Conversations with the Inspiring Renee Wright

Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Wright.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
So I am a woman of many brands. I have always been a crafty and artistic human. I created jewelry for many of years. Selling at markets, online stores and music festivals. I also create a lot of fiber artwork from rope tapestries to macrame wall hangings/plant hangers. Eventually, I branded my jewelry and artwork to NeNe Wright. Everyone is familiar with my nickname and the association with my products. The creative art world is very important to me and I am very lucky to be able to actively contribute to it.

Another brand I am associated with is p.o.m.e.- Product Of My Environment. This company is an earth-conscious men and women apparel brand and was created originally by my other two owners Jeremy Ravitz and Rob Diclimente back in Michigan during college. When college was over, my two business partners had started living the “American Dream” working corporate jobs and owning houses. Their true passion lied in this sustainable clothing company called p.o.m.e. They decided to relaunch the brand with new purpose roughly around 2015 when they asked me to join as a co-owner. I had known about the brand in its early state and believed in the company core values, the founders and the direction we were about to head. From there on p.o.m.e. – Product Of My Environment has grown into a locally social/environmental awareness clothing brand. We strive to create a product that is sustainably made as much as we can. Our products are made in the United States. Some textiles we use are bamboo, organic cotton, recycled bottles and wildflower seed paper tags (plantable tags). We already know humans have destroyed the Earth. The fashion industry is one of many leaders in the destruction of the planet. We are an example of how to care for the environment by incorporating affordable, sustainable products into your everyday wardrobe. p.o.m.e. believes strongly in giving back to the earth and community. We create opportunities for people in the community to get involved by cleanups, donation-based yoga classes (donations given to three charities we love and support) and hosting clothing swaps. The three organizations we support are Little Kids Rock, World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy. A percentage of the product we sell is always donated to these organizations too.

We definitely hustle everyday working other jobs. I bartended through college, after in Steamboat Springs, Colorado at music venues and the resort for a couple of years and my side hustles/passions. Sometimes I compare myself to my lawyer friends for the hours I work and my lack of availability some days. My end goal is to completely be able to sustain my everyday life working for only p.o.m.e. I will always have my other passions and side hustles. To be able to ONLY focus on the clothing company is what dreams are made of. We have the opportunity to create a better lifestyle for ourselves, our community and our planet. As a team, we are running with the opportunity and never looking back. Working for myself and for a company I wholeheartedly believe in is what Ive made a priority in my life and always will.

Oh another passion I have that helps in all of my brands is curating events. I love to host workshops to get people involved or expand their interests and knowledge. Our clothing company hosts events all the time to bring people together. Getting people involved in the community, planet and arts will always be a priority in my life.

Grew up in West Michigan, moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for a long time. Just moved to Denver April 2018 to really dive deep and be closer to other owners of p.o.m.e. More opportunity!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As much as I make it seem like a smooth road it hasn’t always been that way. Making the decision to choose your dream over other fun things was hard for sure. Believing “this is real and I have sacrifices to make” is huge! Being a start-up clothing brand, you need a financial base. I work my butt off to invest in p.o.m.e. and my other passions that generate revenue. If you want to succeed in starting a business, you have to hustle, hustle, HUSTLEEEE! I am even helping my friend who is a creator of her own hand-painted clothing company. I tour to markets, festivals and shows for and with her. She had a baby a couple of months ago and her business is blowing up too. I support her taking time to create her art and be with her baby so I decided to hop on her team too.

My advice to women and everyone is if we are going to succeed, we have to be selfless and help each other rise. We are a community. Sure for our company to succeed, we need all three of us to really do our part. But the help of others while we vend a market or show, the support and actively participating in the events we create really help us rise.

Young women: To crush at anything you need to hustle and stay confident. You can do it. Find motivation in yourself and others to keep you going. I am inspired every day by my amazing friends and family. I take their energy and recycle it into my own. Positivity is HUGE! There is so much negativity in the world that can be destroyed even by you deciding to block it out and be positive. Your energy is contagious whether you think so or not. Also, life is about how you react to things. Take a deep breath, collect your thoughts and think about the outcome of how you are going to respond to anything. Being a hothead, irrational and rude human will get you nowhere. Lastly, you are your own unique individual. Once you accept that and stand up for yourself and what you believe in you can do anything. It’s natural to compare yourself to others. You just need to look at yourself and find even if it’s one detail about yourself that is great and you believe in.

What should we know about NeNe Wright & p.o.m.e. – Product Of My Environment? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
For my side hustles and passions, I am known for creating my jewelry, scarves, macrame, small woodworking pieces and pretty much anything I can learn to make. Recently I have been creating a lot of macrame and hosting macrame workshops. Anything from classic hangings to plant hangers and shelves.

For p.o.m.e. we are an earth-conscious clothing brand. We want to create a line that speaks to the comfy wearing, outdoors-loving and environmentally friendly people while looking sharp! Whether that is you yet or not! We want to expose our world to you.

I am proud that all of my passions bring people together. Providing positivity and connectivity to many. Creating an inviting and trusting space for all. Also being community-based too.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
Women have a voice. Women can do anything they want. It’s unfortunate that we have had to fight for the evolution of these positions and opportunities for years. I have always had strong and motivational women in my life who have been great examples on how women can lead their life. I have also been very blessed with the quality of self-motivation. A lot of my success and experience has been self-driven and belief that I can literally do anything if I work hard and push for it. You can be involved as much as you want. If you have a gift, share it with the world. Im also a very positive person that strives for self-care as much as possible. Living a healthy lifestyle while choosing a positive outlook on life helps your light shine bright too. ALSO working together whether male or female is key. In the end of the day, we are all the same. We are humans. Work together, respect each other and you might find out you believe in the same end goal as a lot of people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://productofmyenvironment.com
• Email: info@productofmyenvironment.com
• Instagram: @babeweeklyco @pomeglobal
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pomeglobal/?ref=bookmarks

Image Credit:
Danielle Zimmerer Photography
Renee Wright
Larissa Flora
Ian Monk
Shauna Kelly

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