Check Out Jasmine Alston & Sam Hoggs of The BLK Original’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Alston & Sam Hoggs.

Hi Jasmine & Sam, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We met at the Nike Outlet store in Charlotte in 2014. It seemed like the moment we had the opportunity we began creating together. We both shared a love for design and detail. As the only two full-time employees for our positions, we’d spend much of our shifts, styling mannequins, and coming up with creative concepts to improve customer experiences and the overall feel of our store.

Both of us being ambitious and feeling slightly stifled (mostly young and impatient) we decided we wanted what we deemed as more! Sam would leave for Los Angeles to work for Finishline & Sheik Shoes before landing a job at Complex Networks, which had always been a dream of his. Jasmine would move to Daytona Beach, Florida to work for Bethune Cookman University, then the University of Oregon before returning to Bethune.

Jasmine being a college-educated graphic designer would grow to be one of the best sports designers in the world. Sam, a serial entrepreneur, would learn how to run the type of business he enjoys, (fashion, music, art & culture) at the highest level. Our dynamic creative duo had been split when we were just getting started! While in separate cities, chasing our dreams, we didn’t communicate that often.

We’d pass back and forth ideas every now and then but it wasn’t the same as the days at Nike. That all changed in 2019 when Jasmine texted Sam about a problem she saw in the sports world. Sam was in between ventures but still interested and shared the same exact problem that existed in his industry. We both had a friend circle of Black athletes, creatives, and entrepreneurs but it seemed whenever one of them needed creative work they never knew how to connect the dots. From there, The BLK Originals were born.

We set out to be our own creative agency (to rekindle our team) but also serve as a bridge connecting and providing opportunities to Black athletes, creatives, and entrepreneurs. We became established on May 1st, 2020. As creatives we create, so when we began creating we saw a lot of our success with clothing design. We’ve designed clothing for clients but really enjoyed creating our own clothes.

After closing a partnership with Meta (previously Facebook) to develop their Black Playmakers program, we were hired to align top Black talent with major sports partners in late 2020, we knew we’d made the right decision. We’d eventually secure members within our network, opportunities with Bleacher Report, LA Rams, The Player’s Tribune, Overtime, The Denver Nuggets, and many more. We’d also release our first clothing line. To this date, we have 4 collections, 8+ drops, and 4 retail pop-up events under our belt.

Our agency has grown securing opportunities with Bethune Cookman University, HBCU Gameday, Hayti Heritage Center, and Eastbay to name a few. We’ve also launched our community initiative, a community library, filled with books that celebrate Black authors. People are encouraged to take a book and leave a book to encourage literacy in our neighborhoods.

We’ve launched our first with the Salvation Army in Durham and are looking to launch them in Black neighborhoods all over North Carolina. That’s mostly everything up until today! We’re working! Designing, creating opportunities for others, sharing our stories, and staying fly while doing it all.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been smooth at all.

One of Sam’s favorite quotes is “We willingly chose this path, so we accept all that comes with it!” That means the amazing opportunities but also clients not paying on time. It means learning how to run a business, learning our value, how to do business taxes, hiring the right talent, and getting rid of the wrong talent, all of it!

It gets stressful, we have our struggles but we have our faith and each other. We’ve learned that truly, whenever one door closes, another opens. When things are bleak, they always work themselves out, if we continue down the path and stay patient.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We curate the BLK Experience through research, ideation, design, and education.

Our services include:

• Graphic design.
• Videography.
• Interior design.
• Photography.
• Copywriting.
• Art direction.
• Brand strategy.
• Campaign strategy.
• Social media.
• Event planning.
• Creative job staffing.
• Job hosting.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Jasmine: Twitter. “Every job I ever got was because of Twitter” For all the introverts out there, Twitter is your best friend for sharing your work and finding people.

Sam: Put yourself out there! My mentors are my parents. When it comes to networking, share your work, genuinely connect with people and just build the relationship naturally.

Everything aligns when it’s meant to do so

Contact Info:

• Email: info@theblkoriginals.com
• Website: www.theblkoriginals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblkoriginals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblkoriginals
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBLKOriginals
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHBOxuFCatvDzZ9uqjcLg-Q