Q&A With Brendon James, CEO of Alqemy Apparel

Tell us a bit about Alqemy.

I started my streetwear brand Alqemy (www.alqemy-apparel.com) with the vision to bring unity among people while giving them quality clothing and accessories at fair prices. As a hardcore advocate for streetwear I have all too often seen some brands take advantage of their customers by either over charging, poor customer service or simply not giving them what they paid for. There are even companies that will take your money and not give you what you ask for or even offer a refund.

What gave you the idea for your business and how did it start?

The idea for Alqemy came from alchemy itself. I want to practice a different kind of alchemy that brings people (elements) together and makes (gold) community. Alqemy started a long time ago, before it was called Alqemy. I started with customizing my own clothes due to lack of funding for new clothes, which turned into me customizing clothes for friends. I later moved on to shoe customization and also tattoos when I joined the military. Art and fashion have always been my way of choice for expression.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about what I do is being able to talk to people and offer them a great experience. Also, there is nothing in the world quite as satisfying to me than to come up with new designs and see how people react to them. I’ve done events and have been able to see first hand how the people react to what I am putting out. Being a primarily online store it is oftentimes hard to “see” how a customer responds.

What are your keys to making yourself productive?

Routine, Routine, Routine. I start every day by working on the previous days list. Whether it be tweaks on the site, checking analytics, sending out emails, packages or finishing a design. Every day starts with my previous days list that I physically write and leave in the office. Also, another thing that I use is my calendar and set alarms/reminders for important phone calls or meetings.

Tell us one long-term goal in your career.

One long term career goal is to build Alqemy to the point that we can expand our reach worldwide and be able to help scores of people. I strive to build a community and a brand that can lean on each other. I want people to see the Alqemy logo and immediately envision home, unity and positivity. I would love to start a foundation for inner city youth like myself to show them that there is more positive in the world than they think and that it is okay to be different and unique.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through the course of your career?

The most valuable lesson I have learned so far is that patience is key. You can not under any circumstances rush the process. I learned that from Gary Vaynerchuck.

What advice would you give to others aspiring to succeed in your field?

The biggest piece of advice I would give to others aspiring to make it in fashion is to learn all that you can. Fashion is a lot more than putting dope looking clothes together. You also have to learn the business side. Theres merchandising, marketing, distribution, ecommerce, retail and a slew of other facets that go along with owning a brand. Find a mentor early on that is willing to help you learn. There will be mistakes made along the way, but at least with a mentor you can make those few and far between without burning through a lot of money.

What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

My favorite things to do outside of work is to spend time with my family and Im also a gamer.

Name a few influential books you’ve read and/or websites you keep up with that you’d recommend to readers.

A few influential books I have read are The Thank You Economy, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook and I listen to a lot of podcasts.

Websites that I often visit are Entrepreneur.com, Medium.com, Highsnobiety.com, HypeBeast.com and Complex.com