Remove The Social Leaches From Your Life
William Wilson, CEO
In every society, there are two types of people in which you can always count on coming in contact; those who support, and “social leaches”. By social leaches, I mean people you rarely see or talk to, that never support what you do, never reciprocate your kindness, and when you do hear from them, they always want a hookup. Until my brand began to take off, I never realized the depths to which these people existed or the level of audacity they have. The things they will ask for, without offering anything in return, is staggering. I have had over 20 people, that I haven’t talked to in over 6 months, contact me in the last 48 hours wanting to know if I would “hook them up” with clubhouse tickets to the race. Oddly enough, the last 2 times I heard from many of them, they were asking to get into my party/ tournament for free, or they wanted tickets to last October’s race. Beware of leaches in your life.
I recently held the third annual William Wilson Celebrity Invitational. It’s a private, ultra-exclusive celebrity golf tournament. Celebrities, CEOs, business executives and friends came out for a great party held at Jetpool’s private jet hanger, followed by golf at Carolina Lakes Golf Club. Now this is a very exclusive event, with very limited access from the public. In fact, t’s always been an invitation-only event. This year we opened ticket sales up to 50 people for $100. Given the status of attendees in the room, this was a steal. You’d be surprised the number of people that still called, texted, emailed, and used every other form of communication, asking if they could get in free. Again, these are people I rarely EVER hear from. They are not clients of William Wilson Clothing or Jetpool, and they are not offering anything in return. These people are social leaches. They will suck every opportunity out of you they can, and when they have gotten what they want out of you, they will disappear until they need something else from you.
In business, time is your most important asset. You cannot afford to waste time dealing with people that bring no benefit to you. Maya Angelou once said, “When a person tries to show you who they are, let them.” If someone is showing you that they only show up when they need a hookup; that’s who they are. Accept that. This goes for business and personal environments. Don’t waste time and energy trying to convert a social leach. Use that time to build relationships with positive people that will yield positive results. I was recently asked how Ryan Stone of Jetpool and I had such a strong relationship. I told them the answer was simple “We both look out for each other. It’s not just a partnership. We’re friends. I help them, they help me. No one feels like they are being used, manipulated or being taken advantage of.” They seemed surprised by the simplicity of my answer. But it is what it is. No one wants to feel used. And if you only contact people when you “need a favor” you are using them. If you have social leaches in your life, remove them. There is nothing good that will come from that relationship, unless you’re the social leach. Until Next time…..God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
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Put A Price Tag On Your Time
William Wilson, CEO
The 2 easiest ways to annoy me is to smack your food when you eat, and waste my time. I rarely encounter the former, but the latter is a constant battle. In my years of business, I have realized there are people that are always busy, but are never actually productive. It’s easy to be busy, just schedule a bunch of meetings, or events, to keep your calendar full. But to be productive requires planning, strategy, execution and follow up, in addition to a few others. I prefer to be productive.
Until you put a valuation on your time, you have no problem wasting it. My most valued asset is time. I can make more money. I can meet new people. I can even gain more clients. But I cannot add more time. Therefore, I choose to not waste my time on irrelevant things, people and conversations. It’s not that I’m better than anyone else, I just don’t have the time to waste; even if I wanted to. To ensure I make the most of my time, I put a value on it. I value my personal time at $2000/ hour. So now before I spend 15 minutes having a conversation, I ask myself “Is this worth $500 that I can’t recoup?” If the answer is no, I respectfully find a way to exit the conversation.
Since I brought up the subject of filling your schedule with meeting. The most annoying thing to me in a meeting is when someone calls me to request a meeting and when I sit down they make this statement. “Tell me about your business.” You should already know about my business. Otherwise, why did you schedule the meeting in the first place. It tells me that you did not do you research and prepare for the meeting. It also eliminates the need to continue the meeting any further as far as I’m concerned. If you aren’t professional enough to prepare for your meeting, then you aren’t professional enough for me to do business with. Unless you say something that blows me away, you have very little chance of us doing business together.
If you have time to waste, you aren’t being the most productive. Successful business people are always trying to figure out ways to save time. They say “Time is money” Actually, time is more important than money. You can always make money, but time is a non-renewable resource. Until you give it a value, you will always waste it. But then again, that’s just me. Until next time……
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
No Excuses: You Have To Put In The Work
William Wilson, CEO
I started William Wilson Clothing with 3 major obstacles. 1. We were in the middle of the economic down spiral. 2. I didn’t know anything about the clothing industry. 3. No one knew who I was. When I think about it, it was really pretty stupid to start a company under these conditions. But God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
The economy was out of my control. But the other two obstacles weren’t. To overcome my second obstacle, I taught myself the clothing industry online. For obstacle number 3, I devised a branding strategy, and set out to execute it. My goal was to make sure the Charlotte Market knew who I was. It doesn’t matter how good your product is if no one knows you exist. I made a commitment that if I didn’t sell a single suit that year, people would know my name, and my brand.
