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

Hi P, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
One of the most important lessons my career has taught me is to slow down and celebrate your wins. If you don’t, you will never feel like you have achieved much. I remember being stressed and disgruntled a lot in the earlier stages of my career because I was constantly giving in to all of the noise I see in on social media and my day to day life. Then I had someone in my life who made me take a moment to reflect on what I have done to get where I am. In this reflection I was able to see clearly a lot of my accomplishments. Moments when I felt I sold myself short by not speaking loud enough, turned into moments where I was proud that I spoke up at all. Although every step we take towards our goals may not be big ones, they are still just that: A STEP. Acknowledging how far I have traveled instead of focusing on the hustle and bustle of putting one foot in front of another, has been an irreversible experience. I carry that with me to this day, and for that I am able to grace myself with rest and accomplishment.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am still in the thick of starting my own business while maintaining a 9-5. Luckily in both aspects I get to do what I love which is DESIGN! I have been freelancing professionally for about 5-6 years, but have been perfecting my craft for 15+ years. Through trial an error I discovered my love for logo and brand identity design. Helping small business launch or grow to a new level is truly satisfying. Before I got to this point, I was making flyers, creating art, taking pictures, and anything else I could think of that was considered “creative.” It was in this period of exploration I took my chances at The Whitaker Grp. This was definitely not an easy road traveled. I started as a package handler. Through grind and consistency, I showed up for myself everyday eventually being able to prove my worth and showcase my abilities. Now I design on all types of projects with major players in the streetwear community such Adidas, Jordan Brand, Yellow Brick Parsons and even the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). I’ve also provided creative direction with various brands, designing entire clothing collections from scratch. Yeah…I know, it’s a lot of areas of specialization, but design is and will always be the root of all my branches. One of my favorite sayings is “a jack of all trades is a master of none but still better that a master of one.” I’d like to say I have mastered a few though (winks).

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 reside in Charlotte but I would travel the world for good food and drinks. I would recommend a vast array of options. My more elevated experience recommendation would be stopping by M.O.A (and Korean bbq steakhouse) in the heart of uptown or Dogwood Scratch Kitchen right on the edge of Southend. Then I would suggest finishing off the night with some hand crafted cocktails at Idlewild nestled in the art district of Plaza Midwood. Now, if my friend is looking to save some money and still get an authentic experience reserved for Charlotte natives I would suggest visiting Pho Hoa off Central Avenue. Central is home to many mom and pop shops. Romeo’s Vegan Burgers, one of the many minority own businesses that are exceeding in quality experiences. Then finish of the night by enjoying any go the friendly bars in the NoDa district or the shoppes at Optimist Park. I could go on and on, trust me that is just the tip of the iceberg for Charlotte, NC. Don’t believe me? Just visit charlottesgotalot.com to see for yourself!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I give glory to God and thanks to my family for always being there and seeing me through. Next, the person I mention in my response to the first question that helped me realize the greatness inside myself is Ashley Mozingo. I would not be as confident as I am now if it wasn’t for her aggressive affirmations and pure desire to see me win. Lastly I would like to Daniela Urresti for mentoring me (even though I coerced her too) and always being one phone call away to tell me how to export an PDF in indesign correctly. And to my mans Terry Suave, he believed in my talent at a place where we both worked well below our worth and helped catapult me into the position I am in today which is the Head Designer for The Whitaker Grp!

Website: psheff.com

Instagram: @psheffdesigns

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/p-sheff-aba84b18b/

Image Credits
@psheffphoto

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