William Wilson to Design Jacket for Bronko Nagurski Winner
From the Grammys, to the Oscars, to NASCAR, if there is a high profile sports award to be given, celebrity clothing designer, William Wilson appears to be the man to call. The Bronko Nagurski Awards are no exception. William Wilson has been chosen to design the jacket for the winner of the 2011 Bronko Nagurski Award. This is one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. It is presented to the top defensive player in college football. The award will be presented on December 12 at 7PM, at the Westin Hotel.
Previous award winners include some of the most recognizable names in the NFL. Some of the legendary winners are Warren Sapp, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, James Laurenitus, Brian Orakpo, and last year’s winner Da’Quan Bowers. This years finalists are nothing to sneeze at either. They are Mark Barron from Alabama, Morris Claiborne from LSU, Luke Kuechly from Boston College, Whitney Mercilus from Illinois, and Devon Still from Penn State.
“The Bronko Nagurski Award is about consistency in excellence, at the highest level. The William Wilson brand operates on the same principle. To partner with such prestigious brands as the Bronko Nagurski Award and The Touchdown Club was an easy decision.” says CEO, William Wilson. “I only partner the William Wilson brand with brands that share a common creed. John Rocco has done an amazing job with the Bronko Nagurski brand, and I look forward to a long lasting relationship and productive relationship.”
No one knows who the winner is. That secret is kept well guarded. But whoever it is, they will definitely be well dressed. They will be presented with a midnight black, custom sports coat from the William Wilson Black Label Collection. The Black Label is an invitation-only collection, and it one of the most exclusive clothing brands in the world. Though the jacket will be priceless, a regular sports coat from the collection has a starting retail price of $3500.
Shut Up and Do It
I’m just gonna come out and say this. Do you know why many of you aren’t successful? You don’t deserve to be. Why? It’s simple. You talk too much, and don’t work hard enough. You TALK more about being successful than you are willing to SACRIFICE to be successful. Until you are ready to commit to being successful; just shut up. Stop holding our ears hostage. Stop telling everyone what you are going to do “one of these days”. We all have that friend, buddy, or colleague that since the day you met them, they have always told you what they need to do, but you never see them do it. They are always talking about success, but they never commit to having any.
Success doesn’t accidentally happen. You don’t just fall into it. You work for it. You fight for it. You risk for it. And you sacrifice for it. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose, but you fight. You get knocked down and you get back up. THAT is where success comes from! I laugh sometimes when I read my Twitter timeline and I read “Lets Go!”, “Let’s Get It”, “Make it Happen” and all the other stuff. I can read their timelines for a month and not see what they are doing to actually “Get It”. It’s bravado. Don’t get me wrong. I say it sometimes too. But then I make something happen. Not everything I make happen results in success, but they do result in a lesson learned. A lesson I wouldn’t have learned just typing “Let’s Get It” on Twitter and then going about my usual routine. Yelling words of encouragement, with no plan of executing it, is cheer leading. “Let’s Go?” Yea right!
On Christmas night at 12:30 I sent out a tweet asking 1 simple question: “Whose working?” The people that responded were the ones I thought would respond. They were on their computers planning for 2011, while most were out partying. They were exactly who I thought would be at home working. Because I see them all year doing the same thing. They don’t tweet about parties, they don’t tweet about their relationship problems, and they aren’t constantly re-tweeting what everyone else is saying or doing. They are moving forward. They are sacrificing. They have put their heads down and committed to being the best. They will be successful. Or at least they have the best chance. I’m not saying, you can’t party. I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself. But I AM saying, if you don’t fully commit, you won’t fully grow.
While sitting at my computer at 12:24 Christmas night, I came up with an incredible idea, that I will be launching soon. I’m giving away $100,000 dollars to a fortunate person that follows me on Twitter and “Likes” my Facebook FanPage. This is going to be an incredible branding opportunity. I wouldn’t have come up with this in the club. I also formed a strategic partnership that I will be announcing next year. I wouldn’t have done that in the club either.
I’ve had over a hundred people ask me what am I doing for New Years Eve. I told them “I will be in church. I am giving God my real time, not my obligatory, or spare time.” Many of them applauded my actions. Some even said, they needed to do that. To which I responded, “Why don’t you just do it then?” They have a variety of different answers, but it all comes down to where your priorities are. I’m not saying they should be like me, or that I am right and they’re wrong. I started doing this a couple of years ago, and my life began to change. I started becoming more successful; and the craziest goals I could think of began to be exceeded. This has worked for me, and I will keep doing it.
