We recently connected with Brandyn Jenkins and have shared our conversation below.

Brandyn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission statement is “Comfort is key for every Homebody”. That extends to all aspects of life, especially with personal growth. To me, personal growth was never meant to be comfortable and I wanted to change the negative connotation about that. It’s about being comfortable wherever you are because growth is inevitable. I like to describe growth as “expanding my comfort zone”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is Brandyn Jenkins, I’m a fashion designer living in Phoenix, AZ. One day I wanted to get rich for just being myself so I created my own clothing company called Homebody Friends. I create and design clothes & accessories for people that like to stay home (like me). I don’t focus too much on one particular product; if its comfortable then I want it in my store—Comfort is key for every Homebody. Our popular products include bathrobes, hoodies, sweatpants, athleisure, and loungewear.

What I’m most proud of is how much I’ve learned through all the experiences from marketing and e-commerce. The skills I learned led me to opportunities to work for a lot of companies—including Facebook. If you’re working a 9-5 job and you have dreams—KEEP GOING, only you can stop you. I had no idea where this business would take me and now I’m in the process of putting together my first fashion show here in Phoenix.

The fashion show is a very big deal to me because of everyone involved. I handpicked models, did all the photoshoots, and collaborated with some of the models on how their runway outfit(s) will look. Not only does this stage and platform provide a space to fans to enjoy, but it gives the models a chance to participate in the fashion industry. I wish I could work with all the local models out here, I really do—and maybe the fashion show could present opportunities in the near future.

Tickets and venue info will be available on our website (www.homebodyfriends.com) starting in May.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I used to be pretty shy so I just started out with a closed private Facebook group called “Homebody Friends”. This particular method worked for me because I always had quality people joining the group—they’re all Homebody Friends, just like me. For the first few months all we did was share memes about staying home or the joys of missing out. The engagement and group request grew steadily—and I wanted people to remember Homebody Friends. It was that moment when I decided to design the (Homebody Friends) logo and put it on a t-shirt. I used the t-shirt as a giveaway to the group member that invited the most people to our newly created group.

I repeated this process and we’ve reached thousands of new members—from all over.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that you need to be “famous” in order to make money off your brand or art. You do not need every post to go viral or have thousands of follower in order to make money off your brand/art. My first milestone was when I bought my 2020 Camaro—It’s all red with some black rims (it’s clean!). Another milestone would be when I moved into a 17th floor high rise in downtown Phoenix. I was able to do all this by staying home selling shirts and hoodies (all within the same year).

I am always grateful for the experiences and all the knowledge I obtained from working with all the companies that took a chance on me. If you’re reading this an need some inspiration; here it is. KEEP GOING.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.homebodyfriends.com
• Instagram: @homebodyfriends
• Facebook: facebook.com/homebodyfriends
• Twitter: @homebodyfriends

Image Credits
Brandyn Jenkins