Mike Cherman: Learning from Your Mistakes and Executing on Your Ideas

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The Recap

In our debut episode of CEOâ€™s Wear Sneakers, we sit down with fashion and graphic designer Mike Cherman of Chinatown Market and talk about how he got started in design, the incident that was the catalyst for starting his now defunct reflective apparel brand, ICNY, and the harsh realties of entrepreneurship.

Episode Highlights

02:32 – Mike explains how he got into graphic design and the entrepreneurship world
04:04 – The story of how he introduced himself to Jeff Staples
06:50 – His job interview with Jeff and what he didnâ€™t expect to hear from him
09:45 – His time at the 255 Studio at Nike
12:43 – How being hit by cars and suffering other accidents led to his breakthrough Â moment
14:13 – Mike talks about how his clothing brand ICNY got started
16:19 – His mini film, Dark Nights, Bright Lights
17:10 – The ending of ICNY
19:38 – The challenges he faced placing reflective on socks
20:45 – What he would have done differently with ICNY
23:26 – His decision to go out to Los Angeles and the realities of entrepreneurship
27:37 – The birth of Chinatown Market
29:13 – His merchandise and sales at Complex Con
32:20 – The meaning behind the Frank Ocean and Nike swoosh t-shirt
33:08 – How Ikea directions inspired him to create faux merchandise for brands
35:02 – The Balenciaga Bag and the story behind â€˜The Hatâ€™
37:15 – How long it takes him to execute ideas he has for apparel
38:04 – The lifespans of his products
40:57 – The criticism of Chinatown Market
41:41 – How your work on social media is up for anyone to grab
43:46 – Knowing your worth and not selling yourself short
46:26 – Mike talks about some of his most popular items
49:16 – Some of the brands Mike is working with
50:05 – Surrounding yourself with people who can be honest with you
51:04 – The Thoughts app
52:54 – Failing, getting back up, and not having expectations