Hidden Gems: Meet Travis Mamon of 7Xchange

Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Mamon.

Hi Travis, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the owner of 7XCHANGE. 7XCHANGE grew from a long history and love I had for fashion and the streetwear culture. When I was in high school, I started a clothing line called Young Kings Society at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. Till this day, students are still allowed to wear these shirts on Fridays for jean day. I continued this brand throughout college being in fashion shows on campus as well as in New Orleans. Towards the end of my senior year of college, I realized that I did not want to be a financial analyst but wanted to own my own clothing boutique. The idea of 7XCHANGE was born during a late night study session in the BEC at Louisiana State University’s business complex. As I graduated college and came back home to Atlanta, I expressed to my parents what I wanted to do with my life post-graduation. The first thing my mom said was, “Boy, you don’t know nothing about running a clothing store!”. With research and time, plus a lot of convincing to my parents, they finally gave in and helped me pursue my dreams of becoming a clothing boutique owner. With a little cash, things started to come together. Later that year, I signed the lease to my first brick-and-mortar location and opened the doors on April 1, 2017. I opened 7XCHANGE with no business experience, no industry connections, and truthfully no idea how I would land clothing/sneaker accounts. The only experience I had was late nights of research, praying, and reading other boutique owners’ success stories. I wanted to create a venue where fashion, music, art, and streetwear could coexist. Something that McDonough, GA desperately needed. Fast forward to 2022, 7XCHANGE carries some of the top brands in the industry.

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?
It has not been a smooth road! Being an entrepreneur is not an easy job in itself. One of the biggest challenges was probably having to figure out everything on my own. There was no clear path to get to where I am today. There was a lot of trial and error that took place throughout the years, but by the grace of God, perseverance, and the fact that no matter what, I was not going to give up, I am still here. Covid-19 was also a very huge struggle. Not knowing the state of the country and having to close down my store for almost two years was very scary. During this time, I was trying to transition to a new location and business completely stopped for me. I kept the faith and knew that God would see me through these trying times.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about 7XCHANGE?
7XCHANGE is a boutique that specializes in premium high-end apparel, limited-edition footwear, and accessories, being home to some of the most exclusive brands and releases known to the culture. We are the only male retail boutique in the south Atlanta area. What sets 7XCHANGE apart is the brands that we sell in the area we are in. You have to drive twenty-five to thirty minutes to the city to buy the same brands that we carry. The southside needed a place to purchase these same brands instead of driving all the way to the city. I’m proud of what 7XCHANGE has become over the years because this industry is very hard and the brands that we carry do not open accounts with every store. 7XCHANGE’s mission was to not only align itself with the rich history that was already embedded in the streetwear culture but also explore and create its own trends. 7XCHANGE is the only streetwear boutique in McDonough, GA.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe that in life, in order to get to places and achieve great things, you have to take risks. I believe that I took a big risk in believing and betting on myself that my boutique would be successful instead of being a financial analyst. I get to wake up everyday and do what I love and that is very rewarding to me. This would not have been possible without taking the risk.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.7xchange.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7xchange/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/7xchange?lang=en
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/7xchange-mcdonough