Baebu Interviews Dynasty George on Entrepreneurship
Interview by Baebu, a new platform to connect and empower entrepreneurs with individual coaching, accountability and networking story-telling events.
Interviewee:
Dynasty George
Founder, Creative Director at Dynasty George LLC
www.dynastygeorge.com/
Dynasty is creating an ethical and sustainable womenswear brand, and in our perspective, it’s more than the product she’s selling-- she is selling the positive social impact through supporting and empowering women in poverty. When Baebu met her for the first time, her company was in a good shape of defining the brand. We admire how she motivates herself to spread her message, and we want to celebrate her business expansion to Mexico, teaching Mexican women and helping them find employment.
"Often times as girls we're told, we are not good enough. We then compare ourselves and believe the girl next to us is our competition, but you're wrong, she is your sister. We are Sisters." ---Dynasty George
Can you tell us a little bit about how you built your brand and story?
After working in the fashion industry for about 2 years, I realized I didn’t like the culture or ethics of the industry. Creativity, work/life balance and kindness were not valued. There was also a lack of opportunity for women of color in the industry when it came to pay rate and moving up positions. What really motivated me to start my own company was the documentary, “A True Cost,” which exposed the working conditions of factories in India and China, making clothing for fast fashion companies. I saw workers that were overlooked, overworked, and mistreated. I knew that there had to be a better system of creating clothing that empowered the maker instead of repressing them. The documentary also showed the harmful environmental effects of the fashion industry, which included millions of unused clothing decaying in our landfills, polluted water, and excess waste. Thus, this is why I started Dynasty George. I wanted to create a company that didn’t continue to congest landfills and celebrated authentic artistry and the artisans themselves. It was a business idea rooted in my love for fashion, art, people, culture, and the environment.
What makes Dynasty George special, and how do you keep the relationship between your customer authentic?
Our values make our company special. We are a zero waste brand that reuses all excess fabric, as well as upcycle vintage items. We teach and employ our artisans, providing opportunity to women in poverty. We also genuinely value craftsmanship and creativity, we want all our pieces to be special and unique. We are very transparent with our customers and strive to build a sisterhood network of creative ambitious women.
How has your knowledge and skill set relate to your purpose or personal value?
I studied Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated with my BFA in 2016. I learned about design, construction, and time management in school. My personal values growing up also inspired my company. My mom has always taught me to be kind and thoughtful, often times seeing how I can be of service to others. I am also Puerto Rican and Trinidadian, so the love of culture started with me loving my own. I grew up in a very traditional Puerto Rican household, where I infused my family’s culture along with American culture.
How did you hear Baebu and why did you join?
We met on an app for meeting creative professionals, called bumble bizz. After meeting with EJ in person and discusings our passions and personal goals, we immediately believed in each other’s businesses and I know she could be of great value to me.
Every time when we met you, you had these crazy updates and the business has been growing so fast. Can you give advice for those people who are afraid of making mistakes and fails?
Honestly, the best time to fail is now. I often get questioned why I want to start my own business so young and work for someone else first but if I fail, I rather fail now. I think you really just have to do what your passionate about and if you’re consistent, you’ll see results. So, fail now instead of later, learn from your setbacks and keep moving forward. If this dream fails, you always have time to dream a new dream.
What Baebu activities/workshops have you joined, and what did you get?
I joined the networking 'give and get' feedback events and the individual meetings. I enjoyed the networking sessions because I was able to meet other entrepreneurs and creatives. It was a great way to hear feedback form multiple perspectives, as well as, meet other people who can add value to my company. I also enjoy the individual meetings because it’s more focused on my business and I am able to organize my thoughts more thoroughly with EJ.
What are some common obstacles when you are committed to become a solopreneur and what advice can you give to others who are struggling with the same obstacles?
Trying to manage 1,000 things at once. Starting off when you don’t have capital to hire anyone, you really have to hustle, work on favors, and dedicate time to learning new skills. Often times if you’re an emotional person, you can get overly stressed and unmotivated, so you have to learn how to push and encourage yourself. When you don’t have a team, it’s easy to lose focus and get discouraged because you don’t have anyone motivating you. So, you have to be that motivation for yourself. You have to pick yourself up when you fail and be your own inspiration when you’re not feeling inspired. I personally listen to podcast by other entrepreneurs and preachings to lift my spirits. I also talk to myself a lot, like “Dynasty, you know you want this. You have to do this in order to get somewhere. Don’t compare yourself to others. You will be successful. You can do all things Christ who strengthens you.” I try to remind myself of these things daily and believe in myself, even my circumstances seem dim.
Do you have any final advice for people who are discovering their dream job and setting goals to achieve that?
Yes, be an expert at your craft but also willing to learn more. You always have to learn new things and do things most people don’t know to stand out. Know your industry, know your mission, and make sure everything you do aligns with your values.