Meet chelsea nizana | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with chelsea nizana and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi chelsea, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons that I learned while growing my brand was that “Life’s greatest lessons are usually learned at the worst times and from the.worst mistakes.”
All of the knowledge I. have now came from me dissecting my errors and figuring out how to correct them. Experience, is your best teacher! I am so blessed to have gone through getting scammed, losing money, defective inventory, and the list goes on; because it made me stronger and more alert! There are certain situations that I know how to deal with better because of what I went through.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In 2017 I graduated from Oakwood University with my Accountant degree, then in 2020 I graduated with my MBA degree from Alabama A&M University. In 2021, I had the privilege of working as a Senior Accountant. My journey has been very unique! I have the background of business and a vision for fashion. I stepped out on faith and pursued my passion last year! Although the journey has been very tough, I am truly blessed.
Being a designer is very refreshing! You have the power to tell a story, create or change a mood, or bring awareness. It holds an extensive amount of power. My journey started off without knowing the capacity of ownership I would have. I used the designing process as an outlet for me to release emotion.
When it comes to my athleisure brand; the monochromatic style is one of the features that makes my brand stand out. The colors are fun, vibrant, and captivating! We introduced the monochromatic half and half style, that blew customers away. Although a simple design, it had an elaborate affect.
Customer satisfaction is also very important to my brand. We take pride in knowing that we treat our customers with upmost respect. Our goal is to make every shopping experience exceptional, from the click on our website to the package being delivered to their doorstep.
I am super excited about every new piece I launch. Watching my sketch be brought to life is very exciting, It’s also symbolic of me finishing the race. . The entire manufacturing process is challenging; not every sample comes out the way its supposed to. Being that I never went to fashion school or any knowledge of sewing, it has been extremely challenging. However, if there’s anything I am unsure of I research until I find the answers.
When I am asked about the road being smooth, I chuckle! Nothing worth having comes easy. I’ve dedicated my blood, sweat and tears to this brand.This road has been more like a bumpy one with holes, and glass, and some dead ends… but it’s always about loving what you do and trusting the process!
My biggest struggle is, securing a manufacture that contains all the qualities I need to run my business successfully. I will be going on my seventh manufacture! The fact that I lack sewing skills or pattern making skills put me behind tremendously! The hardest part for me is the financial burden of manufacturing, and how discouraging it gets when you secure one and start paying (after researching for months) and they don’t meet up to your expectations or the things they promised!
Another issue I faced, was having my unique designs stolen and manufactured wholesale. I had to fight mentally to keep going and not let that effect my grind and brand. There will ALWAYS be downfalls, or issues you have to face; never giving up is KEY! There’s such a greater reward in taking “l’s” , the lessons are so valuable! If everything was smooth, I wouldn’t be this far as a businesswoman, or a CEO.
With this journey, I tell people all the time whatever business you start, love it, protect it, nurture it; because when things get tough you wouldn’t have the urge to give up easily! There are going to be times when you find yourself pouring into your business but not seeing anything coming out, no results, but it turns back to trusting your vision and trusting God with it!
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am an island girl; born and raised in the beautiful island of Bermuda. From the crystal clear water, to the pink sand, Bermuda is definitely the place to vacation. The minute my guest arrive, a cup of Rum Swizzle will be served, as they are greeted by our taxi driver. I would take them to grab our famous local fish sandwiches’ from Sea Side Grill.
They would reside at the best airbnb; Blue Diamond studios (my mom owns), with the best hostess, Wendie Warren.
Throughout the week I would take them to Horseshoe Bay beach, on a Jet Ski tour ride in Somerset, Crystal Caves, and to Royal Naval Dockyard. Lunch and dinner would be very tasteful as many of our restaurants offer Catch of the Day which come directly from our ocean. We would definitely enjoy another fish dinner from another popular spot; Woodys. They would enjoy a boat ride around our island, and turn up to reggae and dancehall music.
If Harbour Nights is on, we would head there and enjoy a lively summer street party on Front Street. There, local. businesses sell goods, local artist or dancers perform, and creatives display their art.
We would have a blast at happy hour at Birdcage in Hamilton City; during the week they feature Bermudian artists for their live music nights and old school jam vinyl nights. On Sunday, I would take them to Hamilton Princess for a lovely brunch and then finish it off with a fun outing at Fun Zone!
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 have definitely been blessed to have a great support system and mentors that have written pages in my success story.
My mom, Wendie Warren has always been instrumental in Uptimum Bodied, without her I wouldn’t be where I am. My boyfriend, Marcus, helps run my business and implements strategic systems to make sure everything is running efficiently. My brother Marco, does ALL my graphic needs and makes sure it aligns with my brand, and for that I am so thankful!
I have.a large pool of supportive friends that go above and beyond for my brand! It is super noticeable because they would be quick to tell you all about Uptimum and the new arrivals or launches that we have. Jahkeya, Fendi, Donnae, Zianna, Tia, and Kia, have been around since day one and have wiped my tears when things were extremely tough; any Uptimum styles, have gone through them first. I literally would have them assist with new color options, and they have always been more than willing to give their opinion. I have so many other friends (list too long to name), who mirror the exact actions; repost my brand, tell their friends about Uptimum, purchase items, and really go above and beyond for me!
I also have a plethora of likeminded entrepreneur friends that have pushed me, motivated me and offered me words of wisdom and guidance; Telesha from Royal t Styles, Jahkeya from Jmilan beauty, Tomiko, from Struts Boutique, and ShiVaughn from Dove and Butterfly.
It has never just been me, alone on this journey. I am blessed and thankful for that. Since the beginning I had the best support! I have customers who ALWAYS come back, I have customers who when things go wrong, send me motivation, I have customers who are always there cheering me on!
Website: www.uptimumbodied.com
Instagram: uptimumbodied