I had a small group of nerdy friends, just like me, that I hung out with when I could. One day, after constantly being told how we weren't cool enough to be in other people's groups, I decided to create a group on my own. The group's name, which initially started on Facebook, was Nerd Square. Nerd Square was originally a group that I made so that my friends and I could say that we were a part of something that no one else could get in. Nerd Square gave us a sense of belonging.
One day, while I was walking through the mall with my friend, we saw a man in the middle of the mall making custom t-shirts. My friend and I decided to get matching shirts that said "Nerd Square" on them. The next day we wore our shirts to school, and all my friends in my group absolutely loved them. And just like that, a seed was planted.
Nerd Square
The word "Square" came from the numerical term" to the square power" and the fact that "squares" are generally people who do not fit in, and I felt like I didn't fit in at all. I have a very nerdy personality, but it is this exact personality that makes me extraordinary.
Nerd Square was birth into life in 2014 and trademarked in 2015. The company was created to give students who felt separated from their peers a place of reconciliation. Further developing the concept, I realized a more significant issue: Today's Youth's Inability to Express Themselves Respectfully and Positively. Nerd Square is designed to be the outlet for young people to find apparel that they can relate to and comfortably wear with positive and respectful messaging.
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We're always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we've spoken with enough people to know that it's not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a very bumpy road. I started Nerd Square in middle school/high school. So there I was, a student coming out with a clothing brand called "Nerd." Clearly, that was not cool, and people did not want to wear that. Students would tell me that they like the shirt, but they just don't want to walk around with that word on it. I did not get a lot of support from classmates or parents. I did the funding myself. I worked at Six Flags during high school, and I used my checks to create clothes. I made a lot of designs that didn't sell at all and have been to numerous conferences where I didn't sell anything. I spent so much money to get there just to sit there for hours and see people walk past my table. Many nights I have cried, given up, and thought maybe I am wasting my time. The thing was, I put myself in such a predicament that I couldn't turn around. Sometimes you have to just take a huge leap of faith and put it all into something and not even think about what would happen if it didn't work. Then when you jump, you just prepare for the landing in the best way you can.
My whole brand is about individuality, positivity, and education. I am proud that I am creating a safe space for people to truly express themselves. I am not trying to be cool or be anything I am not. I am myself. I express that in the way I market my brand and by my designs. I feel like I make clothes for people who do not fit in and do not want to. Just my brand slogan alone is a message of individuality:
We are just a couple of uncool kids who want to make really cool clothes! Nerds Welcome. Everybody else is tolerated.
I like to believe that when someone goes on my Instagram or my website that it's a certain feeling that I give off. A very positive, playful, inspiring energy.
Below is a poem that I wrote for fun, aka to express my inner thoughts in a healthy manner when I was in high school for fun.
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