Jamal had a life much like anyone else. Until Covid-19 shut down his world. Sinking into depression, he found his only way back was to be Unstoppable. This gave birth not only to a clothing line but to a movement and a mission. His mission: to let other people know that they are also Unstoppable.

Links:

Junior Collectibles on Facebook

Also on Instagram

Listen to Rhonda Alexia Webb's Interview by clicking here.

Mentioned in this episode:

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But I never knew that from there that a business would pop out of it.

And I would be able to encourage other people, that they're unstoppable and

that they can do it every single day.

hey, I've been through these things, but it says unstoppable cuz no

matter what, I am unstoppable.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Total Michigan.

I am your host Cliff DuVernois.

As usual, I run across these stories out there, and I think to myself, I

have to interview this person because their story is just too compelling.

And for today's guest, I'm gonna let him go ahead and introduce himself.

But, for ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the show Jamal Robbins,

CEOs of Juniors Collectibles.

Jamal, how are you?

I'm doing fine.

How are you?

I am doing awesome.

Thank you for asking.

So I know somebody in my audience right now just did a head snap.

So why don't you tell us how old you are?

I'm 13 years old.

Okay.

You're not like 13 and a half.

Almost

almost 14.

my birthday's in August.

All right, cool.

Happy Birthday.

It's coming up here in just a couple days.

Thanks.

Why don't you tell us a little bit about

what Junior Collectibles is?

Okay.

I basically started Juniors Collectibles to encourage people

through merchandise and motivate them to be the best versions of themselves.

Okay.

So when you say you wanna motivate people, what do you mean by that?

I wanna motivate them to not only be the best versions of

themselves, but to remember that they're unstoppable, um, and that they can

keep going, even when it gets hard.

So why is that important to you?

Well, it's important to me because when I went through

depression, people would always encourage me to be the best versions of myself.

And so when I got out of it, then I wanted, um, to encourage other

people to, you know, just be the best versions of themselves.

And so I want to, I want to delve into this a little bit.

But first let's take a step back.

What made you decide to become an entrepreneur in the first place?

Well, it all started when I had to do a fundraiser for the

Washington DC trip, for my school Sasa.

Cuz I didn't have like enough money cuz it was like two of us that had to go.

So I had to do fundraisers for that.

Um, cuz I didn't wanna do the candy bars.

So I came up with these cups that have affirmations on the front.

And candy on the inside.

So it says You're Unstoppable or, I am enough, or just very like motivation,

inspirational stuff on the front.

And so then I sold those and it made people very, very happy.

So I was like, man, I could do this like all of the time.

So that's why I started Juniors collectibles a

a very, it's always nice when you have that feeling

of like satisfaction, like you're really touching people's lives.

Yeah.

That's the best part.

So you got your taste of being an entrepreneur.

Now what I'd like to do is if you're okay with it, you mentioned before about

how you had gone through depression.

Talk to us a

little bit about

the reason why I fell into depression was because uh, of the pandemic.

In March, they told us that we were gonna be like going home for like

two weeks and then coming back.

But it ended up becoming three weeks and then it was, seemed

like it was gonna be forever.

And so I'm a very interactive person.

I have to be in class learning, and have that interaction with people.

So I just broke down.

It was very hard to like, get out of that stage.

But you know, I did it and with the help of everybody else, so now I can just

encourage other people to get out of that.

So when you're going through this depression and you're coming

out of it, what would you credit as that really helped you to start moving forward?

My parents and my therapists.

Okay.

Was there any key piece of advice that you remember that they gave

you that just really helped you out?

To just really not, what's the word?

So they basically told me that I could get through it.

That, I could do anything that I'm unstoppable, which was one of the

words um, that, I put on my shirt.

So that unstoppable word really touched me.

And so that's why I put it on the merchandise.

So I think them telling me that I could do anything, that I put

my mind to, really helped me.

So at what point did you decide to marry your interest in

entrepreneurship with your lessons that you learned from your depression?

I combined it them, based on, the thought that I would be able to

just go to like many different places at the vendor events and, at the kids'

room, our events and all this stuff.

I would just be able to go to those different places, um, on my free time

or just any time to encourage people.

So I put those two ideas together because hey, I can make money

to start the, special surprise that I'm gonna say at the end.

And I could also encourage people.

Nice.

Now, what made you decide to do merchandise?

Well, I really love shirts, hoodies and hats and stuff.

because I really love just shopping and clothes and all that stuff.

