Meet Yvonne Archer | Entrepreneur

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

Hi Yvonne, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was simply creating something to me that I felt had a deeper meaning or a true sense of purpose. When I first started the business my whole intent was to help build self confidence through what I wore . Ever since I was young and I competed in track and field, they always told me,”when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good you run better.”I honestly believed that helped boost performance because I looked the part. Off the track I struggled with self confidence and self esteem issues. I took what was taught to me on the track and applied it to my everyday reality. When I look good, I feel good. This is what drove me to start my own clothing brand ; “I AM” The Brand

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from others is that I do not give up, no matter how hard it is. I may cry, I may complain, but I still get the job done no matter what. Life has brought many challenges and though most things have not been easy for me, I’ve gotten through them even when I thought that I could not. Being a young entrepreneur, while attending school and being a student athlete was one of the most joyous stresses Ive had in my life. But I would not trade these experiences for the world. I’ve learned that no matter what anyone says, no matter if you have 100 people supporting you or no one at all supporting you, you have to keep going for you. I always refer to myself as the rose that grew from the concrete because people see me on the outside and think because of how far I made it that it was easy for me to get here when in fact I’ve been knocked down 100 times but I was determined. I was diligent. I just want the world to know that this is only the beginning for me and for my brand. I still have tons of potential to unlock and I cant wait for the world to see.

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.
If I had a friend visiting the first stop would be one of my favorite little hidden gems in Newark, NJ called Dario’s for Mexican food. That whole week we would be exploring and opening up our palettes. During that week we would of course hit up New York City and sightsee. There is always something to do , always something to watch. I would make sure to take them to one of my favorite places for drinks, hookah and a good bite to eat from my favorite Mediterranean restaurant called Gardenia Terrace. We’d get a little bit of exercise in and rent Citi bikes to look at scenery and views by the water. We would definitely hit a Caribbean party for all the good vibes and tunes. A week of good food , and good memories.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Being a young entrepreneur has never been an easy task for me. A lot of times I struggled with believing in myself and my own ideas. In those times where I felt like I just wanted to give up , my close friends supported me and believed in me. They treat my clothing brand as if it is top brand designer and for that I am forever grateful.One of my friends gave me a book called “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek and suggested I read it. Till this day that book encourages me to keep going. It taught me that if people understand your “why” ,your purpose and you have a clear message and vision ,they will support you. If you do not believe in yourself, then who will? This read encouraged me to stand firm behind my brand and my ideas. No matter what other people may think , no matter if everyone supports or not, just stand firm on what you believe because there will be someone one day who believes in you too. Shoutout to my close friends and family.

Instagram: iam_thebrand_