Delaware State University ITB Entrepreneur

On the campus of Delaware State University, there are multiple young as well as promising entrepreneurs on the rise. Jabbar Hussie Jr. is one of these students. He was born in Virginia on December 3rd, 1997, though he was raised in PG County, Maryland. The name of his business is Just JKing. He says that his target audience began with teens because he wants his clothing line to make them see themselves as royalty. Right now, he is working on designs that would appeal to older audiences. The brand’s logo was made in 2014, officially launched in 2017, and it was developed in Maryland. The slogan is “Live Off Laughter"

His primary goal is to promote confidence and embrace flaws while laughing, having fun, and enjoying life despite the circumstances as we grind to the top as royalty. As we get older, some of us tend to lose sight of what’s important; being happy and being true to yourself. To him and his brand, life is too short to be serious all the time and all people should have fun while they reach their dreams. The main mission is to make one feel good in their own skin and in the brand’s clothing. The brand mostly operates online, but there are pop up shops in Delaware and Maryland.

The site’s launch date was on September 29th. Not only is his clothing line thriving, but he is also working on a time management app since he noticed that time management was an issue that many college students have yet to properly master. One lesson that has the greatest effect on Jabbar is not putting his face on his own brand. He was so focused on being an “undercover owner”, that he didn’t realize that once he put the face to the name, his brand had achieved more. I believe this person has achieved so much because they went out of their comfort zone and owned up to their mistake. As someone who identifies as an ambivert, I can understand the feeling of not wanting your face to be everywhere but still being confident in what you had created. He had put his comfort to the side enough for his business to thrive like it is currently. It influences me by helping me to remind myself to constantly step out of my comfort zone because as a business person, playing it safe does not always achieve great results. People want something new and fresh and me embracing change can greatly help me be more comfortable in embracing that journey. 

- Zakiyah Burno