Today we’d like to introduce you to Wayne Willis
Hi Wayne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2015, I realized I wanted to be more than just a laboratory chemist. I remembered having a strong passion for men’s suits and formal attire. I decided to start micro with the journey by designing a bow tie. I wanted to not make this an average bow tie in style or overall presentation. I designed a butterfly bow tie that served well with formal events that came in a signature box, highlighting the brand name in bold. The bow tie served as an impactful seed towards the exponential growth you see today with Well Groomed Man. Well Groomed Man serves as a one-stop shop for your custom clothier needs for suits, tuxedos, dress shirts, bow ties and custom shoes. The brand has been featured in major fashion magazines and wedding publications for the past seven plus years. My goal is to grow Well Groomed Man within other major cities across the US; Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angelos, Chicago, and Washington D.C. to name a few. It’s the overall experience that has been created from A to Z that clients love about designing with Well Groomed Man. In 2020 the brand took a major leap during a season that I thought would impact me for the negative. But things actually were more driven and encouraged. During the pandemic implemented systems to serve clients that are not local to the area.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to success has not been easy. I first struggled with managing vendors and sourcing the best mills for my products, but eventually I was able to lock in great suppliers and create great relationships over the years. I had many struggles before I was able to add automation to my brand. I struggled with compartmentalizing and delayed / redundant communication with potential clients and clients. But now that I have been integrated with more advanced systems of automation, it helps me streamline and maintain great order while managing and onboarding the volume I handle monthly with clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My professional life used to consist of being in a lab. I used to work as a chemist for a few specialty chemical companies within the Houston, TX area. I resigned over a year ago and I haven’t looked back. I will forever love the lab, because it was in those settings and late-night shifts, that I had the idea to create Well Groomed Man. I have brought over my STEM background into the Fashion World. I have applied the gift of organics to consistently and smoothly show lifestyle within a brand to create a powerful business. I have created a strong concentration on formalwear for the Groom and his groomsmen which has given me placement in the Wedding Industry. Every weekend I have at least 7-10 grooms showcasing our brand on his big day and that is major. I am most proud of the growth and how the process works for our clients. I strongly believe that my clients love the process of how we have made every step very smooth whether they are local to the area or long distant.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love best about Houston are the people I have met here. I was born in Shreveport, LA, but I have been in Houston for over 12 years. This is definitely home for me now. What I like least are the many food options we have here, lol. There are just too many great places to eat, and I will never seem to be able to enjoy them all because new restaurants come every week.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wellgroomedmanstore.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellgroomed.man/
Image Credits
Charles Baldwin of CHB serves as the brand’s primary photographer.
https://www.instagram.com/chb._photography/?hl=en
