Podcast Starter Kit Giveaway - I'm giving away $1,000 worth of podcast equipment and courses. You can enter to win by heading to over the www.iwannabefamous.co/giveaway for more details or just text WINGEAR to 44222 that's W I N G E A R to 44222 until June 1st 2020.
Nemo in two sentences or less, tell us about yourself.
Nemo -- He's motivational, he's a man of God here to inspire the homies that he calls Foolies. People who are foolish enough to live out their goals and dreams. He's huge fan of WWE! Nemo has been featured in Essence, Gary Vee's Crushing It, and more. He's also Full Sail & FU grad 😉
He built Foolies - a motivational t company that celebrates black women - from the ground up and has become one of the most sought after branding and marketing consulting experts for black brands and conferences. We met at a 1 Million Cups event in 2012 and the guy has been an inspiration and resource of knowledge ever since.
How Nemo become a famous t-shirt entrepreneur?
In West Philadelphia born and raised--wait, that's not his story. He was just a young guy from the Mi-YaYo that decided he was going to start a little t-shirt company. Nemo is no stranger to hustle and hard work.
In middle school he would sell chips and juice to others kids in order to buy clothes and sneakers. Fast forward to post graduate, Nemo decided to start his t-shirt company from scratch. 9 years later, and his work has have been featured in Essence, Gary Vaynerchuk's Crusing It, Business Insider and so many more outlets.
It really was me just getting savvy with some online tools and creating a t-shirt that celebrated dope black women!
When he dropped the famous Black Women in Hollywood tee back in 2015, it ended up getting retweeted by Luvvie Ajayi, then Essence and eventually gained the attention of Oprah and Own Network -- how would you like Oprah taking a pic with your tee? The shirt read...
Be Strong like Regina. Be Fierce like Taraji. Write like Shonda. Shine like Lupita. Deliver like Uzo. Speak like Viola. Age like Angela. Rule like Queen. Walk like Kerry. Lead like Ava.
The Oprah effect is real! The one retweet ended up getting 100+ shares, and brining in more than 10K in revenue and the strides and features just keep on coming!
How Alex got his first customer?
Disney World? Nah! I just thanked God someone cared and then sent them their package quick and promptly! A speedy delivery made customers happier!
How much did it cost to get started (and what did you spend that money on)?
"0 Cost. Just needed my smartphone and a Tee spring account. I spent more money out of pocket covering t-shirts for people! I've since expanded and things are flowing for the company such as branding and marketing consulting." - Nemo
How do you find your customers?
They find me. Dope black women keep wrapping their hands around the brand. A lot of people who supported me came from my college background. Build your fans in college! They will propel to the next level for sure. No support? Start genuinely helping others and don't worry about what you get back in return.
Neems says free tools like Canva have been a game changer. He also credits YouTube as being a big help as well. He recommends checking out Tom Bilyeu, Simon Sinek, and Seth Godin. The conversations have really driven him to be better! Listen to them!
What has been the best part of the experience thus far
Being famous brings in more sales which allows me to impact more lives. The best part is having my shirt featured on Own Network
What struggles have you encountered, and how did you overcome them?
Life is a struggle? Call for help. Ask for help. Verbalize that you can do it.
What are the top two pieces of advice you'd give to others wanting to follow a similar path?
Start Small. Become a local hero!
What’s next for you?
An agency for black brands and companies. My long term vision is controlling the black narrative as it continues to grow in the film industry.
Resources
Vernon’s Take
Start small - Hop on tee-spring and create your first design. Look at what’s hot and selling but don’t copy. Maybe even run some ads to test out your best one
Become a local hero - Events, shows, conferences. Find local artists to network with. Attend events like CultureCon where creatives are known to hangout. Give value, give value, give value!
Leverage your network - Ask people to rock you tee. YouTube, rappers, skaters. Special edition colabs.
Text WINGEAR to 44222 for more details on how to win the same podcast setup I use to record this show!
