Meet Joey Wiz

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joey Wiz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joey, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

That’s a great question. I don’t know if I’ve ever been able to truly overcome it as much as manage it. The “fake it ’til you make it” mentality can be overwhelming if you feel like you’re in over your head about to drown. When I’m feeling at my most insecure, I find it best to take a breath and remind myself that I have no need to compare myself to others, or their knowledge, or their accomplishments. Focus on what I know, what I have done, and what I can do. Instead of saying “I should know this” or “I should’ve done this,” I collect myself and recognize the situation is an opportunity to learn. I tell myself “I could know this” or “I could do this” and then find the ways to make that possible.

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?

As a kid, I was a skateboarder and involved in the punk/hardcore/metal scene. It was a loud, loose, vibrant, and eye-opening time. That scene developed my core style of music, my closest friends, and our fashion. As I grew up, I always enjoyed keeping that punk ethos in my style. However, it didn’t translate well to when I wanted to represent my hometown and home state. At the time, most state or local pride gear was generic stuff you’d get at the airport – nothing remotely like what my friends or I would wear. So, we started making our own.
We started printing our own shirts and selling at local street festivals. At these events, people would come up to us telling us how much they were waiting for something like this. People started getting tattoos of our design. That’s when we knew that we had tapped into something special. People felt the same way we did and were finally able to express it.
Over time, we added more designs and more types of clothing/accessories. Eventually, we built our website and social media accounts. It was very grassroots and very DIY. Slowly, but surely, it started to grow and we were able to expand into other markets.

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?

1. Humility. As much as I wanted to believe that knew everything, I didn’t. I still don’t. Once you acknowledge that you can surround yourself with a team of experts who will be honest whether it’s good news or bad news.
2. Listen. Now that you have a team of experts, listen to them. You may not always agree, but you’ve engaged them for their expertise for a reason.
3. Be adaptable. Things change quickly. Your goals change. Economics change. Don’t get too comfortable or stuck in your ways.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Recently, I’ve been closing my days with a few passages for “Book of Delights.” It’s a book of daily observations of joy and delight by noted poet Ross Gay. The book is not poetry, but it does have a lyrical quality to it. Reading it often soothes my mind and calms me – makes me take joy in the little things and realize that the weight of the world isn’t really on my shoulders. It reminds me to stop, take a breath, and enjoy the things I already have. Because up until this very moment, everything I’ve been working for I have right now. I can always want more for the future, but me in the past was working towards right now! Might as well enjoy it.

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