IN Bethel Park Spring 2018 | Page 21

Tru K ild a NNIFER BROZA bstacles to bu o JE s Y e B m o rc e v o fa rad iz Khali Bethel Park g rn by rapper W o w d n ra b g thin w. successful clo n, to name a fe w ro B io n to n rs’ A g interest in came from losin aw and the Steele dr d an ch et sk anything I notebooks, or “My passion to ng g sketches in my tin e happy ea ar cr d ds ki an t any formal traini en os m oft t, class . “I’ve never had es at e st hen it comes to ar family members, th he ith r,” w e pe es of could use as pa od just blessed m sketching pictur what I’ve done. G ion that if I wanted to do inative ag of s im ct d pe an as s y oe an er in pass animals, superh , on the e with this crazy Park’s Jared Zych talent but so mor d committed.” an l fu ce ur so creatures. Bethel re e m s. co oe be sh I , g sketchin something other hand, was act. Sneakers, to be ex ch, a 2007 graduate of Zy e, ag with From an early ol, was enamored d ho Sc h ig H rk Pa el th sp Be ould en ker stores. He w sneakers and snea miring shoes l, studying and ad talog from hours at the mal a ca get his hands on shoes and on display. He’d hl pplier of at etic su r la pu po a y, find them Eastba vorite shoes, then fa s hi le rc ci d an gear, ade. how they were m at the mall to see s lifelong hi ed rn ch has tu Decades later, Zy d athletic wear into a kers an passion for snea C—which s. Named NOLA es sin thriving bu r—Zych’s ne Likes a Campe athletes and stands for No O nal worn by professio lifa and apparel is being iz rappers W Kha g in ud cl in , es iti celebr onio Brown. the Steelers’ Ant d an ds oo W vy ught to Che reneurs who’ve fo ght Like many entrep overni OLAC was not an ng part of build a brand, N lli ggled for years, se success. Zych stru even his car, d an n, io ct lle ker co bove) is focus or his massive snea 's main logo (a s. e basis of Zych rrounded by a recticle. es Th sin bu s t hi ou t ce su to launch l though die—a dead fa ocess wasn’t wel d an 23 “Honestly, the pr as w “I . ” says Zych, 28 ns with f. or even planned, from conversatio ething for mysel ed m riv so de do is e to m d na te tegy when l The company ’s just knew I wan e a “camper” stra all of the materia us m ho fro w s off f al el du ys vi m di re people who I basically cut friends about in rtant to me.” rs,” he explains, “a alized it in pe po im am e “C er . w t es t m bu gh g ga things I thou e challengin playing video them. I conceptu the business wer others to come to same exact thing. Instead mitment to r m fo co t d ai w an d The early days of it an gr s sit hi the owes corporated they tested both le in life who do though the world empowering, as e company was in as relation to peop t Th ai . w nd ey ou th gr t, e an th off they w . NOLAC getting NOLAC of chasing what to come to them 2013. g of in t go us t s ug os it’ A m at e in th n th d ga , an learn ver become in 2012; sales be them something duals, we can ne est moments, we vi w di lo in e th as r e, in fo us at ca th od d be k G “I truly believe n never camp.” is a brand create I’m down, I than how never settle, we ca he says. “W hen ow n s,” kn ca t ve e n’ el star athletes w rs ld t, ou ou en t w ac I ou pl ab com recognition from dn’t test me, to d di e le ” it. n H g if io in e ss us ild pa ca d bu I’m and’s Instagram His motto an testing me be building and why d Khalifa. The br an I’m n t no ha ow d w lebrities, Br ha e in he lik ve at , notes th wide swath of ce d celebrities much I belie ht a an ug m ta fro lf- se se g y ai rin el pr et tu pl ufac ed with Zych, who is com or clothing man account is pepper textile sourcing n. g, in sio w vi a se as of w e dg ve knowle t he did ha s business. W ha before starting hi W Continued on next page > BETHEL PARK ❘ SPRING 2018 19