We recently connected with Gabriel Ali-El and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Gabriel , 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?
Sometimes the haters and naysayers are what fuel my drive and determination to be successful. There has not been anything in life that I have attempted to do that didn’t come with a group of doubters. Being able to tune out the distractions and focus on the end goal is a skill that I was able to learn and embrace early on as a child. Self esteem and self confidence go a long way in thus process. You have to know that regardless of what everyone on the outside is saying, that you know your goal and purpose and only YOU can stop yourself from achieving those goals. The haters will soon turn to your customers once they realize that you have CHOSEN to stay focused and be successful. Once that choice has been made, NOTHING or NO ONE can stand in the way of that success.
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?
WokeTrends is an apparel company based in Baltimore,MD that specializes in merch with messages of empowerment, awareness, and inclusion. Having been in business a little over 3 years now we are beginning to see the beauty in the work that we do. Across thw city you will find people reppong different messages from our brand from the “Black men deserve to grow old’, to our “one love”, our designs are noticeable and make you stop and think. Thatbis one of the biggest goals we have for outer brand is to have our merch be a conversation starter. “What do you mean by legalize being black?”. These questions start much needed conversations that should be had within our communities. Getting to know each other in ways we never would’ve taken the time to before. WokeTrends is also so much more than apparel. We host numerous events throughout the city to promote community engagement and camaraderie. From our talent showcases, and six flags trips, to our community pop up events and homeless drives, WokeTrends is always out and about in the city. We are a brand that people can see, touch, and relate too. This is what people love about us, we are PEOPLE with a mission not just a company looking to make money.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Some of the most importa t qualities I have learned/gained in my journey are for sure patience, accountability, and attention to detail. For starters patience is extremely important in my line of work. Have to be patient with customers, patient with manufacturers, patient with new customers etc. Being able to take a step back and breathe while working through a project has done wonders for me. It is easy to get caught up in always trying to make a deadline, or feeling like you need to put something new out TODAY. But that patience has taught me that all will still be well but you have to take your time with everything in order to get exactly what you are looking to get from it. Accountability is also key in this business. I have to be sure I am delivering a high quality product everything so having people hold me accountable for the product I deliver is a trickle down effect to me holding my vendors and manufactures accountable as well. We have gone through many manufacturers to find the right one. Many lacked accountability which is ultimately what lost them my business. If I am geld to a standard by my clientele than people who work woth me must be held to that same standard. Lastly the attention to detail. I have made so many SMALL mistakes along the way that have cost me. Learning to take your time, be accountable, and paying attention to detail is what ensures that the product I deliver is top notch and that people will want to come back. The ultimate goal is to turn a new customer into a repeat client. We will not survive as a business unless we can concert one time customers to repeat clients. We want to to come back and get EVERYTHING that you see, so with that we have to be sure we cross “t’s” and dot all “I’s”. Attention to detail is super important. If you are new to this journey, definitely take heed to the information above. It can save you alot of time, energy, and materials making sure that you are patient, attentive to detail, and accountbale.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
As of August 4, 2023 we are a fulltime business. I quit my job and have transitioned into a full time entrepreneur and we absolutely LOVE IT! That being the case, our biggest challenge to date is reach. We have so many amazing items to choose from and we are always making new designs. Being able to constantly reach new people is something that we are looking to enhance. We know for a fact oir merch would be loved by so many people, they just have to SEE it. Getting your product in front of as many eyes as possible is definitely a stepping stone toward success. We won’t be able to rely on the same circle forever so branching out is at the top of our list right now. We have seen alot of growth through our social media marketing and campaigns which is wonderful. However, we are looking to grow even bigger and faster so for sure that is our number one hurdle currently.
Contact Info:
- Website: Woketrends.net
- Instagram: @woke_trends
- Facebook: WokeTrends
- Twitter: WokeTrends
