We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Re’Onna Vines a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Re’Onna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Flier Inspired LLC, birthed from Flier Attire is a brand with a mission to inspire elevation through attire, story-telling, and creative initiatives. I started Flier Attire when I was only 15 years old and at that time, I had no idea what I wanted to do other than have a catchy name. Coined for the slang term “fly” I did not know then that I was creating a brand that today encapsulates so many stories of personal evolution.
I am now 19 years old and as I approach 20, my vision for the mission is much clearer. I know I want to inspire college-aged youth to take control of their destinies through journalism, consulting and fashion.
I grew up in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. I attend the largest Black university, North Carolina A&T. I have been surrounded by people of color all of my life. This is significant to my mission because it has been through showcasing the stories of people in my community that I remain inspired to keep pouring out the same energy with Flier Inspired.
There are so many underserved and underrepresented talents in communities I represent, that Flier Inspired has, can, and will create for.
The goal, the mission, the vision of Flier Inspired is to push others to be FLIER, because we can always strive to go higher!

Re’Onna, 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?

I got into the clothing industry as Flier Attire 4 years ago, aged 15, after taking a summer business course with the Atlanta Teen Leader academy. That program allowed for me to envision a future of entrepreneurship that I had previously only looked at as “hustling”. Growing up, I was always being instilled with “hustling” by my mom. We grew up doing things like selling old clothes at the flea market & selling candy bars for cheer and school trips. They were little building blocks for something bigger, something Flier.
I began selling wholesale outfits, mostly for women, then eventually manually heat pressing hoodies, to now mostly drop shipping. Today, I offer a diverse collection of pieces from graphic tees, to hoodies, to fitness apparel.
As it comes to elevating, I recently expanded my business into Flier Inspired. I offer consulting college-aged youth in areas of creative project strategies, time management, and public speaking. I want to help my peers solve the problems of not starting on their goals because of lack of discipline, guidance, and skills. This expansion came to me after years of people coming to me both virtually and in person, for advice on things I do naturally.
What sets me a part in this work is I understand my age group and the dilemmas we face. I have a head start in entrepreneurial experiences, especially failures, which will help me troubleshoot for others. Most importantly, I have a genuine compassion for human kind, which helps me dig a little deeper than surface level when people express their dilemmas. I can meet them with solutions uniquely cultivated to their needs.
I am very proud of the personal and business brand I am creating. Everyday I get up, I’m nourishing some aspect of the two so that I can show up prepared for the opportunities I am presented.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Think & Grow Rich: A Black Choice by Dennis Kimbro & Napoleon Hill is a recent read of mine that has changed the projectory of how I view myself as a business women, let alone human. The book was gifted to me by a business mentor and sat in my collection for a few months until one day I decided I wanted to read it in a week. The gems that I received about the power of the mind in everything. I learned that the mind carries infinite intelligence and it connected so much of my past work with Flier Attire with the future of Flier Inspired. I have went through many losses, failures, and disappointments with Flier Attire, all of which have made me question its future, yet I rise. That’s because I let my mind power push me forward, continuing to innovate in solutions, ideas, and creative projects.
Think & Grow Rich reassured me that in order to be resilient in anything, no matter the obstacles, we must take care of our mind. The impact of this reading can be seen in my most recent Flier Fitness line, in which I pivoted from my previous marketing tactics. I took the time to research and learn new methods of marketing, things that before that book, I had not done.
This Flier Fitness line has brought in more organic media engagement than any other project I’ve released in the past 4 years. Why? Because I fed my mind things that align with my goals. I followed the philosophy of Think & Grow Rich.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I chose to attend an out of state college, knowing I had $0 in family contributions and I had no idea how I would run a business from another state. What I always have had though, is faith. The 1st semester of Freshman year was a drought for Flier Attire. I was in a traditional dorm, with no space for storing or creating hoodies, which was my main product in 2021. In trying to pivot to manufacturers, I began dealing with the headache of overseas manufacturers. I lost so much money from messed up mockups and waiting on samples for months at a time. Everything seemed to be working against my business.
I felt so defeated, as I could not pursue my dreams due to the limitations of my space & resources. However, it just is not like me to succumb to my circumstances. I hopped on YouTube university to see how other clothing business owners were selling. It wasn’t long until I came across drop shipping, which has became the most viable solution to my circumstances as a college student.
I had a semester of down time before I figured out how to sustainably and conveniently run a clothing business from school. To this day, drop shipping has been the source of all products you see in my store.
I could have just ended Flier Attire when I entered a new chapter of life. It could have just been a high school side hustle, but I know I wanted more. I have always wanted more for myself, even when it feels like agents of chaos want opposite, so I find solutions.
My resilience can be illustrated through that pivot and many others including funding my degree through scholarships & grants. These are the stories many do not know about running business, but are essential to any business success!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.flierattire.com
• Instagram: Personal- @1badgalrere | Business: @flier.attire
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/re-onna-vines-066852195
• Youtube: Flier Attire

Image Credits
1. PhotoArc247 2. FlicksbyTune 3. Hot Shotz Media