“So I Could…” | Skye Monroe

Yellowbrick on April 22, 2021

Name: Skye Monroe Course: Fashion Industry Essentials 

Instagram: @skye.monroe

I enrolled in Fashion Industry Essentials so I could…

I enrolled in this program so I could gain a better understanding of the fashion industry and the day-to-day process of getting an idea turned into a product.

Where are you working now?

I am currently Self-Employed.

Has your experience in Fashion Industry Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?

Yes, I will be attending Parsons School of Design in Fall 2021.

Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?

The course taught me the steps to advance towards a career in the fashion industry.

How did the course prepare you for working in the fashion industry?

It taught me all about fashion verbiage, skills, mock-ups, and portfolio content.

How did the partnership with Parsons for Fashion Industry Essentials affect your choice to take the program?

After taking the Fashion Industry Essentials course, I committed to attending Parsons in the Fall.

What assignment, course, and/or instructor sticks out in your mind or taught you something valuable?

Production Cost course shed light on the business aspect of the fashion industry

What would you say to a friend about Fashion Industry Essentials?

I really enjoyed the program and would recommend it if you are looking into Parsons.

Sneaker School Grad Gets A Nod From Forbes 30 Under 30

Yellowbrick on March 18, 2021

Naz, a Sneaker Essentials graduate, recently launched MIDSOLE MAG. MIDSOLE MAG is a women’s digital sneaker-based fashion magazine based in Turkey. She launched the magazine after taking the course and realizing there was an opportunity to tell the stories behind sneakers in Turkey. Naz is a candidate for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She wrote about her experience in the article below. 

In May 2020, I created an online sneaker-based fashion magazine called
“MIDSOLE MAG”. My biggest reason for creating this magazine was to support women in the sneaker industry and spreading that culture. I started this business with zero budget and in the midst of a pandemic, it became
extremely successful. There is a common misconception that women are not as involved in sneaker culture as men, but that is not true. We have
proven that through having a staff made up entirely of women. Therefore,
I wish to use my career as a tool to highlight that women have long been
a part of the sneaker scene and to give them the recognition that they
deserve.

MIDSOLE MAG is an online magazine (www.midsolemag.com). As a Gen Z’er, I wanted to design something that speaks to my generation and highlights the issues that we face. My generation is known for being “Born with technology,” so an “e-mag” seemed like the perfect place to start. We
have a very active Website and Instagram audience, along with a magazine application called “Dergilik”. Dergilik only accepts well-known
magazines like Vogue, Elle and now MIDSOLE MAG is amongst them. Also, it is the only streetwear magazine in Turkey and without any paid promotion we gained a total of 14K followers in less than six months.

Furthermore, shortly after the first issue, we started to collaborate on
creative projects with global brands such as Nike, Reebok, Converse,
Lacoste and local brands / sneaker stores such as Wunder and Les
Benjamins. Our creative projects include editorials, special edition
issues, collage artworks and illustrations, which showcases how strong
we are on the creative side. We also have commercial arrangements with
Dior, Louis Vuitton, adidas, North Face, Vans and many other global
brands. In our regular issues, there are sections from History to
Beauty. Our mission is to spread the culture and describe what that
means to the communities around us.

Lastly, I was requested to be a panelist for a Complex Networks and
Fashion Institute of Technology partnered a program called “Yellowbrick
Sneaker Essentials.” On October 20th I hosted a webinar about the
“International Woman In The Sneaker Industry” and shared my experiences
as a woman in this industry and gave advice to others who wish to create
a meaningful impact in the sneaker world.

I am beyond proud and honored to be so accomplished in such a short period of time. Also, I am thankful for the people who have supported me along the way.

“Ask Me Anything” with Foot Locker Engineer Brennan Nichols

Yellowbrick on March 10, 2021

Play Video

Foot Locker Engineers are not always easy to get a hold of. Operations Engineer is a job title in the sneaker industry that is rarely public facing. Their position works heavily behind the scenes to help keep the Foot Locker brand on point. Yellowbrick Ambassador and Sneaker School grad Brennan Nichols is the Site Operations Engineer at Foot Locker.

