Entrepreneurial success never happens overnight. It’s a mix of heartbreak, small successes, and sleepless nights. For some, it may take a very long time. The duo we’re going to feature provides a goldmine of valuable lessons and insights on how to succeed as a business person. This is the story behind Habits 365.
What is “Habits 365”?
Habits 365 is a clothing line that’s taking the world by storm. Founded by brothers Spencer (22) and Eli Zied (18), Habits 365 is a New York-based streetwear apparel that reinforces the idea of reaching your goals. Their website reiterates the importance of your personal habits and how it defines you as a person.
The duo describes their brand as more than just a clothing line. It is a movement that speaks to individuals on a personal level, motivating them to reach their goals. Their key messaging lies in their brand name, Habits 365. They aim to motivate people to start practicing good behavior and then develop those into good habits. The idea is to encourage great habits, 365 days a year.
Beginnings
Founded in 2017, Eli Zied, juggled responsibilities like a pro as a 17 year old. He was a junior in high school doubling as a CEO at the same time. In an interview with Forbes, Eli detailed how his mindset transformed into Habits 365 “I started developing a business mindset, followed more and more brands on social media and spent more and more time thinking about starting my own brand someday.”
The entrepreneurial spirit emanated from this teenager at a very young age. When Eli was 12, he began reselling sneakers, an industry that pays you dividends if you play your cards right.
In August 2017, after going through a summer business and marketing program, Eli began to work on his idea. He conceptualized his brand as a “relatable” and “motivational” clothing line. Habits 365 aims to emphasize positive habits every day of the year.
He told Forbes: “Everybody has habits, but not all of them are necessarily positive,” he says. “Habits dictate your life, and the better your habits are, the more successful you will be in the long run.”
Spencer (19 at the time) joined his little brother later on, after running a Brooklyn-based apparel company. Eli began drafting designs and logos for their brand, creating a presence on Instagram.
The profits they had from reselling sneakers were invested into initial inventory and packaging. He states that one of the most challenging risks they faced was the risk of ordering large volumes of products to benefit from economies of scale. Consequently, they has to make sure that their followers would want their products. Simple and cheap market research helped insure their inventory investment.
Lessons From the Duo
The pair marketed their brand by distributing out flyers, telling their peers about their brand and using Instagram and Facebook advertisements. According to Spencer, the key learning was budgeting and time management.
Here are some of the valuable lessons that they wish to impart to the youth who are on the hunt for their million-dollar idea.
Do Business with a Purpose- Know what you are doing and why you are doing it. It’s easier to focus on something that actually creates material good.
Don’t be a one-man team- Know when to ask people for help. This is essential when you are not an expert in a critical field. Just ask the brothers who invested their money with a logo designer to create their initial designs.
They also sought the expertise of a manufacturer. Right now, the brothers are also relying on their “ambassadors” who help them execute some key parts of their business. It certainly helps that Spencer had previously worked with the logo designer and manufacturer. Never forget the networks that you have already built and continue to rely on reliable resources.
Manage time wisely- Prioritize and always get your most important tasks done. It’s one of the most important things the pair emphasizes. Eli is in high school while Spencer is in college; They make sure that they finish their school work before starting working on their business.
Communicate- A business lives and dies with communication. The brothers make sure they make time to communicate with their team. They regularly formulated a strategic communication plan with their team in a group chat to handle tasks and problems efficiently.
Be positive- Telling yourself that you “can” places you in a better mental state. It changes you and your team’s outlook on your deliverables. That’s it.
Let perfectionism go- Probably one of the toughest pitfalls all entrepreneurs face is dialing back their perfectionism. Some people never push through with their ideas because they are too hung up on optimizing everything to a fault. Mistakes will occur often. It’s how you handle those bumps in the road and build upon your learnings that matters in the end.
What’s Next for the Brand?
In simple terms: It’s spreading like wildfire. The duo has reached out to athletes, music artists, and influencers, They send them free apparel in exchange for a photo or a post. Here are some: Dwyane Wade, Landon Collins, Cameron Jordan, Kam Chancellor, Tyrann Mathieu, Andre Drummond, Lil Baby, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and Jay Critch (an impressive list to say the least).
Another great move by the brothers was creating the Habits 365 Community. Eli asks his classmates to be models or brand ambassadors for his brand. He also consults his teachers on how to improve his brand image.
After high school, Eli also plans to study entrepreneurship and business in college. He aims to continually improve Habits 365 and hopefully scale it to greater heights. He tells Forbes of his ambition:
“I believe that one day Habits 365 will be one of the biggest streetwear brands in the world,” says Zied “We have a strong, relatable message to everybody who wants to improve and get better in whatever they do, every day, 365 days a year.”
Amazing isn’t it? We hope you’ve picked up a few key learnings from the brothers’ success. Don’t store your ideas in the bottle and throw it away when you feel hopeless. If they can do it while being students, why can’t you?
If you wish to hear more about Eli Zied, make sure you follow him while he chronicles his business ventures. He wrote about his top five tips on how to start a clothing line here.
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