We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joey Wiz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Joey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
As a kid, I was a skateboarding and involved in the punk/hardcore/metal scene in Milwaukee. It was a loud, loose, vibrant, and eye-opening time. That scene developed my core style of music, my closest friends, and our fashion. As I grew up, I always enjoyed keeping that punk ethos in my style. However, it didn’t translate well to when I wanted to represent my home town and home state. At the time, most state or local pride gear was generic stuff you’d get at the airport – nothing remotely like I or my friends would wear. So, we started making our own. We started printing our own shirts and selling at local street festivals. At these events, people would come up to us telling us how much they were waiting for something like this. People started getting tattoos of our design. That’s when we knew that we had tapped into something special. People felt the same way we did and were finally able to express it.
Over time, we added more designs and more types of clothing/accessories. Eventually, we built our our website and social media accounts. It was very grassroots and very DIY. Slowly, but surely, it started to grow and we were able to expand into other markets.
Even though its been a long (but fun!) journey, I still get excited seeing people rockin’ our gear and representing their skull state proudly. I feel a strong sense of connection with our customers and it brings me much joy. We all have something in common and that’s incredibly special.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
When the company was young, it received a ton of positive feedback, sales, shoutouts, etc. This led to… let’s call it “overconfidence” (is a nice way of saying it). But as time went on, business can be humbling. There are plenty of downs with the ups, and it’s very important to remember that. As much as I wanted to believe that I knew everything, I didn’t. I still don’t. Once you acknowledge that, you can surround yourself with a team of experts who will be honest, whether it’s good news or bad news. Unlearn the overconfidence. Embrace humility when appropriate.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Recently, I’ve been closing my days with a few passages for “Book of Delights.” It’s a book of daily observations of joy and delight by noted poet Ross Gay. The book is not poetry, but it does have a lyrical quality to it. Reading it often soothes my mind and calms me – makes me take joy in the little things and realize that the weight of the world isn’t really on my shoulders. It reminds me to stop, take a breath, and enjoy the things I already have. Because up until this very moment, everything I have now was once a goal, which I have since achieved. I can always want more for the future, but me in the past was working towards right now! Might as well enjoy it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://UnitedSkullsAmerica.com
- Instagram: @unitedskullsamerica
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/unitedskullsamerica
- Twitter: @skullsunited
- Other: bluesky: @unitedskullsamerica