Foot Locker Inc. is the leading brand that celebrates sneaker and youth culture worldwide. Their portfolio includes Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Eastbay and Footaction. They have about 3,000 retail locations in 28 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Foot Locker recently invested $100M in the reseller platform GOAT, which could yield interesting Goat x Foot Locker collaborations in the near future.

Brennan decided to take some time out of his day to give the Yellowbrick community some much needed career talk and industry gems via a ZOOM Webinar. He talked about his current position at Foot Locker, as well as his Sneaker School experience, solid Resume Tips, Building your network, and how to nail your interview for the job you want in the sneaker industry. At the end of it all, he opened up the floor for an “Ask Me Anything” Q&A session. We jotted down some of the top questions and answers and compiled a list below. You can press play on the video in this article to hear the webinar in its entirety, including all the questions and answers.

How did you get started in the sneaker industry?

“I started back in college where I did an internship at this sneaker boutique called Self Conscience. It is no longer open but it was the starting point for many people who have careers in the industry. I started as an intern, doing events on the weekends. We did a really cool collaboration with adidas back in 2008. That gave me my first love of the sneakers, the industry and sneaker marketing events. That’s the best place to start, as an intern.”

Do network connections matter and did a network connection help you get your job at Footlocker?

“Connections always matter. That goes back into building your network. Building my network helped me. What helped me was going to events, volunteering. Volunteering didn’t get me the job at Foot Locker but it helped me beef up my resume. I got my job from a staffing agency who saw my resume on Linkedin. They contacted me for an interview and I started as a temporary worker. A lot of big companies start people off as contract employees so don’t get discouraged by getting an offer on a contract position. Sometimes you get paid more often and paid more per hour. Sometimes you don’t have benefits so it depends on your livelihood but if you have the ability to go through a staffing agency, I recommend it.”

Can the Sneaker Essentials certificate of completion lead to a job opportunity?

“It can lead to a job opportunity but graduating from the program won’t give you a job. The course gives you a lot to talk about in interviews. Taking the course and having the certificate can lead to a lot of conversations during an interview. I’ve been in a lot of interviews with a lot of companies and they ask about the course. Whatever you learned from the course, you can mention it in the interview and that helps you stand out from the other candidates.

If a sneaker career is something you’re interested in, visit yellowbrick.co/sneakers. You can reach out to Brennan on IG. His handle is @wallstreetbnic.

Brittney Perry Gives Us The Sneaker Essentials Scoop for #SoICould

Yellowbrick on February 2, 2021

Name: Brittney Perry
Course: Sneaker Essentials
Instagram: @perrycoshoes
Website: https://perrycoshoes.com/

Where are you working now?

I’m working on releasing 2 fall color-ways of my shoe and creating a new silhouette to release in 2021.

Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?

It got me back in the groove of graphic design and some of the basics or brainstorming ideas such as mood-boards.

Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?

I wanted to have a better understanding of the history of sneakers and how they are made.

How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?

Taking the course would allow me to speak more intelligently about sneakers. Knowing the history and technical terms would definitely help anyone stand out to a potential sneaker employer.

How did the partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?

Complex gave the sneaker program more credibility. Seeing that I could potentially have opportunities to be featured by Complex and work with others in that space was encouraging.

What is your biggest takeaway from this program?

Learning the ins and out of how a sneaker is made as well as the parts of the shoe was really beneficial. Even though I have a sneaker brand now, the program helped me gain a greater understanding of sneakers. This can help me communicate my ideas clearly to my manufacturer.

What would you say to a friend or fellow Sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?

If you want to have a career in the footwear industry, I would highly suggest enrolling in Sneaker Essentials. You will learn the ins and outs of the industry. Not only about sneakers, but also marketing, design, and videography in the sneaker field.

Jasmine O’Conner Talks Sneakers, Coursework and Following Her Passion

Yellowbrick on February 1, 2021

Name: Jasmine O’Conner
Course: Sneaker Essentials
Instagram: @jasmine_oconner

I enrolled in Sneaker Essentials so I could..

Follow my passion and dream of working in the sneaker industry.

Where are you working now?