So, um, I did merchandise so that, I could, it's like something that I like,

something that everybody can like wear on themselves to show other people.

Cuz you know, people go up to other people and it's like,

hey, so what does this mean?

What's the meaning of your shirt or what's on here?

And then it can be like, hey, this young kid told me that this is unstoppable

and what it means and all of that stuff and what it means to them and

how I can encourage other people.

And now many of other people are being encouraged and hey,

I want this shirt, I want this.

And now I can pour back into the community.

Um, and the people that helped me.

Oh, that's awesome.

So I gotta ask you this question.

You decided to be an entrepreneur, you've got your own business up.

You are CEO.

So what did your friends say to this?

They were like, what?

A ceo, e o.

Like, what's going on here, man?

How did this happen?

Did they get behind you?

Well, they were like, man,

I'm your biggest supporter.

Now, when you came up with the merchandise and you're trying

to come up, how do you come up with, cuz I don't know anything about design.

I actually, I just, I go find people that know stuff about design.

So how did you go about designing?

The logo, the unstoppable being on the shirt.

How did you do, how did you do all that?

I wanted it to be distressed.

so that basically meaning that, it went through like the shirt,

that I have on right now.

It went through some things like it's been scarred.

It's been pushed.

It's been tested.

But it's coming out.

It came out of whatever it went through.

And that's what made it unstoppable cuz we never gave up and all that.

So that's why I came up with the distress looked.

So that it basically lets people know, hey, no matter what you go

through, you can still do it man.

Come on.

Just pick your stuff back up.

Pick yourself back up, and just get back to it cuz you're unstoppable.

I am loving this.

So now the question I got for you is, the reason why you and I were able to connect

was because of, Rhonda Alexia Webb.

And for our audience, you can go back to episode 92 and

listen to my interview with her.

But she's got the program called Kids Ruled Now.

Yeah, but you were in that program.

Talk to us about your experience in that program.

it was very cool.

I think the first time I went was 2017.

oh, you've been in it for a while?

Yeah.

and it was very cool.

of course I was younger then and I was like, wait a minute.

These, there's.

Telling us like very important things because, this one, the 2017

one and the previous one that I just went to her, last one, they were

teaching us how to like, work the cameras and do all that other stuff.

And, he was also teaching us about business, which is, another reason

why I wanted to start a business.

Cause I was like, Hey, this is another, another way that I can do it.

And he told me, Hey, you're really good at this stuff.

So, you know, might as well, just do it.

So, um, I can get the word out.

And what would be some of the key lessons that you

learned going through that program?

To never give up.

Like I've heard, never give up.

And you can do it.

And you're not nervous.

You're just excited.

Hey, I love you.

And they embrace me like with warm hugs and it's just like

a really cool atmosphere.

So yeah.

Um, I've heard a lot of those things, keep going.

You got this.

You know.

I love that you're not nervous, you're excited.

Yeah.

That's what Miss Rhonda said.

So tell us about the first time that you had a product

to sell, and I don't know if it was Unstoppable or not, but you had a

product to sell and you're all of a sudden now facing the public.

You got people coming in.

It's no longer theoretical.

You now have to actually get out there and try to sell something.

So talk to us about that.

Well, um, like I said, it started with the Washington DC trip thing.

Um, and so I went to the Freeland market.

in the Midland area around, yeah.

In the Midland area.

And, I had to sew the different people and they were like, wow, you're doing

such a good job and all that stuff.

And at first I was nervous.

I actually was, I was like, oh my gosh, how am I gonna do this?

But, I ended up doing actually really, really good that day.

And so I was like, I can turn this into a business.

So that, the Kids Rule Now and everything else just Put

together made me, want to start.

So in that moment when you said, I can do

this, what do you think changed?

I think it was that people telling me, Hey,

you have a great sales pitch.

I'm gonna take you to my dealership.

You can help me sell cars you like better than all my other

workers on all that stuff.

I was like, wait, so if I'm that good, then, I can have an impact on people.

Because I normally just, it's a connection, with people that

I try to have, like a personal connection, uh, when we're at the

sales and just in general life.

So I said, Hey, I can add my personality into the business ethic

and sales pitch and everything.

So I was like, wait a minute.

If one plus one is two, then I can do this.

You know,

You talked about your skills, you talked about your personality.

Why don't you share with us maybe some of the some of the things that

you thought, you know, like maybe you were thinking one way and then you

started thinking another way, right?

