Conversations with Janelle Morgan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janelle Morgan.

Hi Janelle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
So what started as a hobby in HS, when I was trying to find myself & personal identity, quickly became my lifestyle as I started collecting sneakers. I would actually sell candy & handmade cookies that I baked every other night and sell them to my classmates and teachers at school to earn money to buy shoes every week. Collecting shoes gave me a hustle & drive that I never had before and I’ve always said that without finding this passion, I don’t know where I would be right now. It’s allowed me countless opportunities that I never thought were possible and made so many relationships and friendships along the way that I forever cherish.

Now as I got older, I started to find other ways to express myself and personal style. I was always a Disney kid going up, so when my parents got me and my brothers and annual pass to Disneyland when I was still in HS, I was ecstatic! I started to mix my love for sneakers with my love for Disney and posted about it every time I was in the theme park. That led to me finding a group of like-minded people which quickly became friends because of the simple fact that we are huge Disney (and other fandoms, like Harry Potter, Marvel, GoT, etc.) lovers!

Although I’m into a ton of things, I’ve always had a passion for normalizing sex. I know, sneakers, Disney, now sex? hah, I never want to box myself into where I can never express my true self in any capacity. I’ve always been one to preach about sex, normalizing sex topics or conversations, and female sexual liberties. I’ve always hated how taboo it was to talk about sex because let’s be real, we all do it & that’s obviously how most of us got here. So once the pandemic hit, and person-to-person accessibility was limited, I simply posted every night on my IG a sexual meme or text or conversation and wrote “#hours,” meaning this is the time of the night where one indulges in said sexual behavior. After a month or so of consistently doing that and always getting reactions out of people, my friend had reached to me and told me I should make this a brand. And that’s how Hours.ByJay was born. It is a minimalistic lifestyle brand that was created to be a safe space to normalize sexual conversations & experiences. It is WOC owned but very inclusive to all genders, races, & sexuality.

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?
There’s so many things that happen when you’re creating a brand that people do not tell you about hah. Everything from outsourcing manufacturing to taxes to creating a website, every step of the way has been really humbling to say the least but also very rewarding as well. I never thought id be sitting here with a clothing brand but it’s helped me learn so many new crafts and skills just from that one idea I had.

A big struggle I had was honestly staying consistent. I still struggle with that today. Sometimes you’re just out of it and don’t want to do anything or post anything. But I just always love the reaction I would get from people whenever they see something I designed because I always want my items to be conversation starters so I know I did something good if I can get people to talk about just that.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Creatively I loved that I never put myself in a box. I love so many things & like anyone, I’ve experienced things that have shaped the person I am today. Above all, I genuinely love making content for people who are just like me, in any aspect, you see yourself in my content. I don’t want to hold myself down to a specific niche because I feel like you limit yourself from expressing your true self. Cause aside from socials, I know I will always be a sneaker-loving woman who thrives in her fandoms but always wants to help normalize talking about sex.

What are your plans for the future?
As far as my personal future, I want to be able to create content as freely as I can and do it full-time.

And as for my brand Hours., I’ve been taking a small break to refocus on the things that I believe in and apply that to my brand and its mission. Selling products is always fun & I love seeing people where my items but I really want to start putting some action behind that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hrsbyjay.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcheyenne_/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkjNVml8C7NKWd61fdnHXuA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jcheyenne_