Success is a fruit that takes time to ripen. We are about to embark on not only a new year, but a new decade. Now is your chance to commit to greatness. I’m no one special, if I can be successful, you can definitely be. But you have to commit. You have to be 100% in. Otherwise, you’re only fooling yourself, and wasting a ton of time and money. Buying a pack of business cards and building a website doesn’t make you a success. It doesn’t even make you a business. I can build a website, and buy business cards that say I’m a neurosurgeon; but you don’t want me cutting into your brain. Trust me! Hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice are key ingredients to success. If you aren’t willing to give it 100%, then why bother? Why start a goal or a business if you aren’t willing to work, fight, and sacrifice to see your vision come to life? If you choose the club over planning. If you choose sleep over research. If you choose the party over the paperwork; that’s fine. Just don’t be upset when your competition leaves you in their dust. After all, at least you got your party on. Until next time…
God Bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Cloting
Don’t Make The Mistakes I Made This Year
I want to personally thank you all for helping make 2010 an incredible year for William Wilson Clothing. Like any company, we have had our share of ups and downs, yet it simply made us a stronger brand. As you know, I’m a transparent guy. I like to help those I can. I have made some good and bad decisions this year, some could have been catastrophic, but God placed people around me to make sure it wasn’t. In hopes of helping you avoid some of the mistakes I have made, I will let you in on some of my LEAST desirable situations.
First, I waited too long to put together a team. I treat my company like it’s my child, and I didn’t trust anyone else to take care of certain things. I tried to do everything myself. As a result, some of my greatest accomplishments went unnoticed.
For example, I did Calvin Richardson’s suit for the Grammys this year. He was recognized as “Best Dressed on the Red Carpet”. This is a big deal. For a local clothier from Charlotte to even be doing a suit for the Grammys should have at least warranted some interviews, not to mention being named best dressed. But it went relatively unknown. I may never repeat that feat again, but again it’s a lesson learned. Fortunately there’s a bright side to this lesson, Calvin has been nominated again for the Grammys, and I will once again be doing his suit. This time it will be the William Wilson Black Label Grammy debut. And I’m determined that it receives its proper press.
Second, I contracted with a PR firm and didn’t have the outcome I anticipated. I will take the blame and say I did this without fully understanding how PR works. I assumed they kind of took the lead in this arena, since they were the experts. Apparently, I wasn’t as involved as I should have been. I now know EXACTLY what is a reasonable expectation, and I will make sure to leave no window of doubt concerning my expectations next time. In addition, I will ensure that I don’t allow myself to feel as if I’m not a big enough client to demand the attention I feel I should have received. Again, my fault.
Third, I hosted my first golf tournament, The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational presented by Jetpool. The tournament, and the pairings party, was a smashing success. Everyone had a great time. You would never guess the mess we had with the food. I will show the guilty parties more respect than they showed me, or my events, and not get too detailed. Let’s just say I thank God for providing me with a sponsor that was more involved with the event than the food sponsors. We were in a precarious position, because the ball was dropped and we didn’t know until 48 hours before the event. This actually left us in a tight spot up to 20 minutes before my event was set to start. Through Jetpool’s professionalism and preparedness, we were able to form a contingency plan to keep a potentially catastrophic and embarrassing event from happening. I have three words of advice on this one: “Trust but verify.” I didn’t think of this, it was actually a quote from Pres. Ronald Reagan.
Kevin Conway,with girlfriend Angel Taber, wearing William Wilson Black Label on the Red Carpet at the NASCAR Awards.
Fourth, I again was not prepared to maximize an opportunity in front of me. NASCAR driver, Kevin Conway, won the 2010 Sprint Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year. Kevin debuted the William Wilson Black Label, the most exclusive line of men’s custom suits in the world, at the NASCAR Awards Banquet in Las Vegas on national television. Again, as incredible as this was, it went relatively unnoticed, except by you, my loyal fans. Even some people in the media that knew about it, let the moment pass; preferring to write yet another article about one of the 300 local fashion shows taking place in Charlotte.
As you can see, I made some huge errors in judgment. I made many, many more as well, but I don’t want to bore you with them. Fortunately, I have learned from my mistakes. The first thing I did was acquired a mentor, Leonard Wheeler. Next, I began to assemble my team. God has put some incredible people in front of me to help guide me. Now I have Alexander Sok as my Director of Creative Development and Operations, Lilly Pad & Pen as my Editorial Firm and Kaytlyn Lackey to head my Video department. On Christmas Eve, I added our first intern, Grace Mills to serve on board our Graphics department. I feel these individuals, as well as others I will add to the team, will help William Wilson Clothing fill some voids in our brand. I look forward to what the New Year will bring. We have some incredible projects in store for 2011. I hope God blesses your 2011 to be more amazing than you could ever dream of, and that this blog will help you avoid making the same mistakes I did. Until next time…
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
You Can’t Be a Preacher in the Strip Club!
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
When you have branded yourself a certain way, there are places you can’t go, and things you can’t do. Not that they are illegal, or immoral; but because they are contradictory to your brand. As a business owner, your brand is a factor of future success. Without proper branding, you can only expect to have limited success- if that.
Simply defined, branding is labeling. Breitling Watches is a watch manufacturer, Breitling is a high-end luxury timepiece. William Wilson Clothing is a clothing manufacturer. William Wilson is an exclusive custom clothing brand. Get it? Branding is the foundation of how you are known as a business, or a person.
What is your brand? By industry standards, William Wilson is defined as “an ultra- premium luxury brand”. That’s easy to write. But I also have to live my brand. As a CEO, especially with my name on the company, I am never off work. Everything I do, everywhere I go, everything I say, and even the media I allow myself to be in, reflect on my brand, both corporately and personally. Therefore, they are tied to my success. The mistake many small business owners make is believing that people do business with them because of their product. Rarely is your product, or business, as important to others as it is to you. People do business with people, not companies. Who you are as a person, has everything to do with how you are seen as a brand.
It is also important to connect yourself to people that reflect, or protect, your brand. I have suffered business disappointments, and put the integrity of my brand at risk, by attaching myself to firms that either didn’t understand the William Wilson brand, or just couldn’t provide the service they offered, to a brand like mine. I ended up with people that were more concerned with self promotion, being in the spotlight, and looking to promote big stars than they were in handling my business properly. I severed those ties, not because I didn’t like those people personally, I did and still do. But I have to think of the way my brand is represented. If your brand is at risk, your success is at risk.
Now I will concede, to many people I may appear obsessive about my brand. That is correct. A lot rides on my success; and not just for me. As my brand grows, so do the brands of the people on my team. As my brand grows, I can help others with their education and their careers. As my brand grows, I become more and more of a role model to children and adults alike. As my brand grows, I can help raise more money for non-profit organizations. So you see, the importance of my brand integrity is crucial not only to my success, but to people I don’t even know. Who knows, you can be someone reading this blog right now that I don’t know, but you may look up to me. I have a responsibility to you.
So here are some things I do that protect my brand:
1. I keep it clean. I don’t curse, belittle others, or otherwise poorly represent myself, or my brand, on my tweets, blogs, Facebook posts, and in public venues. (FYI- If you re-tweet other people’s garbage, you may as well have said it yourself. Spreading garbage is speaking garbage)
2. Take time for everyone. I’m always mindful to acknowledge everyone that approaches me, whether they email me, or want to take a picture with me. Even on social media, if you comment on my Facebook wall, I reply. I may only be able to say thank you, but if you take time out of your busy day to reach out to me, the least I can do, in return, is respond.
3. Choose events wisely. I don’t go to events that start after 10PM unless I know what they are about. (FYI- No “Networking event” starts at 10 with drink specials. Those are called parties.)
4. Don’t fall for gimmick marketing. I don’t go to ANYTHING if it has the description “Grown and Sexy” in it. (My experience is 9 times out of 10, they are neither.)
5. Know when to go home. I rarely spend more than an hour at an event. I get in, take pictures, do my business, and leave. Being in the event when the lights come on is like going to a strip club in the daytime. It’s not illegal, it’s just sad and pathetic)
6. And on that note. I don’t go to strip clubs, nor do I sell to strip club owners. ( I just don’t see the point in the first part. As for the second, I speak to and support organizations that empower and help rebuild women’s self esteem and value. It would be hypocritical to turn around and sell clothing to individuals that make their money doing the opposite. If that offends you- you are welcome to purchase your clothing from ANYONE else. In fact I encourage it. Not all money is good money.)
