We were lucky to catch up with Essence & Dynomite Myrick recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Essence & Dynomite, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
Dealing with negative feedback can be a real challenge, especially when building a business. My husband and I have faced our fair share of nay-sayers while navigating the challenging and competitive fields of apparel and ecommerce. Over time, we’ve learned that not everyone will share our enthusiasm for success, and that’s okay. We try not to let the haters and negativity affect us, and instead focus on those who support and believe in us. In hindsight, we see every rejection as an opportunity to grow and improve.
Personally, I live by my grandmother’s motto, “I am too blessed to be stressed!” I remind myself to stay focused on building our business and not let the negative feedback bring me down. Every “no” is a chance for us to learn and grow, and every hater provides the extra motivation to keep pushing. My husband, on the other hand, thrives off the haters. He uses our negative comments as fuel to think outside the box and work even harder. It’s not about proving the naysayers wrong, but rather proving to himself that he can reach for greater heights.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
We are Essence and Dynomite, a husband-wife creative duo and proud parents of three boys. Together, we founded Royal Reigns Design (”RRD”), a company that embodies our love for family and creativity.
It all began in 2016 when Dynomite was searching for the perfect outfit for our bridal shower. Finding nothing that matched his vision, he took matters into his own hands and designed his own shirt. The final product, which read “Family First,” was a hit, with many people inquiring about where to get it.
This sparked a movement, and in the summer of that year, we started crafting several styles for our family to wear at our first official reunion. The simple yet profound message of love, loyalty, and respect resonated with our loved ones, and we realized we were onto something special. Thus, Family First became our first clothing design.
Despite starting with no materials, computer, software, or heat press, we hit the ground running with support from family. We received our first T-shirt press machine and desktop computer from my mother, and installed a free design software version, which was all we needed to start creating our “Family First” clothing line.
With all the positive feedback we received and the consistent demand from clients for our own creative T-shirts for other special occasions, we put our clothing brand on hold and started to explore more on the custom design side. In 2020, we evolved into a custom design & printing business, with a focus on designing personalized and unique apparel and keepsakes, such as pillows and backdrops, for special occasions and small businesses.
What sets us apart from other custom printing companies is our devotion to our customers, our ability to create unique designs from client ideas, and the personal touch we bring to our work. We have gained a loyal and steady client base over the years and continue to deliver quality products that celebrate the beauty and value of love and family. Our custom apparel designs have been impactful and inspiring, bringing awareness to special causes and enhancing lives.
In 2021, we decided to get back to our foundation and stay true to our mission and motto of “Family First.” We created our lifestyle fashion brand called Reigns, which represents who we are: close-knit, strong, and connected with the ones we love. Our We Only Love Family “WOLF” Collection celebrates families and includes a range of stylish varsity jackets and sweat suits that come in different editions catering to the whole family!
So what’s new for RRD this year: For our custom design & print studio, we remain fully committed to creating unique T-shirts & personalized gifts for special occasions and large events. In addition, we are helping small businesses expand their brand awareness through customized promotional items at affordable prices. For our Reigns Lifestyle brand, we are excited to announce new designs under our WOLF collection, which will be available later this year for both adults and kids. We are also working on our new Reigns collection, which will feature a range of Letterman sweaters perfect for those who love that urban-preppy look. Lastly, we are reintroducing “Family First” with a new twist and style!
I am also thrilled to announce my first writing debut as a co-author in the anthology “The Art of Womanhood: Fierce, Feminine, Fearless,” coming out this year. In this anthology, myself along with ten other ladies will share our journey of self-reflection and discovery, highlighting the joys, challenges, and triumphs that come with it. I will share my personal experiences of motherhood, diving into my thoughts, feelings, and decisions that have molded me into the woman I am today.
All of our items, including pre-orders for the anthology, can be found on our website, www.royalreignsdesign.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
As business partners and spouses, we know it’s crucial to maintain a healthy, productive relationship. We’ve learned over time that patience, creativity, and consistency are the three most critical qualities that have helped us grow.
Patience is key to any relationship, and even more so when it comes to business partnerships. We’ve found that separating our personal and professional relationships helps us avoid conflict. My husband is the designer, while I handle the business side of things, and we’ve learned to work together to ensure that our visions align. It takes time to create unique collections, and we’ve had to learn how to communicate effectively and be patient with each other to avoid rushing and compromising on quality.
In a world full of designers, we know that being unique is essential. Our out-of-the-box approach sets us apart from the rest. We take pride in our unique design choices, from the materials we use to the fonts we choose. Our designs are a reflection of who we are, and we are always searching for new patterns and materials that fit our values and vision.
Finally, building brand awareness is critical for any new brand. Consistency is the key to making it happen. We continuously showcase our work, our process, and our values to the world. We plan to attend several events locally and within our neighboring states in 2024 to increase community involvement and awareness. It’s a significant step for us, and we’re excited to focus on it this year.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
We’ve been fortunate enough to receive a wealth of knowledge, insights, and advice from our loved ones, which has helped us overcome a variety of challenges. However, over the past year, our partnership has become the backbone of our success. My husband and I are both creators in our own unique ways; he expresses himself through design, while I express myself through writing. Our distinct strengths complement each other and make us an unbeatable team. Nonetheless, it took time to find our rhythm. We had to learn how to listen to each other, communicate effectively, and work together towards a common goal. Once we were in sync, we were able to push our business in a direction that aligned with both of our visions.
One significant risk we took that played a crucial role in our success was the decision for my husband to leave his full-time job to focus on building our company. Starting our custom design and print studio proved to be a lot of work, and we quickly found ourselves overwhelmed. We were both working full-time jobs, adapting to a new home, and raising our third child, which made the behind-the-scenes work challenging to manage. Despite having many orders coming in, we had no time to complete them, and it began to affect our family life.
After a heartfelt conversation, my husband chose to resign from his job and focus on the company full-time. It was a difficult decision, but we knew it was the right one. I transitioned to remote work, and we carefully re-evaluated our finances to account for our new reality. It was tough, but we learned to be more mindful of our spending and make smarter financial decisions.
As our business continues to grow, we recognize the importance of effective communication and working together as a team. We’re grateful for the risks we’ve taken and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://royalreignsdesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/royalreignsdesign & https://www.instagram.com/reignsfashion_17
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalReignsDesign & https://www.facebook.com/reignsfashion17
- Other: campsitebio: https://campsite.to/royalreignsdesign
