Tag: Grind

Rennia Davis has a bright future ahead of her.

Coming off an incredibly successful collegiate career at the University of Tennessee where she averaged 15.4 points and eight rebounds over the course of her four years with the team, Davis finished top 10 in just about every statistical category imaginable in Tennessee history including scoring, rebounds, and double-doubles. Her performance during the 2020-2021 campaign earned her the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year, and she was subsequently drafted 9th by the Minnesota Lynx in this year’s draft.

ONE37pm: Okay let’s start by taking it back to the University of Tennessee where you established yourself as one of the best women’s college basketball players in the country. What was that like for you?

Davis: Honestly, my time at Tennessee was not how I was expecting it to go. It was definitely a grind! It feels good now looking back, but it wasn’t easy. Teams played us harder because we were “Tennessee.” We’ve won eight national championships, and our name holds a lot of weight. I remember we played Kentucky my sophomore year, and they beat us. They were sort of rubbing in our faces like “yeah we beat Tennessee.” We were getting the best of teams every night, so it does feel good now.

ONE37pm: Draft Night is a defining moment for every athlete. Unfortunately, it was virtual like last year, but what was it like to hear your name called?

Davis: It wasn’t unfortunate for me at all! I got to be around my family and it was more of an intimate setting. It still would have been a special moment if I had been there, but to have all the people that love and care about me was great. You know this was my dream, and it was a really good feeling. A different energy for sure!

ONE37pm: Where would you say you are right now in terms of recovery on a scale of 1-10?

Davis: I’m not gonna lie—I’m very close to a 1, but it’s my doctor’s orders. I can’t rush this process at all.

ONE37pm: Absolutely! Don’t rush it at all because you’ve got plenty of time. On another note, what have you been doing to make the most of your time off?

Davis: I’ve been doing a lot of big things! I’m trying to stay involved in the game without necessarily having a basketball in my hands. I’ve been interacting with my supporters in different ways, and I’ve been focused on trying to build my actual brand with Distinction, my marketing agency. I’m working on my logo, and I am going to have t-shirts dropping soon. I also plan on starting a weekly live session, and obviously starting off it will be with people that I know in the league. I’m still very much involved with my teammates and the league, and I’m also starting a five meal in five days program. The first meal actually came out this week! I eventually would like to own a restaurant because I have other passions and dreams too.

You can keep up with Rennia on Instagram and Twitter for all of her latest updates.

New Orleans Pelicans star Wes Iwundu is teaming up with black-owned streetwear brand Diplomacy for a new capsule collection called Free The Future. A life-long lover of streetwear fashion, Iwundu and Diplomacy have collaborated to bring forth a capsule that includes high-quality statement tees, shorts, socks, and accessories all made in California. Working closely with Diplomacy founder and creative visionary Eric Archibald, the ultimate goal of this collection is to create expression through fashion, escapism, and pieces that promote mindfulness, tact, and civility, as we continue to battle a global pandemic, racial injustice, economic hardship, and political division.

Diplomacy

Wes Iwundu

Additionally, Iwundu and Diplomacy will be helping the community, as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Houston, as they will work to deliver high-quality afterschool to their community’s most at-risk youth. Ahead of the launch, ONE37pm caught up with Iwundu to discuss how this partnership came to be, and his aspirations for this capsule.

ONE37pm: First of all, congratulations on this partnership! How did this come to fruition, and how important is it for you to be teaming up with Diplomacy?

Iwundu: I’ve always wanted to be able to bring an idea to life through fashion. Partnering with Diplomacy gave me the opportunity to be in a creative mindset.  We chopped it up, they listened to my ideas, and the project evolved from there

ONE37pm: Has streetwear always been something you have loved or been passionate about?

Iwundu: Streetwear was always a passion of mine. Ever since I was a kid asking my mom to take me to the store to pick up the cool trends. Elementary school had a dress code, so I wasn’t able to show really off my drip yet, ha-ha.  But I love the socially conscious vibe that drives streetwear, and I think Diplomacy does this in really creative ways.

