Meet Rob Jeezz

 

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rob Jeezz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rob below.

Rob, 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 believe that sometimes our passion is not always our purpose and our purpose is something we find along the way. I have always been someone who would try something before I could say I don’t like it. High school was like a trial and error chapter; cooking classes, stitching/ sewing, painting, drawling, acting in Christmas plays like the Scrooge. Without a question though, drama class was my favorite with Mrs. Fox. Choir is where I found music. I also took a clay and molding class and also an architecture class where we would build things form scratch. I once took a class for two years where I would build computer hard dives all day. I grew up next to a skatepark, so prior to getting into sports, I was a skater. BMX was one of the first things I learned to do and it kept me off the streets and focused on something productive. I went to two back to back championships with Loyalsock and Hughesville High School in both basketball and football. I ran track and cross country, I wasn’t always the best but I tried to be. I played softball as a kid so I always had love for sports but I change schools a lot. I went from Roosevelt middle school to Loyalsock, transferred to Williamsport high and then my senior year to Hughesville high so you can see why I never really stuck to one thing. Cody was one of my best friends growing up. We would free style all the time before he died. He had this attic that had a picture of 2PAC painted in and we would cook up beats all day. I never really had the coolest clothes but I always had a niche for putting an outfit together and taking a pretty cool photos and these are just high school days. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t really know what my purpose is but I think its to make an impact. My mother is from the country and my pop is from Trenton NJ so my worlds clash with how versatile I can be but music is the one thing that has always stuck with me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

In 2019 I created a brand called Swavey. I originally had the idea when I was at IUP University studying Business Marketing, but didn’t fully put the brand together until 2019. We had our first launch in September of 2019, and then launched a website during 2020, right when Covid-19 hit. From there we’ve done vendor events every year, created a Breast Cancer Awareness launch and donated half the proceeds to Breast Cancer Awareness. The purpose of Swavey is for people to be able to express themselves however they see fit; whether it’s with a beanie or a t-shirt or even a sweat suit. Designing clothing that anybody and everybody can wear. Our brand is inclusive; no matter your shape, color, size, etc., we want everyone to feel included and be confident and what they wear. We have done photoshoots all around Pittsburgh, we’ve even been in some fashion shows as well. The most exciting part about owning a brand, is seeing people believe in your vision, just like you do. We also created a Swavey Podcast; where we’ve interviewed people from David Correy, Merril Hodge, local business men and women and local artists as well. We’ve also attended networking events with Ryan Shazier, and other big local artists and business men/women in Pittsburgh. Seeing them feel confident in a piece of your clothing that you designed and put all your hard work into. Back in June, I got the opportunity to travel to Paris France with Taylor Gang and their artist, Fedd The God and perform in the heart of the city; right before the 2024 Olympics started.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I believe that to be successful in life, before you have any other skill, you have to be ok with failing. Failing is how you become successful and I have failed many times. But I have never given up on myself and what I want to do with my life. You have to consistently be putting the work into yourself if you ever want to make your dreams comes true; despite whose in your corner, who supports you and who hates on you. I’ve been through a lot in my life and one thing that has always stayed the same, is my belief in myself. Life is not always gonna go your way people are always going to have something negative to say, but staying true to you, your dreams, your beliefs, is gonna help and push you to making them come true.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Right now my mom currently has blood cancer. Accepting this and trying to be there for her through this difficult time, has been the most stressful thing I’ve been going through. Not only trying to be there for her in everyway possible, but mentally dealing with it as well. Not only dealing with my mom, but financially I’ve been going through some things as well; deciding on where I want to move to but also taking care of my responsibilities at home. My younger brother Casey is also serving time and his lawyer expenses are not cheap. But through all this, I keep my head held high, knowing that soon, things are going to get better and it’s all in God’s plan.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Easley Visuals

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