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

Hi Carlos , thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

In the heart of a global pandemic in March of 2020, I came up with the idea of launching a streetwear clothing brand. I remember like it was yesterday when I started the process of trying to figure out where to start. The first thing I did was create a business plan and a vision for my brand. I was in San Antonio, TX at my father in law’s house when I created the business plan. With Covid-19 shutting down most businesses, I had all the time in the world to do as much research as possible. I had a friend who told me about Alibaba which is the world’s leading B2B cross-border marketplace which allows people to source products from global suppliers strictly from your cell phone or computer. I had no idea how it worked or if it was even legit. I decided to test it out by designing a Trucker Cap and reached out to a supplier to make me a sample of the Trucker Cap. I received the Trucker Cap in 2 weeks and was pleased with the overall process. But still, I wasn’t even close to being ready to launch my website as I didn’t have an LLC created at the time. I secured all the legal documentation to be in good standing as a business and in July of 2022 that’s when I started designing my first launch. It took me two months to design, find suppliers to make my clothes/accessories, and to create a game plan for the initial launch. I officially launched my website on September 19, 2020 and haven’t looked back since.

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 Carlos McCants and I’m originally from Mobile, AL. I now reside in Orlando, FL. I’m the CEO/Founder of Premier Couture Society which is a streetwear clothing brand for go getters and overachievers. I chose the name Premier because it exemplifies being a boss. Being first in everything you do and never settling for less while staying humble throughout the process. The motto we live by at Premier Couture Society is, “Grind Hard & Stay Humble”! That motto was formed by one of my best friends and teammates, Markel Owens, who was killed in a home invasion in 2014. I vowed to always keep his life’s motto alive and he’s one of the main reasons why I created Premier Couture Society.

At Premier Couture Society, every item we sell is handmade, which undergoes a cut and sew process to manufacture every single item. Every item we make has a meaning behind it that we explain through our designs. What sets us apart is we create engagement opportunities for our customers to give us feedback on different color ways, fabrics, and designs giving them a sense of ownership in our brand. A lot of brands come up with random products to make and sell but at Premier Couture Society we’re strategic about the products we release.

I want potential customers to know that our main focus is to always put our customers first, provide exceptional customer service and produce top quality products that will have our customers feeling Premier. Our team puts 1000% into our inventory as we want you to feel Premier (first in importance, order, or position; leader) when you wear our brand.

If you’re not Premier, then you’re last. PREMIER VIBES FOREVER!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I’ve been able to build a solid reputation within the market because of how consistent I’ve been with the products I’ve launched. I also have an area on my website where customers can leave honest reviews so potential customers can read and get a sense of the quality products we put out on the market. What’s been great about the growth my brand is I’m now starting to get customers from all over the country and customers I don’t even know. I once heard a millionaire say, “Complete strangers are the ones who will make you successful and not the people you know. The people you know want you to do well but not better than them.” That saying really stuck with me as each and everyday I focus on getting new customers to purchase from my website and to support my brand.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I started my brand with a small investment of $500 to purchase 80 T-Shirts in three different color ways to sample. I used those samples as a trial run to test the market while reaching out to family and friends to purchase the shirts. It took me about 2 weeks to sell all 80 shirts and after that I realized I had something great working for me. Most people think you need a huge amount of money to start a business but in this case I started small and took my time to grow my brand into what it is today. I realized I had to run my own race and focus on my own lane. I didn’t let what others were doing speed up my process.

Contact Info:

• Website: premiercsclothing.com
• Instagram: @premiercouturesociety
• Facebook: Premier Couture Society
• Twitter: @Pcouturesociety
• Other: Tik Tok: @premiercouturesociety

Image Credits
Kenya Staples & Aly Derksen