" Entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk."
M.J. Jones Tweet
Meet M.J. Jones – the founder of Perfect Fit, which is working to create jobs that are at the intersection of fashion and technology. She’s also a career engineer that has created solutions that have helped companies like Tesla & BMW. Perfect Fit is a clothing brand founded by African American Women. They celebrate their culture as a core value and create a real impact in underserved communities.
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Thank you so much for giving us your time! Before we begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers and take us through what exactly your company does and what your vision is for its future?
M.J. Jones: I’m M.J. I am a successful engineer and entrepreneur. I am excited about my new streetwear brand Perfect Fit and my mission is to help change the way people feel about how they look. Perfect Fit is a brand focused on a Global Streetwear Movement Showcasing People of Color in a Positive, Inclusive Community. We provide a well-curated mix of on-trend designs starting with our T-shirts, an essential wardrobe item. Our vision for the future includes a phased approach to launch collections that move our target audience and is ethical and sustainable from the source to the shelf. We are a clothing brand founded by African American Women. We celebrate our culture as a core value and create a real impact in underserved communities.
NO child ever says I want to be a CEO/entrepreneur when I grow up. What did you want to be and how did you get where you are today?
M.J. Jones: Growing up I wanted to be a professional athlete. I had only two passions basketball and sneakers. Coming from humble beginnings I was raised to be a practical adult. My parents were hard-working and worked a 9-5 their whole lives, we didn’t have much in terms of wealth. Inspired to change my circumstances I got involved with stem and pursued engineering. As an engineer, I worked to drive innovation in the automotive industry for 10+ years. As an entrepreneur, I am driven by my passions.
I’m a sneaker-head who wanted to be an athlete. Now I’m an engineer who wants to build a streetwear brand. One thing I know for sure is how to build things and the same ideals that made me successful in my career will help me be successful at Perfect Fit.
Tell us something about yourself that others in your organization might be surprised to know.
M.J. Jones: The process of creating something amazing and making sure it’s delivered flawlessly is what excites me every day.
Many readers may wonder how to become an entrepreneur but what is an entrepreneur? How would you define it?
M.J. Jones: An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. I would define it further by saying what that means to me; an entrepreneur is the shortest distance between where you are and where you want to be. It means pushing past the status quo and becoming someone who has the desire to develop something new and then do whatever it takes to make that happen.
What is the importance of having a supportive and inclusive culture?
M.J. Jones: When building anything from the ground up a strong foundation is required. At Perfect Fit, we speak a lot in terms of core values because I need this to be at the core of our business. Any successful endeavor needs to be inclusive and empower different voices. Every team needs to be supportive and build each other up the whole is only the sum of each part.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker.
How can a leader be disruptive in the post covid world?
M.J. Jones: Disruptive leadership means forcing change before it’s forced on you. To do this post covid is to leverage data and information we have available, to anticipate trends and prepare for the future. Lead with purpose, and embrace innovation.
If a 5-year-old asked you to describe your job, what would you tell them?
M.J. Jones: I design clothes to show the world how to embrace what makes them special.
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts?
M.J. Jones: I’ve had to make all kinds of decisions – some were fun and some were tough. One of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made was firing an employee who was one of my friends. It broke me and him up for a while, but we’re back to hang out and chill like we used to.
The positive impacts that came from that decision: I’m more aware and cautious with who I bring into my company now.
Leaders are usually asked about their most useful qualities but let’s change things up a bit. What is your most useless talent?
M.J. Jones: I can recite all the words to the theme song of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”
Thank you so much for your time but before we finish things off, we do have one more question. If you wrote a book about your life until today, what would the title be?
M.J. Jones: “Finding the Perfect Fit”
Larry Yatch, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank M.J. Jones for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with M.J. Jones or her company, you can do it through her – Instagram
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