Before Andrew Martinez opened the doors to his own shop, his business existed in pockets of garages and corners of local markets. Pop-up tables stacked with clothing served as his testing ground, each sale a small victory and every interaction a lesson. His passion for fashion, nurtured since college through experiences with brands like Coach, YSL, and the Braves organization, made opening a brick-and-mortar store feel like the next inevitable step. For Martinez, it was never a question of if, only when. At his age, taking the leap felt like the right risk, a challenge he was ready to face, even without knowing exactly where it would lead. While many young adults are starting their own businesses out of college, it does not come without its challenges. Taking a risk at such a young age can be extremely difficult and intimidating for recent graduates. Like many who dream of becoming their own boss, Martinez had passion and ideas but did not quite know where to start, and he was faced with challenges almost immediately. He secured a space that not only needed significant renovations that extended his timeline by four months, but it also had no anchor stores or other businesses which made foot traffic an issue. However, Martinez took on the obligation of generating his own traffic through social media. “I was able to push it a certain way where I was able to reach my sphere of influence and use it and reach new customers that have never even heard of me before,” Martinez said.
Foot trafficking is critical in entrepreneurship as it plays a huge role in a business succeeding or failing. Low foot traffic often leads to struggling businesses because fewer people are around to visit, while high foot traffic usually supports stronger sales and long-term success. Derek Easterling, the mayor of Kennesaw, has been watching over the city’s entrepreneurial market since 2016. During his tenure as mayor, he’s dealt with a plethora of young entrepreneurs trying to get approval for their businesses, and he said density is a key factor in market and traffic. “If you back up for a minute, Downtown Kennesaw needs density in order for the businesses that we're going to put on Main Street to be successful because you don't glean every customer,” Easterling said. “You're probably getting less than 1% of those customers that are looking for your service and the people that walk by, it's about the same.” Martinez, like most entrepreneurs, decided to structure his college career around his budding business by enrolling in online courses so he could dedicate as much time as possible, especially since he chose to run everything independently contrary to most entrepreneurs needing employees. “Employees would require more time and resources to train them and make sure they know the ins and outs of the business,” Martinez said. Dennis Loubiere, program manager and mentor within Kennesaw State University’s Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, said that entrepreneurship isn’t something that can be done alone. "Eventually, you have to teach somebody else how to make it or you have to hire somebody else to sell,” Loubiere said. “You could start off by yourself, but you’re always looking for that person.” At KSU’s Coles College of Business Innovation Center, students and recent graduates looking to start their own businesses can access funding, resources, and mentorship.
Since the program jumpstarted around five years ago, it has helped fund 42 businesses owned by students and recent graduates around the Kennesaw area. Loubiere has worked with many students and graduates with the intention of getting them where they want to go. “The biggest thing I teach them is know what you want, know how big you want to grow, and don’t grow big by accident if you stay. There’s nothing wrong with staying small if you want to stay small,” he said. Martinez echoed the idea as he said he believes small incremental growth is more important because building your business too fast can make it volatile. Despite the resources available at his alma mater, Martinez took the bold step of self-funding his shop, citing less stress as the main benefit, a privilege not all entrepreneurs can afford. “This was not a spur of the moment’s idea to open this location, but a calculated risk that helped minimize the third-party variables which could impact my business,” Martinez said. “Self-funding is the best route to go in my opinion because I do not have an internal stress factor that I need to pay someone or some institution back constantly.” Entrepreneurship may be encouraged, and officials like City Council member Derek Easterling may champion new developments, but the financial burden still lies with the business owner. Tyevion Fusalba, a young entrepreneur building a creative agency in Kennesaw, said many people struggle to stay committed to their ideas and that lack of discipline often leads to failure. “Motivation is cool and good, but motivation gets you going for a cool couple of weeks or a month,” he said. “To get something that is well-oiled and well-built with a solid foundation and blueprint, that takes discipline.” Martinez remained disciplined in his efforts to figure out the market which he analyzed through his attendance at pop-up shops.
“Understanding the market was something that I developed through years of reselling within the area. I used other pop-up markets to justify the target audiences' interests,” Martinez said. Loubiere also identified the market being the most important factor of entrepreneurship as he said there is not much difference between a good or bad idea, rather, it is the market that young entrepreneurs should pay attention to. "If it’s a big enough market, and there are enough people trying to solve that problem, people will throw money at you to help you solve that problem and build your company,” he said. “But you have to prove before anything else that there’s a market and people willing to pay you to say fix it.” During times of government uncertainty and tariffs on imported goods, shoppers are increasingly seeking affordable yet trendy clothing that is not burdened by extra taxes. At the same time, resellers are looking for products they can produce domestically to avoid these added costs. Martinez recognized this gap in the market and the demand for reasonably priced apparel. By sourcing most of his items from within the United States, he can avoid tariffs altogether, giving his business a competitive edge while keeping prices accessible for customers. Martinez highlighted the value of taking calculated risks. “And I think the unknown is honestly… it’s good to have because if you make calculated risks where it logically is in your favor, then why not do it if you believe in yourself?” He said. His store remains successful months later, steadily attracting customers. By trusting his instincts, understanding his audience, and taking risks grounded in logic, Martinez has turned what once existed in corners and garages into a fully established, successful business.