Diplomacy

ONE37pm: You have been working with creative director Eric Archibald on this Free The Future capsule which has hoodies, tees, accessories, etc. There is truly something in this collection for everybody. What was the design process like in terms of creating and selecting the pieces?

Iwundu: Eric has been amazing.  So inspiring to work with. Being in the same room with his imagination really gets me thinking in new directions. The process of creating and coming up with the pieces was very detailed and took time. We needed to explore what “free the future” means and how we could represent it visually in the most exciting ways. From there we looked for fabrics, and Los Angeles is a great place for that, I wanted the fabric to feel so good that when you try on the hoodie or the shorts or the tee there is an immediate reaction.  You don’t want to take it off.  Same with the fits — it had to fit like the favorite pieces in my closet.  In the end I think we came up with stuff that’s super dope.

ONE37pm:  A portion of the proceeds from the capsule will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Houston, your hometown, which is awesome! How much does it mean for you to continue to give back to the community?

Iwundu: I’m so excited to be teaming up with The Greater Boys & Girls Club of Houston. The name of the collab is “Free the Future”, and kids literally are the future, like Whitney says, so the partnership made a lot of sense.  It’s really gratifying to be able to give back especially to the community where I grew up. 

ONE37pm: Last but not least, what does Diplomacy represent in your eyes, and is there anything else you want people to know about this collection?

Iwundu: Diplomacy to me is about being heard.  Listening to others and having them listen to you.  The toleration and/or acceptance of opposing views.  I can make my point without making an enemy.  Even if we just agree to disagree.  That’s Diplomacy to me.

You can shop the collection here.

Whether you are a sneakerhead or a casual sneaker wearer, there will come a point where you have to purchase a new pair of kicks. For some of us (like myself), sneaker collecting is a passion the same way others collect items such as trading cards, comic books, and now crypto, however, the process of getting your hands on new sneakers has recently become quite difficult. That is where Sole Retriever comes in. Since its 2019 launch, the company has been somewhat of a “middle-man” to help give consumers a better shot at snagging sneaker Ws. Sole Retriever allows sneaker enthusiasts of all levels to have access to raffle-based drops, giving users a list of all upcoming releases, and the different retail shops offering raffles for that specific drop.

ONE37pm: How did the concept of Sole Retriever come to be?

Harry: We launched the site in 2019, and just released our mobile app this past April. Sneakers in general are hard to get, and the process has become very fragmented. Sneaker raffles are a way to make that process more fair. We research, collect and aggregate data to source all of the places that are offering sneakers, so that way people can enter different raffles. More shops have leaned into raffles because of the first come first serve aspect of sneakers, and this is going to be the future! Also COVID played a major role in accelerating the trend of online raffles as well because obviously you couldn’t go in-store as much. We have a strong sneaker community online and via socials as well which is great too! 

ONE37pm: For those that may now be fully aware, just how important are raffles going to be in the future?

Harry: Depending on the release, which sneaker it is, and who is carrying the shoe, companies will typically allocate a certain amount of sneakers to retailers such as Foot Locker, KITH, etc. Raffles are super important because what we’ll do is provide a calendar of online release dates for sneakers that users can enter so that way they have access to all of the information and resources necessary to increase their odds of landing a pair. We are a supplement that helps people generally become more aware so that way they multiply their chances of getting Ws.

ONE37pm: Have there been any challenges that you have encountered along the way?

Harry: Definitely! It has sort of mitigated as of late, but there were some difficulties when we first started to gain traction. There’s three people on the team, and that meant (and still means) sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to stay on top of everything happening, keep our users updated, and put out any fires that may arise! There were also some growing pains along the way as well. As of now, we are investing into resources and working on scaling up to continue to support our increasing user-base, but these are definitely good problems to have!

ONE37pm: You touched on this a bit earlier, but it can be so hard to get sneakers retail, and the resell market can be crazy. How does Sole Retriever help with that?

