We were lucky to catch up with Shereva Purifoy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shereva, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Worship Unplugged originally started out as a Worship type night event. The first one was held in 2017. I created a shirt for the event, not knowing that so many people would be interested in purchasing them once posted on social media. From there, I begin to create different t-shirts and eventually Worship Unplugged became a business. I never dreamed of owning my own business and it was definitely not in my plan. However, God saw otherwise. Worship Unplugged is a company whose mission is to give back to others and the community. I believe in sowing. Worship Unplugged did a big back to school giveaway and concert for the kids in our local community. The week of the giveaway, we did a youth conference. The kids really enjoyed. One year we gave away three scholarships to three deserving high school kids. We’ve also partnered with several other local businesses for toy drives during the Christmas season. For the last three years, my team and I go out Christmas morning and feed the homeless. I look forward to doing that every year. It’s a blessing to be able to help those that are in need. Our mission is to not only create some of the hottest Christian brand apparel, but to be a light to our community and surrounding areas. We want to show the world the same love that God shows us.

Shereva, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Shereva Purifoy. I’m from Selma, Al. My brand is Worship Unplugged. Worship Unplugged means to disconnect (unplug) from anything that’s distracting you from Worshiping God. I’m a church girl. I’ve been in church all my life. Worship Unplugged has hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jogger sets, and hats for both kids and adults. My apparel is like none other. I’ve had the privilege of shipping my apparel all over the world. I honestly didn’t think my brand would take off like it did. I’ve had celebrities such as Todd Dulaney, Le’Andria Johnson, Lisa Knowles Smith, Kelontae Gavin, and so many others to rock Worship Unplugged. I always refer to Worship Unplugged as a movement. We use the hashtag #itsamovement. What sets me apart from others is my great customer service. People email me all the time saying how nice I was and that they enjoyed talking to me. I’m super proud of myself because I’ve worked really hard to get where I am. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As I previously stated, I started Worship Unplugged in April 2017. My father passed November 2017. That was a hard blow for me. I was his right hand girl. To be in the room when the Doctor tells your Dad that there is nothing else he can do for you is something that I will never forget. During that time I wanted to just give up on the business. I stopped marketing and creating apparel. Months later, God just kept sending me signs and speaking to me concerning WU. With prayer, I was able to pick back up and slowly get back in the habit of creating apparel. Three years later, I lost the only Grandmother that I’ve ever known. To watch her take her last breath, took every bit of life out of me. I was literally done with everything. I took some time off from the brand. I literally fired myself. My Grandmother was my biggest WU supporter. She literally had every shirt that I’ve ever created. She loved what I was doing and I knew that I would be letting her down if I didn’t continue what I started. Here I am in 2022 and I’m getting ready to release the hottest Fall Line!! What I went through broke my heart, but I knew down the line that God had a purpose and a plan. I’m thankful that I didn’t allow what I went through to stop me. Life is hard but it’s up to you to keep going.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The one lesson that I learned early in the game was not to mix business with family, friends, or associates. At the end of the day business is business. What applies to one person, must apply to all. If you have a business, having a website is your best friend. Don’t change or lower your prices for anyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.worshipunpluggedstore.com
• Instagram: @worshipunplugged
• Facebook: Worship Unplugged
• Other: Tiktok- @worshipunplugged4u

Image Credits
Kerry Varner, photographer