Episode 18 - Behind The SPERGO Brand With 15-Year-Old Millionaire Trey Brown

Nicky Saunders  0:00  
What's poppin'? What's poppin'?  What's poppin'?  Welcome Nicky and Moose! I'm Nicky! That's Moose! What's up Moose?

Mostafa Ghonim  0:08  
What up, y'all?

Nicky Saunders  0:09  
And look, you may have heard about this kid in past episodes. The one that we were talking about upcoming personal brands of 2021. We happen to be in 2021 right now. So we had to bring him on. Okay, so 15, right. He lives in Philly, right? Has a multi millionaire clothing brand. Knows Diddy. Da' Baby. I'm just gonna be hitting these air horns for a minute. Retired his mom, that's a bomb!

Mostafa Ghonim  0:53  
Wow! That's major!

Nicky Saunders  0:57  
Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This is just the intro. I apologize. I apologize people. Moose, how you feeling about this, this person that we're about to bring on?

Mostafa Ghonim  1:05  
Yeah, man, a few words come to mind. You know, I talk about, of course, gifted. But you talk about the discipline. The focus that this young man shows I think is absolutely incredible. And y'all have an opportunity to get into the mind of a young man who's really doing some phenomenal things, and only getting started. Like believe it or not, regardless of what you've heard so far, this is just the beginning. So, I think it's gonna be a great opportunity to just chop it up with him and share some lessons with the people.

Nicky Saunders  1:33  
What were you doing at 15? I want you to think about this as you listen and watch this intro. What were you doing at 15?

Jaymie Jordan  1:44  
Two kids from Queens, cut from a different cloth. Now joining forces helping you to elevate your personal brand. Yeah I'm talking about Nicky and Moose! Bringing you a never before seen perspective into the mindset, the mentality, the behaviors, the driving force, but more importantly, the stories behind the people and brands that you knoww and love the most.

Nicky Saunders  2:12  
Now, before we get into Trey, you know, we got to do the review of the week. And I hate how this is really a segment but this says "Make it plain: God uses this ministry and Pastor E to make it plain for everyone to understand and grasp. Thank you, brother for speaking to God's people, and especially using language for black people to walk in victory and embrace simple, but necessary concepts." Let's go! But anyways, let's get into our guest. That's never happened! That has never happened. But let's introduce the, but I'm gonna let him introduce himself because he yo here's his amazing elevator pitch like every single time I see that my man he had like whoever he's introducing himself, he has this like amazing elevator pitch. So let me let me bring Trey on. Trey!

Mostafa Ghonim  3:18  
There he is!

CEO Trey Brown  3:19  
Hey, what's going on guys? 

Nicky Saunders  3:21  
Do the elevator pitch

CEO Trey Brown  3:21  
Ms. Nicky, Mr. Moose, what's good? What's good? What's good? 

Nicky Saunders  3:23  
Do the elevator pitch, we need to hear it. 

CEO Trey Brown  3:25  
Aye what's good everybody? If you don't know me, my name is Trey Brown. I'm a 15 year old entrepreneur and CEO of my own clothing brand called Spergo. You see right here. 

Nicky Saunders  3:36  
You see it!

CEO Trey Brown  3:36  
I started Spergo January 2018. On January 15, in 2018 to be exact. I started it with my birthday money. So I had about $300 for my birthday. And I spent half of that, you know on liabilities. So liabilities, you know, basically are you know, things like that you are spending money on that's just coming out of your pocket. So I was spending money on like video games, like keyboards, like I told you, I was like into music and in the beginning so you know, just different things like that. And I had the other half and I just want the investment side powerful and something strong. And I would just think of my clothing just because my mom she's a seamstress. And also, you know also like just growing up in a household where we go to church every Sunday, you know we get dressed up you know, which is super important. You know, so we gotta be fly in our household. You can't just come out like our household is looking a mess. Like even cousins, when they come over like everybody got like made sure they right you know? So I got so I came up with the logo, got my first 16 t shirts with the other half of my birthday money— $178. You know got my first got my first 16 t shirts sold out the first week, kept reinvesting in my brand. So with this first 16 t shirts and once I sold out, um you know I was going out to barber shops, every single week and I wouldn't come into the house unless everything was sold out. I wasn't eating until everything was sold out, you know what I'm saying? So I used that 16 t shirts that I sold out with, reinvest the 28 t shirts, sold out of  that 28 t shirts, then we was like 40 t shirts. Then we were able to move on to hoodies, you know? Then then like our first custom made product, our headbands, then we were able to build, you know, our own website. Then kicking it with Mr. Sean Diddy Combs, then, you know, Da' Baby, CNN commercial, Times Square billboard, retired my mom at 13. Now we got to headquarters, you know, in Philadelphia, um, and now I got a team, you know? Got like, my whole family and you know, we just all working, you know, we all connected, you know? So I'm 15 years old, I'm the CEO of Spergo, you know, the biggest brand you know, you know, the biggest up and coming brand, you know, based and operate in Philadelphia, so yes, sir. That's me!

Mostafa Ghonim  5:57  
Love it. Love it! 

Nicky Saunders  5:58  
Moose, start it off.

Mostafa Ghonim  6:00  
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, Trey, talk to us, man. I think that was a great way to tell us how you started. I want to know why you started. You know, like, you think about 13 when you started, man, like, you could have easily been like, Man, I'm not trying to be out here working hustling, barbershops, and, you know, all my weekends or time off. Like, you could have been doing a lot of other things. Tell us about why. Why did you go through that sacrifice? What's that driver behind it?