Harry: Just by opening up the window to more potential Ws by introducing users to places and stories they didn’t even know existed. Even if you are unsuccessful with getting a W on a particular sneaker release, you are still benefiting from the knowledge gained, time saved, and convenience and accessibility provided to you.

ONE37pm: Last but not least, where do you see Sole Retriever in the future?

Harry: We have a lot of fun stuff in the pipeline, and right now we are really focusing on our mobile app. We launched the app in April, and there is currently a waitlist of 50,000 users, which we are letting in on a rolling basis. We are also releasing new features on the app, and it will be suitable for whatever sneaker level you classify yourself as. Whether you are an entry-level sneakerhead, or collector, we appeal to any sneakerhead! At the end of the day it’s all about access and convenience, and that’s what we’re here to provide.

The Sole Retriever app is available via IOS and Android devices, so be sure to sign up and mark your spot on the waitlist today. Boost your position by referring your friends and gain instant access when you reach five referrals! In the meantime, you can up with all of the latest Sole Retriever updates through their official website, Instagram, and Twitter.

This week’s edition of The Tartare Project hosted by Phil Toronto features Michael Mayer, the co-founder of Windmill. A consumer electronics company, Windmill is a small business headquartered in New York that focuses on building eco-friendly products that help keep the air clean. The brand’s most notable product is their personalized Windmill Air Conditioning unit that targets better airflow and smoother cooling while keeping away outside air.

Prior to co-founding Windmill in 2018, Mayer had a resume full of business experience, including being the co-founder of smartphone gadget Lookalu, and a three-year stint at Betterment For Advisors in which he served in various different roles.

Growing up in Orlando, Florida with Disney World as his ‘backyard,’ education was a huge part of Mayer’s upbringing, attending college at the University of Pennsylvania, where he eventually received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. “I actually wanted to be an English major because I loved 18th Century Poetry in high school, “ he tells Toronto before going into the decision to go down the finance lane. “I went from an English major to finance. I spent the rest of those three years doing international currency finance and accounting. I felt the air just get sucked out of me. I wasn’t myself, and I wasn’t vibing on the stuff that I was learning. I ultimately graduated and realized that it wasn’t who I was.”

Windmill

Like many young adults, Mayer had to discover himself and find his own path in life. That journey was a spiritual one that included lots of meditation and therapy. “I’m a big fan of mental health. Even if you think you don’t need therapy, it’s helpful to dig into your past to figure out why you are the way you are—especially with starting a business. It’s very helpful!”

As the conversation continues, Toronto and Mayer cover his decision to leave banking, trusting your ability to live in uncertainty, and his early career experiences. Naturally, the conversation gets back to Windmill, and how the company values their customer’s experience. “LG, GE, Frigidaire—they aren’t thinking about how to word their installation manual in a way that you would understand it—they have third-party companies doing their manuals,” he says before detailing Windmill’s game plan for the future. Ultimately the vision of Windmill is to expand outside of air conditioning and to think about air care more broadly—especially with Covid and the wildfires out west. Air care is becoming more important.”

For more on Mayer and his business Windmill be sure to listen to the full interview above. You can also check Windmill’s official website here.

This week’s episode of the Tartare Project hosted by Phil Toronto features Jacob Zuppke, President and COO of Autopets. Autopets is most known for their innovative pet care products such as the ‘Litter Robot,’ and the company aims to deliver meaningful insights through their high-grade products to assist in making better decisions for pets. Priding themselves on their development, marketing, and elite customer service, Autopets continues to rapidly grow their company as they establish themselves as one of the leaders in quality pet care and accessories. Zuppke spoke with Toronto in a nearly 40-minute conversation that covered his early childhood, the beginning stages of his career, and the developmental strategies behind Autopets.

Taking some steps back, Toronto and Zuppke discuss his childhood in Bloomfield, Michigan, how he viewed school growing up, and his very first business venture at sixteen. “When I turned sixteen, my buddy and I started TJ Bagel, which was a Sunday morning bagel delivery route,” he says, reminiscing about his teenage entrepreneurial days. “We would get up early and go to a bagel place near us called Brooklyn Bagel and pack up everyone’s order and deliver them. We did that for about a year-and-a-half, and it didn’t really turn into much. It was a fun hobby business where we could make a little bit of money, but it was the first real business entity that we filed for and learned that process.”