Cummins Inc.

Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?

Not yet.

Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?

I knew this course was right for me when I enrolled because I had just started a new chapter in my life and was ready to go after my sneaker passion.

How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?

I have way more knowledge about the sneaker industry than I did 12 months ago.

How did the partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?

It highly affected my decision. I’m always looking for things that are real and have credibility

What is your biggest takeaway from this program?

I loved learning about the design process and the thought that goes into it. It was very helpful to see the inside of the factories as well.

What would you say to a friend or fellow Sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?

Taking Sneaker Essentials was a very humbling experience and I would recommend the course.

“So I Could…” | Abigail Killam

Yellowbrick on February 1, 2021

Name: Abigail Killam
Course: Sneaker Essentials
Instagram: @ajkillam1202

I enrolled in Sneaker Essentials so I could..

enhance my knowledge of the sneaker industry and strengthen my resume to land a job in the fashion retail industry.

Where are you working now?

Everbridge.

Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?

It has been a strong talking point on interviews.

Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?

I want to get into the fashion retail industry specifically footwear and this course just seemed like it would help me on that career path.

How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?

I find that this course gave me great knowledge and boosted my confidence in sneaker knowledge.

How did the partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?

It heavily affected my choice as the Fashion Institute of Technology has a reputation for being one of the best schools in the world for fashion and if I was going to take a class it might as well be from the best.

What is your biggest takeaway from this program?

The creative skills I have built for myself in the assignments I had such as creating the mood board to designing sneakers, and creating an unboxing video.

What would you say to a friend or fellow Sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?

I would highly recommend enrolling if you want to do a deep dive into every aspect of the sneaker industry.

“So I Could…” | Michael Franz

Yellowbrick on January 4, 2021

Name: Michael Franz
Course: Sneaker Essentials
Instagram: @welcomemyfranz

I enrolled in Sneaker Essentials so I could..

pivot my career path to sneakers through the added skills this course provided.

Where are you working now?

American Honda Motor Co. as a District Sales Manager in Atlanta, GA

Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?

I used the downtime of the past 3 months pandemic to buy an ipad and apple pencil and learn to design mockups in Procreate, some paid opportunities have already come through the pipe, my final assignment being an example of that.

Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?

Because I love all things sneakers and wanted to become a student of my passion!

How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?

It taught me the top down view of what the industry looks like and what the different roles entail. I was able to see where sneakers began and where they are going in all facets as well and that was important to being a well rounded student of the industry.

How did the partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?

Brought validity to the curriculum for me.

What is your biggest takeaway from this program?

That there is a vast amount of jobs and roles that you could fit in within the sneaker world, you just need to carve out your place in it by honing in on which part you love most.

What would you say to a friend or fellow Sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?

I would highly recommend taking the course and putting the time in to soak up every lesson.

“So I Could…” | Harrison Davis

Yellowbrick on January 4, 2021

Name: Harrison Davis
Course: Sneaker Essentials
Instagram: @sneakerscoffeechampagne

I enrolled in Sneaker Essentials so I could..

gain a more global perspective on the industry that I’m so passionate about.

Where are you working now?

Stadium Goods

Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?

Sneaker Essentials helped me decide what part of the industry I was most interested in pursuing the rest of my career in. Having owned a tier one independent sneaker boutique for 6 years, most of my vantage point comes from that angle of the industry. As I transitioned from Baltimore to NYC, Sneaker Essentials helped me to narrow down my specific interests within a much wider industry and endless opportunities in NYC. Ultimately I landed at Private Client Services at Stadium Goods. Being introduced to a more in-depth look in to the SG brand, and mission, during the Sneakers Essential course definitely impacted my decision to apply to positions at Stadium Goods.

Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?

I enrolled in Sneaker Essentials to get a broader perspective of the industry, end-to-end. My primary experiences had been as a collector and owner in the independent space. To grow my career and be able to compete in the NYC market I wanted to grow my knowledge of design, supply channels, big box, mass marketing, etc.

How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?

The course gave me great perspective into the mass amount of different avenues you can take within the sneaker industry. From design, to supply chain, processing, management, buying, customer service; I really feel like the course gave a great overview of the industry as a whole.

