Southern Accents Dispatches: What We’ve Learned So Far

I’ve heard it said somewhere that in life, only two things are guaranteed- success and failure. Both of these things happen in some way, shape, or form on an almost daily basis. Business is no different. If you start a business, you will experience success and failure on both micro and macro levels. Life (and business) is not about winning though. It’s about who you become through the process. The wins and losses you experience on a daily basis help refine, mold, and shape you - if you let them.


Two months into Southern Accents, we’ve had a plethora of both. We’ve had wins like rolling out our first designs and receiving immediate support, and losses like shipping delays and having to switch printing companies smack in the middle of our first pre-order run. As I reflect on our biggest takeaways thus far though, my main thought is how thankful I am for all the love and support we’ve been shown by folks we’ve never met.


Below are some of my key takeaways, and some thoughts on where we’re going next.


Lesson 1: Never use USPS to ship anything… like ever.


I won’t spend too much time on this soapbox, but I’ll just say- whether it's in Washington or the post office, governmental bureaucracy knows no limits when it comes to inefficiency. If you were one of the early folks who ordered from us, you probably experienced this alongside us. Seriously- the amount of lost or untrackable packages that we had to resend additional inventory on to make right in the first month was mind-bogglingly frustrating. If you’re thinking about starting a business that involves shipping things, find a way to use UPS or FedEx. Like everything else, the private sector does better getting things from Point A to Point B than your local government run post office.


Lesson 2: No surprise at all- Southerners are the best people there are.


While the above experience was unbelievably hair-pulling and it felt like I got 10 new emails a day saying “I ordered a shirt two weeks ago and it still hasn’t come in,” I never once had a nasty message or response. In cases where we knew there had been a flaw, we tried to be as proactive as possible to give updates, but for the most part, we really didn’t know much more about the package’s status than the customer did, and usually didn’t even realize it hadn’t been delivered until they reached out. Through it all though, I never had anyone respond to us in a mean way or demand their money back. This is such a credit to our people, and something I deeply appreciate.


Lesson 3: There will be hurdles. Lots of them.


As mentioned in the intro paragraph, two things are guaranteed- wins and losses. We’ve had plenty of both, but the losses seem to always be easier to recognize than the wins. I could tell plenty of stories already of setbacks we’ve had and things we’ve learned, but the long and short of it is, nothing you do will be easy. So do it anyway. If you do your best to treat people right, and apologize when you mess up, it’ll all work out.


Lesson 4: Not all Northerners are Yankees.


One of the most surprising and remarkable parts of this endeavor has been the amount of support (and orders!) we’ve received from folks North of the Mason-Dixon.


One of the points we’ve tried to hammer home is that Southern heroes are American heroes. This is simply categorically true, but this experiment has shown us that actually, this sentiment is felt not only in Dixie, but across the nation.


We’ve had several, several orders from states like Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Minnesota, and the list goes on. Some of these could be Southerners who live up North, sure, but based on the personal interactions I’ve had, I doubt that's the case for most of them. If we are going to reclaim our Republic, it will take Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks fighting side by side against those who wish to destroy all of us.


P.S.- The only two shirts we’ve sold up North, until the release of our 250 Tee, has been Lee and Jackson. So take that for whatever it’s worth…


Lesson 5: US made goods are in dire straits, but can and must return.


When starting this project, we wanted to start with tees to communicate our core values as a brand, but were always looking ahead to the next steps, and where we could produce things like polos, button-ups, chino pants, etc. One of the things we primarily wanted for these was for them to be completely grown and sewn here in the US, and specifically in the South. We constantly heard this could not be done, and honestly I chalked it up to big companies not willing to cut their margins to bring things back to the States.


As it turns out, that may have been the case to start with, but we have neutered ourselves as a country so much that we are now to the point where it is very nearly impossible not mainly because of greed, but because of labor costs, regulations, and literally the facilities where fabrics are produced no longer exist. We’ve spent the last few months talking to farmers, people within the textile and retail communities, and even calls with multiple Cotton Commissions and Co-Ops across the country, the answer we kept getting was “It can’t be done,” at least not in the South. We knew producing things in a place like Los Angeles was in our back pocket, but we didn’t want to go there. This is a Southern brand, and we wanted to make things in the South. Honestly, the amount of times we heard “no” and “it's impossible” was getting depressing.


Finally though, we got some good news. While there are still plenty of things to work through, we may have found someone who can do what we’re wanting, working with Southern farmers, using real people to spin, cut, sew, and do all the things required to make an article of clothing. At this point, we’re still working on getting details together, but one thing we’re sure of- if we’re going to do this, it will take hard work and sacrifice. It will take slimmer margins on both our ends as Southern Accents and on the side of those doing it at the textile level, and it will take an extreme measure of precision, but we believe it can happen. Ultimately though, what we need if we want to truly make a difference is for more people and companies to jump in the boat and start rowing.


As mentioned before, there’s still a lot to work out, and if ultimately we cannot achieve 100% Southern grown and sewn products, we will be completely transparent. There is hope though, and I’m optimistic that we can achieve what we set out to do.


Lesson 6: The future is Southern


When we win, it will be Southerners leading the charge, just as it always has been. There is an incredible resurgence of passion for people and place in this country, and Southerners are on the front lines of it.


We have always been a stubborn people. We “cling to our Bibles and our guns,” resist change, and refuse to conform. It's that stubbornness that will win the day in the end. The South is the final bulwark for Christendom and Western Civilization. This is why they have targeted us as long and as hard as they have. If they could convince us that our ways, traditions, and heroes are evil, the rest of the country would be easy. For a time, it seemed to work. We were on our heels, in retreat… but no longer! They overplayed their hand, and now we are on the move, gaining ground each day. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again; Jesus and the South will save the world, and we’re proud to hopefully be playing a very small part in that revival.


At the end of the day, we’re still just two months in, and have a ton to learn. We’re encouraged by what we’ve seen so far, and know that the South’s best days are still ahead of her. Thank you so much to everyone who has bought a shirt, commented encouragement, and helped us along the way. We’re truly grateful, and hope that each day our products are a reminder of those who have come before us. We’re looking forward to what’s still to come, we’re excited to share with you some of the awesome stuff we’ve got in the pipeline, and encourage you always to Wear Your Heritage.