Today we’d like to introduce you to Conrad Cloy.
Hi Conrad, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey began when I took the leap of faith to create apparel that reflected some of my affirmations and sayings that I value as a leader within my community. I started from scratch, had to supply everything needed to create the apparel, taught myself how to create designs within Photoshop, built and designed my website, researched the market, and a long list of several other things needed to run a business as an entrepreneur successfully. I’ve gotten to where I am today with the help of my family, friends, and supporters that I’ve gained along the way. I’m thankful for those who have supported me along my journey as an entrepreneur, and I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a challenging road while on this journey as an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, you must be willing to constantly adapt to changes, understand that you’re going to fail at certain things while learning from your mistakes, and stay in the mindset of doing whatever it takes to succeed at your craft. Some of the struggles I’ve had along the way have been inventory management (learning/predicting sales flow), marketing, and finding ways to stay motivated when the effort I’m putting in needs to be reflected in the success of the business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Conrad’s Apparel?
Conrad’s Apparel officially launched in 2020 after spending a lot of time working on creating the business and where I wanted it to go. I would always get asked where I purchased several of the shirts and hoodies I would wear from other Black-owned clothing lines, so I figured I should launch my brand to create clothing with messages I felt connected to. My goal was to create clothing with unique/powerful messaging that speaks for the person wearing it, promoting Black empowerment. One of the designs that will always hold a special place in my heart is the design that focuses on Female Empowerment (Protect, Love, Respect, Support, and Cherish Black Women). I come from a family dominated by strong Black women, so the power of Black women has always surrounded me, and I felt it was vital for me to convey my love and admiration for Black women. Another design that strongly supports Black empowerment is “Black by Nature” because it’s self-explanatory. We’re Black by Nature, and I created that design to allow people to embrace their culture. The last design I’ll speak on is “Unbothered” because if you ask anyone close to me to describe my mood/temperament, it would be Unbothered. Being Unbothered is a mood, and it’s a mood that everyone should embrace at all times. I create all my designs, hand-make each item, and control every other aspect of my business.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
I can be reached via email at conradsapparel@gmail.com and on Instagram @conradsapparel. Apparel can be purchased at www.conradsapparel.com.
Pricing:
- Adult T-Shirts are priced at $25.00
- Adult Hoodies are priced at $44.00
- Kids T-Shirts are priced at $22.00
- Kids Hoodies are priced at $37.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.conradsapparel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conradsapparel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conradsapparel
