Meet Jay Donaldson of Don Piece Collection in Mid-Cities

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Donaldson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jay. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I love it here in DFW, I moved here in 2015 to take a new job, but I am from South Omaha, Nebraska (a place I also love). I grew up in poverty, was born in housing projects, and lived in low-income or section 8 housing up until I moved out on my own at 22. I played basketball growing up all the way through high school, that’s how I developed a lot of my life skills & self-discipline. When it came to school, I was a mediocre student but was always sure to stay out of trouble because that was one of the only places I felt real structure, I liked that.

My mom put her best foot forward raising me, she did her best to take care of home and whatever it took to put food on the table. She struggled with mental illness and drug addiction, and me and my Dad never established a consistent relationship, he shares similar struggles as my mother. My mother’s struggles and my Father’s absence would often leave my older sister, who’s just three years older, looking after me. It also landed my siblings and I in some rough situations, ranging from eviction notices, foster care, to being without lights and hot water among other things. Despite my Mother’s downfalls, I never held them against her because the good times often outweighed the bad, when she was on her game she always showered me with love, and when things were bad she never sheltered me from them, so those hard times is what I used to fuel me to get to where I am today.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’ve faced a lot of obstacles to get where I am today. Growing up in the inner-city, it’s easy to get caught up in the streets, so In addition to my childhood struggles that I touched on, I’ve lost friends, cousins, and even siblings to prison and gun violence. Those losses impact me to this day and have caused me to isolate myself and be an introvert at times. Despite those obstacles, I was able to become one of the first people in my family to graduate from College in 2013, but that also came with challenges. My first year of college I failed every class, told myself I was done with school. That same week my childhood idol was shot & killed, it all left me really lost.

I started drinking, and doing whatever I needed to do for money, at that point I figured dead or in jail by 25 was really the reality for people like me. My Grandpa must have sensed the change in me because he began to reach out more and would push me to want more for myself. By the grace of God, my Grandfathers push, and the coincidence of me being with my cousin when he registered for classes, I ended up back in school the next semester. It took me six years and five different colleges to finally obtain my Bachelor’s degree. It was bittersweet though because my grandfather unexpectedly passed away just two months prior, his push and long talks was the main reason I stayed in school and didn’t settle for the streets.

Once I got my degree, my goal was to work in Sports or in Corporate America. After almost a year of applications and interviews, I got the opportunities I set out for. I landed offers from USA Football in Indiana and a corporate job with Union Pacific in Omaha, only to have both offers pulled after a minor misdemeanor charge from when I was 19, that was “set aside”, showed up on my background check, sending me back to square one. That cycle continued for another four months, causing me to question my path. When I’d be ready to resort to old habits, my fiancé would talk sense into to me. Discouraged, but not defeated I kept filling out applications and taking any interview I could get, eventually I landed a corporate job in Omaha with ConAgra Foods where I worked for two years before an opportunity for me in the DFW area presented itself with Nestle USA.

I felt like I had outgrew home, my fiancé also wanted to move, and I knew a change of scenery would help my Mom beat her addiction, so I jumped at the opportunity in DFW. My Aunt passed away three months after I moved from Omaha, she shared similar struggles as my Mom, so I feared my Mom would also pass away before I was able to get her moved from Omaha. My fiancé and I made the move to DFW, knowing just a few people here and not much about the metroplex itself. It took us a few months to get settled, but once we were I was able to get my mom moved to DFW, where she’s been able to beat her addiction. I spent a little over three years with Nestle in DFW, before taking a leap of faith into entrepreneurship full time this year. During those three years, I had my first child which shifted my mindset from wanting a “secure career job” to wanting to build a legacy for my son and his future siblings. This new path has presented its own set of challenges, but I’m big on faith, so I have embraced these new obstacles with open arms.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Don Piece Collection – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Don Piece Collection is a watch line that I created from scratch. This idea dawned on me while I was on a trip with my friends and struggled to find a watch I could wear both out and during the day. I toyed with the idea for a few months, and finally put it in motion once I moved to the Dallas area, where I was able to find the time and focus I needed. My fiancé was pregnant with our son at the time, so when she’d go to sleep, I’d be downstairs until the wee hours studying other watch companies, working on potential designs, finding manufacturers, and drawing up the business plan.

Everything I do is for my family, so the name came easy “Don Piece”, a play off of my last name (Donaldson). During the design period, I was looking for ways to differentiate my watches from others. I decided to feature the number 5 on each watch to differentiate it. 5 AM means the start of the day for most entrepreneurs and 5PM means the end of the workday for most businessmen/women, so that’s where I pulled the number 5 from.

I’ve received orders from almost every state in the USA, multiple countries, and even celebrities. With that in mind, customer feedback is still what make me most proud as the owner of Don Piece Collection. It makes my day when I read a customer review or when a customer post a picture of their watch on social media bragging on Don Piece.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Don Piece wise I plan to put out my first series of Swiss Made watches this year! I’ve always dreamed of owning a Swiss Made watch like Rolex or Hublot, so to put one of my own out is kind of surreal. Aside from that, I want to continue to build the brand in general and build the direct to consumer business.

On a personal level, I want to continue to build a legacy for my family, and I also want to start reaching back and helping future business owners get their businesses started. I’ve recently started doing something called “Small Business Tip Monday’s” on my social media accounts to provide my followers with tips on starting/building their business. Once I have the free time, I want to set up “Small Business Startup” workshops in the DFW area as well as back home in Omaha. I believe we were all put here to create and to teach, so that’s my mission.

Pricing:

• Women’s watches range from $50-$100
• Men’s Watches range from $100-$300
• Use Code “Voyage” and save 15%

Contact Info:

• Website: DonPieceCollection.com
• Email: info@donpiececollection.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donpiececollection/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonPieceCollection/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonPieceTC

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.