We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Titus Golden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Titus, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the decision of whether to donate a percentage of sales to an organization or cause – we’d love to hear the backstory of how you thought through this.
We donate a percentage of our sales to Big Brother Big Sister because their mission aligns perfectly with ours—supporting the growth and development of youth. Helping young people is incredibly important to us. Additionally, we offer assistance to other organizations by giving a portion of the proceeds from orders placed through us back to their causes. We understand the challenges of fundraising and strive to alleviate some of that stress by contributing in meaningful ways.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Titus Golden, the founder of Ozell Brand. The brand was born from a difficult time in my life when I was battling depression. As men, we don’t always have a platform to express ourselves, but God gave me Ozell Brand at just the right moment. Ozell Brand is a unique shoe company based in Kansas City, Missouri. We design a wide range of shoes for both sports and everyday life. Each pair represents my journey from some of the darkest moments in my life to the brightest, reflected through our designs. We also make things simple for schools, sports teams, and other organizations by offering bulk orders at affordable prices.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I funded my business entirely on my own. While many people take pride in calling themselves “business owners” and not working for anyone else, and that’s a blessing if you can do it, my reality is different. I still work a 9-5 job, and that’s what made it possible for me to start my business. You can’t always count on family or friends to step in—you’ve got to put in the hard work yourself and make things happen.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
Our products are available on both ozellbrand.com and Walmart.com. Selling through our own website has its advantages, like having complete control over things like discounts and promotions. However, a downside is that we may not always have a large audience to reach. On the other hand, selling on Walmart.com allows us to reach millions of potential customers, but it comes with the drawback of having to follow their policies and rules, which limits our control.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ozellbrand.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozellbrand?igsh=bXZhNWZucW16NmVz&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/titusozell?mibextid=kFxxJD
- Linkedin: https://ozellbrand.com/
Image Credits
Titus Golden
Kendra Dixon
David Tillman
Tammy Tillman
Kierra Tillman
Titus “TJ” Golden
Taiden Golden
Tyler Brown