Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Michael.
Hi Will, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’d tell most people when pursuing their goals, or a passion, at some point run into adversity and feel like they aren’t supposed to be where they are or they aren’t supposed to be experiencing particular successes and even failures in life for whatever reason – lack of qualification, past mistakes, misplaced expectations, overqualification, you name it.
So, what I set out to achieve with Displaced By Design, and what I am incredibly excited about, is spreading this unified message that you may not be exactly where you thought you’d be – or want to be, but you’re still moving forward. The simplification of the message turned into our mission. To bring people together from all backgrounds with a message that reaches beyond cultural boundaries, through design, creates certain confidence we need to be whoever we want to be. With our signature statements, “I Hope You Find Peace” and “Expressing Yourself is Self Care” we are stating with intention, “live are your most authentic self, because we are. You are exactly where you need to be in life.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Where I, and my clothing brand, are today after three years is the result of extensive work most importantly on myself, my skills, my understanding of the industry and how it operates, and trial and error. How does the cliche go? “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.” The work is hard, there will be days you want to give up or nights you sit up comparing your experiences to others. I’m saying this having only been in this industry for two years! I had to learn the only way to see beyond what I’m going through, is to see what I’m going to(wards). There is no other way around it and I can say that I learned that the hardest way possible. Growing up certain things came easy to me, in a way, I had a misconstrued understanding of hard work because of it. Over the past two years, I learned that in every aspect of life or no matter what you want to do or be it will take everything in you and then some to place yourself in the right position to succeed every single day. Whatever success is to you, it’s out there and it’s yours if you work for it.
What I want the world to know is simple, don’t let one bad day, a bad moment, a bad experience, or a poor decision, temporarily define your existence or demean where you are in life. If you’re down and out, displacement does not mean disqualification.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Most people start businesses out of leisure or enthusiasm, they are passionate about a thing and have seen others gain success selling goods or services – whatever the industry might be. But the successful ones, whether the success is rather mild or overwhelming lucrative, start their business out of necessity. I chose the ladder. I worked in retail for a sneaker company starting in the stock room and ended my career running my own store before ultimately leaving the company. Having been around the streetwear culture and being so plugged into the industry I saw how I could blend my career experience with my storytelling abilities, through design, and out of necessity that led to a way for me to monetize my enthusiasm.
How do you think about happiness?
Creating a community of people who pursue their most fulfilling life through self-expression has been one of the best experiences. Where I’m currently at is where I’m supposed to be. The experiences have been what I’ve made them be! These days, I’m the type of person that enjoys deep conversations about any and everything or nothing. Starting my day being active is essential for me. Getting out and going to the gym or for a walk helps me start the day in the right state of mind. That state of mind is, “Ok – something may or may not happen to me today either way stay grounded because you should never lose your cool or speak out of frustration. Frustration only means a lack of understanding – success comes from abundant good work. Let’s work.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.displacedbydesign.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/displacedbydesign
- Facebook: facebook.com/displacedbydesign