When you got into,

when you got into sales part of it, for instance, when you're talking

about that, like what was some of the, I guess the word that comes to

mind is preconceived notions that you had that maybe you thought, okay,

I thought that was gonna work this way, but naturally works this way.

Yeah.

so that day, I'm not gonna lie, I didn't think I was going to do too well

because like I said, I was nervous.

so when I started doing really, really well, I was like, wow, you know,

what do you credit when you talk about doing really

well, what do you credit that to?

You're saying like, to people who helped me do that?

either that or, what was that?

Did you find some confidence in you that you didn't have before?

Did you find the right words to say?

I think it was the confidence.

I found some sort of confidence.

Because at first, like I said, I had no confidence, that I was

gonna be able to like do well.

But cuz I wanted to touch people, to I,

but I didn't think I was gonna be able to do it.

cuz you know, hey, I'm just this little kid, But, um, I ended up doing it in

I, my cons, my confidence level boosted and, that's why I have the business now.

Nice.

I know that Kids Rule now has been working with, Saginaw Valley State University.

Now, were you in that program as well Okay.

So talk to us about your experience working at S V S U.

Ms.

Rhonda selected me and my sister for this program, called the Vitito Fellows, over

at S vs U in the business department.

Um, So it basically was like this huge boost to my business.

It helped me come out with new merch and new just everything.

It boosted my business to it took it to the next level.

Nice.

And so it was really cool being able to do like a pitch presentation in front of

everybody, which they really loved it.

And, we had really good time with the Vitito fellows.

And I actually really missed them.

For our audience, we're gonna take a quick break to thank our

sponsors and when we come back, Jamal's gonna tell us about that future project

that he's keeping for the end of the show.

We'll see you after the break.

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Total Michigan.

I'm your host, Cliff DuVernois.

Today we're talking to the rather extraordinary Jamal Robbins,

C E O of Juniors collectibles.

Now, Jamal, before the break, we were talking about your experience working

with the Vitito Fellows, and I hope I said that correctly, at S V S U.

Why don't you talk to us a little bit about what has happened

since your experience with them?

Well, um, I've been very blessed to, receive a lot of offers to

go speak to people, which is what, I wanted to become or, and still want to

become, which is a motivational speaker.

So I've gotten offers to speak at Bavarian Inn in, um, Boys and Girls

Club in various, other places, and I'm very excited to, do it.

That's absolutely wonderful.

Has there been any other doors that have opened up for you because of that?

Oh, I've gotten new merch styles.

So not just the distress look that I talk about earlier.

Um, I've also gotten one that says unstoppable and then like a line and

then says every scar has a story on it.

Not just new merchandise, but new logos and everything.

And an Instagram account.

Oh, nice.

And we'll have to delve into that.

when we get closer to the end of the show, what I would like to

do is talk maybe about another, I see that you are also in a band.

Yes.

You're quite the musician.

Talk to us about, I have you always had a love for music.

How does that work?

Yeah,

Yeah, I've like, since I was four, I've

always had a love for music.

I play, can I tell you the instruments that I play?

Uh, please do.

Okay.

so I sing, um, I play piano.

I play the drums, the ukulele, the guitar, the bass guitar, the trump, the ooh,

the trumpet, the baritone, the tuba.

And some other instruments that I forgot.

I kind of forgot.

Oh man, I love it.

Yes, I played one instrument and I was lucky to do that.

So you played 'em all.

Excellent.

So what made you decide to pursue this?

Because I see that you got videos online posted, you got like an

actual band that's going on there.

You got all kinds.

So what, why pursue this?

because, Since the Kids Rule Now event, the first

one that I went to, I, I've had a passion for business since that age.

and I really wanted to pursue this, at, not just in entrepreneurship wise,

but um, also at S V S U, going there for like college and stuff and like

having minor in music or something.

So ever since like my inspiration to have a business or become a young entrepreneur,

that in music have been like, tied for first place of like my most, like

the things that I really love to do.

And, and it's not just become like a hobby or whatever, but like it's actually

something that I, it's like a dream for me or you've actually gotten gigs.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Tell us some of the places that you played.

We've played at the Red House by the Temple Theater.

I forgot what it was called.

But the Big Red House and it was like some sort of club, not, community club.

Okay.

I forgot what the name was.

But yeah, it's like this red building by this temple theater and a lot of bands and

everything come to play um, like really cool music from jazz to like regular,

like actual band, like orchestra stuff.

So, um, we've played there and various of other places.

