We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jamila Riley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jamila below.

Alright, Jamila thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

There are two main keys to be successful in my book: A relationship with God and confidence in who you are! Faith is the building block for everything that I have accomplished not just in my business, but in my life in general. Whether I’m dealing with my husband, children, and family or customers/strangers…even in dealing with self (actually, especially in dealing with self), I take my cues from God on what steps I should take next…what words I should say next. Every decision that I make is filtered through my lens of faith and with this strategy, I have been most successful. This is also true of countless individuals that I have spoken to over the years in terms of their individual success.
The second point being having confidence in one’s self. I always say that if YOU aren’t fully convinced of who you are and what you’ve been called to do, why would anyone else believe you? I’m a firm believer that once you find out who you are and/or what you were created to be, you should be proud of that and, therefore, WALK in that. This truth has caused me to be most successful in my business, as I’ve found that customers resonate with REAL people and REAL stories.

Jamila, 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 Jamila Riley and I am the owner and founder of J. Riley, a crochet brand that specializes in uplifting women one crochet piece at a time. However, J. Riley is more than a brand, it is an experience where our customers are encouraged and allowed the freedom to be their unique selves. I believe this is what sets us apart. Building rapport with our clients is important to us because it is there that we’re able to assist women in stepping out of their comfort zones and showing up in a way that makes them happy. I want women to not only know that they’re beautiful on the outside, but also from the INSIDE out!! When I was younger, I was not comfortable with who I was…specifically with how I looked. I was always the shortest…the darkest…the skinniest, etc. Basically, I was not what was seen as the “pretty girl” coming up. Somewhere around my Sophomore year, I came into myself for lack of better terms and haven’t looked back. As I have grown well into my adulthood, I have encountered countless women who just don’t think highly of themselves, whether it be physically, emotionally, etc. We live in a time now where mental health concerns are exceptionally high and are often overlooked, specifically by women of color. Lots of women are suffering from low-self esteem, poor self-image, and tend to place themselves on the backburner in terms of caring for themselves. Having a healthy self-image backed with a testimony on how I got here, I would love to help other women arrive at the place of freedom in themselves as well. I want women to not only know that they’re beautiful but to FEEL beautiful as well…but from the INSIDE out. In my own journey, I learned that when I looked better, I felt better and fashion became a way for me to express myself and to basically show up and take up space in the world. Using specific colors to uplift my moods, I have learned how to use my wardrobe and accessories to enhance my mental health and my goal with J. Riley is to teach other women to do the same! While I create a variety of crochet items from accessories to home decor, my most crafted and sought after pieces are my crochet earrings. With a variety of styles and sizes, ranging from $3 to $35, J. Riley has a little something for everyone! The thing that I am most proud of on this entrepreneurial journey is the community that we’ve been able to create. Those who own J. Riley pieces are affectionately known as, “The Clique”, and it’s a space where ALL are welcome. If there was one thing I’d like people to know about J. Riley, it’s that ALL are welcome in The Clique!!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In 2020, my son was murdered. It happened right at the beginning of the pandemic…April 11th, to be exact. So, as a world, we were in the midst of unprecedented times but as a family, we were thrust into unfathomable circumstances, as we navigated this loss. Then came George Floyd. Mentally and emotionally, I think that everyone was all over the place. It was ALSO during this time that we were slated to open our first brick and mortar. Things were, needless to say, HEAVY! However, I knew that I had a decision to make. I could lie down and give up OR I could get up and fight, and this is what I know my son would have wanted me to do…so that became my driving force…to press on and make him proud. I have been “fighting” ever since and I’m certain that he is smiling down from heaven at all we’ve been able to accomplish in the last five years.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson that I had to unlearn is something we are taught early on….Get a job that makes a lot of money. To me, that boils down to, do it for the money. However, I have found over the years that this is the furthest thing from the truth and actually, some really poor advice. Sure, one can go to school, get a degree (which I did), and obtain a job that amasses a lot of funds but how happy are they? Do they like what they’re doing and/or actually enjoy going to work each day? In my experience, the latter is much more important, as I have found that the money will come. I am a firm believer that we are all born with different skills, gifts, and talents that we’re to use while here on earth. I believe that as we operate in those gifts, we are able to lead more purpose-driven lives which, in turn, make us more successful. I realize that a lot of people may not hold this same mindset, however, I have found it to be true not only in my life, but in the lives of many others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamjriley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjriley?igsh=ZTc1aDVnOGVvM3R4
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1578FThoY4/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamila-riley-bfa-71a426236?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
• Other: Email:
  [email protected]