CEO Trey Brown  6:27  
Got ya! And actually, I was 12 when I started. You know, but I started I started just because of the violence in my city. I'm from Philadelphia, and a lot that's going on. It's just like so much violence, kids killing kids. I remember like it was yesterday, I will say August 14th. The year before I started like 2017, a 14 year old got arrested, you know, for murdering a 13 year old. And that hit me because like both sides of the family, you know, were hurt. One kid is being sent to jail for life at 14 years old, and then the other kid on family just loses, you know, a child. So that just hit me and it was just going on, you know, a lot of other situations were going on like that in Philadelphia and it became normal. And I just wanted to show all the kids, you know, like make this the new normal. Like look, you can own a business, you can hop on jets, you know, you you can hop in a Rolls Royces. I want to show the youth like look, hear me. I'm positive. I you know, I built a brand, you know, from the bottom and I just wanted to just show you show you. So that's why I'm always on Instagram and I'm always on you know, all these different social media just showing you my progression. But I really started just because of the viloence and I want to show the youth like look it's possible. Um, you know, so I that's why I really started. Um, just to show all the youth and show all my friends like look it's possible. If I could do it, you could do it. At the time I was 12. So if I'm 12 doing it, you know, you could do it at any age, you know? I'm saying positive, positively.

Nicky Saunders  8:05  
Yep, sorry, people were hitting their horns probably a lot today. Definitely put it put your volume down if you are around your kids. So anyways, Trey, so talk to the people about this super drive that you have. Like, we don't see people just get next to Diddy. We don't see people getting next to Da' Baby and Khaled and you're flying all over and, like talk to the people. Like, why the the drive so and how did... No, you know what? How Sway? How did you get next to these people with that drive that you have?

CEO Trey Brown  8:56  
Uh, you know, so first just to touch on like the drive, you know, just having like a hustle mentality, you know, was just just super important for me. And ever since I started, you know, like what I was saying earlier, like just going in like to these barber shops every week, you know, that built the you know, that built a hunger that built the hustle inside of me because you were going to some barber shops and then some people were just like, No, you know? And I always thought of no as next opportunity. So you know, just going into different barber shops and hearing No, you know? So then that transformed to like, going to different concerts and stuff like that and just meeting different artists and learning how to, you know, talk to different artists or how to talk to managers or how to, you know, build, you know, relationships, you know, but the hustle has always been important. You know, I remember I remember I think it was 20 I would say like 2019 Made in America. Made in America I see Made in America in Philly. I never been Made in America but I just hear that is going down I just hear is going down in Philly. Right on Penns Landing and I here a bunch of, you know, the hottest artists gonna be there. Like Da' Baby, um, Lil Tech and a bunch of, you know, just a bunch of artists. I didn't have a ticket, nothing. I just caught a Uber with a bookbag you know, full Spergo gear. I just brought a book bag, like with a bunch of Spergo gear. I ain't have a ticket or nothing. While I'm walking. While I'm just like walking close. I'm like, yo, how am I gonna get in here with no ticket? Like, I'm like, how am I gonna get in here? Luckily, I see my friend. He lets me in backstage. He said, "Look, Trey this backstage. I can show you here. If you leave out, that's it, like, I can't help you anymore." You know, but I so I got back there and just, you know, was able to connect with so many different artists. Um, and that was just one of the times but you know, just having that hustle mentality ready to go, you know, no matter what, you know what I'm saying? Like, I could have just I could because the tickets were sold, I could have just stayed and stayed in the house like, Look, the tickets sold out, there's no way I'm gonna be able to get back there is no way that I'm gonna be able to connect with these artists and different things like that. But I took you know, I made the sacrifice, you know, I'm saying? And the Uber was about $25 - $27. Like the beginning stages of business, you know, so I took the risk, no risk, no reward. So I took the risk on and I was able to connect with Blue Face. Blue Face wore Spergo. Da' Baby was seeing me another time. So this was like, the second time I seen Da' Baby, you know, so now I'm just getting more connected. I'm building relationships and then, you know, a bunch of more people started seeing me, in Philly they like, Oh, this kid, you know, he's around. Every concert in Philadelphia, before the pandemic, every basketball game, every Sixers game I was there. Anything that was going on in Philadelphia at the time I made sure I was there. Even in New Jersey, you know, I made sure I was there. I remember one time my mom got in a car crash. And my mentor, Mr. Nehemiah, he had an event still going on. We could have you know, we could have stayed at, we could have stayed at the house. But my mom said, Yeah, let's go, we're gonna go to the, um, we're gonna go to the networking event. And from that networking event, we met, you know, Mr. Jordan Johnson, and so many of my mentors to this day, you know, if we wouldn't have had took that risk and just setting out on a car crash, you know, I probably would have never met the mentors that I have, you know, so, you know, just always standing hard working and just having a drive, you know, just to go. Like, that's my thing, just to always, like, be on go and ready for the next, like, for the next move. Like I anytime, you know, I want to do something. And my mom says like, this is like a, like a problem sometimes because like, when I want to do something, I just like want to do it. I don't think about none of the, like, back work that has to get done in it. Like I just want to get it done. My mom handles all the back work, but you know, anything that I want something done I make sure I get it done. So that's just a part of the hard work and you know, the drive being young. 

Nicky Saunders  12:58  
Real quick Moose, before you go, Trey, you said like, there was a few key words like Da' Baby saw you twice and then was like kind of taking you serious. How many times do you think you had to see certain artists before they were like, Alright, let me listen to you. Because the probably the first time they ain't really like fool with you, they like alright this kid trying to get me but name whether it's like a particular person, or whatever, like Yo, I saw this person four or five times before they even said anything to me. 