I went to every event I could afford to attend; sometimes 3-4 events in a day. Once, I got home and bent over to remove my shoes. I woke up 2 hours later, still bent over, with a sore back, and my shoestrings still in my hands. It was hard, exhausting work, but it was necessary. After a few months, people started to recognize me, and I started getting some press. I slowly started getting put on guest lists. First it was general admission. Then the VIP lists started. Before I knew it, I was becoming a recognized and respected brand.
The plan was working. So I kept following it, only I was becoming smarter. I began to streamline my calendar. I made sure that I attended events for a purpose, not to just be seen. I elevated my brand exposure by maximizing my time, and going to where the people I needed to see were. I started getting feature articles written about me and TV exposure. I even got my first magazine cover in Sophisticated Charlotte Magazine. This didn’t make me a star, or make me “The man”. But it gave my brand credibility and integrity. This opened the doors that led to designing suits for the Grammys, the Oscars, and everything else I’ve done. There is nothing special about me. I didn’t do anything, that thousands of others haven’t done. I don’t have a “magic touch”, or super skill. I’ve been blessed far beyond what I deserve. But none of this would have happened without a lot of faith, and a lot of sweat equity.
Social media is great. I utilize it regularly. But you can’t build a brand off Facebook and Twitter. You can enhance your brand exposure, get instant feedback on potential campaigns, get market research data, and even build a fan base. But a fan and a customer ARE NOT the same. You HAVE to put in the work. There is no substitute for that. If you aren’t willing to sacrifice comfort, sleep, and fun, and risk total failure for success, you’re not an entrepreneur, you’re a wantrepreneur. If that’s who you are, that’s OK. Just accept it, move on. Get a job somewhere. Otherwise, stop making excuses and put in the work. It may not succeed, but it definitely increases your chances. Until next time…..
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
You Gotta Pay To Play
William Wilson, CEO
There was a high profile CEO that I once wanted to meet. I called and sent emails literally for weeks. But I could not get . I had heard he was a really cool guy, and that he would be a great contact and potential client. This sounded great, but if I couldn’t reach him, this bit of information was useless. I found out there was a golf tournament at Ballantyne Country Club. Now I’m smart enough to know that a significant part of my client base plays golf. So I went there with the intention of playing, and maybe meeting some potential clients. Until I found out there was a $350 entry fee. WHOOOOAA! I didn’t have $350 to play in a golf tournament. I had bills! I needed to eat! I can’t waste this money playing golf. So I drove away. While on the road, a voice in my head said, “You can’t afford NOT to play in this tournament. You’re trying to reach high net worth people. This is what they do.” So I started calculating my money. My bills were caught up, so I had at least 60 days before anything started getting cut off. So, I bit the bullet and paid the fee. While sitting at my table waiting for the tournament to start, who sits down next to me? THAT SAME CEO I HAD BEEN TRYING TO MEET. We talked for 5 minutes and hit it off well. In less than 10 minutes, I had his cell phone number, personal email, and a lunch meeting set. He is now one of my best clients. This would never had happened if I hadn’t taken a chance and spent the money.
There’s an old adage, “It takes money to make money.” There is a lot of truth to that. The single most asked professional question I get is “How do I get in front of high net worth people?” The answer is pretty simple. Go where they are! If you want to see whales, you go to the ocean. If you want to see lions, you go to Africa, or the zoo. If you want to meet executives and high net worth people, you go there they are. It’s not rocket science. In my experience, I have made the majority of my contacts at golf tournaments, business breakfasts, non-profit events, cultural events and through their friends. These events do tend to be a bit pricey, but worth it. The average price I spend to get into events is around $75-%150. I don’t go to as many events as I used to. As you start to establish relationships, your network grows through the meeting of their friends at social functions; not necessarily events.
Helpful hint, you WILL NOT find them at an events that start on Friday night at 10pm, or whose marketing includes the terms “drink specials”, “grown and sexy” and “security strictly enforced”. Nor will you find them at “networking events” with $20 entry fees. Those aren’t networking events, those are parties.
If you want to expand your business, you have to expand your network. Sometimes, that requires expanding your wallet. You are investing in your business, and your future. If you aren’t willing to put your money where your mouth is, then don’t be upset that you always see the same people everywhere you go. Birds of a feather, right? When you’re serious about doing more business, you’ll make your move. If not. You won’t. But that’s your decision. Until next time….
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
Man’s Rejection or God’s Protection
William Wilson, CEO
Rejection is as much a part of life as acceptance. At times, more so. Sometimes, it’s the caveat that predicates our path to success. Oftentimes when I speak to budding entrepreneurs, or students, they assume that things come easy for me because I have reached, what they feel, is a great level of success. Though I have been blessed to have achieved some success; I am nowhere near my goal. Contrary to some of their beliefs, I still face a significant amount of adversity and failure every day. No great achievement comes without risk and failure. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we can truly start our path to success.