Because this has come up a few times during your talk

between the music and entrepreneur, and I'm just curious as well, is there an

entrepreneur out there that you admire?

Miss Rhonda Alexia Webb.

Boy.

I could just hear her laughing right now when she hears this episode.

That's gonna be cute.

What is it, what is it about Rhonda that you, that you truly admire?

Her always having a smile on her face and, always

has this like warm embrace.

She always tells me the nervous or you're not nervous.

But you're excited.

That whole thing.

And she just like, The first time that I met her in 2017, I was

like, wow, this lady is amazing.

Like, So it's just, we've always had that like bond or whatever, ever since.

So yeah, she's like a really amazing person and she's the reason why I

wanted to start this special thing again

Yes.

So let's talk about this special thing.

So the question I got for you is, cuz I know this is off to the future,

but tell us what the future holds.

In the future, the very near future, when I turned 18, so roughly

around 2027, I want to start a nonprofit organization, um, like Kids Rule Now.

Like I said, Miss Rhonda is my inspiration to start it.

Because I don't want people to just buy from me to be encouraged.

But I want this business to be able to grow so that I can support that

nonprofit, when I turn 18 because I want to be able to do it for free.

Like not just people buying from me.

Cuz I've always just wanted to be like, Hey, like basically over Oprah Winfrey.

Hey, you get this.

You can do anything except I'm motivating people.

and encouraging them to like be their best.

So the nonprofit will actually really help me do that.

Um, Instead of just going to sales and stuff and selling stuff.

So my business that I have now can support the nonprofit in

the future, which is my plan.

What is the nonprofit?

The nonprofit.

I don't know what I'm going to name it.

I'm still deciding that.

So

the mission of the nonprofit?

mission to just encourage people, No matter what, tell people

that they can do it, go to like various different places, like around the

country and hopefully around the world, um, to just spread the message that we

are unstoppable and we can do anything.

I know when you talk about inspiring people, and that's a

very laudable goal, when you talk about inspiring people, what is it exactly

do you want to inspire them to do?

like I said, be the best versions on themself.

Just try to be positive, instead of looking at the negative things

in life because there's always a bright side to to a story.

And some things happen to make greater things happen.

you could, your car could break down, but next thing you know, hey, there's this car

for sale for that's very affordable in.

Now look, it's just basically in your hands and, hey, I have this new

nicer car, better than the other one.

So sometimes things happen for a good reason.

And so sometimes when bad things happen, people um, get down and sad.

Like I did when Covid happened.

But I never knew that from there that a business would pop out of it.

And I would be able to encourage other people, that they're unstoppable and

that they can do it every single day.

Even though I had to go through some things to come out and be like a

better person and have um, the business so I can encourage other people.

It just, it's just wow.

It's amazing cuz I'm able to do it now.

So, yeah.

Why don't you talk to us about some of the new

merch that you've been working on?

I know earlier that I mentioned, about

hoodies and hats and shirts.

So I already had shirts, before the Vitito.

But the Vitito at, the Innovation Lab, with, I believe his name is John.

I could be wrong, but anyways, we made hoodies that says every scar

has a story underneath unstoppable.

Um, and those like all sold out at the event.

The pitch presentation that we had to do.

They all sold out.

So I had to make some more, so that, you know, I can,' sell

'em, But that was amazing.

I

Oh, that's okay.

I was actually gonna lead right into my next question that I had for you when

you were talking about, now talk about the Innovation Lab and part of the S

V S u and I missed this part before.

The innovation lab is where you can actually go and make products.

So when you talk, when we talk about making products,

is it like a one-off thing?

Could you like run a hundred t-shirts?

Could you do a thousand hoodies?

Yeah.

I can.

I actually I can't remember how much I made.

I think I made 50 to a hundred different like hoodies or shirts.

And so it's actually really cool process.

So you have to, it fits, um, a gray hoodie, like how we had to do

with the gray hoodies and shirts.

You have to put it in this like big red machine and then it

like, coats it with something.

And then you iron it and then you put the, ink on there for the

thing, and then you iron it again, and then bam, there's a shirt.

I had the really cool opportunity, with the Vitito fellows to go to the innovation

lab, and make the products myself.

Um, And it was like a very fun experience.

So I can really just go there, anytime, but like I have to set up a date or

something, You know, plan it out with him.

So yeah, I can just go there and just make stuff, for my business.

Talk to us about the first time that you held up one of your

shirts and you saw your logo on there.

