We recently connected with Teryn Simmons and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Teryn, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I believe I get my work ethic from my mother. Being an educator, she always stayed on me about my grades and education. From staying up late helping me with science fair projects, to proofreading all of my assignments before I turned them in to make sure the handwriting was perfect lol. Not only did she stress the importance of having an education, she led by example. She woke up every morning for 40 years, rarely taking a vacation or sick day, to report to a profession she loved. I watched her go above and beyond and dedicate herself to her children and passion for most of my life. That definitely had a positive impact on me. I also was involved in organized sports at a very young age, which I also feel directly impacted my work ethic and dedication.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the creator and owner of Top Twelve Clothing, a streetwear brand that I launched back in spring of 2016. However, Top Twelve was a long time in the making. I had been working on the concept many years prior. I envisioned creating a clothing brand that inspired, uplifted, and motivated others through fashion the same way walking through the halls of my high school dressed in IceBerg, Fubu, or Tommy Hilfiger uplifted and inspired me back in the day. Top Twelve offers clothing for men , women and children and is heavily influenced by political, pop and hip hop cultures. We like to call it “Statement Apparel”… Clothing for the culture by the culture. I love the creative process and the freedom that comes with owning my own business. It’s exciting creating pieces that people can wear and enjoy. That’s what keeps me going. And as far as upcoming launches, we are excited about our new Fall/Winter collection that will be dropping soon, so be on the lookout for that!
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?
Three qualities/skills that were most impactful in my journey were my networking skills , ingenuity and patience. Being an entrepreneur, in any line of business, it’s very smart to network. Like the old saying goes, it’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know. Whether it’s attending networking events or leveraging your already established social groups, colleagues or friends, networking is a great tool to have and utilize. Having ingenuity will keep you in the game and one step ahead of your competitors. Being able to provide creative and unique products to your consumers is always a plus and will help you stand out. Lastly, patience. Top Twelve wasn’t built overnight. There were many obstacles that came along the way that if I didn’t have patience, I would not have overcome. Patience is definitely something that is essential to making it as an entrepreneur and only time and experience will help improve these skills.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
There are two books actually. The Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. Both are great reads and contain many impactful “nuggets of wisdom” for both personal and professional growth. The Outliers talks about what it means to be successful and examines how successful individuals reach their pinnacle. The main take-aways, for me at least, were that talent and hard work may not always be enough to be successful and that those who are successful also need family, culture, community, and a little divine intervention to make it to the top. I think about these and the many other gems that this book has to offer whenever I feel discouraged if something doesn’t go as planned or if I ever find myself unhappy about the progression of the brand. 48 Laws of Power, on the other hand , I found to be more useful when dealing with the “people side” of the business. Whether it’s how to navigate through business negotiations, networking, marketing, leveraging social media and personal contacts, this book touches on a little bit of everything in regards to power and how it can be used to your advantage .
Contact Info:
- Website: www.toptwelveclothing.com
- Instagram: @toptwelveclothing
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/TopTwelveClothing
- Twitter: @top12clothing
