We recently connected with Kareem Manuel and have shared our conversation below.
Kareem, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Our mission is to inspire everyday people to impact their world every day. Our ethos is “We. Are The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For.” It came to me in 2017 when I needed to change my life. I also felt that humanity at large, at least what was being shown most often, desperately needed some love and positivity. While complaining, I felt myself say to myself, it’s on me. The way to change the world was to change myself. To be more conscious of what I consumed. What I put into the world, and how I engaged and invited others to do the same.
We. Are The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For is the reminder that not only can we make a difference in our everyday experience but that we are making a difference. We need to take action in love.
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 back background and context?
I am an artist and was working on a song called Power, where I considered power dynamics and how groups of marginalized people still have power. The chorus chanted We got the power. I created the first shirt to merch for the album release, but once I saw it, I knew I needed to be in apparel. So I dove all the way in.
I’m proud of making it to GQ magazine, all of the celebs that put it on for free in support of the movement. Honestly, I just decided to meet this challenge every day. This journey has been the most spiritual journey I have ever participated in. Every day, the considerations of what to pay, how to grow, and what success means for myself and the company have been an intense ride.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I met Yusuf Corley at a men’s health retreat through Sacred Sons. It was a powerful time to do deep inner work in hopes of continuing to connect with others more honestly and authentically. Throughout the years, he is who I would call to lift up prayers and ask advice. Over the next 4 years, he would lend his support to different initiatives that I would try, and eventually, I asked him about moving to Atlanta to join the team and help take this thing to the next level.
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
When I started, I had no idea how to sell online or if anyone would even want it, but I believed. I got 10 hoodies printed from a local screen printer, just recorded a video, and put it on Instagram and Facebook. I sold those 10 in about 1 week. I didn’t tell anyone how many I made. I recorded a video at the end saying, WE SOLD OUT. That energy spurred people to want to buy more and see what I had going on. That energy helped us get to the next level. Not selling the story but telling the story drew people in. That has always been our way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wesociety.co
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/chief.kareem
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_jv5rLMJxrfTurgT9uChw