After diving into more of Zuppke’s early businesses, the conversation progresses into Zuppke’s decision to join Autopets and how he has approached each phase of his career. “It definitely wasn’t all rainbows, but I came to a head where I realized that my partner and I were no longer having fun growing the business together,” he tells Toronto. “I recognized that I am somebody who wants to be in business with a partner, and it’s hard to do that if you don’t enjoy each other’s company all the time or don’t want to have some form of a relationship outside of a business one. I was young and really wanted a mentor, and I felt like it was something that I wasn’t necessarily getting a piece of. I want to have fun with what I’m doing, and looking back, I’ve never had more fun than what I’ve had at Autopets.”

For more on Zuppke and Autopets, be sure to listen to the full interview above. You can follow the entrepreneur on Instagram and Twitter.

Post Malone first rose to fame in 2015 with the release of his single ‘White Iverson.’ The following year the artist released his debut album Stoney, which featured the hit ‘Congratulations’ and set a record for the most weeks on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In the five years since, Malone has continued his success with his follow-up albums Beerbongs & Bentleys and Hollywood’s Bleeding and has amassed a net worth of $30 million. Here is a breakdown of how the 25-year-old has been able to reach that number in just a six-year time period.

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Post Malone at the Grammys

Post Malone was born in Syracuse, New York, where he spent the first ten years of his life, before moving to Grapevine, Texas. It was there that the budding artist discovered his love for writing music, and taught himself how to play guitar through YouTube videos. Malone used social media to build his profile and began gaining attention through his covers and original releases.

At this point in his career, the majority of Malone’s earnings have come from his music career and endorsements. The success of ‘White Iverson’ captured the attention of many esteemed rappers like Mac Miller and led the artist to sign a deal with Republic Records in August of that year. His first studio album, Stoney, went double platinum, and spawned two top ten singles with the tracks ‘Rockstar’ featuring 21 Savage, and the Ty Dolla Sign collaboration ‘Psycho’.

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Post Malone at the Billboard Music Awards

His sophomore album Beerbongs & Bentleys was even more successful, earning the artist four Grammy nominations, and breaking a streaming record on Spotify. His latest release, 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, solidified his place as one of music’s most successful young rappers as the album broke Michael Jackson’s record for most weeks on the Billboard’s Top R&B and Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In the music industry, success on the charts doesn’t always mean that an artist is making a lot of money. In this current music climate, artists earn a good percentage of their money through performances and tours, and of-course, the more you know how to do on your own, the less money you have to payout to others.

Malone is his own principal songwriter, which means he gets to keep a higher percentage of his royalties as opposed to other artists who hire a team of writers for their projects. The rapper has also booked many performing gigs through the years, and has embarked on a major concert tour for each studio album.

His last concert, The Runaway Tour, was on track to be one of the biggest tours of 2020 prior to the pandemic cancellation, and was voted Best Hip-Hop/R&B Tour by the Pollstar awards over the summer. With the pandemic still being a concern, Malone hasn’t announced any new concerts, but is currently confirmed as one of the performers for Rolling Loud in May, and Rock in Rio in June. While Malone has never officially released his tour earnings, according to Forbes, the rapper reportedly grosses $500,000 per show.

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Post Malone at Billboard Music Awards

In addition to his musical projects, Malone has multiple brand partnerships, with his Bud Light deal being the most financially lucrative. Malone has performed at various Bud Light sponsored events, and has earned millions with the company. The artist also has also secured on-going partnerships with True Religion and Hyper X.

Post Malone is still only six years into his professional career, but appears to be on a good track in terms of his success and overall net worth. With more music in the works, and upcoming entrepreneurial ventures ahead, Malone certainly has the potential to wind up being one of music’s top earners in the future.