We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hodge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hodge, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Be the one to ask questions and actively listen to the responses. With this you can identify who you can best help. Your knowledge and skills may not be for everyone. Have the ability to triage each situation and who you can best serve.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started as a collector of local are for my beach house and quickly fell in love with the workmanship/vibe of Josh Phares Art. We became friends throughout the process and he started a mural in my living room. Over the hours of watching him develop a custom piece we started discussing a clothing line. I soon met Tony (Min Koo) at a BBQ and he was just as gifted as Josh with other artful skills and we realized what a great team they would be. We formed a company, decided on initial designs, learned about different textures of fabric, then executed the best we knew how. As we grew, we learned many lessons, and eventually became a local brand we were proud to see around town and abroad. The hardest part we have is the online shop and sinking all the different programs to ship smoothly.
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?
Honesty, Resilience, Loyalty!!! There are some you meet that are so willing to help you, judge which ones have good intentions and lean on those that have done it before. Swallow the ego and absorb what you can at the same time deciding what advise to implement. Everyone will have an opinion and even judgmental at times; know the source and weigh that against their experience.
Read the Famous quote by President Teddy Roosevelt: The Man in the Arena! Read it 100 times a day. Read books about the mentality and drive of the US Navy SEALs then practice the art of learning to fail forward/to never quit!!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Creators, Developers, doers, humble yet determined, and those willing to take the risk
Contact Info:
- Website: devoceanstyle.com
- Instagram: @devoceanstyle
- Facebook: @devoceanstyle
Image Credits
Josh Phares Art Min Koo DevoceanStyle
