Today we’d like to introduce you to Somazia Pelzer-Jones.
Hi Somazia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Somazia Pelzer-Jones. I am a wife and a mother of two beautiful children, Tobias and Aria. I am a SC native, born and raised in Bowman, SC where my grandmother, the honorable Late Zelda Johnson Pelzer, was the mayor. I am the oldest of seven children and a USC Upstate graduate with a BA in Communication.
My business started out as a DIY gift for my boyfriend (now Husband), Christopher. He wore a bowtie to every event he attended. I wanted to get him a bowtie, but, as a paycheck-to-paycheck college student, that was not in the cards at the time. So I jumped on youtube, watched video after video, and then off to the store I went. I gathered all the materials for the tie and I began doing everything by hand. I did not tell Christopher it was handmade because I wanted his reaction. When he fell in love with the bow tie and I could visibly see it, I shared the backstory of how it all started. After hearing him say over and over that I should start making bowties, I gave it a shot. Initially, I would only make a bowtie for Chris, then I begin to branch out and make a few for my Dad and brother. When I reflected on how much I enjoyed doing it, I then opened BoomingBowties. Over the course of 3 years, I only had 8-9 sales which were mostly family. I allowed fear and disappointment to overtake me and I gave up on what I loved doing. I worked several jobs in between, got married, and had children, but that dream of entrepreneurship was eating away at me. About a year and a half ago, I prayed and asked God for direction, a road map, strength, and whatever else I needed to make his will come alive. He took away the fear of disappointment, the fear of failure, and replaced it with perseverance and strength. I look to him as my guide, compass, and roadmap for my business. My favorite saying when I’m working is “God you are the CEO/CFO/Executive Director of all of my endeavors and I am the manager. You create the policies and procedures and I will enforce them.” In doing that, I revamped BoomingBowties to expand to Mazie’s Design Boutique. My collection has expanded to shirts, tumblers, mugs, pens, earrings, bags, and so much more. God has sustained me and given me a new purpose for my dreams. Today, I’m just managing what he sends my way.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. As I stated earlier, there were many obstacles that came along the way. I lost family members, most recently my Dad. I had two children which took away a lot of my time and I faced failure in areas of marketing and sales. There were times that I doubted myself, I gave into that failure to the point of giving up and walked away from everything that I wanted to do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I personalize, create, and print items. Some of my work includes bowties, canvas bags, mugs/tumblers, shirts, and pens. I’m most proud of my attitude and approach to being an entrepreneur. Refusing to give up on myself again and pushing forward no matter what comes my way, knowing that my season is coming. I’d like to believe what sets me apart is my refusal to conform to the trends and the look. The work that I present is what comes from the heart. I don’t desire to be like anyone else or to emulate someone else, because that’s not where I can thrive. My success is from being true to myself and following the blueprint that God has placed before me.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I listen to quite a few podcasts, BIG Life Devotional and The Potter’s Touch is just a few. There was once a time when I loved to read before life became hectic. At the time, my favorite authors were Mildred D. Taylor and Sarah Dessen. My daily reading is mostly my devotionals in the Bible App to help me stay focused and to help overcome fear and anxiety that tries to creep in from time to time.
Contact Info:
- Website: maziesdesign.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mazies_design/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/maziesdesign
- TikTok: @maziesdesign