CEO Trey Brown  13:35  
So so actually so glad that we actually talk about Da' Baby. Alright, so I seen Da' Baby probably like three or four times in Philly. Every time he showed, you know, he just showed like Spergo mad love. He wore Spergo. He wore like everything that, you know, he had from Spergo like he wore the durags, I mean to the socks, like the head bands. You know Da' Baby show love. So basically, and this also has to do with the drive as well. I remember one time we're in New York. And we in New York, I forgot. It was like a few business meetings and things like that going on. And we're on the train and I tell my mom, I'm like, your mom must go to Miami. I'm like mom let's go to Miami it's Super Bowl Weekend. I don't know, whoop it's nothing planned. You know, I'm, I'm 13 at the time, so there's nothing that I could really possibly get into the clubs and stuff like that. I said, Mom, let's just go. Let's go down here. It's a bunch of celebrities. You know, I feel like we could make the opportunity happen. So my mom says my mom says yes. And that's what's great about just having like a great parent that's open. My mom said yes, let's go to Miami the next day. So the next day, we go to Miami and we get down there. So we stay down there for like a day and after that day, we just like what we gonna do? I see Mr. Sean Diddy Combs post that he in Miami. I said what? Because I remember, he posted me. I remember he posted me in 2018 when I first started and I still had his number, he was always chopping it up. And I FaceTime Mr. Shawn probably, like, every, at least like three times a week, every week, and he never, he never answered. Now this time I'm in Miami. I'm seeing that he just posted that. You know, I said, You know what? I'm going to FaceTime Mr. Sean. I FaceTime Mr. Sean and I it says connecting like it starts connecting and he picks up and it was just like amazing. I said, Hey, Mr. Sean, you the only guy in Miami right now without Spergo on. He said pull up to the house right now. He said pull up to the house right now. You know, me. Anytime I go on a trip, I made sure I got Spergo packed, I made sure I got a bunch of gear packed. So I had a bunch of gear packed, you know, for all the children for him like, like so you know, we came through correct. You know, but when I pulled up to the crib, it was just it was just amazing. It was so many, you know, different like, I don't want to, like house like house management people. I don't want to call them butlers or anything like security and people just coming up to you like you need any water. What do you need? It was just like amazing. Um, so we just we just fast forward a little bit, me and Mr. Sean, we just chopping it up. Um, and you know, the next and like, the next two days, I think it was super bowl. He said, he said, Trey, make sure you come to the Super Bowl party in the next two days that's gonna be at my at my house. So yeah, yeah the private party at night, the private Super Bowl party. So when I pull up to the private... yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, so after. So, it was a lot of Mr. Sean. So actually, after I left his house the first time, you know, after we were just chopping it up, he takes me to this private party. You know, that's where I met Mr. DJ Khaled. It was so many people in there. Ciara and Russell Wilson, Yo, Gotti, my guy, Yo Gotti you know, I really look up to him. French Montana, Lenny S.,  every it was everybody. Just everybody was Dr. Oz. Just, you know, there's so many great people there. And Mr. Sean was just introducing me to everybody. And you know, that was just great for me because like, Mr. Sean Diddy Combs like a billionaire, a successful American, African American man, you know, and coming from the east side, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, just everything. And everybody always like comparing me to him, because like, we both like the same hunger and hustle mentality. So after I leave that night, man, I think I cried. He said make sure you come to the private Super Bowl party. So I walk into the private Super Bowl party. And the first person that I see, like, once I walk in, and I see Da' Baby. And when Da' Baby sees me, he looks at me like, like, like, Whoa, like, like, I remember him. But it wasn't no type like, it was just like...look like, oh, like, what are you doing here? So he sees like, the progression, like when we first um, like when we first met and and, and, you know, it that just gave me like, just made me think like, you know, just always treat everybody like with respect because you never know who might know who and he showed me respect for a new beginning. And even now, I was like 12 or 13 in the beginning, he put the billion dollar baby chain on me and everything. So when he seen me, you know, we connected, I took his number down, he said he wants to wear Spergo you know, to like the Grammy Awards and everything different things like that. So, you know, when he seen me at Diddy house, he looked at me like, oh, like what this young kid doing here? And we was able to chop it up and it was really, you know, just an amazing opportunity to see you know, Da' Baby definitely just the hottest out right now, but you know? Oh, yeah. And then Diddy, then then Mr. Sean Diddy Combs, you know, he threw Spergo he threw the Spergo sweatsuit on inside of Da' Baby video. So getting more exposure, you know, but um, you know but the just different people just constantly keep seeing me and you constantly keeping up with relationships. That's what really like, um, you know, you know, that's what really like keeps you keeps you going and like they never fall off and you constantly posting on Instagram when you constantly keeping up with the different artists. So, um, yeah, so when Da' Baby seen me, he was shocked man. You know, it's just all love. Yeah. I know, Miss Nicky it was alot. It was a lot.

Nicky Saunders  19:17  
No! That was really good. No, that was amazing. That was amazing! Moose, I'm sorry. I had to ask. I had to ask.

Mostafa Ghonim  19:25  
That's dope. That's dope. You know, Trey, one of the things I always loved about you, man is that super respectful like a true gentleman. But I also know that you value like you talked about relationships, but you also value mentorship, like you know, someone who could have been like, Oh, I'm already gaining traction, like I'm good. I'm already connected to a Diddy and a Khaled and Da' Baby but you're still always seeking new information and mentorship is so important to you. Talk to people, man, young and adults, right like young people and adults, about why you value mentorship so much regardless of how much success you may have. have achieved.

CEO Trey Brown  20:01  
Yep, definitely mentorship is key. And mentorship is super important. You know, when I get around Mr. Sean Diddy Combs and I get around, you know, Mr. Corey and every and you know, just everybody, just any of my mentors, I just make sure I always just stay humble, I just shut up. Anytime when I'm around you know, Mr. Sean Diddy Combs, anybody. And you know, I just shut up, like, I'm just listening. Like, you know what I'm saying? Just because they're experts at the game, and they done, they done lived my life, like four or five times, you know what I'm saying? And they, they did everything that I want to do. Billionaires and you know, they done seen everything and, you know, mentorship is just super important because, like, they also just give me like straight paths to success. They'll tell me like like Yo, trade, don't do that, or trade do it like this. I'm just to prevent this mistake that I made before. So mentorship is super important. You know, because without mentors, like I could have made like, so many mistakes, like, you know, that could cause more money more time, you know, so with me just on being in connection with my mentor saves me money, time and effort. You know, I'm saying so anytime I'm around you know, any of my mentors from Mr. Neo to Mr. Him500., Mr. Dubb, Mr. E.T., uh, you know, from Mr. Sean Diddy Combs, I just make sure I just be quiet at all times. You know what I'm saying? Just just let them let let let them do all their, like, all their work, you know, I'm saying let them show me the way. 

