We were lucky to catch up with Jillian Frederick recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jillian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Success looks different for every person, but I believe that no matter the goal, consistency is key. In today’s society, the hustle culture has definitely impacted work ethic, or what people perceive to be work ethic. I am not of the opinion we need to run on fumes to be successful. Ultimately, operating in that way for most people leads to a crash – a loss of passion, in most instances. Social media shows us the best of what the vast majority is doing and we get into a rhythm of thinking, “If I am not working I won’t be successful.” It’s just not the case. Before I started THICKUMS, I worked as an associate attorney, which was a solo practice before me. I enjoyed what I was doing, but I could tell THIS was his passion. He was a great business mentor, which I wasn’t expecting working at a law firm. Often times in solo practice, the grind is constant. I recall asking him, “How do you avoid burnout? How do you keep going?” He answered, “When you love something, when you’re passionate about something, you have to touch it every day.” It seemed like such a novel idea, but it was pretty simple in practice. Consistency. He didn’t say I get up in the morning and burn the candle at both ends every day, but he was simply saying I show up and I give myself to my work everyday in some capacity. We see this in fitness and weight loss culture. People want to be successful and tend to think “If I workout until I’m ready to puke, surely, I’ll see results.” However, the science and most professionals will tell you how important rest and diet is to reach fitness and health goals. That doesn’t mean on your days off, you go crazy with wine and fries (though I’m guilty of this), but it does mean that even when you’re not in the gym or working out, you are consistently reading or studying or planning how to reach your goals. I often think of this saying – We all start somewhere and most of us start from scratch, but staying consistent, touching your passion or goal every day, in any capacity, always begets success. When I look around, I have found it to be true for so many professions: Athletes, Chefs, Students, Teachers, Influencers, and Business Owners alike; Because whatever success looks like to each individual person usually doesn’t happen overnight. Consistency is the long game, and I’m here to play.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
THICKUMS is an apparel brand I created to foster community and belonging for tomboys, especially tomboys of color. When I search social media or trends related to tomboys/non-binary individuals, I seldom see myself represented in that imagery. I wanted to create a brand that tomboys like me feel represented in. I grew up refusing to carry a purse, always playing outside, and wearing whatever of my brother’s clothes that would fit. Tomboy means something different for everyone, but for me it has always meant staying true to myself and what ever made me feel whole. I’m hoping to create a brand that takes away gender and gives belonging. Shopping for shirts that fit a more masculine body isn’t always easy in “women’s” sections and the anxiety of having to go to the “men’s” department can sometimes be overwhelming. This brand is meant to embrace all the tomboys who march to the beat of their own drum and stay true to their selves despite pressure and expectations from society to look or behave a certain way.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I took a bit of a risk with funding my business. I work full time, but I was saving for several years. I initially knew that starting any business would be a risk, but without risk, there is no reward. I chose to believe in myself, however, only spent what I was comfortable losing. I think any investment requires research and strategy. Blind risk is very different from educated risk. There were a ton of free resources on the internet that I used to determine how I would build the business. Despite my budget, where there’s a will, there’s a way. I continued to save and carved out my initial investment from my savings. I constantly reinvest in my company, because I know success doesn’t happen overnight.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Social media is a great tool for helping find the people who want to find you. My Instagram is where I reach out/people reach out to me the most. Connecting with likeminded people and just being able to share and promote not only my own business, but posts that I think connect my brand to the world, is really helpful. I have a newer brand so I’m consistently looking for the best ways to grow. Learning about the way SEO (search engine optimization) plays a major key in visibility has been very helpful when it comes to being found. However, nothing beats the old school method of pounding the pavement, giving out product sometimes, and vending at pop-up shops. I’ve met some really great people and have had the opportunity to share my brand face to face with tomboys and they are able to share their stories with me. Building those relationships in a brand that is focused so much on community and belonging, to me, is the most effective strategy.
Contact Info:
- Website: thickumsofficial.com
- Instagram: @thickumsofficial
- Facebook: facebook.com/thickumsofficial