Meet Jamal Flemings | Entrepreneur/ Brand/ Ceo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamal Flemings and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamal, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business came about from me struggling as a young college student , fresh out of high school coming up into the “real world” not knowing what I was getting myself into . Even though I was broke & struggling , I always kept a positive mindset & had a high ambition & always wanted more for myself & for my family knowing I didn’t come from a rich family.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is just getting started but so far I feel like I’ve brought a different energy to the clothing industry. I feel like my story & where I come from can relate to a lot of people. What sets me apart from others is that I don’t follow what everybody else does, or do this just for financial benefits, I actually love doing what I do & enjoy the process of building my own brand/business. It’s much more that I have to learn & get better at but I’m 100 percent engaged & ready to put in the work that’s it takes to build what I’m trying to establish & become successful. I’m most proud that even though I’ve had my brand envisioned since 2015 & never once put out anything or product to sell, I’ve always stuck by my goals & dreams . Now that I’ve finally put out my brand it makes me excited & happy knowing I never gave up. How I got to where I am today honestly I can say it has been a roller coaster ride . From long days & nights overthinking having anxiety, thinking I’ll never succeed or be anything in this world , it’s been tough I must say, from being in New Orleans actually struggling becoming a boy to a man , turning my pain into my art , to going back to my hometown of Alexandria, LA where it’s no opportunities, no resources, feeling like I lost all hope & faith, until my cousin Angel Williams told me I should move to Arizona . It’s not somewhere I thought i would be but ever since I’ve moved here , I’ve embraced the culture & like it & it’s been nothing but love . How I overcame my challenge is just by never giving up , always knowing I wanted more for myself & knowing myself worth. Being determined to better my life & provide for myself financially. I was taught that if you want something then you have to work for it, no matter how long it takes. Nobody will just do anything or get anything for you , & you shouldn’t expect it . I never relied on handouts & got everything I ever wanted for myself. Knowing that it’s more out there in life that I want to do & see , not wanting to stay in Louisiana forever, that itself motivated me. A major lesson that I learned is that struggle never last which is my brand. No matter how bad I struggled , going days just eating a $1 pizza , buying my first car with my refund check from college then it breaking down on me , it slowed me down but it never stopped me. What I want people to know about my brand is that it’s not just clothes or a brand. It’s a complete lifestyle/movement. If u ever struggled with anything not just being broke , but anything far as for example you get diagnosed with cancer then down the line you beat it , it was hard & tough but u made it out the struggle .you struggle taking a written test , or you struggle playing a certain instrument or sport, if you continue to pursue it or practice it & never give up then you know that you’ll get better & you wouldn’t struggle as much as you did in the beginning. When you wear struggle never last merch , I want you to feel good in it , where it with pride. Not only are you supporting me but you are showing the world that you’re not a quitter you’re a fighter .

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Right now I’m in Tucson, Az , sometimes I drive up to Phoenix. I’m still learning more about Arizona as a whole so I wouldn’t be able to recommend any spots or cool places, although I would like to travel more & go on more adventures throughout the state , meet some cool down to earth people , continue to network & eat great food .

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a special shoutout to my whole family . It’s not 1 person I can specifically shoutout . Everybody in my family played a role & helped me get to where I’m at now . If I only name 1 person or even a few people , somebody is bound to get jealous or feel left out lol. So shoutout to my whole family for helping me no matter what it was for . Thank you . & ultimately at the end of the day , they are who I do this for .

Website: www.struggleneverlast.com

Instagram: Personal: lifeof_mal Brand:snlclothingxstruggleneverlast