Nicky Saunders  21:36  
Love it. Telling you. Air horns all day. Trey when...okay, billboard, artist, your own headquarters now, but bring it back to when was that time you knew it was starting to work? Like, what was that thing that event that product that sold out whatever it was? When did you know yo, I got something?

CEO Trey Brown  22:08  
Uh, it was it was actually kind of the early stages at Spergo, not too early. But after, you know, I started going to the barber shops, and started like going to the barber shops. And I don't even know if everybody else seen it, but it was just, like, kind of, like a hobby to me. And it was something that I know that I was gonna stay in for the long run. But I was doing music probably from like, 11 to like, 12. And that was like a kind...that was like, kinda like a hobby. You know, I'm saying? And but when I started doing Spergo, and I was doing this like a year, and then even a half a year, it was something that I like really start to love doing. Like hanging around Mr. Neo, he showed me stuff that I was always into, but I can never like really learn. Like, I will watch YouTube videos and different things like that. But I just never like had like hands on like, business like one on one. You know, I'm saying? Like, I always would watch Mr. Sean Diddy Combs, Jay Z, Mr. Eric Thomas, like just videos on YouTube about business, you know? But, uh, like, for me just being hands on and me had a business. I'm working with LLC's, trademarks, websites and doing everything. I felt like, this is my industry. Like, like, I believe, like, even if I wasn't doing Spergo, I would be like, some type of like, CEO of something, you know, because this is like, something that I love. So, early stages. I think that I found like my true love and passion you know, for Spergo and I feel like like, Look, this could, this could really go somewhere. And especially, like, early when like worldstar was posting me and a bunch of like, just YouTube and, and a bunch of kids from my city was just looking up to me, I'm like, Look, I'm gonna be like, the motivation. And, you know, early stages, like I believed in myself, you know?

Mostafa Ghonim  24:04  
I love it. Trey. Yeah, this is good, man. This is good stuff. So the business starts to pick up Trey, right? Like you're starting to gain traction, things are really happening. What are some of those lessons that you could share with people who are in the same stage now as it relates to building a personal brand, maybe even a product based right clothing brand, but from a business side, what were some of those business challenges that you experienced and were able to overcome? Give us like one or two examples.

CEO Trey Brown  24:32  
Alright, so the first one is, if you're in the clothing industry, if you're in the clothing industry, or even this could actually relate to a bunch of different industries as well. Make sure number one, you always, you know, just get get samples. I remember one time um, I remember one time, you know, I was just rushing, you know, because I don't know, I I forgot. It was just a lot going on at the time. Like we were just rushing to get our you know, summer products out. And we didn't get samples, we just rushed and got all the products. And when it got here, like the sizing was too small and we can sell it. And you know, the summer is I just really like a quick season like, um, it was just like real quick, you know, so we lost like a lot of money because we didn't get samples. Um, and, you know, that was one mistake that I learned, you know, yeah, we had to ship it back and ship it back cost a lot plus time, you know, getting stuff from here to overseas it's just like a lot of time. Plus, get like getting it back, you know, so I learned like to always get samples and you know, just to always test and just, um, now we're like ahead of schedule right now we're working on Fall/Winter 2021. Like now we're just ahead of schedule, making sure that, like, you're ahead. Like before, and you know, we were still early, we will start early on in business, like we were working on season during the season, like we were, it was summer, and we were still working on pushing summer stuff, you know what I'm saying? So, um, that's number one, just always get samples and make sure you know, that you test, you know, what you get before you buy a whole bunch of quantity and you won't be able to sell it. Like quality before quantity number one. Number two, this is for everybody. Really like your personal brand and unique brand. With personal branding, unique brands always have some type of uniqueness. And something that makes you different from anyone else. Like there should be a reason why, you know, people should come to you, you know? There should be like a specific reason that someone comes to you, it doesn't have to be like, a big difference. But the bigger the difference is like the bigger like, the bigger your clientele will be, you know, just because like, just from my uniqueness like me just being young, you know, with so much energy, so many people ride for me just, you know, because I'm young. I could be doing so much other stuff, you know, but I'm just bringing it to them positive, you know? But just always have some type of uniqueness and what makes you different, you know, from your competitor, what makes you different, you know, from anyone else in your industry? So uniqueness— like is it your colors and your is it your colors in your brand? Is it your quality? Is it you know, your quantity, you make more you know? Any type of difference, you know, will always help your personal brand, you know, or your, um, or just your brand in general, always have some type of uniqueness, something that makes you different from your competitors and makes you different from other people in your industry. So number one was get samples. That's for, you know, my clothing brand owners and then number two, for personal brands and brands, make sure you know that you are always like you have some type of uniqueness to you.

Nicky Saunders  27:44  
Alright, stay stay right there. Because you said the key word was personal brand, which is me. So, um, when did I put it this way? Um, a lot of people when they start their brand, they copy somebody, right? But with you, you I think figured out what made you unique early, right? So when like, what is that unique style in your description, right of your personal brand? And what would be the advice that you give people to elaborate what you just said, like for those people who are starting and are copying? Like they see you, and then they're like, yo, Imma grab my phone. He in the beginning did affirmations. He's always wearing his clothing. Like, what would be that advice that you tell people how to become unique? 

