People sometimes need a little bit of encouragement. Everyone has days where something stressful happens. Myles Johnson has the product for these kinds of stressors.
Sophomore and CEO Myles Johnson, a 19-year-old supply chain management major, started ‘I am ____’. Inspirational Tie Clips in May 2016, which sells ties and tie clips. The tie clips he sells feature different words meant to inspire the wearer to be self-aware.
The company’s mission statement on the company website reads, “Originating in Lansing, MI, the company was built with a foundation of inspiration. We serve each customer to remind them the importance of being self-aware. To not be afraid of defining who they are, ON THEIR OWN TERMS.”
When he started Inspirational Tie Clips, Johnson said he wanted people to feel self-empowered.
“The tie clips… have inspirational words,” he said, “so when you wear them, you look down and you see, OK, I have to be fearless today. Or, you look down and see, OK, I have to be a king today in everything that I do.” He said these quotes could be effective for people in the workplace, at school, at home or anywhere else where inspirtation would be needed.
Johnson also shared some personal experiences that made him want to start his own business.
“When I was in high school, I was in a business program called the YEA Academy, which is the Young Entrepreneurs of America,” he said. “When I was in this program — I like fashion — … I said to myself, ‘How can I make at least one of these professionals stand out?’ because I notice professionals just wear solid suits and solid ties, and they all look the same. Why pay all this money to look the same? Somebody has to stand out. Through a tie clip, you can become self-aware and display your character to the world.”
Inspirational Tie Clips is the first business Myles has created, but he said he will look to do more.
“This [Inspirational Tie Clips] is a jumping off point for me,” he said, “but I’m always going to do this because this is my first.”
David Dobrzykowski, the University director of the supply chain management institute, commented on his student’s success with entrepreneurship.
“I’m excited to see supply chain students pursue entrepreneurial passions,” Dobrzykowski said. “I think there are terrific opportunities that are just waiting to be explored.”
He said he was also interested in the products Johnson had created for his first business,
“It’s important to be inspired in everything that you do. People that are lazy aren’t very good workers,” Junior Brody Hanna, an accounting and finance major, said.
‘I Am ___’. Inspirational Tie Clips is meant to inspire the wearer to be the best self they can be. Wearing one shows the world a person is ready to take it on, one clip at a time.