As some of you know, I have been on a search for space for the Charlotte office of William Wilson Clothing. I wasn’t looking for anything overly extravagant. I was looking for 300-400 sq. ft., near Uptown or in the Meyers Park/ Dilworth area. I had a budget in mind that I felt was fair, and I began my search. Oddly enough, I quickly found what I thought was a blessing from God. There was a space in the Charlotte Plaza Building, between Showmars and Starbucks that was perfect. I called the leasing agent, Mike Lucier of CB Richard Ellis, and scheduled an appointment to view the space. Turns out. it was an old florist shop, so there was a lot of pegboards on the wall and a tile floor. All I really needed from them was to lay down carpet, and return the walls to sheetrock, which would be necessary for anyone. Other than that, it was PERFECT! Great location, plenty of traffic, built in marketing, and the price was lower than I was looking for. This would have probably been his easiest lease of the year. Send me a proposal, let my lawyer look at it, I sign it, we’re in by Dec 1, and everyone is happy. No brainer, right? Not so fast my friend.
For whatever reason, I could not get him to send me a proposal. For weeks I emailed, called and texted him to send me a proposal. I even went so far as to email the owners of the building to see if they just didn’t want to lease to me, or if there was some other issue. I received a response saying that they did want to lease to me, and that I would receive some correspondence from Mike. The correspondence I received was I’d have something in a couple of weeks. That was in November. Til this day, I have received no proposal, lease agreement, or any other correspondence to advance this process. I was upset. I was disappointed. This was an ideal location and I could practically print my own money from that place. But for whatever reason, they rejected me, and my business. Thus began a long, annoying, arduous task of looking for a space. Though I found other prospects, none were what I was looking for. None of them made me say “WOW!” I eventually found a space that “would do” and was about to sign papers on it, when I called the agent to ask a question, I didn’t get a response. I emailed the next day. Same thing. “Here we go again”, I thought. This is ridiculous. ANOTHER rejection. So as I’m driving down the road, I see this sign against a building. I call it, not thinking much about it at the time. In fact, I’d seen the signs many times driving on that street. It was for a 640 sq ft space, which was more than I needed, and what I assumed would be out of my acceptable budget.
The agent, Jay Snover, called me and I met him the next morning at the building. I looked at the space. WOW! It was perfect. It was bigger than I needed, but not as much as I thought. They were about to lay down new carpet, and had painted the walls. I won’t go into the details of the negotiations, but let’s just say, they gave me FAR AND BEYOND what I was looking for, at half the price of the first building. In fact, this space will directly represent the brand William Wilson Clothing has grown to represent. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Now I understood why God kept allowing me to be rejected. He had something better in mind. And it was right in front of me all the time. By the way, I happened to be at the Charlotte Plaza Building the other day. The space is still available.
We are often discouraged by failures in our life. This is understandable. When you put your heart and soul into something, and it doesn’t work, it hurts. And sometimes it hurts really bad. I had lunch with a dear friend of mine, Nathan Krum, at the Speedway Club and he made the statement, “Sometimes man’s rejection, is God’s protection.” Though he was talking about another situation, it fit perfectly here as well. Quite often, our greatest joy will come after our greatest pain. Don’t fall for silly bravado like “Failure is not an option.” “All I do is win” and that foolishness. Failure and rejection is always an option. More often than not, it’s a possibility. But it’s what you do when you get rejected that defines who you are. Not the rejection. Believe in yourself. Stay strong. And stay prayed up. God will provide a way, out of no way. After all, “If God be for you, who can be against you.” (Rom 8:31) Until next time….
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
William Wilson Partners with Allen Edmonds Shoes
Celebrity clothing designer, William Wilson, known for being one of the most exclusive custom clothiers in America, has entered into a partnership with men’s shoe manufacturer Allen Edmonds as a brand ambassador. The agreement will allow his custom clothing firm, William Wilson Clothing, to provide its clients with the full line of highly respected men’s shoes, including custom shoes, without having to go to the store. So clients can order their suits, shirts, skirts, trousers, overcoats and shoes without ever having to leave their home or office. This is the first apparel partnership for William Wilson Clothing.
“No suit is complete without a great pair of shoes. My customers had often asked if I was going to start making shoes, or if I had recommendations for shoes. I knew it was important to provide that service, but I also wasn’t going to rush into an agreement just to say I provide them. I wanted something that was commensurate with the William Wilson brand. Allen Edmonds has a legacy
of quality, a reputation for superb customer service, and a commitment to sticking to its core values. The fact that it is an American company was icing on the cake. After meeting with Paul Graangard, President and CEO of Allen Edmonds, and Heron Laing, GM of the Allen Edmonds store in the upscale Southpark area of Charlotte, NC, I knew this was the company to partner with. I look forward to a long, and productive, relationship between Allen Edmonds Shoe Company and William Wilson Clothing.”
In honor of the new partnership, for the month of January, clients who purchase 2 William Wilson suits will receive a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes.
To schedule an appointment, or to learn more about William Wilson Clothing
Log on to WilliamWilsonClothing.com
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
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
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.
