We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cannon Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cannon , thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?
The second week of January I was fired from my full time job. I had just bought a vendor table at my local pop-up shop the week prior to being let go! The pop-up shop is scheduled for February, I still need items, and I no longer have the main source of funding behind my brand. Not to mention this would be my first in-person appearance selling my new merch.
At this point I had to make a crucial decision. I could not do the event, hold on tight to whatever money I had, and play it safe. Or, I could roll the dice and use that money to get the rest of my items. I chose the latter. It was something about the unknown outcome that enticed me. It also showed me just how confident I was in my brand.
Not only did I sell out of certain item sizes, I made WAY more than what I bought the vendor table for. The networking I did at this one event connected me to people in and outside my city of Tampa, in a way I wouldn’t have imagined. The best part is, Im doing something Im passionate about. None of this would have happened had I played it safe.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wi. I moved to Florida when I was 18. Im currently residing in the Tampa Bay area. My creativity stems from being a rapper originally. Then I started to see that I could be artistic in other ways. Other forms of expression. From directing videos, photoshoots, designing merch for myself and other artist. I started caring more about being a multifaceted brand than just solely a musician. I took two key elements that Hip-Hop was known for and focused on those two. Fashion and creative expression. I started off just designing clothes and merch that I wanted to wear and use. Then that turned into other artist wanting to wear it to their shows and video shoots. Being a former rapper, I knew how hard it was to create the music, create the video, create the photoshoot AND pay for it all. So that’s where the media side of my brand came from. Not only will I provide you with the wardrobe for your project, I’ll direct all the visuals behind it too.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Self discipline, creativity and networking. Prioritizing whats most important is a major factor in being self disciplined. Developing habits of making decisions that get you closer to the goal is what you have to work towards. You got to truly understand that you have to sacrifice short term fun for long term success. Stay around people who are on the same things you are. If you’re in a creative funk get around people who are not, to spark or change the way you create altogether. Go to local networking events and mixers and develop relationships. Im big on being outside and interacting with other creators in my city because only so much can be done at home and online.
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?
There’s a few books that helped shift my thinking in terms of marketing and brand building. The late great Nipsey Hussle put me on to a book called “Contagious: Why Things Catch On”. “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” and “Building a Story Brand” are two other books that put me in the right mindset. These books taught me that one way brands become successful is when they develop an emotional connection with their consumer. It also taught me that word of mouth is still the best form of promotion despite newer forms that we utilize today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.loosecannonclothing.net
- Instagram: theloosecannonclothing
- Facebook: theloosecannonclothing
- Youtube: TheLooseCannons
- Other: TikTok @byloosecannon
Image Credits
Mykell Green Gabrielle Phillips Violet Marie Nia Lashae