This is now your product.

Talk to us about that.

So when they came to my house, and my mom showed me, I was like,

whoa, that's, I'm gonna be selling these?

And I was like, wow.

Really?

was that bad?

No, it was good.

Um, I was like, wow, it's, this is actually like really happening.

It was only like a dream, some time ago.

But it's like, wow, it's actually happening now.

And It became a reality.

And you sold out.

Yeah.

So what does that tell you?

That I can do it.

This is just living proof that I can, and that anybody can, do whatever they

put their mi their minds to, which is what I was told the entire time,

before I had my business started.

Little did I know that it was actually going to manifest that I could do

anything that I put my mind too.

That's great cuz that seems to be a

reoccurring theme today yeah.

For you to be able to do that.

Nice.

so with regards to, the nonprofit, the question that I got for you is

this, cuz having a nonprofit is tough.

So why do the nonprofit?

Why not just do speaking engagements right underneath of your company now?

Why make a separate entity?

I really don't know.

I just, it's just something that was put on my heart to do.

Just one day, it was just like an idea.

Because how Ms.

Rhonda's Kids Now, really touched me and it was like all just for free.

It's just was set in my hands.

And I could do whatever I wanted to, do with it and be encouraged and everything.

I was like, Hey, I don't want to do this when people have to pay for it.

I wanna do it for free.

And yeah, that's why I wanna do the nonprofit because I don't

want to take, I wanted to do it with my business that I have now.

I don't want to take like anything out of it.

I don't want to earn any money.

I don't wanna do that.

I'd rather get a job, somewhere else.

But I was like, wait a minute.

This business could be funding another thing um, that I

wanna do for the nonprofit.

And so I was like, Hey, this is actually gonna be a cool plan.

It's actually gonna work out.

and so that's why I did that versus, my other plan.

Okay.

Another question I got for you is circling back to the, to the speaking gigs, right?

People saying, Hey, we want you to come talk to us.

Is it just doing your business presentation?

Or is it you inspiring people.

It's me inspiring people, both, really, but

more of the inspiring people.

Because people that showed up to the event and people that wasn't

able to make it, but heard about it.

They were like, wow, this dude is like, He's, he's encouraging people.

He's doing this.

He's telling us about Unstoppable.

And so, um, they wanted me to go to other places and tell them about Unstoppable.

So I believe at the Bavarian Inn it's going to be like a a staff day.

So like they relax, whatever.

And I can encourage the staff to keep going and keep doing what they do, um, and

doing what they're, what they really love.

So it's like a mixture of both.

And for your speaking engagement, so I asked this question

because this is something that I'm getting into myself, but for your speaking

engagement, do you have already an outline prepared of what you're gonna say?

I'm actually working on that.

right now.

Cool.

Anything you can share with us?

I'm going to tell people about Unstoppable.

in every car, in every scar has a story.

And what that means to me.

And I've been coming up with an acronym for Unstoppable, or

either every scar has a story.

Where did you get every scar has a story?

Well, um, that was another thing that was just like on my heart.

Every scar has a story.

Because like I said, with the distressed look, the distress tells or it shows

people that, hey, I've been through these things, but it says unstoppable

cuz no matter what, I am unstoppable.

And those scars tell stories.

And, yeah.

So how we come out of those scars and how the scars can still be

there, but, it doesn't change you, you know what I'm saying?

It just, it makes you better.

Jamal, for our audience, if anybody's listening to

this and they want to connect with you, they wanna follow the excitement

and the journey that you're on.

And I know you mentioned instagram before, is there a website we can

direct people to social media?

What's the best way for them to get in to, to follow you?

The best ways for them to follow me or get in contact

with me is Facebook and Instagram.

Instagram, I believe, if I'm not mistaken, it's at Junior's Collectibles.

Um, Or you can just look up my full name and hit the search button.

Don't forget the search button cuz it won't work.

But my full name.

And then hit the search button.

And then it should be the first one up there and it says Junior Collectibles

with my red hat for my logo.

And then on Facebook you can either just look up junior

Collectibles or my full name.

Awesome.

Jamal, thank you for taking time to come and chat with us today.

It's really great and There's a lot of great things and I actually

look forward to having you back on the show in the future so you can

tell us how everything's unfolded.

So thank you.

Thank you for inviting me.

And for our audience, you can always go to total michigan.com,

click on Jamal's interview and you will see all the links that he mentioned above.

We'll see you next week with another exciting story.