Check Out Xavier Bryant’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Xavier Bryant.

Hi Xavier, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a senior at Elon University in March of 2020, my classmates and I underwent a DRASTIC change. Covid made its way to Elon, so the classroom became the living room, and the dining hall became the apartment kitchen. After weeks of being constrained to my 4 walls, I began to keep myself busy by drawing just 1 art piece a day in a little notebook, thus, turning my bedroom into my art studio. After a while, the notebook became boring, so I transitioned to canvases. After another couple of weeks, the canvases became repetitive, so I began drawing/painting on the shoes I had lying around and instantly fell in love. After each piece, I found myself impressed by what I had done, for before the pandemic, the last time I drew with purpose was in 8th grade. I soon noticed all I posted on my social media was my creations, and others also enjoyed my art. They soon asked what I would charge if I began selling my designs or drawing/painting on their shoes just as I had done mine. A lightbulb lit up over my head, creating “cuXtom kiX.”

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Creating a business is a challenging road. Initially, it is challenging to develop pricing, establish yourself in the market, and gain trust from others that you are talented enough to start a business in your desired field. When beginning something as ambitious as a small business, some people who have known you the longest will doubt your abilities. They will begin to unload your insecurities because they never saw you doing what you are doing. Instead of supporting the business like you thought they would, they will sit back, hoping you fail so they can say, “I told you so.” Instead of buying/sharing your content while you’re developing your brand, they will promise to support you after you succeed. In these moments, remaining confident in yourself and working for you is invaluable. If you do not believe in yourself, others can’t believe in you.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My niche started as mainly shoe customizing, but after a while, I began doing commissioned work with canvases, hoodies, denim, graduation caps, Greek paddles, and even a workout belt. Shoe customizing is still my most popular, and my work differs from many other customizers. On the left shoe of every cuXtom creaXion, I put all thoughts and ideas of the customer. From landscapes/galaxies and animals to animated characters and calligraphy, I do just about anything (and I promise I’ll tell you if I can’t). The right shoe is the one that means the most to me. It represents myself, my rights, and what I believe in. On every right shoe, I put my signature, “BLM” fists(optional), and a quote that reads “I Know My Rights.” “I Know My Rights.” could be taken as literally as “I know my right from my left,” but it can also go as deep as “I know my rights as a human being, an American citizen, a person of color, a black person, etc.”. Sometimes people need a reminder that no matter how others view them, they have worth and have the same rights as the next person.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Thank you for taking the time to read about the big journey of my small business.

You can find me/DM me:

• @cuxtoms via Instagram
• @sir.lavish via TikTok
• @Xavier Bryant via Facebook
• @cuXtomkiX via Twitter
• Please email me at xbryant@elon.edu. I am also open to facilitating Paint & Sip or shoe customizing classes.

Pricing:

• cuXtom Shoe Pricing: Price of Shoe + $70-$90 (for artwork) + Shipping/Handling (if applicable)
• cuXtom Canvas Pricing: Pricing depends on the sizing of the canvas
• cuXtom Greek Paddle Pricing: $75
• Graduation Cap Pricing: $35-$60
• Denim Pricing: $70-$90 for artwork

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuxtoms?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xavier-bryant-99793912a

Image Credits
@ZVisuals, @Lynnnspiration, and @istaychoosing