'I always knew I wanted to open a clothing store'

Are you originally from the Rochester area? If not, what led you here?

Well I pretty much was raised in Rochester but I was born in Chicago. I moved here when I started middle school in 1998.

What do you like best about Rochester?

I would have to say feeling safe is the best thing about Rochester. I like the feeling it gives you because it’s not that big. It’s a small city but it has a global feel to it because how much it’s had grown so quickly.

What changes do you think still need to be made?

Although I do see a lot of changes that are happening now, I would like to see the number of disparities in our schools, in income, homeownership and things of that nature be reflected in the outcomes. I like that Rochester is starting to address these issues, but if the numbers are not matching then how would we know if true change is actually happening?

What do you do for a living?

I own and operate Everyday 365 Clothing, a branded apparel and accessories line and clothing shop located in downtown Rochester.

Why did you choose that for your career?

Well, honestly, I never thought I would own a clothing brand. It just kind of fell in my lap because I wanted to create a T-shirt with a bold statement on it and things just kind of grew from there. I always knew I wanted to open a clothing store because of my love for fashion and never being able to find clothing that really matched my style here in town. So living here feeling like there are limited places to shop for clothing and actually studying what was missing from our mall while I had my kiosk there. I knew I had to pursue opening a store versus staying strictly online because the lack of choices and representation in the fashion market here.

What one piece of advice would you give someone looking to pursue the same career?

Never give up, and stay creative. If you don’t believe in yourself, don’t expect others to. Quality over quantity.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment and what has been your greatest challenge you've had to overcome?

I believe my greatest accomplishment is being a mom. I mean that in the sense of if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t work as hard as I do to try and create this legacy for them. I could easily make excuses when it comes to why I can’t do this or that simply because I have small children and older kids with busy schedules. But I figure out a way to manage it all. And some days I just have to be mom and not an entrepreneur, but most days I’m balancing both and doing my best.

My greatest challenge I had to overcome was pulling myself out of a deep depression after my dad passed away. I completely gave up on my business and really isolated myself from everyone and then COVID happened, and so isolating became normal. I had to really think about what my dad always told me and what he wanted for me, and I leaned in on those thoughts and picked myself up and kept going.

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

That I’m actually a really good cook. I feel like people think I don’t cook at all for whatever reason, but I do and I’m always trying new things and new ways to cook things. I don’t think people know that about me.

Get to know ... is a feature in Rochester In Color, a special section within the Post Bulletin's website that profiles people of color in our community. Find it at www.postbulletin.com/rochester-in-color . If you know of someone who should be featured, send us an email at news@postbulletin.com