We recently connected with Jihad Sharif and have shared our conversation below.
Jihad, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I moved to Olive branch Mississippi from Houston Texas in the summer of 2018. Around the spring of 2019 someone saying hey, you’re pretty good with designs and you have great attention to detail, maybe you’d be good at making shirts. During this time, I was teaching third grade mathematics. So when I got home from work, I just wanted to the great my papers go to my man cave and have a couple of beers. I didn’t want to make shirts or do anything extra. But then, one day, I gave it a shot and decided to make matching shirts for my kids for a birthday party. I ended up falling in love with the process, and it turned out that they look good as well. I posted the pictures on social media and then people started asking me to make shirts for their kids and they grew into my own brand.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
South of Mane Custom Apparel is homegrown here in the city of Memphis. I am born and raised here, and I wanted the name of my business to reflect Memphis culture. I am currently working on putting together a photo shoot for some new items that I have set to drop in the fall.
My job is to put a feeling inside of whatever it is that my customers support me with. Whether it be humor or empowerment, or an eye-opening message, I want my customers to come back to me, knowing that they can’t rely on me to embody their ideas for a custom item. Most creators outsource what it is that they do and someone else does the work for them and then they present it to the customer. It’s very easy to go online and find things that people have already come up with and just throw it on a shirt or a Tumblr or a backpack or a mouse pad or a shot glass, but I pride myself on being different and also there I create everything myself from top to bottom. That means the idea, the material, the time, the design, the application of the design, etc…Everything is made by me and I take great pride in being able to say that. Right now I’m doing online sales, but in the near future I do intend on having a brick and mortar.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Work Ethic – When I decided to dive headfirst into this industry, I didn’t know anyone in the field to be able to help me and guide me along the way with the do’s and the don’ts. I knew that I had to go the extra mile in order to lay the foundation of getting where I needed to be. Sometimes that meant coming home from work and then completing my fatherly duties and then working on apparel until two or 3 o’clock in the morning. The job has to get done and somebody’s got to do it.
Attention To Detail – Why me? What will make the consumer decide on choosing South of Mane versus someone else who’s already established? I soon realized that there was a gap that needed to be filled when it came to the attention to detail. And that can mean anything from the turnaround time to the little things that make a big difference. Sometimes you may have a great idea, but you may choose the wrong font or you may have a great design, but you may choose the wrong quality of shirt, Everything matters!
Customer Service – Since I was a child I sold things. Sales and customer service come hand-in-hand if you want to be successful. If the customer does not like how they were treated, then it doesn’t matter how great your product is. when you are a small business, people are buying from YOU. You may have a great product, but if the customer does not like you, then they will not continue to support you. I found that thought process to be very helpful.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My biggest area of growth and improvement in the past 12 months has been my turnaround time. Even though I have a said turnaround time of four business days, the order is usually done before then. Over the years I have learned the ins and outs of my design programs and all of my machinery, and I mastered it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopsouthofmane.square.site
- Instagram: @southofmane
- Facebook: Jihad Sharif
- Linkedin: Jihad Sharif
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