Meet Zaire Singleton | Entrepreneur (Clothing Brand @hefeulv)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zaire Singleton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zaire, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of my brand has to be my belief in myself. A lot of that comes from my experiences in life, my family, friends, supporters and God. Growing up, I played different type of sports, and through that I learned a lot about myself and how to still move forward through adversity, over the years this has given me confidence that through belief in yourself and hard work, you can do anything you put your my mind to. I am blessed to have such an amazing support system through my family and friends. They are honest with me, encouraging and give me the motivation to keep pursuing my dreams. As I have grown as an entrepreneur I have gotten so much love from supporters of my clothing brand @hefeulv. Some people or even my peers have come up to me, or texted me, “Your inspiring .” or “Your going to do great things, I am proud of you.” or just simply saying, “KEEP GOING” and that means the world to me, I am beyond grateful. I have always believed in myself, from a very young age, through my upbringing and my belief in God. I can confidently say my faith in God has never failed me and I feel I can do anything through him.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I own a clothing brand called Hefe Ulv. Hefe meaning boss, leader or someone in charge of something. Ulv, simply meaning Wolf. Quality pieces created to inspire the leaders of tomorrow. The wolf representation is the symbol of my brand. I am proud of the experiences, growth, and ability to inspire people along the way of having a clothing brand. I was able to meet rappers, celebrities like Chubbs from OVO, YN Jay & Louie Ray. I was mentioned in a genius article, I’ve sold out pop-up shops on my schools campus at The Ohio State University and just met so many cool people along the way. I’m not anywhere near where I wanna be but I have gotten to where I am though consistency and being myself creatively, especially marketing. I’ve been through so many obstacles. I’ve been scammed by false advertisers, I’ve mishandled or lost money, I’ve been doubted, been told it won’t be anything or that I’m wasting time chasing a false dream. I have even doubted myself. I have learned that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, it’s about what you do. I have also learned that great things take time and that you have to be patient. I want the world to know that if you believe in yourself you can do anything and that with anything you do it’s a marathon not a sprint, it’s going to take time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First I would take them to high street and take that person to Sole Classics, Heat Archive, then to Street 2 Vintage and LitKicks to let them pick out clothes and shop. After that I would go get Ramen, watch anime or a go see a movie then go explore the city. We would get dressed then I would take them to play arcade games or paint. After that I would take them out to the Columbus night life, like Noir or The Forum.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a huge shout to my family, friends and BOSU. My mother has played a very vital role in my upbringings and inspiration for the way I make my pieces and my imagination. Her style, sense of fashion, the way she puts things together, it all comes from her. My uncle Jaylin inspired me entirely to have a clothing brand. Growing up I was always around him every day and learned just by watching him create. His clothing brand was called “Mature”. Seeing that a young age, and just being around him had a major impact and inspired me into the man I am today. When creating my brand and taking care of business, my Dad played a huge role. He taught me how to start a business and how to market myself. There are so many people who I could thank but as a collective I want to say to my peers and BOSU at The Ohio State University thank you! They have reposted, shared, and followed along with my process of creations. I can’t thank them enough and their kind words keep me going. To my mentors, Andre, CJ, Von, Nnaem, JD thank you for the guidance and help along the way.

Instagram: @hefeulv

Image Credits
Elizabeth Metts @elizabethmetzz Tyler Patterson @tpcinema