CEO Trey Brown  28:44  
Like, people love you, for you, like people love you for you. Right now, right now, I like I'm at a point like at Spergo like, where people just buying like, like people just rockin Spergo and rocking with Spergo because of the brand and what we had, like what we established early. And like people just like the brand, you know, because like it's fly like, you just see stuff like this like Spergo on the kind of like the gear is fly. But in the beginning of me starting Spergo, people just love me for me, the person that I was and you know how much energy I was putting in, me just giving back all the time, you know? And people just love me, you know, you know for me and people just gonna love you for you. Um, and that's why a lot of like YouTube influencers and stuff get so much traction, you know, or anybody who are who is just like separate from everybody, like people just gonna love you for you. You don't have to, you know, change for anybody. You know, just be yourself. And, you know, believe in your own style. And whatever you do, like people are gonna love you for you like people love me for me. Yeah. Yeah, even your flaws, people love you for your flaws. Yeah.

Nicky Saunders  29:53  
That's good. That's good. People will love you for your flaws. Moose.

Mostafa Ghonim  29:59  
Yeah Yeah, Trey there's a big piece obviously, and people are probably like, you know, for those watching on YouTube it's like Yo, who's Trey? Who's Trey talking to? Who's Trey? Where is he looking over? You know what? What's happening over there?

Nicky Saunders  30:14  
Who's the God voice?

Mostafa Ghonim  30:15  
Yeah, there's a there's a special voice. I imagine this is someone you know, who plays a big part in your life. Tell us about mama CEO, man, what's the...Yeah, just just give us obviously the significance of having someone so strong sitting beside you and guiding you. What does that help you do as an entrepreneur and as a as a CEO?

CEO Trey Brown  30:39  
Alright so y'all look this my mom right here. My mom Sherell Peterson. And, you know, my mom always played like a big role to me and all my other siblings on every, you know, ever since we were born. Anything that we want to do, my mom was support us 100%. When we were younger, when we were younger, um, when me and my siblings, well, me and my little brother, my sister, you know, she's 8, but when me and my mom, me and my little brother were younger, and we wanted to play basketball. Like my mom put us in AAU, my mom put us in practice. You know, anything we want to do. When I first started to want wanting to do music, like my mom took me to the studio. My mom, you know, just put me in positionto win. My brother loves to play like video games, like my mom, like put him in tournaments. And, you know, he got a big PC that's just like, super, super big, like, my mom just supports us 100%. And when I started Spergo, like my mom just like loved it, you know, like, just from the beginning because like this was my mom industry. Like my mom had several businesses before. Um, and she took me and my brother out, you know, to dinner. Yeah on MLK Day. That's when we started January 15, 2018. She was teaching us about, you know, profit and you know, profit and loss. You know, just so much stuff like that. She gave us our own like debit cards, and you know, different things like that. But my mom, she just like loved Spergo since the beginning because, you know, she could like she could like, automatically like relate to it. So my mom just just been there for me. And like, she been there for me like just helping me with the ins and outs. And I remember when I was 13 I retired my mom. And you know, it was just a super amazing experience to have my mom like side by side you know, with me every single day, you know, I'm saying? If we ever need to fly out real quick, my mom is right here. If we ever, you know, just need something like my mom would be working all day. And when she would come home, she could be like tired sometimes. But when she got home like I had things like ready like mom, post office deliveries, you know what I'm saying? But, um, I wanted to retire my mom just so you know that she had more time, like to plan out her day, and different things like that. Like my mom worked at the school district. So working with like, 25 kids working like working with 25 kids you know, every day all day can be like, a little can be a little stressful. So um, yes, like, now we got to headquarters, my mom, like, work like all the back work and everything like that. My mom is doing an amazing job. I love my mom. Like all the back work, like, that's my mom.

Nicky Saunders  33:19  
That's that's your mom, mom. I love your mom, by the way. Um, at what age did you know like, Yo, I gotta retire my mom? Like, people don't forget he's 15. He sounds like a good 27 to 32 okay? But he is a he's a strong 15 right? Like talk to the people about your early goals growing the brand and at what age did you say Yo, I gotta I gotta retire my mom I can't I'm not gonna buy her house or a car. I'm gonna retire her.

CEO Trey Brown  33:59  
Since like since since like day one like I just wanted to retire my mom. Like, you know, I just always had that in mind like, Yo, I won't retire my mom like just retire my whole family. But when I was able to retire my mom, you know, it was definitely It was definitely something special. Um, you know, ever since day one always wanted to retire my mom.

Nicky Saunders  34:17  
That's dope. That's dope. Moose, can I ask one more? Can I ask one more? 

Mostafa Ghonim  34:21  
Yeah. Yeah. Go. 

Nicky Saunders  34:22  
All right. So, um, I want to bring this thing up because I literally, we did an episode bringing you up saying one of the upcoming personal brands for this year, because I literally call you The Comeback Kid. Like, what people don't understand when growing a brand and a business that thing is stressful and for like somebody of with the expectations and the exposure that you have, right? Something hits you but how you bounce back was amazing. Like, I remember, we were in Michigan. Yeah, we were in Michigan, and you were like, to me and Nick, like yo people or I have like this weight on me, right? And it was it was weighing heavy. And then months later we see you all the way fine. But there was things that happened in between. So I wanted you to kind of explain like, at even at your age, like the stress that happens when building this brand, like talk to the people about that.

CEO Trey Brown  35:39  
So, so, so it was just like a lot, it was just, like a lot going on at the time. It wasn't even, like, really, like, it probably was stress you know? But it was just like, a lot of people say like, I like Mr. Runway remember, like I was like I was in the hospital, you know, just because, like from travel, like I was traveling like four or five times in a day. Like travel from Philly to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Houston, you know, just doing like things like that. Ms. Nicky, you remember. 

