Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ben Carter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ben thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

In the Summer of 2019 I officially launched Play 2 Win. I was a freshman in college with a new found passion for the clothing industry. I had very little experience with designing a clothing brand, marketing and manufacturing products. I ended up in various situations where I could’ve did more research to get a greater outcome. I do believe that if I started my brand later after doing more thorough research about clothing I would not have encountered certain situations, but I do not regret those learning experiences. But overall I would not change the time that I started because that is what makes my story unique to my brand.

Ben, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Play 2 Win Clothing is a streetwear fashion brand based out of Atlanta, GA. Our products range from shirts, hoodies, shorts, trucker hats, and many more. We take pride in our quality control and unique designs as it pertains to our brand. My brand started off like many others, just an idea. Once I created the name for the brand, through personal experiences, I knew it was time to take the next step to launch my products. I started promoting my brand online through various social media platforms and selling to anyone willing to support my business. One of my favorite designs that I am most proud of is actually my first design, the “ACE’ t-shirt, this design propelled my brand and gave Play 2 Win a “signature” style. Evoling from Play 2 Win is a collection named “Winners Club”. Winners Club is where we launch our most prestine and limited pieces. This collection became popular after our first jersey launch where we showcased the “ALL-STAR” jersey. We have something new in the works for the “Winners Club” that I feel our supporters will enjoy.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn early along this journey was comparing my brand to other brands versus learning from those brands. Theodore Roosevelt once stated “Comparison is the thief of joy”, I did understand the magnitude of this quote until I was experiencing it for myself. These types of comparisons created blocks on my creativity which eventually affected my business and ultimately those that supported my vision for Play 2 Win. I had to understandd that my path in this type of business can not and will not be the same as others. Once i came to that realization my business was on the upswing with opportunities to improve and grow as Play 2 Win.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When building my social media presence I first identified my target audience, then I started sharing my post with friends and family who were willing to support my brand. When supports would purchase my products I would include a note thanking them for there support and with links to all my social media platforms and also encouraging them to post and tag their product. When posting my own products I use hashtags relevant to the product and trending hashtags to reach a wider audience. Consistency and interactive post also play a major role in building social media presence. Getting my content out to others who are not family and friends grew my platform as well. It’s all about using the power of networking.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.playtowinclothing.com
• Instagram: @playtowinclothing
• Facebook: Play To Win
• Twitter: @P2WCLOTHING

Image Credits
IJU- Caleb Jermale