We had the good fortune of connecting with Jassmine Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jassmine, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I started Go Head Teach, we were at the beginning of the pandemic. I just finished the school year teaching virtually. That was a huge learning curve. Many of my fellow teachers were frustrated and overwhelmed. On top of that, we were feeling the brut of injustices in the black community. I had so many emotions, and I chose to channel them into creative expression. I designed tees that would specifically speak to black educators who wanted to make a difference and look fly doing it. I’d like to say it was a success!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In the t-shirt industry, there is not much representation of black educators. Many of the sayings and images that you will see on the teacher tees on Etsy and other sites are not reflective of black culture. I create teacher designs to let black teachers know that they are seen. They responded with an outpour of appreciation.

It was definitely not easy to start and sustain a business through the pandemic. I faced many challenges such as shipping delays, limited financial resources, and trying to maintain my personal health. Through it all, I persevered and kept my customers in mind. The constant support on and offline kept me going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I do not get out much, but I’ve recently begun going to hang out on the Beltline near Ponce City Market. I enjoy the restaurants and stores in Ponce City Market. On the Beltline, my favorite restaurant is Two Urban Licks.

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 to give a HUGE shoutout to my family and friends who invested in my business with time, encouragement, and money while experiencing a pandemic. I am forever grateful! I also owe a GIGANTIC shoutout to the educators who purchased from me and were in community with me over this past year. Teachers have jobs that require us to pour out so much of ourselves, but I want to dedicate this to the teachers who continuously choose to show up for our future generations.

Website: shop.goheadteach.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goheadteach/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC61qZDcY4yXsAkqcJFUBFag

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.