Today we’d like to introduce you to Mashaud Strozier.
Hi Mashaud, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hey guys, I am Mashaud Strozier, a 21-year-old roller skater, entrepreneur, and investor born and raised in the city of Atlanta Georgia. I am the CEO and Owner of DRIP LACES LLC, a black-owned business that manufactures, sells, and designs skate laces, shoe laces, apparel, and accessories for skaters worldwide.
My mom started bringing me skating when I was only five years old. We went every weekend as a family and I eventually fell in love with the art of skating, and never stopped since! A couple of years later, I became a loyal customer at Cascade Family Skating in Atlanta and within six years I became an employee for Cascade. I have a deep love and passion for skating and I constantly work hard on my art. Since I’ve been skating, I had the opportunity to perform on national television and I am currently a part of the amazing Cascade Dream Team, the official skate team of the world-famous Cascade Skating Rink. Ever since I have been a part of this crew, I’ve had a lot of great experiences, such as being a part of the 2022 NBA Finals Halftime show, being in the 2022 Braves Fox 5 Commercial for the World Series, and also having the opportunity to be in music videos with Summer Walker and a lot of other great artists.
I started DRIP LACES in February of 2021 and I wanted a way to provide great quality vibrant laces to skaters in Atlanta and across the world. I wanted them to have an inexpensive way to customize and change their skates. My dream is to become a successful entrepreneur, professional roller skater, and investor with multiple businesses and sources of income. Thank you to everyone who supported me along this journey!
Mission: To bring individuality and creativity to every single skater
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, there have been many obstacles along the way. At the beginning of 2020, I join a well-known skate crew called Bad Boys Skate Crew in Atlanta. This was my very first crew and I was very excited and appreciative to be a part of this crew. I learned a lot from being a member of this crew and I am grateful for the experiences, knowledge, and opportunities it brought me. But unfortunately, at the start of 2022, I decided to leave the group because we all grew apart and had different goals and visions in mind. This was a very tough process because I had to learn to separate my emotions from my business, and also, I had to think about what is best for me and my future!
In addition, starting a business is never an easy process! There were and still are a lot of things I must learn in order to run a successful business, from the type of products to the marketing strategies, and also being able to keep up and manage all your finances at once. I also had to learn how to create and manage my own website with the process of being able to ship to individuals worldwide. It has indeed been a crazy but enlightening moment.
As you know, we’re big fans of DRIP LACES LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the CEO and Owner of DRIP LACES. DRIP LACES is a company that manufactures, sells, and designs skate laces, shoe laces, apparel, and accessories for skaters worldwide. Our brand stands out because we utilize 550 paracords, a high-strength, lightweight nylon rope, to manufacture our laces. This type of rope was originally used in the military for suspension lines in parachutes as well as many other purposes where strong cordage was needed. 550 Paracord is one of the toughest, most dependable cords available. Our laces are ideal for skaters across the world because they are durable, flexible, comfortable, long-lasting, and strong enough to secure every skater’s skates. We provide a large variety of colors and styles for laces, and skaters tend to desire them due to their growing popularity, vibrant colors, and their ability to reflect and glow in the dark. DRIP LACES tailors to every skater’s needs. You can never go wrong with DRIP LACES! “Lace-up Drip down”
I am proud of my brand because I created a need for something that was not originally there and I also reinvented a new style of laces called two-tone, where I combined two different colors into one place and you can style this design many different ways to create your own unique look.
Email: driplacesatl@gmail.com
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Never give up! Everything starts small and it is up to you to grow and develop it. You are the only one holding yourself back. Nothing great ever happens fast, you must learn to take your time and go through the process, that is the best part. Also, change is difficult but necessary in order to grow. You must be uncomfortable now, in order to be comfortable in life later.
Pricing:
- Drip Laces: $11-$16
- Crystal Laces: $16-$30
Contact Info:
- Website: www.driplacesatl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drip.laces_/
- Other: https://linkpop.com/driplacesatl
Image Credits
@calvinfinkleaphotography @fulanigjabri @djyoga.sk8npics @cascadedreamteam @iamzamnzemo @bambidono
