacked, killed, and run from the town. July Perry was a well-known Black farmer and labor broker who tried to register Blacks for the vote. He was executed during the Ocoee Massacre in 1920.

This ongoing photo series shows the difference between Black business owners of decades ago and those of today. Their stories and their spirit are interwoven with their struggles, successes, dreams, and hopes.

Trevor Davis, a FedEx driver who has been driving for FedEx for eight years, saw a man in a Native Angler shirt while making deliveries in Daytona Beach. He asked him if he could take photos.

“That made me proud, and I was smiling from ear to ear,” said Davis, 37, who grew up in Pine Hills, the youngest of five children.

Native Angler Apparel, which is a line of performance fishing and outdoor wear for women and men, is his business. The President Donald Trump stimulus grant helped him open the business over two years ago.

Davis, then 4, carried a Fisher Price Snoopy fish-catching pole with him on his first bluegill fishing trip. This was at Blanchard Park on Little Econolohatchee River. When the boy was not paying attention, his uncle put a fish he’d caught onto Davis’ pole.

“I still remember how hard it was to reel in that bluegill, and I’ve been hooked on fishing ever since,” said Davis, who, as a single father, began looking for ways to earn extra money while also making his son proud.

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“I like to fish, and I like to look good while fishing,” he said, adding that he has always been into fashion. “When I was growing up, since my mom was a single parent, I didn’t have all the nice things as all the other kids did.

Davis, a Floridian native, sought the perfect name for his company. He came across the Native Angler moniker, but it was already taken. It is all about timing, as with many things in life. Two months later, he received an email confirming his permission to use the name. He contracted a company to design his fish head logo, copyrighted it and set up his website: nativeanglerapparel.com.

“No matter what state you’re from, you can be a Native Angler,” Davis said with a smile.

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It has been in business for two years. While the first year was slow, the second year saw sales increase by three times.

“I started from the bottom, I’m humble, and I keep on going,” Davis said. “A lot of people don’t know that starting a business isn’t easy. You got to believe in yourself.”

On social media, his posts are motivational and about life’s situations, not just fishing.

“I try to motivate everybody. If I can do it, you can do it. But you’ve got to believe in yourself, and you got to have friends that believe in you, too. Without them, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing,” said Davis.

Davis, who enjoys participating in bass fishing tournaments gives back to the community through the Teen Sportsfishing Association, taking young anglers out on board his boat during tournaments. He offers a ride, some Native Angler gear, and some wisdom.

Native Angler sold more than 12,000 shirts. Davis has photographed his clients wearing his clothes.

“I went down to Jamaica, and people from the States were asking me who made that brand, and I said I owned it. And they said, ‘for real?’” said Davis. “It’s hard work. I don’t get a sale every day, but I keep pushing. I started off believing in myself, and if you believe in yourself, someday it’s going to happen.”

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