by Tennille M. Robinson
March 11, 2011
Young Bosses: 6 Successful Brand Builders Who Got An Early Start
- THROWING CAUTION TO THE WIND
- “Above all be fearless. Because the world is a scary place and stepping out on your own is risky,†~The Broussards
- Lorielle and Brandon Broussard, 30 and 34, Barackawear Inc.
- Everything doesn’t always go as planned. In August 2007, the sibling duo quit their day jobs to go full force with their clothing line, Barackawear Inc. The Los Angeles-based company aggressively touted T-shirts and other apparel with the ’90s-inspired slogan: Barack the Vote, in support of the then-Illinois senator and presidential candidate who became the nation’s first Black president. Their risk-taking teamwork paid off and the popular T-shirt line generated $600,000 in revenue in 2008. But betting on President Barack Obama was just the beginning.
- Business-savvy and ready to expand, the two went on to launch YOTOWN, a line of nonpolitical shirts featuring personalized maps of any U.S. city. And after realizing that their passion for YOTOWN had waned, the Broussards stopped production on the clothing line in October 2009. Today, Lorielle and Brandon are putting their energy and enthusiasm into Purple Stuff TV, a sketch comedy Web-based series which they are currently shopping around to television networks. Based on their previous success, their prospects remain promising. “We got an investor for Purple Stuff TV based on our success with Barackawear,†says Lorielle.