Mitchell Palmer Gage was preparing for his graduate recital at Oklahoma City University when his life split into a before and an after.
During his dress rehearsal that week, he had a stroke. His voice professor and vocal coach were there and helped him immediately. A few days later, Mitchell woke up in the hospital.
“I ended up having a stroke during that,” he says. “Thankfully, both of them were there, and they did a great job of helping me out.”
His first thought was simple and heavy.
"What am I going to do now?"
On the edge of opening Brass Tacks
The timing could not have been more intense. Right before the stroke, Mitchell was gearing up to open Brass Tacks Provisions in Oklahoma City. He had a space in mind and was already talking with the landlord. The dream was moving from idea to reality.
Then everything paused. He had to step back and focus on himself, his recovery, and what his future would look like.
Grief, then clarity
Mitchell doesn’t sugarcoat what came next. There was grief, especially around his voice. He had spent more than a decade building it, and it was deeply tied to who he was.
“There was a lot of grief,” he says. “I had worked… 10 plus years of my life on my voice, which was intrinsically me as well.”
But as he recovered, something shifted. The stroke didn’t kill the dream. It clarified what mattered, and it changed his relationship with risk.
A store with a mission
Brass Tacks is one of the rare men’s stores in the country focused on American-made brands. That commitment is also why the items sit at a higher price point.
“It’s just harder to make it in the United States,” Mitchell explains. “The cost overall, it reflects that in the quality of the items.”
Mitchell built Brass Tacks on intention: craftsmanship, provenance, and pieces that last.
Adapting to build it anyway
Recovery required adaptation. Mitchell leaned into planning, sourcing, relationships, and deep product knowledge. He works closely with small brands, often speaking directly with founders, and he helps customers understand what they’re buying and why it matters.
Brass Tacks isn’t just about the clothes. It’s about quality with a backbone.
Risk it all to live
Starting a store is a leap. Starting one after a stroke is a statement.
“There was a lot of risk that… went into creating this,” Mitchell says. “Before my stroke, there were a lot of things I wasn’t willing to do… versus now having had the stroke… I feel a little more motivated… to risk it all honestly.”
Then he asks the question that sums up his story.
“What do you have to lose?”
Mitchell didn’t let a stroke define him. He stepped back, rebuilt, and opened the doors anyway, choosing the life he wanted and committing to it fully.
