We were lucky to catch up with Sacoiya Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sacoiya, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive by continuing to live. All of the things that I have lived through, enjoyed, experienced, and participated in contribute to how I SEE the world around me. Through that I grasp snippets of the visions of my reality and transform them into whatever I see in my moments of creation and business brainstorming.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As Tee Chick’s Owner/Operator I have the privilege of designing, marketing, paying the bills it manages to contribute to, purchasing materials, attending various events, wearing AND using free Tee Chick merchandise, and MORE fun and not-so-fun activities. The most exciting part? Connecting with people by telling each design’s story. Tee Chick walks and TALKS in Art. Right now Tee Chick hopes to recruit brand ambassadors in order to raise more brand awareness and also begin providing logo design services. I’ve managed to cover the online basics with our website teechickdesigns.com and drop shipping through Etsy and Tee Spring. We have found a home at MeJah Books, Inc. of Claymont, DE located at 2083 Philadelphia Pike. They have been very patient and gracious towards the brand. It’s inspiring. Tee Chick is even a vendor. Recently though we donated backpacks filled with supplies for students of all ages going back to school. The event was absolutely lovely! To see the joy on both the kid’s and their parents’ faces was compensation enough! Tee Chick even has skin care products. Because who wants to pair their shirt with skin that doesn’t POP just like it? We have lip balm, balm tins, and are about to start making lotion as well. I do all of that in house. Mix it up myself. My excuse to be crafty, ha.
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 things that have been the most impactful on my Tee Chick Journey has been mentorship, my marketing degree, and being frugal. It has and always will be necessary to have a role model and someone to consult with about business affairs and keeping your life together while on your business journey. There are so many factors that many before us have endured and possess the wisdom to help us figure things out in a less complicated way. My marketing degree and the knowledge that I gained in the process of obtaining it has taught me a lot about people and the very basic ways to connect with them as a brand and build relationships. Lastly, being frugal has helped a ton. Whether it be buying the ingredients for the skincare products and making them all myself to getting blank shirts in bulk and pressing transfers on them myself. I have yet to break even so it’s very important for me not to over-spend. Never forget to lean on those that want to help in any way. Because having skills, qualifications, money, and assets means nothing without the proper guidance and support.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Right now it feels even more necessary to partner with other businesses, organizations, and groups. Ideally I want to seek out fellow business owners and organizations that have community based causes. I feel a need to not only sell to the community but also to serve it. Because Tee Chick is not all about profit. It’s about building community. Giving holds so much more power than receiving in my opinion. To partner with fellow business owners would be amazing. I have one location that I cherish so very much. MeJah Books, Inc. in Claymont, DE. I have the privilege and honor to grow there personally and as a professional. Delaware is Tee Chick’s home and MeJah Books, Inc. has made it a welcoming one. If anyone wants to connect with Tee Chick I am constantly checking my email, Instagram, and on Tik Tok. I’m a tech kid. Technology has been my right hand for decades. So, I can be reached across almost every social media platform as well as by phone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://teechickdesigns.com
- Instagram: teechickaroo
- Facebook: Tee Chick
Image Credits
Sacoiya Johnson
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
