Meet v. | Small Business Owner

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

Hi v., do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
I strongly disagree with the “grind 24/7 with no breaks in order to succeed” mindset. Yes, if you work hard you can be successful…but for what, if you have no time to enjoy what life has to offer.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Sayonara Street is an anime-inspired clothing business. I started this project last year in November. In my opinion, what sets me apart from other anime clothing businesses that got their jump off Tik-Tok would have to be the quality of my products. I wouldn’t sell clothing that I personally wouldn’t wear, so I like to find higher quality blanks and use nice anime designs that aren’t too loud and look good. Even though my prices may be higher than others, the quality really reflects on the price.

This brand came to be because I absolutely despised my recent office job and didn’t want to go back at all. I had a bunch of random freelance opportunities before Sayonara; I did wedding photography, social media managing for some businesses, video editing for Youtubers and more. One day I was scrolling Tik Tok and saw someone selling embroidered anime clothing. I thought to myself, “Well why haven’t I tried that yet?” It was going to be another side hustle, but eventually some videos blew up on Tik Tok. Without the impact of social media, Sayonara Street would not be where it is today. A lot of its success is thanks to going viral on Tik Tok. Learning how to utilize social media to its potential has been challenging every now and then, but overall things have been smooth.

I wouldn’t say I’ve learned it, but I’m currently still learning how to self-discipline myself to be on a consistent work schedule. I don’t technically have to work every day for hours, but I’d like to do something work related daily for at least 3 hours if I could, but I get distracted easily (lol).

I’d like the world to know that with success comes luck. I’m not going to bullshit and say it’s because I grinded 24/7 and that’s how this came to be. Yes, I grinded my ass off, but I was still lucky and took my breaks when I needed it. I am a firm believer in working hard and playing harder. Enjoy what life has to offer! Don’t escape life; make sure life doesn’t escape you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If someone was visiting, I’d first take them to my favorite food spots!! I’m Asian American and DFW has some of the best Asian food to offer. Arlington has a restaurant called Thuy Nguyen that has the best Vietnamese food to offer. Usually certain restaurants specialize in certain dishes, but this place has mastered everything on its menu. For Korean BBQ, Dallas has a spot called Burnin92. They use charcoal for their grill and the meats are always so good! Down the street is a karaoke bar called Soju 101 we can go to end the night.

I also boulder frequently, so I would probably take them to my local climbing gym.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a big shout out to my friends! Without y’all, Sayonara Street wouldn’t even exist. They’re always down to model for the product photoshoots, help me package, organize stickers, or share my posts onto their stories. The constant support from them is all I could ask for. Thank you!! <3

Website: www.sayonarastreet.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sayonarastreet