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

Hi William, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Now this, this is the epitome of a starter question. I battle with answering this question daily and the only answer I continually come up with is faith. My faith in God and truly believing in the talents he has given me keeps the fire stoked with my veins. Daily I am reminded of how difficult it is to separate from the crumbs that this system provides. This alone is my keen reason to create, build, and restore communities through love and resources. To become an entrepreneur is to become selfish, but rather being selfish at times is necessary to advance the status of our people.

What should our readers know about your business?
‘I Love Killeen’ is a urban and active clothing line. Our logo displays veins and also contains the letter “K” within a heart. The veins are present to represent that love is not dead and in fact it is very much alive. The letter “K” was used to embrace where we came from and to remind us of where we are headed. The world is experiencing many things like: wars, deaths, sicknesses, famine, guilt and hate, violences, and just pure chaos. We felt it was vital for the mind and necessary for the soul during these times to share peace and love. ‘I Love Killeen’ direct aim and scope will always be to serve the community first through services, and lastly through products.

Attending and graduating from college I sought out to become the biggest and most impactful math teacher that my neighborhood ever held. I truly enjoyed teaching and inspiring the youth through education and athletics. Something was missing though I would always say. I could teach and inspire within the classroom for 50 years and when I leave work the community would still be in the same conditions, if not worse, than it was before I ever got the teaching job. This consistent ticking away thought in my soul led to to retire from teaching within my first 3 years. ‘I Love Killeen’ not only gave representation to my neighborhood, but to the entire city. See what just happened? I went from a 4-walled classroom of children, to a world of students to educate and encourage to spread peace and love. Love was never meant to be contained and this is why I chose to create the clothing brand ‘I Love Killeen’.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While visiting Killeen there are a many great places to eat and grub like: Killeen Food Park, Bobby B’s, Elmore’s Fish & Wings, Pluckers, and Bubba’s. In addition, we have two different movie theaters and a few community centers around the city that host events and/or a recreational platform. Our parks and recreation are spread out and each one offers different amenities.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The few people I have asked to help magnify the brand of ‘I Love Killeen’ have done this with love and consistency. Kevonte Sheppard, Vincent Dickens, and Coby Carlton have been my main sources of accountability during these past three years of creating the company. Many plans, business, or ideas fail a lot of times because most people don’t have a support team. I was blessed with a few that not only preaches the want for change but has also made strong efforts to see it through.

Website: www.ilovekilleen.org

Instagram: @i_love_killeen

Facebook: @I love killeen

Image Credits
Krenshawn Fleming

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