7. I don’t drink. I have never had alcohol in my life, so it’s not like I stopped for the sake of my branding, so I can’t accept credit for this. I don’t think drinking is bad. But a drunk in public is a sad and pitiful sight. (And ladies, it’s even worse when we see you sloppy or “tipsy”. It’s neither cute nor lady-like! I’m just saying.) Not to mention the pictures, or repercussions that result from them can be catastrophic.
8. I support the community. I leverage the value of the William Wilson brand to bring credibility, and funds, to events that may otherwise not have happened. Though my brand is still in it’s infancy, I do what I can, to help who I can, do what they dream.
9. I connect with like-minded people. There are 3 people that I have grown to love like brothers; Ryan Stone, Bill Wiley and Leonard Wheeler. Bill is a spiritual rock. He is transparent, vulnerable and genuine which is a sign of a man who has true inner strength. He’s genuine and always has a good word, and it comes from a place of love and care. My relationship with Ryan started off as business and turned into a true friendship. His honesty, business acumen, and commitment to transparency allows me to say something that I don’t often say, but I completely trust him. My partnership with Jetpool (Ryan is the CEO) has played a major role in the remarkable branding success of William Wilson Clothing. Being with people that think like you, or even more advanced is how you grow and learn. And how you open other doors to success.
10. I got a mentor. No one has all the answers; and we have to be accountable to someone. The rapid success of my company often places me in positions in which I am unfamiliar. I asked my friend Leonard Wheeler to be my mentor. I cannot put into words the respect I have for Leonard. He shoots it to me straight. Sometimes what he says hurt, cuts, or may even make me angry. But I know it’s the truth and it comes from a place of love. Many of the changes you see, and will see happen in the near future for William Wilson Clothing is a direct reflection of Leonard’s influence on my life, and my business.
Branding is a crucial part of your success, both personally and professionally. Who you display yourself to be, is what people see you as. Business lessons often mimic life lessons. Many of us never see success because we focus on the wrong things. Your brand is the foundation of your reputation and what people will think of you. Take time as ask yourself. How do others describe me? How do they describe my company? The way they answer these questions are how they see your brand. If you’re happy with what they say, then keep doing what you’re doing. If not…. Until next time.
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson
The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational presented by Jetpool
The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational will be held at Carolina Lakes Golf Club on Tuesday, Oct 12th. It is the most exclusive golf tournament in the Carolinas. Limited to 50 players (25 of which are invited celebrities). There are only 25 spots open for amateur play. The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational is not only the most only exclusive tournament in the Carolinas, but it promises to be the most fun and fast paced. Though there are only 25 amateur spots available for players, spectators are welcome to come watch, take pictures, and get autographs.
Celebrities already committed are current Carolina Panthers James Anderson, Rhys Lloyd, and Charlie Martin, Tony Womack (former New York Yankee), and NASCAR Driver Kevin Conway. Carolina Panther legend Mike Minter will be on hand to hit the ceremonial tee shot. For a full list of confirmed players click here.
Our hole-in-one prizes are second to none. Take a look at this lineup:
1. A full custom wardrobe by William Wilson Clothing (5 suits and 5 shirts) valued at $15000,
2. $50,000,
3. A a private jet trip to anywhere in the US (Courtesy of Jetpool) and a custom suit fitting by William Wilson at 40,000 ft) valued at $20,000, and last but certainly not least:
4. A Lamborghini Gallardo! That’s right, I told you this isn’t your daddy’s golf tournament. Value: $240,000. We are even auctioning off a chance for one fortunate person to take a shot at all 4 prizes. That’s $325,000 worth of prizes. That will change your life.
Here is the Rundown:
25- 2 man teams (1celebrity/ 1 amateur per team)
Format: Stroke play (handicapped)
3 Trophy Categories (low celebrity score- low amateur score- low team score)
Entry Fee - $250.
Spectator Tickets $10 limited number available
Golf Course: Carolina Lakes Golf Club
Beneficiary: Autism Speaks
Pairings Party: Monday Oct 11, 7-9pm at Jetpool Private Hanger. There will be 2 private jets and luxury cars for attendees to view.
Player Experience:
There will be a private pairings party where teams will be decided.
Each player will have their own marked parking space at the Carolina Lakes
Each player will have their own designated space on the driving range (with an assistant)
Each player will be announced on #1 tee box (just like the PGA tour)
Players keep the score of their playing partner
If any ball is hit more than a driver’s length into the woods. The player is to drop, take a stroke, and keep play moving.
If you would like to volunteer or be a sponsor of the most exclusive golf tournament in town, please email me at WilliamWilsonGolf@Gmail.com
There will be more information upcoming. Thank you in advance for your support. Until next time….
God Bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
Win a Free Wardrobe Consultation
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
Have you ever wanted to get your wardrobe professionally evaluated? Have you ever felt the need to have a true style specialist take a look at your closet and tell you where you stand in the world of style? Well here is your chance. One fortunate Charlotte-area subscriber will get that chance. I have joined with one of Charlotte’s premier personal style consultants, Catherine Horgan, to provide one fortunate subscriber with a free closet consultation worth $300. That’s right! Here’s you chance to win a professional wardrobe consultation by one of the best in the business.
Catherine Horgan CEO of Closet of Style
Catherine Horgan is the owner of Closet of Style, and editor of style blog [My] Style Files. Her love affair with everything stylish began twelve years ago. Styling friends and family — with essentials from fashion, beauty and skin care — was just the beginning of her unbeknownst career in the fashion industry. Her passion soon became her mission: to help clients identify and confidently express their own personal style. With a background in corporate branding, Catherine’s knowledge translates into real world experience. And it was evident two and a half years ago with the growth of her clientele, that the consummate stylist make the shift from part-time to full-time styling.
If you would like to win a chance to get your closet and wardrobe assessed by one of the best in the area, all you have to do is subscribe, and tell me why (in 50 words or less) you think you should win. There is no purchase necessary, but you do have to be a subscriber.
I wish you all the best. The contest is open to current subscribers as well. The contest runs until midnight July, 31st. But it won’t hurt to get in early. Until next time….
God Bless and Dress Well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson, Private Clothier
My Apology To Women
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
Let me preface this by saying, this does not pertain to all men. If you are doing what you need to do, then disregard this. If you aren’t, then maybe you need to re-evaluate your position. That’s totally up to you. Also, this is not intended for women that are not up on their game either. This is for the women that are doing thier best, to put their best foot forward. For those of you who aren’t, then maybe you need to re-evaluate your position as well.
Man was created in God’s image. And we have been sliding backwards every since. We have stopped thinking as individuals, and have let society, our boys, and entertainment figures dictate our lifestyles. We are more concerned with being seen as tough and strong in front of our boys, than being vulnerable and loving to our women. We have allowed rappers to dictate the way we dress, instead of our President. We have not only stopped seeking role models, but have also stopped being role models. We have gotten to the point where we are actually looking for credit for not going to jail, not hitting women, and raising our kids. We actually want credit for doing what we are SUPPOSED to do. How sad is that?
I look at the amount of time women put into looking good when they go out. They make sure their nails, hair and clothes are tight, their purses match, and some go so far (and thank you so much for this) as to even make sure their underwear matches. Those are the kinds of things they do. But us….
I go to a comedy show on Tuesday nights when I’m in town. Ladies, I can see the distinct difference in the amount of preparation you put into yourselves and that amount that we do. But it isn’t just there. I can go to events all over town and see how lazy we have gotten. I get so sick of hearing us say, “I just want to be comfortable, it’s not that big a deal”. I hear women complain about how their heels hurt their feet, and how they spend hours at the salon getting their hair right, and the money the spend in mani/ pedis. We give them so little return in their investment.
Ladies, I would like to apologize on behalf of the men that don’t put the same thought and work into themselves as you do to you. I apologize that we have gotten so lazy that we can actually brag that we don’t own a single suit, but we have the newest Air Jordans, and shiny rims on our cars. I apologize that we can’t take you to a nice restaurant and treat you like Cinderella because our wardrobe consists of tee shirts, jeans, and big chains. I’m sorry we can’t give you culture by taking you to the theater or the symphony, because our cultural knowledge is limited to the likes of Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Trey Songz. I sorry we don’t write love songs anymore. I’m sorry that all of our slow songs are musical descriptions of how we will do you with our clothes off, but not about how we will treat you with our clothes on. I’m sorry that we will commit every weekend to watching the games, but won’t go to church with you. I’m sorry we outnumber you in the club and at the game, but you outnumber us in church and in college. I’m sorry we ask you to be ready when we get there, but we never show up on time. I’m sorry that we don’t give you fair warning when plans change. I’m sorry that the only time we treat you like a woman is when we are trying to get out of the doghouse, or into you pants. I’m sorry we treat you like you’re second to the things we care about, until another man comes along. Then we treat you like a queen until he’s gone. Then we go back to being the same person we were. I’m sorry we aren’t better role models to the next generation of men. I’m sorry our vocabulary is only increased when new rap slang becomes hot. I’m sorry we aren’t the leaders we once were. I’m sorry we don’t make you proud of us like the generation before us. I’m sorry we give you so much information to use in your man bashing sessions. I’m sorry you have to go out with your girls to have fun because we don’t take you anywhere. I’m sorry we have gotten so lazy with our appearance that when a man actually does pay attention to the way he dresses. He’s called a metrosexual. We have actually made paying attention to the complete package as a man a negative. I’m sorry you put so much work into looking good for us, but we give you so little. That you get breast implants, weaves, manicures and pedicures, liposuction, and try ever diet under the sun to look good for us, but we won’t put half that effort into you. I’m sorry we go out with our boys and have a great time, but we crucify you when you want to go out with your girls. I’m sorry we know the stats for every player in our fantasy league, but can’t remember your birthday, favorite color, or our wedding anniversary. I’m sorry we will spend hundreds of dollars on golf and strip clubs, but won’t buy you flowers (unless it’s a special occasion), or take you to dinner if the tab is gonna be over $100.
