We recently connected with Andrew Chiwara and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

During my time as a business owner I started in the cosmetic industry selling false lashes, then eventually transitioning into selling lace wigs and finally moving into the fashion industry getting my own designs manufactured. Some issues I faced in the cosmetic industry were definitely trying to convince customers that I was knowledgeable in the products I was selling, seeing as I was a man in an industry meant for mainly for women. I resolved this issue by making sure I knew my information and making sure that customers that I got spread the word about the quality of my items so that skeptics could ease their nerves. When I got into the fashion industry I had an issue deciding on what I wanted to sell and what path I wanted my business to go on, and I was able to resolve this issue by reminding myself that at the end of the day all outside opinions are simply that, just opinions. I am the one taking on the full risk of the of the business so I should take suggestions with a grain of salt, which took time to learn and incorporate into my decision making.

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 background and context?

My name is Andrew Chiwara, known by some as Cozartt. I am a 2022 graduate of THE Florida A&M University with a B.S in Agricultural Business, and I am the Creative Director and Owner of Cozartt’s Collection. Cozartt’s Collection is a Premier Streetwear Fashion Brand that specializes in both mens & womenswear. I am proud of the growth our social media presence has and is continuing to gain over this past year, going from 1,000 to 12,000+ followers on our Instagram profile in just a year and a half. I am also proud of the fact that we were able to generate $55,000+ in revenue in 2021. After speaking with past customers, I want potential customers to know that our brand not only puts an emphasis on using high quality materials.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I sell mainly on Shopify, but I also have direct links to purchase on Facebook, Instagram, and most social media platforms. I prefer Shopify to other ECommerce platforms because of how user friendly it is, especially for people like myself who may not be coding savvy.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A example of a time in my life when I had to pivot has to be early fall of 2020 when we business became less of a side hustle and more legitimate. I had to go against a lot of people who wanted me to focus more on my classes, and take a leap of faith and invest more time and energy into my business. I can say as of now it is working out, seeing as I was able to grow my client base during my time in college and was still able to graduate with my Bachelors Degree.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cozarttscollection.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cozarttscollection?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-t-chiwara-0622bb193
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cozarttsco?s=21&t=-00qOY2rnQ48t7x-39-DzA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR1MMc8J/

Image Credits
SS22 Milk Me 3 Piece Bikinis @famusigmas1935 @paris.doby @isiss.a @geeskiiwrld_ @flyguysam1 @cannot__relate @kelsss.amya @pimpajayy