Meet Tamara Paylor | Brand Strategist/Graphic Designer/Entrepreneur

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

Hi Tamara, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. I initially started as an entrepreneur at a young age. Through middle school and high school, I created flyers, event tickets, and programs for churches and schools. At that time, I had no clue that I could develop these skills into a real profession and career. I finally ended up getting a degree with honors in graphic design, after previously leaving an engineering degree program. After graduation, I started my business as a side hustle, because I had gotten an internship at a major clothing brand. After being laid off during the recession, relocating, and having my daughter, I found it hard to get back into the industry. I ended up going into customer service and eventually sales. I was miserable. After some encouragement from my mom, I returned to my passion and became a full-time entrepreneur.

Through my creativity, I’ve always loved helping other businesses feel legitimate through my design services. Now, I get to hear stories of how my apparel designs inspire and encourage entrepreneurs to start or stay on their entrepreneurial journey.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

When I decided to be a full-time entrepreneur, I wasn’t prepared for the difference between a side hustle and running a full-time business. It took me quite some time to find and access information on the proper structures, business credit, and more.  During this time, I started dating another entrepreneur and I  loved the creative dynamic we shared. From that, I was inspired to create my first five t-shirt designs, and Entrepreneur Life Apparel was born. The brand originally was just t-shirts under my branding and graphic design company, Mae Lea Designs.

After the great reception to the designs, I then expanded it into a separate trademarked brand with a subscription box service, an online community, and most recently a podcast.

The mission is to help other entrepreneurs, specifically, minorities, get the information and resources needed to start, maintain, and scale their businesses. I went to the SBA in 2 different states and was told that there were no resources for me. I do not want other minorities to have that same experience.

Unlike other clothing brands, we do not just sell t-shirts. We are a lifestyle brand. We carry housewares, clothing, and accessories for men, women, and children.

We share information and resources via our online group, our subscription box service, and, our podcast. Our next stage is to host in-person and virtual training sessions for youth and minority entrepreneurs, create a micro-grant from a portion of our profits, and release a bi-monthly magazine.

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?
The Georgia Aquarium
MLK memorial
Slutty Vegan
Original Selfie Museum
Six Flags
Gypsy Kitchen
Botanical Gardens
Gotcha’s Breakfast Bar         
Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen
Johnny’s Chicken & Waffles
World of Coke

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is to my mom. She’s been a constant supporter of my business and journey. She’s the reason I took the full-time leap into entrepreneurship when I did and why I started to achieve so many recent achievements.

Website: Shopmyelife.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/entrepreneur.life.apparel

Linkedin: Linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-life-apparel

Twitter: Twitter.com/entrepreneurlfa

Facebook: Facebook.com/entrepreneurlifeapparel

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UConCTzBcdoamse4SFUk42Gw

Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AcqpysI5rRYlUR3zp8muQ?si=y5G2UZWwQzGyGTXeZ_SJyA&utm_source=copy-link