Meet Marley Lake

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

Marley, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

My upbringing gave me a great foundation with confidence and self-esteem, but my personal development came on the soccer field and while listening to music. My favorite player Thierry Henry exuded swagger and confidence and I knew from a young age I wanted to be that way on the field. But that feeling bled over into my life, Confidence and self-esteem are everything on the pitch or field competition so I let that become my way of living outside of sport. I can do anything, I’m untouchable and when I lock in there is nothing I can’t do or be.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m Marley X Lake, a purveyor of culture and art. I am a soccer player, art-loving, and a food connoisseur. After years of shopping and wanting to make clothing, I just decided to leap and do it. I taught myself graphic design, and in 2015, my design house, Inégalé, was born. At Inégalé, we will design the shirt on your back, the art at the museum, and the merchandise at a cafe. Our company tagline is “Fresh At All Cost.” Our mediums and the basis of our company are textile, art, and installation. It is our mission to provide tasteful, high-quality experiences. Fresh At All Cost is about no matter what’s going on in life, you can always be fresh. Besides being blessed to make art, the incredible part of what we do is connecting with people and businesses. Inégalé has been a catalyst for connection, whether via pop-up installations or clothing collections. Getting to connect with people is integral to what we do. Without you all, the art, the designs, the products aren’t possible. Whether you’re a customer of ours or just passing by. We want you to feel at home and that art and fashion are for all, not just the elite or a select group. This October/November, we are launching our next collection called “Career Day”

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three skills I would say have helped me the most on my journey thus far are my research skills, communication, and dedication. Research skills are essential to any journey but are often underrated in creative careers because so much of your time is spent problem-solving. Just invest time researching your craft, business, restaurants, or whatever you’re interested in. Don’t rely solely on Google searches—many other resources are available.

Communication skills can be challenging. Although I was innately strong in this area, I found that going to more events and working in public-facing roles forced me to improve further. Putting yourself in these public settings will push you to enhance your communication skills.

Dedication comes with trials and tribulations. Find your calling, and the dedication will follow naturally.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Feeling overwhelmed is something I’m learning to deal with. During those moments I put down everything I am doing when I can. I go and surround myself with nature even for a brief moment. So many things in our life circle around technology so I like to take a moment to close the laptop and put my phone down. The next thing you can do that day or later in the week. Do something you love and see those that you love spending time with. Being around love is contagious so when you feel your mental avalanche beginning see the people who know you best. Some combination of those things helps quell my feelings of being overwhelmed.

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