Meet Jontee Lindsey | Owner of Urbyn Skyy and Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jontee Lindsey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jontee, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My business came to me in a dream. I always have very vivid dreams, deja vu, the whole nine, so I took the dream as God talking to me and giving me the clear vision on what I should do. The name came to me in the dream and it was socks. I’m a former athlete, and socks and sneakers were always a major aspect of my self expression on and off the court. I always wore funky, eclectic, and vibrant socks while playing to stand out on the court, and that carried over into my personal wardrobe.

After the dream, I wrote down my ideas and thought of some nice designs, and then I did absolutely nothing. Years later, I found myself in a very low place, I’d just got dumped, I quit my job in Charlotte, NC and moved back in with my parents in Rockville, VA, and I was really trying to find myself all over again. I was miserable and feeling very defeated and confused on what I would do next, and I decided to just dive into a creative space, and that was Urbyn Skyy. I started working on my business plan, design ideas, I started researching manufacturers, designing logos, building my website, everything. Months of just keeping my head down and staying focused on the vision I was given, I looked up and I was having my first photoshoot and launching my pre-order link.

My family was super supportive, my parents are still my biggest supporters, and I launched Urbyn Skyy in August of 2019. I was so proud of myself, so driven to literally make my dreams come true, and that’s what keeps pushing me to this day. Despite inconsistent sales, marketing fails, self sabotage, doubt, fear, you name it, Urbyn Skyy is my wildest dream come true.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been creative, I’ve always been drawn to creatives and art. Music, dance, painting, photography, anything creative, I’ve always been drawn to it. I think that’s why I loved sneakers and funky accessories that would add a little pop to my outfits. Fashion and personal style goes into that as well, and it for sure carried over into the vision of Urbyn Skyy.

What sets me a part from others is literally, myself. Me always being my genuine, authentic, unapologetic self. I’m loud, I’m funny, outspoken, I command every room I walk into, and that is my super power. Nobody can be Jontee, and I wouldn’t dare want to be anyone else, when I get the opportunity to be myself every morning when I wake up. I know who I am, and have the confidence to be just that. That’s what I’m most proud of,

Being an entrepreneur has been a journey to say the least, especially with me wearing all the hats. I am the social media manager, website designer, graphic designer, customer service, order manager, you name it, and that has taught me patience and professionalism at another level. Asking people to trust your products and spend their hard earned money with your business, takes a level of appreciation and gratitude that I feel carries over into how you treat your customers. Speaking to them in pleasant tones, answering emails in a timely manner, professionally communicating to them in person while describing the products, being patient and answering however many questions they have, remaining polite no matter how the interaction goes, that’s what it means to be an entrepreneur. Remembering that you will always be the face of your own brand and that’s how you have to conduct yourself at all times.

I have challenges every day, I have failures every day, I just remain positive, learn and soak in as much knowledge as I possibly can, and continue to understand that running a business means I will be a forever student. My main challenge has been staying consistent on social media. I love vendor events and I love for customers to see and feel my products in person, but the reach that social media has can take my customer base nationwide. Staying consistent has been my challenge and I’ve tried my best to overcome that by scheduling my posts out, having everything in drafts to make it quicker to post, and ensuring that all my graphics are organized in my phone so I can find them easily.

I want the world to know that Urbyn Skyy is a safe place for everything except white socks, lol. It’s a place to stand out, to be creative, to be loud, to be yourself. It is a place of self expression. A black owned business, run by a black woman, birthed from a place of darkness, but used as a light. Urbyn Skyy is the cherry on top, the color that we all need, and the fun that we all partake in. That’s Urbyn Skyy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently reside in the DMV and although I’m new to the Washington, D.C., I have tried my best to dive in head first to the culture here. If my friend came to visit me, I definitely have some of my go to spots in the city that we would have to go to.

For food, we would have to go to The Hamilton, one of my favorite restaurants, for a nice bite to eat. Once we leave there, we would head over to the The Wharf to check out 12 Stories for some nice drinks and dancing. The next day, we would have.a day adventure visiting one of the many museums in the city for a nice taste of culture, before hitting up happy hour at Tokyo Pearl, a super cute sushi spot. Later that night, we would head to Jojo’s Restaurant on U Street for dinner and a live jazz show. Sunday brunch is a culture of its own in Washington, D.C., so we would start our Sunday Funday with brunch at Lyle Hotel, followed by a day party at Litty in the City, and end the night at Park at 14th.

Washington, D.C., is full of culture, experience, and good times. I love the city, and hopefully, after this itinerary, anyone who visits will too.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my family. Specifically, my parents and my late grandmother.

When I first started this journey of entrepreneurship, I went to my parents with my idea of what I wanted to do. I’d quit my job and moved back home with them and I knew that there was no need I could start this business without their help and of course taking some space in their home. My mom and cousins came to my first photoshoot for support, and them became my models, my brother was the first model for Urbyn Skyy, my dad tells everyone about my business, even though he still wears white socks from time to time, my family has been my rock from day 1. Every launch, they are the first orders to come through, they help me with my vendor events, my parents purchased the products for my second launch as a gift, I literally cannot imagine where me or my business would be without them,

My family is my biggest blessing, my biggest support system, my everything. I couldn’t think of being a part of any other amazing group of people.

Website: https://www.urbynskyy.com

Instagram: @urbynskyy

Twitter: @urbynskyy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheKidintheCity

Other: my personal Instagram is @thekidinthecity