Meet Bri | Streetwear Brand Owner

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

Hi Bri, every day, we know how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea of ChingonasOnly after a friendship ended. I had mentioned to someone that after ending that relationship with my friend I only wanted to hang out with chingonas. My friend said “you should put that on a shirt”. I was like that doesn’t make sense, but I thought about it for a minute and was like “chingonas only” Yes! From there I had to decide what I wanted that to mean and exactly what products to look into. I wanted to be really intentional with making the brand not only a reflection of the things I love (2000s and lowriders) but also making real impact in communities of color.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I got my masters degree in leadership and management in 2019. A part of my coursework there were business, entrepreneurial and law classes that really prepared me for coming up with a solid business plan and contingency plans. My education definitely helped me stay in business the past 6 years. I grew ChingonasOnly through a pandemic and lots of economic uncertainty and it was not easy. There were lots of days I did not sleep or eat. Any time there were challenges in my business I would come up with a SWOT analysis. I always kept an open mind by always considering what’s possible instead of focusing on road blocks. I’ve learned a lot of lessons through this journey. I think the most impactful lesson is to be your own biggest fan. If I relied solely on the support of people who know me, I wouldn’t be here today. I had to show up day in and day out for myself with the mindset that I am capable and I am worthy of success. My brand is not the typical streetwear brand. I keep prices low, use sustainable packaging and materials as much as possible and I use profits from my brand to give back to the community as much as possible. I want people to know me as the underdog that never gave up. I have faced a lot of adversity in life and even when life was hard with little support I still made things happen. I want people to know that this brand was built to make a difference and to allow people to show pride in where they grew up.

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?
Being intentional about patronizing small minority owned businesses is very important to me. I love sharing these special places either my friends and followers. I think everyone that visits Dallas should take a trip to Bonton Farms, Bonton isn’t minority owned but it’s mission is to help the South Dallas community. Petting a goat is a must, but eating at the cafe is an amazing experience! The food is phenomenal! Fridas Tacolandia in West Dallas is a place I take everyone to enjoy authentic Mexican food. Their pozole is my favorite but you can’t go wrong with any of the menu items. My favorite spot to have a drink is Del Sur Tacos they have amazing drinks and happy hour specials. Riding the Trolly is also a must do experience here in Dallas, its donation based and you can see a lot of the museums that way.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s so many people that have been a part of my brand over the past six years. My friend Kiko was always encouraging me to continue to build my brand and provided me with the space to do so. My friend Robert helped me with screen printing my first shirts. Dallas for Change is an organization that I volunteer with. My volunteer partners have helped me learn how I can be an advocate for others in our community.

Website: https://ChingonasOnly.com

Instagram: ChingonasOnly