Restless Clothing owner and founder Jeffrey Smallwood describes his line as “lifestyle apparel meant to inspire the inner entrepreneurs of every individual.”
His inspiration, he says, “comes from my daughter Nala and girlfriend Cheryl to help support our family and finish paying off school loans.” Noting that every entrepreneur has “Restless” late nights when they are up 3 a.m. thinking of ways to make their business better, he says, “As the company grows, my dream is to give my daughter 50% ownership. We want to inspire others in the same circumstances that they can achieve what they set their minds on!”
Throughout his worldly travels, Smallwood began to notice how people are caught up in their own worlds and don’t necessarily connect with one another as they go about their day. But a slogan on a T-shirt or an eye-catching logo, such as his own featuring a smile with X’s for eyes, can stop people in their tracks and serve as a conversation starter. With his brand, he wants to bring a smile to people’s faces. He also created the brand as a legacy to pass down to his daughter while she’s young — and become something she can continue to build as she gets older.
In founding his company earlier this year — during the pandemic — Smallwood has followed advice he was given to be himself, not be afraid to share his bubbling energy, and not be fake. “People will gravitate towards me because of my personality,” he says. He anticipates his biggest challenge to be ROI on cost of marketing and buying ads on social media platforms. “However, I believe my story and authenticity will be felt and reach people in an organic manner.”