Nicky Saunders  36:11  
Yeah you were out there. 

CEO Trey Brown  36:12  
And then a bunch of stuff. Like LA, I did the Ellen Show, you know? So just so many different time zones plus having to do schoolwork, you know what I'm saying? And then just keeping up on Instagram and different things like that. You know, so I was just excited. And then plus just always just being on my, you know, P's and Q's as well. So I think, you know, Mr. Runway always say he always say like, I worked myself inside, like, like the hospital, like I just was working so much. You know, it was like on the monitors that, like I had a seizure, you know, I couldn't walk, I couldn't talk at the time, you know, just because so much was going on. So I was in a hospital for about, like, just two months, you know, just just getting myself, you know, just just like, in the beginning, you know, it was bad, like, but you know, just working, you know, just working to get myself back together, you know, but it can be like really stressful, like, you know, running a business running a business. Like you being excited plus, plus, like, at that time, you know, it was just me and my mom on the team. So it was just us working. So, you know, us trying to enjoy time, plus, you know, having to work and different things like that. And the brand is always getting bigger. So at the time the brand was going from like, the brand always been going from like just just going up, you know, so like shipping orders and different things like that. Plus, I had, like, my friends becoming employees and different things like that. So, you know, I be like I came, I went into the hospital, you know, for two months. It was like, really, like a sad time. And you know, a lot of times people don't make it out the hospital, when things like that go on. So you know, God is great. And I'm just thankful for everyone who prayed for me and my family, you know, who was facetiming me and my mom and for everybody that was just there with me during the hard time for the two months. But soon as I got up out the hospital, you know, I was still you know, a little, you know, you know, just a little, just still coming back from getting out of the hospital. As soon as I got out the hospital, I got right back to work. I got my headquarters, I got my headquarters within like two weeks that I got out the hospital, like I got my headquarters. Released my book, you know, and you know, it was just that go time man, you know? In a matter of like, a few months I got right back. And that's what I was saying. Like 2020 was like, really, like a shaky year in the beginning. But soon, like, we ended it amazing, you know? But the hospital was like a hard time, but I bounced right back and we back at it, you know what I'm saying? So now I just now I just learned how to, you know, balance sleep, and I'll never put too much work on yourself. Um, and then also, you know, just just just hire great people, you just hired great people on your team. You know, sometimes sometimes we want to in business, sometimes we just want to do it all. You know, I remember at one time I wanted to shift. I wanted to talk to customers. I wanted like, I want to do everything but sometimes, you know, it's just worth it for you to hire someone great to get the job fully done. And me even, you know, doing a website and stuff like that. Yeah, probably did it good, you know, and maybe that was just something that I wanted to do, but it wasn't gonna be like how an expert would do it. So, um, towards like, not even the end, like half of 2020, about September, August. Um, no, like July, June, like when I hopped out the hospital, I started hiring all experts to the Spergo team. So somebody that could work on the website, marketing, you know what I'm saying? Just started hiring. You know, so many people that could like, like, the brand is like 100% like a solid team like everybody on the team, is solid and is expert experts. Like everyone has degrees at what they do. From accountants, to marketing to people on our marketing team, to  you know people who do the website. So I hire experts now, you know, from the day to day. Like, you know, I don't like I don't do as much as I used to do. Now I, you know, I'm able to, you know, relax a little bit sometimes but my mom still being on me about...

Nicky Saunders  40:21  
Still The Comeback Kid though.

CEO Trey Brown  40:23  
Yeah, for sure it's like, God is great! God is great!

Nicky Saunders  40:28  
Moose, he did a whole pop up store and every, I mean, since coming out of the hospital that kid's been on the go. But go ahead Moose, because I can go.

Mostafa Ghonim  40:41  
I'm glad that you're able to you know, put things into perspective like that. That's powerful. But you know, one of the things as I'm listening to you talk man, I think one of the key themes too was like leadership. And and people would probably sit back and say, Well, maybe I'm too young to be a leader. Alright? Adults, even with would probably think that. But even you know, as a teenager, you see yourself in that light, right? Talk to us about, you know, just this idea of like, yo leadership really doesn't have an age per se. You know, what, what does that leadership mean to you, because now that you're in charge of other people on the team, hiring all of that, right, there's still some, some pieces of leadership that come into play.

CEO Trey Brown  41:25  
Yep. So leadership is, you know, super leadership is super important. You know, just always from just watching the things you say, and how to, and how to think like, how to, like, how do we you say it, you know, to different people on your team, and different things like that. But, you know, I just really, like really just bossed up and, like, grew up, you know, to where I could be able to, you know, fully like manage a full team. Like well my mom, like really, like manage the team, but me, I still also like talk to the team a lot. But leadership is super important. Like you always need leadership skills, at any part any part of business, or any part of any part of like, a job or anything because like sometimes, like you might just get moved up, you know, and you just need to know how to play that role. You know, but, um, leadership is super important, you know, just just always having it, like leadership skills can work, you know, we're playing basketball, and anything you do like could really, like you could really use leadership skills.

Mostafa Ghonim  42:29  
That's good.

Nicky Saunders  42:33  
As we start wrapping this up, Trey, you, you broke down how you're like, Look, I hired a team, I don't do as much, but there's one thing that you did that not every 15 year old does, which is you built a course, based off what you've built with Spergo. Like, talk to the people like about that process. Like when did you know, yo I have to actually put this as a digital product, because you not many people who have clothing brands has a course. Not many people has, you know, different mentorship programs, things like that, like talk to the people why.