I will take it upon myself to apologize for all of these shortcomings and idiosyncrasies, even though most don’t even apply to me. But I will also like to add this. There are good men out there. Excellent men. Men that will be everything you want. Everything you could ask for. Men that take it upon themselves to be the men God called them to be. They pay attention to your needs. They’re there when you need them. They always have your back. When times are rough, they got you. When you need to cry, they have a dry shoulder. When you need to talk, they have an open ear. When you need a hug, they have open arms. They will never disrespect you. They will always be there for you. They will cherish you. They will love you. And they will be a man you can be proud of.
If you have a man like that now- tell him you love him. Tell him you appreciate him. Show him how much you appreciate him. There is a shortage of men to be proud of these days, and the list is shortening everyday. We may act tough, be we need affection too. We want to love too. We want to know we are noticed and appreciated just like you do. We get tired of seeing you accept lesser treatment, by pathetic men, but find ways to disregard the good ones. If you have a good man in your life. Let him know. He doesn’t have to be your man. He can be your friend that is always there for you. He can be the guy that listens through everyone of your bad relationships. He could be the guy at work that you can always open up to. Whomever he is, give him the respect and courtesy of saying thank you to him. Thank him for not being one of the men I had to apologize for. It may make his day. Until next time….
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson
Want to Get Treated Like a Lady, Dress Like One
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
I tend to post gender neutral blog postings about business, style, or things that are happening in my life. But today I’m writing this post because I’m often asked what kind of woman I like. And I think my answer tends to surprise some people. This often leads to conversations that led to this blog post. To sum it up, I’m not attracted to women that dress too provocatively. I tend to feel they are insecure, lacking attention, and will eventually lead to a relationship ladened with drama, arguments, and unsolicited input from her girlfriends (who have no man). I know I’m painting with a broad brush, and I know it isn’t applicable to EVERY woman. But I have to draw on my experiences. After all, this is The William Wilson Perspective. If this isn’t you, don’t be offended. If it is, this is my perspective. I offer it out of love, and hope that it will give you a better insight to how you may be viewed.
I understand there is a distinct difference between being sexy and being trashy. There are some gowns and outfits that are extremely sexy, but are still tasteful. The dress Brittney Cason was wearing at the Sex and the City premier garnered a lot of attention from the fellas. (I know this because I heard the responses from men as she emceed the start of the fashion show). But of the responses I heard, none of them were crass, or objectifying in a negative way. It was a sexy, but elegant dress. Brittney is in great shape so
Jacinda Garabito, Dianne Gallagher, Me, Brittney Cason, and Jordan Fish at the Sex and The City 2 Premier at Mez
she can get every ounce of beauty out of a dress. It was appropriate for the occasion, and fully captured the theme for the evening. In fact all four women (Brittney Cason, Jacinda Garabito, Dianne Gallagher, and Jordan Fish), are extremely beautiful women that fully embodied the theme of the evening, and hit home runs with their impeccable attire. There were other women that displayed elegance and beauty at the event Kenetria Richardson (fiance’of NFL star Chris Harris), T-Strong (aka The Style Mavin), and Jameeka Whitten (JSW Media Group), Nadia Moffette (Miss North Carolina USA 2010) and her publicist Yolanda C. Broadie (YCB Agency).
