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

Hi Elloheim, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea of BeSpecial came about in high school when I struggled to make the varsity basketball team my freshman year. When my friends with whom I’ve been playing basketball with since middle school made the varsity team, I was a little discouraged. I came home after basketball tryouts with a sad look on my face and my father sits me down and tells me that I have to “BeSpecial”. I have to put in the extra work to get to that level of play whether it’s extra reps in the weight room, extra laps on the track, or even extra shots in the gym after practice. He stated that I have to be willing to go the greater mile to become successful. During my freshman year, I made a name for myself on the JV team and got promoted to Varsity that same year.

The words “BeSpecial” stuck with me all throughout high school, even on my social media posts I would hashtag “#BeSpecial” at the end of my caption. There would be students with BeSpecial posters in the crowd during some games and everyone knew when they heard BeSpecial my name would be attached to it.

My freshman year of college is when I realized I wanted to make BeSpecial into a brand. My logo consisted of the 3 clocks; the round clock, hourglass, and digital clock. This shows that it takes time to find that unique side of you and really embrace it, it takes time to BeSpecial. After my logo was finalized, I bought a grey long sleeve from Walmart and heat pressed my logo big on the front.

The next day I wore the same long sleeve to basketball practice and my teammates were intrigued with what I had on. That’s the moment I realized I could make BeSpecial into something big.

Elloheim, 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?

My name is Elloheim Clark and I’m a senior and former collegiate athlete at Grand Canyon University currently pursuing my degree in Business Management. I got into this industry with passion, I didn’t know much about making clothing let along running a business. Although, my belief in my brand runs deep and I knew if I applied myself to learn the ins and out of managing a clothing brand, the possibilities would be endless.

BeSpecial is a brand that motivates our audience to embrace their unique traits. Our mission is to inspire, motivate, and encourage that side of you that stands out from the rest. There are many people nowadays influenced by what they see on social media, accepting the false idea that there’s a certain lifestyle you have to live. There is nothing wrong with chasing your dreams and embracing who are you.

Since the humble beginnings of the brand, I’ve been most proud of the progress I’ve experienced throughout the years. BeSpecial started as a thought and grew to be a household name. The brand is worn by both youth and adults proving BeSpecial to be relatable.

BeSpecial takes pride in serving the community by sponsoring high schools, hosting basketball camps on the west coast, and collaborating with local restaurants to feed and cloth the homeless with BeSpecial attire. In addition, BeSepcial is on track to reach the youth by scheduling speaking engagements that focus on entrepreneurship and business development.

Stay tuned for our summer collection releasing May 20th on www.bespecialtm.com

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source for new clients would have to be social media, specifically TikTok. TikTok gives accounts the ability to reach people from different countries or even celebrities while having a small following. Other social media outlets don’t give you a chance to showcase your work in front a wide variety of audience like TikTok does.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Many people ask me what is the exact amount you need to start a clothing line and in reality I started off with $100. I was actually in school when I started my brand and I was participating in sports, so I didn’t have time to obtain a job and make money.

With this $100, I found a website where I could get t-shirts at a wholesale price then I would go to Michaels and purchase a couple rolls of vinyl for the shirts. I already had a heat press machine to make the shirts, so I was all set. I also had some money left over to purchase packaging from Amazon.

Once my shirts were all done, I sold each shirt at $20 and was able to double that $100 I put in to my business. I then took that profit and performed the process all over again.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bespecialtm.com
• Instagram: @bespecialtm
• Facebook: BeSpecial
• Twitter: @bespecialtm
• Youtube: The BeSpecial Podcast