CEO Trey Brown  43:21  
I started, like, I started the program, you know, it was kind of like a thing, like, like, it was just cuz in the beginning, like, in the beginning, I did not want to give away any of my gems, I like, like this year was like, well 2020 was like the year that I really started like giving away gems, you know, start speaking on stages and different things like that. Because before I was inside guy. Like I would go into, you know, I would go and watch like Mr. Eric Thomas speeches and different things like that, and just use it for like my business and different things like that. Now, and I you know, I just like really like just like giving away gems, you know, but I got to a certain point where, like, you know, like, helping, like helping someone knows business like or helping someone else. You know, like, it's just, it's just a great feeling to have someone like just to come to, you know, to look just a look up to you, you know, so, um, you know, just, I just started like, giving away gems last year, and I put a program together. You know, it probably took me like, two weeks, two weeks to like fully record the program, plus a lot of like back end stuff that went into it. You know, so it's a really amazing no program. Yeah, and plus I was getting like a lot of DMs every day. Like about 30 to 40 DMs still to this day. Like yo Trey, I want to start a clothing brand like I need help. Yo Trey can you help me out? And I can't answer to everybody because there's so many DMs you know? So I just put a program together that you could you know, go and get buildwithtrey.com. And you can know you could just grab the program. It's so many different of, it's so many different  of my mentors on there like Mr.Him 500, Mr. Runway Billionaire, Mz. Skittlez everybody is on there, you know, just dropping like about an hour worth of game, you know? But I love the program. And it's really helpful, you know, for any up and coming entrepreneur who wants to get into building a clothing brand or even a personal brand.

Nicky Saunders  45:18  
Tell them where that is again. Tell them where that is again.

CEO Trey Brown  45:20  
buildwithtrey.com

Mostafa Ghonim  45:26  
Love it. Love it, man. Before we got on, I started talking to you about, you know, something that I see you putting out there for the first time, at least to my knowledge, I'm like, oh, okay, hold on a second. Now, this might be a song that Trey got up to up the sleeve. Talk to us a little bit about the music man that that I really enjoyed, you know what you put out the other day.

CEO Trey Brown  45:48  
So basically, like, I've been doing music, I was doing music before I started Spergo. Like you could, like you could probably hear us just talking. Earlier, I was bringing the music a little bit, but I was doing music. I was doing concerts and different things like that. Before, it wasn't not like really big. But I was like in the studios, like, the other day was like my first time inside the real, you know, studio recording. Um, and, you know, music, it was cool at the time. This was before I started Spergo. So it wasn't, I didn't really have the connects that I have now. Like now I have like, a bunch of different connects, I got the exposure, I got the fan base, and plus it's something that like I love to do, you know, it's like a really great hobby, you know, so my first that was my first time in the studio, actually the day. we recorded like 10 songs, seven hours. And like a lot of my friends like they was going crazy. Like, they want me to release the music. So that's what we about to do though and just go crazy. Like, you know, I mean, just hanging around Da' Baby, Lil' Durk and them a lot like I watch and see like how they like how they move. You know, I'm just ready to take off with it though.

Nicky Saunders  46:55  
He said 10 songs, okay, mini Tupac. First time in you know, in a minute, but I did 10 songs, you know. But what? Okay, alright.

CEO Trey Brown  47:10  
Yeah that was my first time like in a professional studio. Like,  the first time I was ever like the first...I think I been to the studio three times before and that was inside of like a it was inside of like a like a basement. It was still professional. But it was it wasn't like, you couldn't...Yeah, yeah. So like the producers that I was working with other day they work with like, Lil Uzi, everybody...Young Thug, Gunna. 

Nicky Saunders  47:40  
That's not light names people. That's not light names. Um, okay, so you mentioned the fans and your fan base and everything like that. Talk to the people. I mean, besides having just a successful, you know, clothing brand, like talk to the people. How do you engage with so many people? Like, how did how did that grow? And how do you still keep a pulse on the people who rock with you online?

CEO Trey Brown  48:17  
I try to, I just try to like, I try to get back to all the DM's I can. You know, I be like, always looking through my DM's.Also, you know, I'll always go live, you know, to interact, you know, and interact with all my like, I don't even want to really call them fans just like everybody that's just rocking with us. Like everybody that's just rocking with the Spergo movement. Um, so I always just go live, let people inside the live and it just be people that black like, I motivate them every day. You know, that's just amazing. Um, and, you know, I like the days that I pull up to the Spergo store, the headquarters, like I make sure I post it. Like look I'm at the Spergo store today, like come meet me. You know, and different things like that. Come chop it out with me so... yeah, and I set up Progress and Progression on my page, so for all my new for all my new supporters, like I put it on my page so they can see like, like, this wasn't an overnight success type thing. This is and we still working like, you know, this is the beginning.

Nicky Saunders  49:18  
This is the beginning. Okay. You see the book. You see the book. Where can they get the book Trey? Where can they get the book?

CEO Trey Brown  49:26  
Spergo.com. Once you hit spergo.com just type in book and it comes up. Trey's Way: My Entrepreneurial Keys to Success released it last year, sold over like 5,000 copies. Let's get it.

Nicky Saunders  49:38  
Sheesh! Yo did we even talk about what what does Spergo mean? Can we go through the go through the basics real quick? Did we even talk about that?

CEO Trey Brown  49:47  
Oh, yeah. So Spergo represents power, strength and courage. And I came up with the name, combining the words like sports. Sports and then heroes. So basically the heroes will be "er". And not heroes like superheroes or anything but like my positive heroes that I look up to like Mr. Eric Thomas, Mr. Sean Diddy Combs, Mr. Daymond John. Then I added "go" at the end because Spergo for the go getters. It doesn't matter what your profession is, as long as you getting up and working hard every day. That's Spergo. Added the lion in, you know, because Spergo stands for power, strength and courage. The lion is the king of the jungle. I'm a young king. That's Spergo. Then we got a bunch of different campaigns that mean a lot of different things. So here's Spergo Billionaire. That's just affirming wealth and affirming you know, just a wealthy lifestyle and a wealthy brand.

Nicky Saunders  50:42  
Moose, last question. 

