Inspired Style with Waraire Boswell

For business professionals in an incredibly competitive global economy, listening to Waraire Boswell speak about business must be similar to what creative artisans experience when they look at a beautiful masterpiece, or musical savants feel when they listen to classical music–Boswell’s business speak is the equivalent of entrepreneurial poetics.

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But who is he?

In simplest terms, he is a man who built a company after acknowledging a need. Because it was something he needed. At 5’8 as a young man, Boswell grew to 6’3 in a few short months, and ultimately topped out at around 6’7. Literally not fitting the fashion industry’s template for clothing, Boswell began making his own.

He took to action. “Instead of just complaining about it, I’m just going to become the change that I want to see”, he says.

What started as a necessity, turned into the means of his success. He now counts some of the the biggest names in sports–Chris Bosh, Lebron James and Kevin Durant –among his clients, and he’s just getting started, continuing to expand his clientele to include the upper echelon’s of the business and celebrity class.

Boswell’s foundation begins with his family, one that was, “rich in love, not necessarily finances”. Determined, he knew the key to his success was not only being intelligent, savvy and driven, but in recognizing that the opinions of a person are in fact formed at first glance.

His mother worked in the apparel industry and he began learning the ropes, going to fabric stores, meeting and hiring artisans. Good artisans. Artisans who were better than he was. “The best thing I did from that point was finding people who did things better than I did”, he states, reminding us of an old yet often underused technique of surrounding yourself with people who are more qualified than you. And even more uncommon, humbly acknowledging their talent, and that he didn’t do it alone.

The only part of Boswell’s personal story that is downplayed is in the ease with which he says he expanded his brand. He talks of his connections being receptive. But we read between the lines and want to acknowledge that it wasn’t just in the product that Boswell was selling, which was his look – but his profound openness and eloquence.

Whatever it is you’re trying to do, if you ever thought about quitting, listen up. Boswell talks about starting this, and then starting that, and how you can start over. But his success has come from stopping the starting, and finishing what you start. “You have to find what you’re good at. Everybody has a gift. And exploit that.”

We aren’t given the plans to success. If you’re inspired, you don’t need them.