What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Eugene Slusher, but most people call me Gene or the t-shirt man. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA by way of Belize, Central America (where my parents were born).
Can you tell us a little about your company?
"my black skin is..." tees and apparel was birthed when I started asking questions on my personal page. On January 7, 2010 @ 7:34am my status read: Complete this statement:
"my black skin is..." and by the end of the day I had around 40(+) positive responses. The next day one of my friends said, "Eugene, did you see all those responses to your question?" and of course I replied, "yes". She then said, "I think you have something here", so the entrepreneur in me said, "so whatcha wanna do?" And that's when "my black skin is..." tees started.That following weekend l started the "my black skin..." fan page and the "MBS" logo was soon to follow. The first two shirts that were released were "Historical" and "Loved". As the demand increased customers started requesting for other sayings. So, we went through some of the comments from my page and picked out a few more sayings that touched us.
My name is Eugene Slusher, but most people call me Gene or the t-shirt man. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA by way of Belize, Central America (where my parents were born).
Can you tell us a little about your company?
"my black skin is..." tees and apparel was birthed when I started asking questions on my personal page. On January 7, 2010 @ 7:34am my status read: Complete this statement:
"my black skin is..." and by the end of the day I had around 40(+) positive responses. The next day one of my friends said, "Eugene, did you see all those responses to your question?" and of course I replied, "yes". She then said, "I think you have something here", so the entrepreneur in me said, "so whatcha wanna do?" And that's when "my black skin is..." tees started.That following weekend l started the "my black skin..." fan page and the "MBS" logo was soon to follow. The first two shirts that were released were "Historical" and "Loved". As the demand increased customers started requesting for other sayings. So, we went through some of the comments from my page and picked out a few more sayings that touched us.
In the beginning there were two members, then three and by the end of our first year we were back down to two. Now, there is only one! By being the creative one I moved ahead and let my creativity speak for itself. And, with the continuous positive feedback from all over the nation I continued to create other sayings.What was your inspiration behind starting the brand and for each design?
The inspiration behind starting the brand was to bring positive awareness to our culture. I grew up in the 80's when we as Black People were conscious about our community, family, friends, and the world. Each t-shirt design or inspiration comes from personal experiences or lack there of or suggestions from family members on my Facebook page "my black skin..."
What distinguishes “my black skin is...” from other brands?
"my black skin is..." is a unique brand that strictly focuses on uplifting our community and our people by shedding a positive light on our individual accomplishments, while making a profound statement.
What challenges have you faced with starting the line?
The only challenge I have faced since starting my line is finding a t-shirt vendor that has shirts to fit my regular and plus size sistahs.
The only challenge I have faced since starting my line is finding a t-shirt vendor that has shirts to fit my regular and plus size sistahs.
What personal goals would you like to accomplish with your business?"my black skin is..." tees and apparel is bigger than just tees, totes, and sweatshirts. I plan to grow my business, therefore I am able to help our children achieve greatness by starting a scholarship fund to help families send their children to college. And to bring nationwide attention to "Real" black fathers while staying close to my family. I'm not a history buff at all. I just seen a decline in our value and the only way I could make it be known was to put my idea out there where EVERYONE could see it!
Do you have any advice that you would offer to an aspiring entrepreneur? If you are passionate about your craft don't keep it to yourself. Let it be known. You never know who may benefit from it.
And finally, how do we get our hands on “my black skin is...” apparel?
If you want to make a statement without speaking, go to www.myblackskinis.com
See you on the page!
Thank you so much for sharing your story Gene, you are an inspiration to many!!
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