Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaleesa Randle.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jaleesa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always enjoyed creating and/or re-designing. I fell in love with sewing in high school in my Home Economics class. From that point on, I’ve always kept that part of me alive. I’d sew a few basic pieces here and there to keep my skills up. However, I was never able to dedicate enough time to it. One day, I literally up and decided to launch my own boutique – JAce LeVon. I assumed it would be a win-win for me because 1) I loved fashion and design, 2) it would be easy, and 3) I’ll make side money. Keep in mind, I had no experience, had done no research, had no insight, no nothing – just education. I spent more time on creating the name than anything else. Summer 2018, I launched my site. Boy, oh boy! After approximately 10/11 months, business started to decline.
Let’s just say extensive research matters! Experience really matters! Education can only teach you so much. Now, I knew the importance of these elements. I simply ignored them and continued on. To make a long story short, I FAILED. Lol. My business failed! That is when regrets sunk in. Being the person I am, I don’t accept failure to well. To make matters worse, I had to start completely over from the nothing I had. As a result, I took the time to study the industry in order to gain a better understanding of it. I also reached out to random business owners via Instagram. My biggest lessons were learned from my mistakes, especially my big and costly ones. It took me eight months to re-pivot and build everything…my brand, my mission, my target, etc. My boutique became my brand. I relaunched the new and improved JAce LeVon (Clothing) in March of 2020. My relaunch was more successful the first two months than its entire past existence. Every month after, JAce LeVon maintained or surpassed its previous month.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road was nowhere near smooth for me-still isn’t. I had so many adversities. My confidence is one! My confidence had a reality check! My failing caused me to overthink and/or overanalyze a lot of things. For those who can relate, you KNOW how that can be a huge struggle. I second-guessed everything! My biggest struggle is support. I lacked support from a lot of family/friends that I expected it from. My biggest support came from strangers and my social media family/friends. Honestly, without support, I sometimes felt like I was failing. Eventually, you start not to care, though.
JAce LeVon – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
JAce LeVon Clothing is a brand, a legacy in the making. It’s a bridge between edgy and professionalism. A lot of people wonder how the name of my business came about because it’s different. It stems from my son’s nickname and his middle name. JAce LeVon consists of women’s clothing, unisex t-shirts and non-branded accessories. As a small business, having all my items manufactured from scratch is quite costly. Therefore, I re-design or tweak my own clothing. It helps me stand out as a brand. Whenever time permits, I take on small custom orders. I’d create custom-made items for show or per the request of the customer. Of course, being a one-woman show, I hardly have time to take on those projects. My business is (now) known for its name, for the brand. JAce LeVon is ringing bells and that makes me proud! THAT is what I am most proud of. That is my assurance that a few years from now, with continued efforts, my brand will be big. JAce LeVon will be the next big thing.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I deem success to be anything you have accomplished with hard work and effort. I deem success to be the idea of failing but never quitting. Reaching your goals are a success. Even the smallest things, such as completing a dainty task, is considered a success. My criteria for success is simple: 1) Focus and be clear about what it is I want to accomplish or do, 2) Present solutions to my problems, 3) Does it align with my brand/mission/etc.? and 4) Will it really assist in helping my business become more successful. I find these to be very important aspects of my growing success. Everything I do, I try to do it with a purpose.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 3373661231
- Email: info@jacelevon.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jacelevon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JAceLeVonJL/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaceLevon
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/jacelevonjl/
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