Steps I've Taken To Improve Opinion
3 years ago I was working a full-time job as a Social Media Coordinator. I was trying to balance that job along with wanting to dive into the world of clothing and I came to realize that doing both wouldn't be possible. So I made the choice to fully immerse myself into the world of clothing and leave the security of a full-time job.
I forgot where I heard it, but someone said that in order to really become successful, you have to throw yourself into every aspect of the industry you're trying to penetrate, and so that's what I did.
My first job after leaving my full-time job was working at a store in the Mall Of America called Third Degree Heat. This store sold high-end clothing and footwear that most people generalize as "hypebeast". I learned so much from working there. I made sure to notice what garments people flocked to, why, and what made that brand so special? I made sure to notice color patterns and what was bought the most. I realized that many people would buy a shoe, get to the register and say. "Wait, I need a fit to go with this." So I started to pay attention to the trends in footwear more closely, what colorways were coming out, and what was being sought after, and applied that to our clothing.
That Spring, I took a job at a local screen printing store so I could see exactly what went into pressing t-shirts, how it was done, and the science behind it all. I went in thinking it was going to be a very complicated process, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My main takeaway from this job was understanding price points in correlation to how many colors your garment was going to have pressed onto it, when to go with screen print, or when to go DTG (Direct To Garment). This job was a lot of physical work so it made me really appreciate what really goes into every piece of clothing that's made.
That Fall, I then went and worked in the warehouse of a thriving local clothing brand called UNRL. UNRL is an athleisure brand that has recently been BOOMING, so I knew I would get to see the behind-the-scenes of what it really takes to run an organized and successful brand. I learned so much from this job. I learned that the big brands still do a lot of the stuff small start-ups do, but just to a higher capacity. I learned that quality is a major aspect of sustaining customers. UNRL has tons of returning consumers because they love the quality and fit of the garments. I also learned that having a full team generates tons and tons of ideas that can be put towards bettering the brand and the clothing, and UNRL took every idea into consideration which was super cool to see!
From all these jobs I was able to take little bits, and big bits as well, and put them towards Opinion. Of course, these jobs were not making me nearly as much money as my full-time job did, but knowledge is power, and that was something I couldn't just buy, I needed to go through it all.
Still a long way to go for this brand, but I'm happy with what it's become.
You Are Your Biggest Critic.