Nothing Tried, Nothing Gained

In this the second week of the Entrep Theory, I interviewed Mr. Andre Brown. Andre was born and raised in the parish of Kingston. Andre is the Co-Founder and Production Manager at Dirty Hand Designs located in Kingston, Jamaica. Dirty Hand Designs is a clothing solution company that aims to both understand and meet the clothing needs of people. Andre grew up in Kingston and being the only child in the house he was taught how to be a responsible lad from a tender age. Andre graduated from High School in the top Six of his year group and worked a fulltime day job, while pursuing his First Degree in the evenings, of which he Graduated with honors. Shortly after he went on to pursue his Master’s Degree and now he enjoys making his customers satisfied and happy.

The Questions for this week are as follows:

How did your entrepreneurial journey began?
What led you to Entrepreneurship?
Was trying worth it?
What do you get from nothing tried nothing gained?
How did you go about gaining from trying?
Was it trial and error or was it something that was drive by passion?

When asked how did his entrepreneurial journey began, he responded “My journey began from high school, growing up there was not a lot of money to go around, so I was taught to be satisfied with what I had or was given. In about the 10th Grade of High School my first business or attempt was selling Floppy Disks or Diskette. *Laughing*! A box of 3 1/2 Inch, which held ten. I sold each for $30, they were a hot commodity then, before the rise of the Compact Disc (CD). After, Graduating from High School I went to sixth form at another high school, there I met my business partner and friend. We started a typing service for other students that went so well we even donated a Printer to the Schools Computer Lab, *Laughing* it is still working to this day. From there we went our separate paths, I went to work straight after sixth form, he went to University, and it was not until I went and applied a year after that I became interested in how to get images on T-Shirts, which is our current business now. I had a shirt that said “Hide and Lick” with the image of two Police officers coming around the corner and a man running, it was funny to me. I just wondered how it all worked, so I did some research, so fascinated by the different ways an image can be placed on a shirt. I learned that “Air Brush” was that particular type of printing method to get the image on the shirt. So, one evening at work myself and my business partner, decided to start the company to do shirts. *Laughing* our first shirt was a disaster, we used a stencil and spray painted the image. Today we are masters in our craft, and growing each year.”

When asked, what led him to Entrepreneurship he responded “the decision to fully going into entrepreneurship was made when I finished my First Degree, but even before then I was not getting where I wanted in the organization where I worked. I am a person that is always trying at any new task. So, all I was being given was more work, no compensation, no movement and no respect for my work. This pushed me to the edge and on to taking up my calling as an entrepreneur. This is how most organizations lose good workers, there is not an environment created for you to thrive and help the organization. All I see is nepotism happening, so it was the breaking point that lead me to create my future with my own hands.”

When asked if trying worth it, he replied “I was always told that there is no such word as “Can’t” growing up. That limitation, the little excuse everybody uses to get away from putting out the effort and getting a task done. If you never try you will never know if you can do something or not. Even if you fail, the first few times at it. Saying this I remember the example of that inventor who created the “incandescent light bulb” after a 1000 failures he succeeded, after the naysayers he never stopped until he proved that it could be done. Never let anyone or anything stop you from trying, which just might be your opportunity. I always lookout for a challenge, when a customer comes with a new graphic job to be placed on a Shirt I just smile and say “Let’s see how best we can get your image on the shirt” and choose the appropriate printing method/ application method. Trying is always worth it would be my conclusion.

He further went on to elaborate on what he gets from “Nothing Tried, Nothing Gained” saying “you cannot be a “Dead Log”, if you don’t make a move, who is going to make the move for you? Are you going to stand idly by and let not trying make them pass you by? The people who go down in history were all “Trying” to prove either a point or fulfill their passion.”

When asked how did he go about gaining from trying he responded “from every attempt of trying I have learnt something new. What not to do, what to do, how to do it, when, where, and why. Just by trying to do it you have gained skills that will help you later on in life, wither in business or any occupation that you choose. Just an attempt at trying is worth something of value than not doing anything at all. We were given the power to create, if we do not try how will we use that power.”

And finally, “I would say passion was the driving force, but without trying and the whole trial and error process, the final product and the results would not have been possible. The Principal used to have this saying in devotion every Monday morning, “Every man is given a Book of Rules, a Shapeless Mass and a Bag of Tools”.”

“Princes & Kings" Isn't it strange how princes and kings, and clowns that caper in sawdust rings, and common people, like you and me, are builders for eternity? Each is given a list of rules; a shapeless mass; a bag of tools. And each must fashion, ere life is flown, A stumbling block, or a Stepping-Stone.”