Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Pierce.
Hi Ryan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
St. Louis is my hometown, and I have always felt that it had the potential to be a great city again. I always just wanted to play my part in that process. Growing up in Mt. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on MLK and Belt, I became active in service to others early. That would be a seed that grew into a central principle for my life, greatness through service. I started a t-shirt business around 2004 because I needed to be fulfilled with my job then. That led me down a long road of personal and professional discovery. My initial goal was to get my products into airports and hospital gift shops.
I wrote into a Q&A section on CNBC and asked how to accomplish this. To my surprise, my question was selected, and an expert from the network answered my question in their business section. It would be knowledge that I would apply for years to come. I had early marketing success and obtained brand placements, but I needed more sales. I got my product on BET, in a few magazines, and on famous entertainers. I still needed to connect with the true purpose of the brand and its identity. I put all my money together, incorporated my business, made some products, and launched a website in 2009. My branding had improved, but it still needed to be a true success. I needed more information and experience.
However, that website and branding helped me land a job managing the Jordan brand for the Eastbay division of Footlocker. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that took me to Northcentral Wisconsin to work in the bitter cold. The town was small, but the opportunity was amazing. I was given the opportunity by Steve Horn, the brand manager. He was one of several Black men that gave me opportunities that changed my life. That became another key principle that would shape my future, representation matters. I would have had the opportunity to have someone from the culture that could identify with me and what I could bring to add value. I knew it before, but that reinforced my obligation to be a bridge builder whenever possible for those I could help.
While with Footlocker, I played a significant role in large campaigns, traveled extensively to industry events, and conducted, organized, and managed photoshoots, magazine layouts, social media campaigns, and video projects. It was an amazing experience. I built many valuable relationships with athletes, agents, bloggers, artists, etc. I leveraged those relationships to create opportunities that allowed me to work with many individuals in various capacities. I conducted marketing and branding for professional athlete companies, worked on product launches, help put together product and experiential tours in major cities.
Through all this, I kept tinkering with my brand, putting it together piece by piece. For every client and company I worked with, I gained more insight into what I did well and where I wanted to add value. I was getting closer to discovering my ‘WHY” for the brand. In my next project, I began working with a designer out of Detroit. The city reminded me of St. Louis. Their story was remarkably similar to ours. It was once a vibrant American city with a lot of hometown pride. I loved the way the city was rebuilding and making its voice known. I wanted that for St. Louis. The Detroit designer was extremely popular with celebrities and had a viable business making custom products. They were looking to transition into more retail accounts, and I used my experience working for a major retailer to assist them. Independently, I got the brand picked up by Barneys New York along with another major sports retailer and secured a major brand collaboration. That gave me confidence in my instincts and skills in the industry. I had the professional skillset needed to succeed with my brand.
By this time, I actively participated in regular community service in St. Louis. I began to shape the brand around community building through service to others. The brand name was now ” Show Me Love.” I chose the name “Show Me Love” as a layered meaning; being from Missouri, it directly connects to us as the “Show Me State,” it also reiterates that love is an action word and must be shown. It has significance in us needing to show love from one to another in humanity, respect, business, and opportunity. It represents what is needed to move our community, city, state, and region forward. Small acts of love compound into a habit and a way of life. That must be central to restoring our community. In 2021 while pitching a local brand to Footlocker, in casual conversation, staff at the company asked me what I was doing. I told them about the brand, the violence in the city, and my focus on community service. Two weeks later, to my surprise, they contacted me and said that the company was launching an initiative to invest in black-owned brands, artists, and their work in the community. They asked if I would like to pitch to the executives for a chance to participate in the campaign. I responded yes, and Show Me Love got selected as one of the brands. Initially, the offer was to assist my brand, but I negotiated to make it more community-focused by including local artists and change makers.
The campaign included:
- Capsule Collection of t-shirts themed around action items for community building.
- Mural on MLK Dr. in St. Louis, Missouri, commissioned to local artists @sealsbrock.
- Donation to Dream Builders 4 Equity.
- Documentary featuring community stakeholders on the policies that lead to the culture of violence in St. Louis and action plans on how to address it. Filmed by @thefilmlord
The campaign was wonderful, but more work still needs to be done. Shortly after completing the program, I pitched to the airport for the 6th or 7th time and got picked up. The Show Me Love brand is now available at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, with a portion of the proceeds from sales going to community causes we support.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Developing the brand parallels my personal development, so it has been some struggles. The main thing I discovered is how important service and gratitude are in development. We often think of personal and professional advancement as separate things, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Although specific technical training may be required to advance in position, personal development and understanding will reap far more benefits to the person. In my experience, committing yourself to some form of service to others develops you as a leader and sharpens your God-given abilities. Your professional skills begin to supplement rather than lead. They add to what you offer and distinguish you in service even when trying to blend in. Service makes room for your innate qualities to shine and provides a deep sense of fulfillment that is unmatched. It’s a secret that most overlook because, at face value, it does not benefit them directly. You will find your purpose and life ministry there and see your gifts, interests, and skills optimized into something special and significant.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
With my brand Show Me Love and being active in community service, I knew that more was needed to bring about effective change. I needed more information on community services, resources, and programs. I pursued opportunities with the local government and landed a position in workforce development. My goal is to learn about the services most needed in the community, deliver that information in a way that is authentic and understandable to the everyday person and meet their needs where they are. I am leveraging my contacts and experiences to assist where needed to connect people to information, education, and resources.
Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
Luckily is more of timing. When you begin to pursue something you are passionate about, even when you don’t have a clear plan, timing will play a significant role. As you acquire information and relationships, they are often out of their season for immediate utilization. However, as you advance in your pursuit and your purpose begins to take shape, those relationships and that information have clear times where they are beneficial, and their impact compounds. In that instance, it seemed like luck, but it was timing. Timing is essential and something no one can control, underscoring the importance of patience, which is one of the fruits of service.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.showme-love.com
- Instagram: @showmeloveworldwide
- Facebook: @showmeloveworldwide
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanpierce2/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/D3LB9Xq9HYs
- Other: https://www.visitmo.com/things-to-do/show-me-love-ujamaa-mural
Image Credits
Adrian Tatum
