Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Phillips.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
From a young age, growing up in Hinesville, Georgia, I always knew that I wanted to be an inspiration to other people, whether it be one person or one million. I specifically wanted women to look at me and realize that there is a way you can respectfully carry yourself and still become successful.
Directly after my high school graduation, I joined the U.S. Navy and served for four years. I wanted to honor my parents who both served 20+ years in the Army. After I was honorably discharged from the military, I moved to Atlanta to obtain an Associates Degree in Communications from Georgia Perimeter College and my Bachelor’s Degree In Public Relations from Georgia State University. While working towards my degree, I worked as an event coordinator and a bartender at multiple locations around Atlanta including Pappadeaux and Skyline Park.
It wasn’t until I reconnected with an old Hinesville friend, Rodney Taylor Jr. that entrepreneurship took its course in my life. We began dating in 2017 and together we created our business, Humbull Athletics, which is an athletic clothing brand created to encourage everyone to work hard for everything deserved, remain grateful for everything achieved, and in the greatest moments of success, never allow ones own confidence to result in the depreciation of others. Rather than just selling clothing, we are spreading a message. Since our initial launch, Humbull has been spreading at an accelerated pace but our overall goal is for our product to touch every city in every state by the end of 2020.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Entrepreneurship is far from easy. It challenges your motivation and confidence. The idea of not knowing if you will succeed is scary. Dealing with friends and family that do not believe in you makes it even more difficult. It’s easy to think things like, “What if I spent years working towards this and it ends as a failure?” or “Am I set out to do this?” I’ve learned that approaching entrepreneurship with a pessimistic mindset will result in failure. Remain optimistic throughout the entire process. If something goes wrong, do your research to get it right rather than spending time discouraging yourself.
For all of the aspiring female entrepreneurs, never give up. The process is going to be challenging and it will make you want to quit but through it all, believe in yourself and you will succeed. Nothing happens overnight and consistency will take you places. Through it all, stay Humbull.
Please tell us about Humbull Athletics.
I am co-owner of Humbull Athletics, an athletic apparel brand designed to spread a message, rather than just sell clothing. We do all of the labor on our own, from photography to marketing to packing orders, which I am very proud of but can say it has become more challenging with our increase in traffic. We are proud of the team we have built. Rather than searching for ambassadors that are already established on social media, we look for everyday gym goers that push themselves every day to become the best version of themselves. We look for people to grow with us and that’s how we build a family.
Who have you been inspired by?
My mom has been one of the biggest inspirations in my life. I watched her work multiple jobs all hours of the day and she still managed to cook dinner and make sure my grades were good. My parents co-parented my entire life, and although my dad was very much in my life and did an amazing job being my dad, I lived full time with my mom and to this day I don’t think she realizes how inspiring she is. She is a strong woman and through my actions, I want to show her I paid attention and she raised a strong daughter.
My Grandmother, Aunt Jane, Aunt Trudy and Aunt Lucy have all inspired me so much. I spent every summer with them growing up and I have so much respect for all of them because they have done so much for our family.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.humbullathletics.com
- Email: humbullathletics@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/humbullathletics?igshid=1qet2una5nqpw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humbullathletics/
Image Credit:
All photos were taken by the owners of Humbull Athletics
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