Meet Shay Mac | Entrepreneur

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

Hi Shay, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
no risk, no reward. honestly taking risk wasn’t something I’ve always been ok with until I actually did it lol I remember my first alibiba experience 🤭 you hear all these stories about people being scammed so I was extremely skeptical about dealing with anyone overseas. Real hustlers never settle, with tons of research & communication the risk was very rewarding. Taking risk helped me step out of my comfort zone. Taking risk helped me have faith in not only myself but my brand.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Shay Mac CEO of iHustle by any means apparel, iHustle isn’t just a brand it’s a lifestyle. Growing up I never had a job but always some sort of hustle. People including my mom would call me tommy (from Martin) because they never believed I had a job but I always had money lol even my younger sisters would call me that. I never told me people what I did because they didn’t believe me lmao that’s where “iHustle” came into play. People would ask what I do & iHustle became my response. I remember the first logo, I used a regular printer and iron on paper lol I was geeked. Daily attire, the fashion scene in a sense is over saturated with the same designs, so each piece represents a small part of my childhood or current life. Each drop will always tell a story. I’m honestly just proud of the growth & how far I’ve come. Everything I had to over come to even be here today. I remember when my brand first started getting a buzz in the neighborhood, I started with 4 different color tees. The first 25 went quick, people started asking for specific colors, I had a good guy that made the shirts but iHustle by any means lol the middle man had to go. I needed all money in. Unfortunately I took a year & an half off due to legal reasons. After losing pretty much everything I came home & got right back to it. I couldn’t find the designer I was working with at first, I tried a website lol tees were terrible but trial & error. I ended up doing some research on printing & came across vinyl printing. Long story short, ma dukes (s/o to her LLANNB ) invested in her fav & bought me a U.S. cutter. I knew a few people that had a cutter but nobody was actually trying to teach me how to properly use it. I went through tons of vinyl lol just teaching myself the proper cut, the proper blade etc. YouTube university was my best teacher. It was plenty days I really just wanted to give up, having the vinyl ball up into the machine was beyond frustrating. No risk, no reward tho right. I started talkin to the people at the supply store more, just to figure out the best settings to produce the best cut. My mom would send tutorials to help the best way she could. The support/demand is really what kept me going, people would always ask when I’m releasing new colors, can I put it on this, do I have this color, that color. I was honestly just excited to cut out the middle man, being more hands on in creating the brand. I would get lost in the lab for hours but it was very therapeutic. Trial & error, taking risk, having an amazing tribe & believing in myself & my story is what got me here today. I feel like a lot of creatives aren’t where they want to be because they’re afraid to fail. From the start of my brand in 2015 to now I’ve probably started over 1000 times. trashed a couple designs, wasted money on shitty product, not understanding quality is better than quantity just wanting to put something out. Along the way I learned everybody can’t come to the top with you. Everybody won’t be as helpful as the claim they will. Some people won’t believe in you until the see others believe you. Strangers will be your biggest supports,always believe in yourself because hustlers never settle. Most important don’t be afraid to take your time. Release quality designs & pieces to leave a mark. Never be afraid to tell your story, be unique, be yourself. You never know who can relate or who’s watching.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A week long trip would fasho consist of great vibes & good eats! Brunch, definitely fading my favorite brunch spot lol mimosas the key. The arcade
Bowling
Most definitely fading some type of cannabis event
I’m honestly a homebody so by day 3 we’ve pretty much concurred the world lol & stuck inside. We’ve always been the type to grab of favorite snacks, drinks & have a ball at the crib.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
mjaythegreat

Instagram: ihbamstoner

Youtube: ihustletv