How did the partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?

Just like FIT legitimizes the knowledge being shared, the partnership with Complex legitimizes that the people sharing the knowledge are significant in sneaker culture, beyond just knowledge.

What assignment, course, and/or instructor sticks out in your mind or taught you something valuable?

Sue from Rime really stuck out in my mind. Her authentic story about creating a boutique in the early 2000’s, to her first collab with Puma, to the struggles of being independent really resonated with me, and gave great perspective around that era of the industry.

What would you say to a friend or fellow Sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?

I would tell friends that are both interested in getting into the industry, or who have been in the industry for a while, that the course is a great high level framework of the industry at large. For those looking to get into the industry, this gives invaluable insight into many of the heavy hitting brands and stores. For those who have been in the industry for a while, this allows you to look back at the industry from the outside in as you prepare to make your next moves or rethink old logic.

Career Spotlight on Former Nike Marketing Manager Les Green

Yellowbrick on October 21, 2020

The sneaker industry is full of career opportunities. While sneaker design is one of the most sought after paths, there is a huge variety of other jobs and careers to pursue. The Sneaker Essentials course was designed to give students an inside look at all of the possible career paths and help them capitalize on their unique skills to carve out their own path . From marketing to design to engineering, there is a career opportunity for everyone.

Sneaker Essentials recently sat down with Teespring’s Vice President of Marketing, Les Green, to talk about some of the things he has accomplished across the industry. Green has held down some key positions in the sneaker industry. He has worked with some of the world’s most influential brands for over 18 years. He served as Nike Africa Marketing Director, Nike Mexico’s Senior Brand Director, Senior Brand Director Nike By You, and Global Brand Director Nike Sportswear. He played a key role in some important campaigns and product launches. He worked on the Nike Tech Pack. the 2012 Olympics, and Nike by you (which most people may know as Nike I.D.).

“I don’t want that exclusivity of product to

translate into exclusivity of talent and opportunity”

Check out the clip above to hear Les talk about breaking down barriers to breaking into the industry. Visit Sneaker Essentials to find out if a career in sneakers is right for you – and for more knowledge from former Nike Marketing Manager, Les Green.

“So I Could…” | Miguel Feliz

Yellowbrick on September 11, 2020

Sneaker Essentials graduate Miguel Feliz gives his take on the course in his Testimonial video featured above. Press play to watch what he had to say!

Name: Miguel Feliz
Course: Sneaker Essentials
IG Handle: @spidermigz

I enrolled in Sneaker Essentials so I could..
continue to learn more about the industry I plan to pursue a profession in, regardless of whether my plan is successful or not.

Where are you working now?
Right now, I am a Seasonal Athlete at the Nike House of Innovation on 5th Avenue. Previously I had an unpaid internship at Staple Pigeon.

How did the course prepare you for working in the sneaker industry?
There wasn’t any rock that was left unturned really. The course covered everything that needed to be covered in the process of coming out with product, at least to my understanding. I learned about crucial aspects when it comes to the actual manufacturing of a sneaker, the history of footwear, and how to market a product alike. I came into the course knowing I love sneakers, but now because of the course,I now know that I love to tell stories and I want to use sneakers as the medium in which I tell those stories from a marketing perspective.

What assignment, course, and/or instructor sticks out in your mind or taught you something valuable?
The sneaker design project was really fascinating and nerve racking at first. I was afraid to tackle the challenge at first but eventually I came up with a great story to tell which was reflected on the design. Throughout the course of completing the assignment, I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator and found a new hobby in making sneaker templates to create custom colorways in my free time.

How did the partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology for Sneaker Essentials affect your choice to take the program?
It played a big role. I actually wanted to attend FIT so to be involved with the school and sneakers alike is a good look for me.

Has your experience in Sneaker Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?
It played a role in my interview process for Nike. It helped bolster my resume and show that I was really serious about getting involved in the industry one way or another.

What would you say to a friend or fellow sneakerhead about Sneaker Essentials?
If you really love sneakers as much as you say you do or want to learn something new, this course is for you. No question about it.

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