从击剑to Fashion: Why This History-Making Olympian Is Breaking Barriers in BusinessIbtihaj Muhammad is slashing her way to success with her modest clothing company, Louella.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Trailblazing is inIbtihaj Muhammad'sDNA. Not only did theTime's 100 Most InfluentialOlympic fencer slash her way into history during the 2016 games as the first American woman to compete in the Olympics in hijab, but she has continued to change perceptions of what it looks like to be a female athlete and empower young girls across the globe.
Today, Muhammad is the face of a major Nike campaign, the inspiration behind thefirst hijabi Barbiemodeled in her likeness and most recently, the force behindLouella, a modest, affordable fashion line she created with her siblings.
Growing up, Muhammad longed for a way to express her own style while adhering to the principles of her faith, but she struggled to find clothes that served her needs. She created Louella to allow other women to find their voices through fashion, and produce ethically made, female-manufactured pieces.
Muhammad's goal is to see these garments on the red carpet, where she hopes they will inspire young girls to break the mold and defy expectations of what femininity looks like.
"Clothing is a way for us to express ourselves," Muhammad says. "I love the idea that I can be an athlete and I can be super rugged … but I can do it with eyeliner on, and I can leave the fencing strip and throw on a cool gown and occupy that space as well."
In this episode ofHow Brands Are Born, see Muhammad's remarkable journey from Olympic athlete to a change-maker in the fashion industry.
How Brands Are Bornis presented byCardone Ventures, in partnership withOriginal Stories Media. Learn howGrant CardoneandBrandon Dawsoncan help your business transform and scale to 10X levelsHERE.
