Today we’d like to introduce you to Elyjah Monks.
Elyjah, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a 22-year-old brand and store owner. I have been making things as long as I can remember. My friends and I would build ramps out of old cardboard pieces and found objects around the neighborhood as kids. Eventually that transformed into more elaborate builds and through skateboarding I found my love for design. After high school I decided I wanted to continue my education in more unorthodox manner. I worked at Spencer Stone Co. where I learned the ends and outs of the traditional suiting and tailoring industry. Not long after, I stumbled across a new store down the street and met the owners of Tymless 1824 who would later end up becoming like big brothers to me. These guys taught me more about what it meant to run a brick and mortar and put me in a position to learn and practice all the things I wanted to do. After about a year with them I decided to open BY.E. I wanted to have my own place to grow my personal brand Silent Studios and work with other brands I really admired, and the rest is history.
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?
There is no freshly paved road for the things I wanted to do. Especially where I come from. However, with the help of my family and friends there has never been an obstacle or struggle we have not been able to overcome. Dealing with my own anxieties about my projects, making bad investments, and now trying to navigate running a store through a pandemic are some of things that come to mind. Even through the pandemic crisis and receiving no government assistance, I have received an incredible amount of support from my customers and I am extremely blessed for that.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
BY.E is a retail space in the Plaza District I started to carry brands and artists that I wanted to see in my city. In creating this space, I wanted to make a place where people can feel welcomed and safe no matter how they look or what they are into. We are currently in the process of remodeling and we’re really excited to welcome the community to our new space this July.
My personal brand that started somewhat as a passion project, Silent Studios is a creative brand and platform. The brand makes clothing and art and we use our platform for many purposes. Recently we released The Anglerfish Project to spread awareness and raise money for SISU. SISU is a non-profit organization specializing in emergency care and housing for homeless youth and a safe zone for LGBTQ people alike. We want to continue to use our platform for things like this and spread as much goodness and love into the world as we can.
What were you like growing up?
I lived inside my head a lot and I think I was nice to everyone. I was always the kid that would jump from table to table at lunch in school. I didn’t really feel like I fit-in in one place, I felt like a chameleon of sorts. As a kid I drew graffiti books and skated all the time. My house became the house where everyone would stay the night so we could sneak out and do whatever in the late night. I think, even as a kid, I always felt fortunate to have the parents I did. I think most parents would have been sick of my shit, but they were always really cool about us getting into trouble.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1634 N Blackwelder Ave. #202
Oklahoma City, OK 73106 - Website: https://byelyjah.com/
- Phone: 4054761775
- Email: goodby.elyjah@gmail.com
- Instagram: by.elyjah
- Twitter: elyjahmonks
- Other: https://silentstudios.com/
Image Credit:
@its.thesweetlife
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