On the flipside, there were some that honestly, should have known better. Now I don’t claim to the the bastion of knowledge in all things female fashion; far from it. But just because it’s fashionable, doesn’t mean it isn’t trashy. Just because it’s in fashion, doesn’t mean it’s for you. And just because YOU think it’s cute, doesn’t mean you don’t really look like a tramp to everyone else. Get mad if you want. I’m just saying.
I like women that dress classy, and respectful. I find female confidence to be very attractive. I believe a beautiful woman couldn’t hide her beauty if she wanted to. A classy, confident woman can not only catch my immediate attention, but they can occupy a space in my mind for a while. I am rarely moved by women that I see dressed up like high priced (sometimes cheap) call girls. Necklines to their belly buttons, clothes 2 sizes to small, and so much butt showing I sometimes question why even pretend they’re trying to cover it. Sure you will get attention, but is it really the attention you want? Do you want to be respected and considered a lady? Or would you prefer to purely be the object of someone’s sexual desire? Here’s a little secret about SOME guys that are just out for sexual conquests. He will be everything you’re looking for until he gets you in bed, or gets tired of being in bed with you. Then the interest disappears, and you WILL be replaced with another woman shortly. Now don’t put the blame on him solely. Yes, he’s responsible for his actions, but so are you. Stop getting mad at men because they only think of you sexually, when you leave your house looking like the cover girl for “I Need Sex Tonight Magazine“. You can either leave the house looking like someone a real man wants to date, or someone that a man just wants to lay, that choice is yours. You decide what you wear when you leave the house. Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it. You’re grown, you can do what you want. But there are consequences to your actions.
Now I’m not your father. I may not even really know you. But I do have an interest in this, and I will tell you why. I consider myself to be a good, honorable, respectable, God fearing man. I make my mistakes, and I am far from perfect. But I get tired of being grouped into the “all men are dogs” category, (especially from women that leave the house looking like doggy snacks, and get mad when dogs take a bite). Don’t leave the house looking like a stripper, meet a guy looking for a stripper, get treated like a stripper, then get mad because he didn’t treat you like an executive, and then bash ALL men. You catch a fish based on the bait you use. If you want a good man, look like a good woman. Want to get treated like a ho, dress like one. It’s not complicated.
Feel free to respond. I doubt that real, respectable, confident woman that have pride about themselves, and value their image will disagree with me. But I can be wrong. Let me know what you think. Just be respectful, and watch your language.
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson
You Can’t Always Charge Full Price For Everything
I’m a businessman. I love what I do, but I don’t do it for free. And I don’t expect others to either. However, I do expect to have an idea of what I am paying for. Especially if you deal with a visual medium, like websites or you are going to be managing something I can’t readily qualify, like PR. I was looking for a someone to design my website and I spoke to a number of great people.They had great words, but none of them gave me anything with which to connect. Just my own mental pictures, which history has shown is’t always the other’s picture.
There is a reason there are pictures in catalogs, because if you selling something meant to be seen, people need to see it. Especially if your describing a concept. Websites are concepts. In some manner suits can be as well, so I have to be able to draw out my idea for my sewers and my clients. Does this take time, of course it does, but it is necessary to get me to fall in love with your concept. Many business don’t want to take the expense of doing work they are not getting compensated for. They don’t see the big picture. In business this is called a loss-leader. You are basically doing work for free, or a reduced price, in order to gain business that will profit you down the road. It’s an investment in your success.
When I started William Wilson Clothing, I offered reduced pricing to specific people who could easily afford my suits. Why? Because having them as clients gave me credibility. Doing that for just one client gained me 3 more. I also donate suits to charities. This is not only a good thing to do morally, but it also gains exposure and brand recognition. All of these cost me in the beginning, but they paid off in the end. One of my best clients won one of my suits at an auction. He was so impressed with the quality and speed, that he continued to buy. To date, he has bought about 10 suits and 15 shirts in the last year.
If any of the web designers had taken the time to build even a quick mock up that I could have an emotional reaction to, I probably would have signed with them. But they didn’t. Sure they will have their reasons and excuses why, but at the end of the day, the end result is, they lost my sale and anyone I would’ve referred to them, because they weren’t willing to put in the sweat equity to earn my business. Same goes to the PR people I have talked to. None of them have given me a plan of action that they would take for my situation. They just tell me things that are possible. A lot of companies like to put the minimum into their client until they have a contract and are getting their money. Which is why, many of them are struggling.
