Exploring Life & Business with Jamila Graham of ndur Athletics

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamila Graham.

Hi Jamila, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Jamila Graham and I am the owner of ndur Athletics. I am a mother of two athletes and a wife of 20 years and counting. After working many years in retail management I decided to work on my passion project. And in 2021, I decided it was finally time to start my active brand. I had always wanted to own an active brand. I initially started designing a few styles and I came up with a name for the brand. I was thrown a few curve balls in the process, and I wanted to give up so many times. But I kept at it, and in March of 2023, I was able to launch ndur Athletics. The name of the brand is Ndur Athletics, pronounced like “endure.” ndur stands for “never doubt yourself,” that’s exactly what it took; me not doubting myself in the process of starting the company and this to life.

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a challenging road to get to where we are today, but that makes us an even stronger brand. Because ndur is more than a brand; it is a mindset, I had to ndur through several situations. The biggest struggle is starting a self-funded company; when you have this grand plan that doesn’t fit in the budget you set for yourself, you have to make adjustments. As a solopreneur trying to do it all when I don’t have the expertise in all areas and limited funding to hire an expert, it motivated me to learn how to do more in more areas. The biggest struggle is running a business while being a mom and wife, working full-time, and finding time for myself. I’m grateful to have a supportive family that allows me to do it all, but it is a challenge trying to manage it all at times.

As you know, we’re big fans of ndur Athletics. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
ndur is an online women’s active brand that curates a range of high-quality activewear that caters to various fitness activities, body types, and preferences. We can be found primarily online, but you can find us at local pop-up events in our community. We sell women’s athleisure, including our Signature Leggings, Sports Bras, Biker Shorts, Tees, Tanks, and other fitness accessories. The focus is on offering sustainable and inclusive options to meet customer demands. No one should be denied a healthy, active lifestyle due to the lack of quality activewear. We want to change the narrative by offering a size-inclusive active brand. We are a women-owned and minority-owned company that can relate and best understand the needs of our customers.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I want to say thank you to my husband and kids for supporting me and my dream. My son ensured I never quit when things weren’t going my way, and I just wanted to give up on everything. My daughter for being my beautiful model and helping at our events. My loving husband for believing in me and not letting me quit, supporting me with my never-ending business calls all day, and helping me load up for pop-up events. And I couldn’t forget my sister for always being my sounding board and voice of reason. I’m grateful for our new and old customers; it brings me joy to have their support and trust when it comes to them buying activewear and knowing that they chose ndur. I have three business mentors who help me immensely and who have kept me grounded.

Pricing:

• Bras $39.99
• Leggings $59.99
• Shorts $44.99
• Accessories $5.00+
• Workout Equipment $20.00+

Contact Info:

• Website: ndurathletics.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/ndur_athletics
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ndur_athletics
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/ndur-athletics

Image Credits
Alexxis – Timeless Presents