Today we’d like to introduce you to Dwayne Williams.
Dwayne, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up the son of a tailor. He instilled in me the importance of dressing for success. I was raised to appreciating tailored suits, ties, and accessories. As a kid, I sometimes would even wear a suit to school. It was fun mimicking both my parents’ impeccable style. When I got older, I began to pay closer attention to my own style and the things that I liked to wear. I noticed that people paid close attention to what I wore and treated me differently according to my outfits. Some of the well-dressed older guys had jobs at clothing stores. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to work at a one. I finally got the opportunity to work at a local men’s clothing store in high school.
Working retail in high school and throughout college gave me even more of an appreciation for clothing and dressing for a purpose. Once I graduated college, I ended up back in retail a few years later. It was then I realized how much I enjoyed it and how I could make clothing my career. I learned as much as I could from colleagues at the best retailers in the country. I learned skills such as customer service, retail sales, and retail buying all at a professional level of expertise. Traveling to other regions gave me more insight on how to better myself and sharpen my retail business skills. It was an amazing experience!
Toward the end of my career as a retail professional, I was presented with the opportunity to work for a wholesale conglomerate out of New York. I accepted the position managing accounts throughout the southwest region of the U.S. In this role, I was able to improve on my skills of merchandising, product development, and marketing. More importantly, I was able to start my journey as an entrepreneur. Eventually, I was able to transition into working as a full-time entrepreneur.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at ALL! Where would be the growth in a smooth road? I’ve met some difficult challenges along the way. However, my Faith and perseverance have always allowed me to overcome even the most difficult challenges. I remember many times not having enough knowledge to run a business, not having enough resources, and not having the right connections. These type of struggles I call “temporarily permanent”. Meaning they show up for a short time to stimulate you to grow but are present at every stage of growth.
Perhaps my toughest two challenges were being laid off just before 9-Eleven and losing my greatest mentor (my father) in 2006. The reason why I say these were the toughest is because they almost made me throw in the towel on being an entrepreneur and life in general. Both times I was completely lost and didn’t know what to do or who to turn to. But somehow, miraculously, I was able to continue on. This is why I think my Faith is so important. I had to have something to hold on to when I had nothing else. This is the only thing that kept me going.
Please tell us about Style In Business.
Style In Business is a culmination of my professional experience in retail, wholesale, and entrepreneurship. I’m able to use the bulk of my experience to work in a niche role as a Style Strategist. I specialize in image & wardrobe consulting, brand development, marketing, and business strategy. I’m best known for helping early-stage entrepreneurs reach their goals and assisting career professionals in leveling up at their jobs.
I’m most proud of clients getting to the next level of their jobs, businesses, or personal lives in style. I enjoy taking their goals from concept to completion… from phone notes to fruition… from them not being noticed, to the ones to watch. I take great pride and detail in getting clients everything from creative resources and product development to the network and contacts they need. I’m relieved to help them get where they’ve always wanted to be, get it done while looking and feeling their best! It’s exhilarating to look for individuals with great ideas that want to level up into their next position in life! Because it thrills me to help people advance, I can hardly call it work.
I think what sets me apart is my personality and passion. I’m a unique individual with attention to detail and a clear, calculated vision. I only work with clients that understand the importance of their appearance and want to utilize their style, coupled with other necessary resources, to advance in their business or career. A big difference is, I actually look to SAVE clients time and money. I save them time by not searching all over the place for the perfect look and I save them money in over-purchasing on items that they don’t really need or can only wear once. I also protect them from any embarrassing situations they may encounter in dressing inappropriately for an important life event or opportunity to advance.
Most importantly, I think my level of care sets me apart from the rest. I’m known to care more than some of my clients about being presented in a certain manner. Because from experience, I understand how important it is to make the right impression and be able to follow up on that impression.
For example, many people wait a day or two before a job interview to prepare for it. I think to prepare a day or two before such a life-changing event is being unnecessarily risky. This interview could land them a job that could change their income, the neighborhood they live in, their network, and their lives in general. I think that’s well worth investing as much time, money, and consideration as a person can afford. The same goes with other life events. You want to position yourself for the best experience and best results. That is what Style In Business is all about…getting you prepared to experience the best results possible.
Another element of my business that sets me apart is, I’m personally involved with every client while keeping each stage of their development confidential. I realize not many people want to have before/after images published online for all to see, or a case study on their business’s progress. My relationships with my clients are more like friendships. This is the best way to help them reach their goals…like how I would help a friend or family member.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I remember being jealous of my older siblings for getting school clothes when I wasn’t quite old enough to attend school. My mom would notice my sullen attitude and take me with her to Manhattan. We would shop up and down 5th avenue while my older siblings were at school. She even bought me a little suit and a small satchel to make me feel important. We had the best times together.
Then, my father would bring home a rack of tailored suits with matching ties and accessories. I would sit in his room as he carefully put away each piece, perfectly in its place. Seeing my parents maintain their styles throughout my childhood left quite an impression on me. I still wear some of the vintage looks ’till this day.
Pricing:
- Free 1st-time Strategy/Style Session for Interviews, Weddings, Promotions, Class Reunions, and Other Life Events
- 50% off 1st time Marketing Strategies/Campaigns (Complete w/ Marketing Tools You Can Use Instantly)
- Free Professional Fitting with Purchase of Any Life Event Package (Know Your Proper Size & What Looks Good On You)
- *Up to 50% Discount On Clothing and Accessories At Participating Retailers
- Client Relationships, Information, and Content Are Kept In Strict Confidence (I’ll Be Your Best Kept Secret)
- *clothing discounts may vary by season, size, style, availability and other factors
Contact Info:
- Website: http://styleinbusiness.com
- Email: DdubStyles@StyleInBusiness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ddubstyles_styleinbusiness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StyleInBusiness/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwayne-williams-6452795/
Image Credit:
D. Martin
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