As we continue talking about
collegiate entrepreneurs, I hope those reading realize that they can do the
same. It's as easy as deciding what you want to do and do it. Entrepreneurship
is the backbone of this economy. While it is good to work a nine to five, there’s
a sense of pride in running your own company. Sean-Lauren Pennington began his
journey at the young age of 16.
Two cousins on the opposite ends of the style
spectrum first created infinite Imagination in 2008. 16-year-old
Sean-Lauren Pennington and 15 year old H’Akeem Broughton spent one night
discussing how there has been no effort to build the gap between hip hop and
skate borders. This one night conversation gave birth to the Infinite
Imagination brand. Since then, the Infinite Imagination brand has been about
breaking the barriers that separate us. Everybody has something to offer, a
spark that could emerge into something great. As a brand we encourage everyone
to embrace the ideas that make them unique. Everyone’s Imagination should not
be limited to the barriers our cultures have set for us. Infinite Imagination
hopes that all people expand themselves beyond boundaries. We encourage all to
be vast, to be bold and always have an Infinite Imagination.
What sparked your idea for your company?
A conversation between me and my little cousin
when I was in high school. He was into skate boarding and I was more of a
streetwear type. We both were talking about the cultures in which we
defined our style. After this we came up with the idea of Infinite
Imagination. We initially wanted to bridge the gap between hip-hop and
skateboarding, but it then branched into more than that. We now want to bridge
the gap between all styles from all different walks of life.
What sacrifices have you made by starting your
own company?
Sleep mostly lol. Uhm definitely free time
and social mobility. Once you make the decision to build something and
shoot for it, there are always contradictions between what you wanna do and
what needs to be done in order for you to achieve a goal.
How do you handle the overwhelming moments of
balancing school and work?
(Something I probably shouldn't say
in this interview lol) but sometimes stepping back, making a clear definitive
path for success and then proceed as follows.
Do you plan on giving back to your alma mater?
Definitely. If it weren't for
Morehouse I wouldn't be in college and making constant strives for a better
world. I am a Spelhouse baby but I never really paid much attention to what my
parents were telling me about college. In high school I kind of hung out
with the wrong crowd, definitely wasn't concerned about post high school
education and as a result I graduated with a 1.9 and nobody had faith in me.
Morehouse was the only school that gave me a chance to prove myself and
after that I earned a 3.0 my first semester. I will be forever indebted
to this institution and once I'm finished paying them lol, I wont forget what
they did for me
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs
starting their own companies?
Don't allow anyone to shoot down
your dreams. Whenever you have an idea in mind you will always face a
world of challenges, the most prominent of which are non-believers. They
are usually the ones who gave up on their own dreams and want to make certain
that nobody else ever achieves what they couldn't, but keep on going for it.
Your goal is more important then what others may think/say about you or
your brand. Just keep it pushing; you will see who laughs last.
If you'd like to know more about the Infinite
Imagination, contact Sean Pennington at Sean_eon@yahoo.com and
be sure to follow him on twitter @RLBillionaire!
