Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittani Martin.
Brittani, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Well, it all started when I was a freshman in college and I used to always encourage my friends with a quote I made up, “When life hands you rocks, make a rocket ship.” I said that to mean that you can make something out of nothing. I realized a few years later that I wanted to put that quote to life and deliver that message to anyone and everyone that may need it.
I thought of a clothing line being a way to inspire self-motivation in a fashionable way. It took me years to finally uncover my fears of rejection and follow my dreams of building this brand. I came up with the name ” Build Yourself Up” because I couldn’t think of a name at the time but I knew that I wanted to inspire people to follow their dreams like I was doing and build themselves up so I said I would call it Build Yourself Up” until I found another name but that name began to stick so I kept it. I played around with some images to create my logo and I designed my very first tee shirt.
I ordered only 3 for me, my brother and my sister, to wear and I only bought 3 because that’s all I could afford being in my senior year of college. I managed to promote and advertise to my family and friends and pretty soon, everyone was in support and on board with the message of BYU and my vision. I wanted to promote self-motivation and encourage individuals to live life to their full potential through fashion and community service. My mom saw how passionate I was about my business, and she bought my first 25 shirts to officially sell for Christmas! I was elated! I sold out super quick but slowed down on the business because I started graduate school. After my first year, I had gotten the hang of it and decided to push BYU to the next level.
I gathered volunteers to participate in community service events in the Atlanta areas and I participated in my very first fashion show that I was featured in at my institution. It was a huge hit, and soon after, a year had passed and I planned an anniversary charity event that raised over $275 for the National Brain Tumor Awareness Society! We have been vending at events all over the nation and participating in events and well as planning events of our own!
We have an online store that has served over 25 states in the nation so far! I am super excited for the future of my company because this is only the beginning!! As a Student Affairs Professional, I am looking forward to integrating BYU into the school systems and creating an empire of inspirational goodness!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has its ups and downs definitely. The fear of rejection, the lack of support from people in the business I looked up to, the doubt that came from some people closest to me, the struggle of marketing, and getting out there all alone and not being shy or afraid, negative comments, saving money to purchase shirts and accessories, building the website and the logo design being that I am far from the artsy type. LOL
Please tell us about Build Yourself Up.
We are a soon to be a non-profit organization that promotes self-motivation and encourages individuals to live life to their full potential through community service, mentoring (coming soon), and of course fashion! I am most proud of the lives we have touched during our time as a company! I have had so many of my family, friends and even followers of my brand message me telling me how I have inspired them to follow their dreams of starting a business! What sets me apart from others is that I care more about delivering the message and changing lives and perspectives than making money from this. I truly care about people finding and living up to their full potential.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory was spending the night at my aunt’s house with all of my cousins! We would stay up all night eating junk food and watching Spice Girls and Bring IT On!
Pricing:
- Short Sleeve Shirts $15
- Long Sleeve Shirts $20
- Hoodies $30
- Hats $20
- Wristbands $1
Contact Info:
- Address: Atlanta, GA
- Website: buildyourselfup93@gmail.com
- Phone: 404-735-1709
- Instagram: @build.yourself.up
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/buildyourselfup
- Twitter: @buildyourselfup
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