Today we’d like to introduce you to Wayne Willis.
Wayne, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 2015, I knew I wanted to follow my passion in men’s fashion. I wanted to create something unique and signature from my perspective of style, class, and swag. In 2016, it brought a pivotal point in my life where I began my wedding planning. I knew I wanted to be in good style on my wedding day, and I wanted everyone standing next to me to be in great fashion. I envisioned in my mind of what I would wear and what my groomsmen would wear. The most important item of distinction we would wear was highlighted around the bow tie. I sought near and far for the perfect bow tie for us but that was unsuccessful. So, I decided to sketch exactly I wanted this tie to look like. I never took an art class a day in my life. As a full-time scientist with a heavy background in biology and chemistry, I doodled with a pencil, paper, and a ruler to design my first item, which is now classified as the “DUKE.” Once I had the template designed, I immediately searched to find the right fabric to bring this design to life. I searched near and far attempting to find the perfect black satin/silk blend to produce the best chemistry for the bow ties. After a few months of trial and error, I finally found the perfect fabric for my design. Once I saw the beauty of the end product, I knew what I created needed to be stamped and branded.
Great, 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 has not been smooth, but definitely well worth it. There have been many nights I wanted to throw in the towel and give up on the dream of something that gives me so much happiness.
Initial struggles along the way were:
1) How do I share this with the power of social media and defeat the logarithm tool?
2) People can’t buy something they cannot see; getting the brand in front of more people
3) Making my product known – customers aren’t able to purchase something they don’t know exist
Other challenges I faced were finding ways to connect with collaborative content creators. Starting out, I was just a man with a bow tie in a box wanting to highlight the importance of this neck piece. But eventually, I mastered the duty to create content. Additionally, it was also a struggle with sticking to the vision. But I’ve learned to set a mission to keep the brand in a particular category and remained stern about that decision to give it a good foundation to build off of.
Trust your vision and hold steady to your concept.
Well Groomed Man – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Well Groomed Man is a “black tie” and formal wear provider for the stylish gentleman. We specialize in high fashion bow ties. Our premier item is the ‘black tie butterfly bow tie.’
We have taken wedding planning for the groom and groomsmen to a level like no other. We are known for our formal bow tie selection and bringing your wedding day look to life. Your look isn’t complete until you put on your Well Groomed Man bow tie.
What I am most proud of as a company is being the selected choice for over 800 brides and grooms. Your wedding day is very important and grooms know when they wear our bow ties the photos captured will be in good-fashion with the perfect bow tie,
What sets Well Groomed Man apart from others is the service we provide from our exceptional customer service and our signature packaging. You’ll absolutely love the way we box.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment in my career thus far is being able to go back to my hometown, Shreveport, LA, and speak to a group of young high school males about the importance of presentation, style etiquette, and entrepreneurship.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.well-groomed-man.com/
- Phone: 8328709390
- Email: wellgroomedww@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_well_groomed_man_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/M2Mwellgroomed
- Other: Well Groomed Man
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