Mostafa Ghonim  50:45  
Yeah, yeah. Tell us a little bit more about what what are some of those other ambitions man like what's next for you? You know, as as you know, you talked about business. You talked about courses, talked about the book, talked a little bit about music. What are some of these other endeavors as you kind of look down, you know, down the road for you.

CEO Trey Brown  51:02  
The next endeavor... aww man! You know what's crazy? You see, oh, man, we got something like major coming in. Like the, what month we in? February probably be like in the next 2 days. So for the second quarter, like is going down. Like it's crazy! Like everything is still getting finalized now. You know, it's about to be amazing and epic. I can't really speak on it, you know, but just know. Spergo is like, coming to take over 2021. Like, we already taking over, but the full like shut down. It's a shut down. We're taking over 2021. But I know for sure. You know, I definitely speak on this. I know for sure that um, you know, I want to open up a store, you know in Atlanta, you know, because Atlanta been showin us mad love ever since the beginning. Big shout out to Atlanta. Shout out to California as well. Um, New York, everybody been showing his love. Houston, you know, so, guys, so after we finish up probably like two more stores on the east coast, we're gonna come to the west coast and give y'all some drip because I know y'all need some drip out there. You know what, for the next and next, you know, just making Spergo more that go to positive brand. Like whenever I want to rock Spergo... I mean, whenever I want rock something positive, I'm definitely going to Spergo. Like Spergo is number one and it get fly. You know?

Nicky Saunders  52:28  
Listen, man, first off, Trey. Thank you.

CEO Trey Brown  52:34  
Thank you so much guys for the opportunity and Ms. Nicky and Mr. Moose! Thank you so much, guys. Where are you guys at right now? Like what's the time?

Nicky Saunders  52:43  
It's 9:20, no, 9:59pm. It's we here. We here on the East Coast time. 

CEO Trey Brown  52:50  
East Coast. Okay. I know y'all be moving so I ain't know.

Nicky Saunders  52:57  
No no no! We don't, listen, we don't move in COVID. We don't, we don't... you move in COVID. I don't move in COVID. Moose may move in COVID. I don't move in COVID. I have not really gone anywhere. Um, I okay, I got one more, one more small joint. I got one more small joint. Um, so how do I... I don't want to I don't want to call it out like that. But what was the biggest lesson that you learned from any of your mentors? Like one thing that really really stands out that could that has like, completely changed your mindset on things?

CEO Trey Brown  53:43  
Just give me one second.

Nicky Saunders  53:45  
I had to stump you once.

CEO Trey Brown  53:47  
Yeah, probably like, Mr. E. Mr. E., from the beginning, he always like and he said this to me personally. But he say this, he actually say this to everybody. And you know, he always say like, it's def,  it's good to get up early in the morning. And you know, me, I'm like, I might get up at like, 11, at like a 10, 11, 12 type guy just rock out with the day. You know, but um, in the last few months, I've been getting into stocks and different things like that, and investing in different stocks and dividends and you know, real estate. I've been getting into things like that. And I learned that and it goes back to what Mr. E said like you need to get up early early in the morning for different things like that and getting into these other into these other like investment type of things just because like if I get up like at 10, 11, 12 o'clock, I'm like, I'm missing out on stocks that done already hit. Up, it's already up 100% today. That real estate deal that I was looking at closing is already closed because I wanted to sleep. You know what, I'm saying? So that was definitely something that's amazing like the early bird gets the worm, you know from from Mr. E. And then also, you know for Mr. E, just staying consistent. Um, one thing about Mr. E, like, he don't never like miss a day with posting. Like he posts every single day. YouTube even though we still in a pandemic, I still still see his YouTube videos, I still see his podcast and you know that that's like me as well like just staying consistent posting as much as you can. And you know, just just live in life consistent, like on a schedule, and different things like that, which is super important. Every day when I wake up in the morning like me and my like my mom, we started getting smoothies every morning like the smoothies when we wake up and we just get the day started. And if you want to stay up late that's on you. We still got work we doing.

Nicky Saunders  55:56  
Sheesh! I should end it there. I promise you I should end it there, but we got to do it the normal way. Look, quick announcement everybody go follow Nicky and Moose on all the social media platforms, all that great stuff. You know, Tuesdays we go live on Facebook, just turn on your notifications about that. And also also a lot of people have been asking Nicky How you been doing this like whole setup on YouTube? Shout out to all our YouTube viewers. E-camm! E-camm! E-camm! Go to nickyandmoose.com/ecamm. You can have a free trial for 14 days. It's a whole vibe. Look, we normally make Moose do the final words, but Trey, tell them where they can find you. Right? What platforms and then final words for those people who just need like that extra boost.

CEO Trey Brown  57:00  
Yep, so you can find me on Instagram. So you could follow my personal Instagram @ceotreybrown. So CEO, as in, you know, just like a boss, CEO, Trey Brown, and then CEO Trey Brown on Twitter, CEO Trey Brown on Facebook. And then for Spergo, @spergobillionaire on Instagram, Spergo on Facebook, Spergo on Twitter, you know, just Spergo everywhere. Spergo.com to get your Spergo gear. You know, follow me on Instagram @ceotreybrown, CEO on YouTube Spergo on YouTube, you know? Let's get it.

Nicky Saunders  57:39  
Spergo everywhere. Everywhere. Give them some words Trey. Give them some final words.

CEO Trey Brown  57:44  
Aye guy's, just find your passion. Find something that you love, find something that you find something that comes you know, easy to, find something that comes easy to you and harder to others. Find your passion and once you find your passion, stay consistent and live and hang around great people and people that's gonna motivate you every day, watch things that's gone you know that's that's going to help your brand and that's going to, you know, help you have a successful brand. You know, so number one was find your passion, number two stay consistent, and number three, hang around the right people. Let's get it!