Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaiden Noralez.
Hi Jaiden, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Creativity has always been my way of expressing myself and I have always loved creating things that people could enjoy. As a first-year student in high school, I discovered Picsart, a mobile app that allows you to cut, color, and edit images. In the beginning, I used this app to create imaginary movie posters and album covers for a few artists in the music industry. Once I got more familiar with the app, I created logos and stickers that I kept on my phone to view throughout the day. During the pandemic, I had a lot of spare time, so I started working toward establishing and releasing my clothing brand to the public once school was back open. It was a struggle being stuck inside, I lacked inspiration and I felt like I was losing my creativity. Having to quarantine was a huge barrier to my productivity. I designed several pieces that were deleted but I also sat on a handful of great ideas that would be useful when the world got back to normal.
Once school resumed, announcing my business became another obstacle since I was on the varsity basketball team. Late-night practices and weekly games consumed the majority of my time, and even when I was not playing, I was maintaining my academic success. Once the season ended, I was determined to release my first project while I was still in school. I worked for weeks constructing a website and searching for a manufacturer to start production. On March 20, 2022, I proudly announced my first hoodie for pre-order. I received a lot of positive feedback from my peers and supporters and garnered a new fan base online as well. Since then, I have released four other projects and I am now attending California State University Northridge, majoring in Business Management.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As a minority business owner in Los Angeles, being a hard worker is not an option, and having to work above and beyond the call can become stressful. All the throw-away drafts and saved designs would bombard my phone storage, so I had to begin the process of elimination. It is hard to measure how customers would react to new designs, and not getting much interaction at times put a damper on my motivation. Designing apparel can be difficult considering all the aspects that come along with it. For example, finding an aesthetic that can successfully reach a broad audience, deciding on the materials or fabric that a piece would be constructed with, and creating something that will stand out and meet consumers’ expectations. Staying up to date with current trends is also important when creating something that consumers desire. Also, the clothing industry is extremely competitive all over the world, even on my small school campus, there were two other amazing student-owned brands that were a part of my graduating class. Although we were peers, there was an unspoken competition on who had the most students engaged in their brand.
From continuous google searches, downtown runs, and getting samples, searching for a reliable and constant company to manage the production aspect of my brand at a reasonable rate might have been the most challenging part of starting the brand. Being on a limited budget at the beginning of my journey was an interference, it constricted my manufacturing options. Most manufacturers have large minimum order quantities, and at the time, I did not have the funds to meet those requirements. After finding a flexible company, I decided to release the first project on a pre-order system to guarantee customer access without exceeding my budget.
We’ve been impressed with JAYNOR LOS ANGELES, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I published my brand during my senior year of high school, a Los Angeles-based clothing brand with a collection of ideas. During my years in high school, I always looked for ways to express myself positively and artistically. This is how my brand was born. When I am not studying, I spend my time perfecting the art of clothing design and the business aspect of entrepreneurship to better JAYNOR as an experience for my customers. From hoodies to hats and shirts, any consumer can tell you that the quality of every item is what makes JAYNOR stand out. Most of the products available have Puff Printed material which makes each design pop out of the fabric, giving a 3D effect.
I am so proud to say that from websites and social media management to design concepts and ordering processing, all these tasks are performed by myself on my phone and laptop. Organizing orders individually when I receive them fulfill my drive and increases my passion for what I do. The growth that I have witnessed in this short amount of time has left me grateful and excited for the future. As a brand, JAYNOR is looking to expand and provide a comfortable, stylish option for our customers and provide amazing customer service for everyone interested in our products or content. All of our platforms, including Instagram, are always open for customer interaction.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Being consistent is particularly important when dealing with variables that constantly change. Staying focused on growth even when it is slow and having short-term goals that add up to long-term ones must become a principle. Even if a product fails to reach the amount of clients that I hope it would, I continue to promote my brand to an audience that might enjoy it. Being comfortable with making mistakes and effectively learning from them is one of my most vital characteristics. I have learned to view failure as an opportunity to start over and become better instead of an unconquerable challenge.
Loving the process of having a brand, and creating an image for people to embrace, has allowed me to stay persistent and continuously grow. Lastly, maintaining a peaceful and positive, yet determined mindset has allowed my thoughts and ideas to flow freely without disruption or consternation. I am extremely proud of what I have done in this short time, but also I am immensely thankful to everyone who has interacted with my brand. I look forward to expanding my presence throughout California, The United States, and eventually globally. There are some unreleased items in the process right now and I’m excited to launch them in the near future, including youth shorts!
Contact Info:
- Website: jaynorla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaynorlosangeles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaynorlosangeles
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaynorla
