The S6 JMAC team met with Harry Miller – the founder of Forty Clothing – and his wife Kelly during their visit to St. Aidan’s high school. Forty Clothing was established about three and a half years ago. The logo was one of his three-year-old sons first drawings at the time, then Harry and one of his close friends decided to turn the drawing into a design for a brand new clothing company, Forty. We asked him what the main purpose of visiting the school was and he told us that “We really want everybody to feel part of what we do, so what I think is really important is that we have been invited here today to tell the story of basically being able to follow your dreams. You don’t have to be academic, our message is to follow your passion in life. No matter who, what, why, where and when.” He added “I am not good with letters and numbers, I’m a creative guy and it really is about spreading that message of following your passion” We also asked what he thought the pupils would take from his talk. He said “Life is short and you don’t get first prize for anything in life. SO If anyone today can be inspired to follow their dreams, that’s the main goal. We want the kids to work hard and achieve their goals in life, if they don’t like something they can change it. He also said “The most important thing you can do in life is to be happy, if anyone can take this from us today that would be just amazing.” Our third question for Harry was how he felt when Forty clothing took off and he said “I think it’s still now that we don’t really see it as it ‘taking off’ you don’t really see that tipping point. One of the kids back in the meeting asked us ‘Who is your biggest competitor’ and it was a fantastic question but we don’t see anyone as our competitors” He also said “We really feel amazing because of how people feel part of the business and will come in and ask us how the business is doing. What is inspiring is that we see people coming in and feeling like they are part of the business.” Kelly then added “I don’t think you would ever get used to people wearing your stuff, its mad.” Harry feels very strongly about people being singled out from others because of what they like and what they want to do, He told us that “I remember as a young lad, talking about building self-confidence because it’s really difficult going through your teen years of basically wanting to fit in and wanting conform and being scared to do something different in case you’re singled out and that is a really difficult part of life as a teenager.” Kelly then added “It’s not even just selling a good product, for example we have had parents that come into the shop to thanks us in the way we have treated their kids because that’s really important to us.” We asked him for some inspiring word for the readers of our blog and he said “ People that have discovered their happiness in life tend to say the same thing, stop doing things in life that make you unhappy. Do what you love, if you do something you don’t love, get out of it. We’re constantly asking ourselves, well how do we get better. Nothing changes until you do.