Here is the takeaway for this. There is a reason dealerships let you test drive cars, why department stores have display televisions and appliances, why there are mannequins with clothing on them; to garner an emotional reaction. To allow you to visualize your self using the product. Can this be costly? yes. Is it effective? Absolutely. When people feel a connection or emotional response to an item or idea, they will more than likely purchase it. Put in some sweat equity and give me something to fall in love with. Give me something other than words and proposals. Give me something to like, not just something to sign, and maybe we can do some business.
God bless and dress well,
William the Clothier
Do You Know Who I Am?
I hate when someone calls me out of the blue to meet with me because they want to see “how our businesses can work together”. Especially when they is no feasible way for us to work together. It basically comes down to they just want access to my client list. For those of you who feel this is a bright idea, let me tell you now. IT IS NOT! I deal with high profile clients that do not appreciate being solicited, especially to someone else. If you ask me to do that and I don’t even know you, that further lets me know that you are not accustomed to dealing with highly successful, or high profile people.
But that isn’t what this is about. Today I’m talking about the geniuses that ask to meet with me, but have no idea who I am, what I do, or what I’m about. If you are going to request a meeting with someone, have the decency to do the research and get to know something about them. Nothing makes me feel like I am wasting my time more than sitting in a meeting, I didn’t request, and having to introduce myself. If you asked to meet with me, find out about me on your own. This isn’t a date, this is business. Look at my website, read my blog, look at my Facebook and Twitter updates. Find out as much as you can. This saves us both time, and potentially you a lost sale.
Business is about relationships. I won’t do business myself with people I don’t know; let alone introduce you to someone else in my circle. Now I’m not saying if you do your research you will automatically get my business. But I am saying that if you don’t; I guarantee you will not get my business. I don’t care if you are selling oxygen and I’m suffocating. I do not do business with people that are so disrespectful, incompetent, and unprofessional as to waste my valuable time requesting a meeting, but not doing their due diligence and preparing for it. Successful people don’t meet for the sake of meeting. We don’t fill our calendars with meetings, just to feel busy or important. We meet with a purpose, or we don’t meet at all. My time is valuable. If you don’t have enough professionalism to research the person, and company you are requesting a meeting with, you have no business meeting with them.
God Bless and dress well,
William the Clothier
Never Stop Listening to Your Clients
If you pay attention, Washington will teach you how to NOT run a business. The biggest lesson they are teaching is to listen to your clients. If you don’t listen to your clients, they WILL go elsewhere for what they want. The state of Massachusetts, a historically Democratic state, voted a Republican party for the first time in over 50 years. Immediately, we were saturated with the spin and propaganda from both sides. Democrats are saying their candidate didn’t run a proper campaign. Republicans are saying it was a message to the Washington, DC status quo. Which one is correct? Neither. Change came because the people felt like they weren’t being listened to. The Democratic candidate was so arrogant, that she just assumed she would win, so she never heard the pleas of her constituency. The winner wasn’t a Republican either, he was an Independent that did 3 things. 1. Recognized an Independent couldn’t win in MA. 2. Campaigned and listened to the people. 3. Formulated his main issue, based on the response from the voters. In essence, HE JUST LISTENED TO HIS CLIENTS.
The new voter is the same as the new client. Today’s client is not loyal to a particular store, company, or party. They are loyal to their needs. That’s it. That’s the list. So if you are going to be successful in business or politics, you need to listen to your clients. They will let you know their needs. Either by continuing to patronize your business, or by going elsewhere. The Massachusetts election wasn’t a Republican win. He will likely vote about as much for one side as the other. He said in his acceptance speech that he didn’t owe any party anything. He won because he recognized the most important things weren’t polls, and donors. It was the needs of his customers. They wanted someone they felt was listening.
Your customer wants you to listen. I have been successful because I was able to use my ideas as guides, not an absolutes. Many times I have had ideas that I thought were magnificent, and they were really just junk. If I hadn’t had the ability to adjust to my clients’ overwhelming response to my ideas or changes, I would have been out of business by now. However, I did listen to then, and they have made me successful. If you think you have a great idea, but no on else is buying from you, maybe your idea isn’t so great. Remember, fall in love with your wife or girlfriend, not your ideas. They will betray you and destroy you if they don’t work and you don’t adjust. Be willing to make changes if you need. That is how you succeed.
William Wilson is the CEO of William Wilson Clothing, America's Most Exclusive Private Clothier. His clients are the who's who of corporate America, professional athletics, entertainment and politics.
