May 8, 2017

Meet Shaquoya Jackson-Ishman of ShaLaJá Swimwear in Mableton

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaquoya Jackson-Ishman.

Shaquoya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After graduating college and working restaurant and retail jobs; I definitely longed for more. It was hard getting a job in my field and I liked to do so many things I didn’t know which direction to go. So, I prayed every night for guidance and purpose in life and one day out of boredom I drew a whole page of swimsuits.

I thought they were quite nice and unlike what I saw everyday online so I decided to create my own business and work for myself! I definitely felt like my prayers were answered and I had a newfound love for designing. I researched and worked every day on starting my business. It wasn’t easy considering the fact that my degree was in Communication TV/Radio, but with a lot passion, research and consistent work I made it all happen. Now I can say my suits have been featured in numerous fashion weeks, magazines, and even a few movies and celebrity videos.

As of today, ShaLaJá Swimwear is only sold online, but the goal is to expand to department stores and boutiques all over the world!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road at all! The worst struggles have been the entire manufacturing process. Searching for a trustworthy manufacturer to produce the items was really risky. I’ve taken big losses with manufacturing.

Marketing is also tough. You have to do a lot of networking and socializing, or pay a marketer a monthly fee to gain traffic. There are a lot of brands out there and the mission is to make your brand stand out and produce sales. It’s not an easy market, but if you love what you do and are passionate about it you’ll gladly do whatever it takes to succeed.

ShaLaJá Swimwear – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My swimwear line is created to accommodate women of all shapes, sizes and styles. I want to provide a brand that fits every woman’s needs. from small, luscious, girly to tomboy. My goal is to have affordable luxury swimwear for every woman.

I am the CEO and do pretty much everything. I design the swimwear, process the orders, maintain the site, etc. I specialize in designing the swimwear and making sure my customers are happy. I’m known for having edgy sophisticated styles.

I am most proud of my company for overcoming every obstacle faced with so far and still remaining. No accomplishment for me has outweighed the other. I am proud of every single one of them… big or small, but being featured in GQ Magazine Mexico and VH1 Love and Hip Hop, and having Play Boy Bunny of The Year campaign in my suits will be forever remembered.

My company is set apart from others because of what I plan to offer. All lines are not out yet, but I will offer swimwear for every kind of woman. I will have a one stop shop of swimwear for all.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I personally define success as accomplishing any goals in life that are set, whether big or small. Moving past any obstacles and being happy and content about the outcome in the process is a success.

Writing your goals down and working on them daily to accomplish them helps a lot. It brings affirmation to actually see and be reminded daily on what you need to be doing.

Pricing: