We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Juwan Harris a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Juwan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I feel like a problem in my culture is that we put all of our focus on material and not materials. We like to get in an uproar about why we support big name brands that have shown publicly that they are not for our culture, saying that we should spend those dollars on black owned brands. I agree. The question I have is why does it have to stop at clothing, music, and sports? We’re brilliant in many other ways.
I personally feel as a black man in my culture that we underestimate our power, talent, and creativity when it comes to entrepreneurship. Instead of focusing on just fashion or music why not take it to the auto, electronic, home, gaming, or even the education industries?
With that being said I bring you TopLife Tech. From the education industry with smart notebooks with thumb print recognition locks, smart book bags and glasses, and auto correct smart boards. To the auto industry with TopLife smart electric cars with some models that cap at 60mph for beginning drivers with learners permits or even to rent at the local DMV. On to the gaming industry with a variety of handheld, arcade, and VR gaming systems enough to create your very own Dave N Busters.
Picture the possibilities of dreaming about the future. You picture robots, flying cars all sorts of futuristic technology. I’m here to tell you the future is here. TopLife Tech has walking transformers and full body transformers that allow you to have the full capabilities of a actual 8-10 foot transformer. All the way over to the music industry with TopLife Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and AirPods.
I believe this will work because I want to play the role of trailblazer. I want to show the youth that you can make anything you want your own. You can make your own car. You can make your own TV. You can even make your own shoes. Your ideas don’t have to be confined to a clothing line.
Juwan, 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 Juwan Harris creator of TopLife. I’ve been designing clothing since 2013. My proudest accomplishments are being able to display my clothing line at venues such as the Biltmore Ballroom, Atlanta City Hall, and the Fox Theater.
I want people to know that TopLife is a brand that will always evolve. From clothing to tech I want to push the envelope on ownership and art in general. I will continue to strive to bring all of my ideas to life. The possibilities of a world where everything in my home down to the silverware being TopLife is in near reach.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I remember when I first started on Instagram right at the start of the hashtag era. I was so hungry to get my brand out that I would type in a hashtag relevant to my brand like #streetwear or #dope and every picture I would comment “@toplifeclothing”. I would do hundreds a day.
I didn’t care about the reaction because I was confident that even if you were like “Who is this?” Once you take a look at my page I knew they couldn’t deny it. That led to me having sales in countries such as France, Sweden, and Australia. My advice would be the best way to get your brand out is to get on everybody’s nerves by promoting your brand in as many ways as possible.
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 learn was actually what I referred to previously. I remember talking to my uncle Lenny about finding ways to get my brand out by expanding to making accessories such as glasses, hats, and rugs. He said maybe I should do something different.
At first I took at like he didn’t believe in my clothes or my ideas but the more I thought about it I started to understand what he was saying. Instead of wrecking my brain on 100 designs for a shirt or a hoodie, why not do that for a microwave or a vacuum cleaner? Then I could feel my brain literally open. I could design my own vacuum cleaner or even a smart mirror with my logo and touch screen capabilities. The possibilities are endless.
Contact Info:
- Website: toplifetech.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/toplifetech
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/juwan-harris-0bb772129
- Twitter: Instagram.com/Toplifeworld
Image Credits
Photographer: @erikad_anderson @reelformmedia