Mpho Raseroka
Hello, my name is Mpho Raseroka, Creative Director & Founder of Jlove Clothing & Things.
I am a young lady, passionate about life and people. I'm a burst of flavour! I'm not perfect but I know I'm purposed. Born and raised in-between Soweto and the Southern Suburbs of Johannesburg, I attended primary school at Saxonworld Primary School, with most of my high school years spent in boarding school at Vaal Christian High. I furthered my studies at the University of the Free State where I obtained a four-year Nursing Degree.
Most of my awards growing up were under my academic and sports contributions. I was a very active ballerina at heart with seven years of dance experience with Ballet Theatre Africa. In addition to my role at JLove Clothing & Things, I have, most recently, been appointed as a young nurse leader to give insight with regards to nursing issues within the Department of Health for the Gauteng province.
Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, exercising, swimming, travelling and reading.
Tell us all about your company. What products do you offer?
Jesus is Love (Jlove) Clothing & Things is a vibrant, unique, Soweto-breed Christian brand with a strong objective to spread the word of God and positive declarations fashionably by evangelizing with style. The Jlove vision is to establish a well-known Christian brand that will carry out positive declarations that will make believing in the Christian faith more fashionable, relevant, and cool.
We have four major ranges: The Warrior Range, Love Range, Identity Range, and the Power Range. Each range has a powerful message or slogan accompanying it. The ranges consistently improve their offerings to maintain relevance and quality.
Apart from offering timeless fashion items and gifts, Jlove Clothing & Things strives to impact lives by demonstrating love, diversity, power, and confidence - especially in the lives of children who lack basic materials in creches. In that regard, our mission goes towards improving early childhood development through our efforts and profit, meaning that we can build strong children instead of repairing broken [adults].
Company Name: Jlove Clothing & Things
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Operating since: 2016
Website: www.jlove.co.za
Instagram: @jloveclothingza
How did you get the idea or concept for your company? What was your mission at the outset?
I'm a natural creative. I have always had a heart for entrepreneurship, creating jobs, and elevating the burden of poverty. I believe I somehow always knew that one day I would like to own a clothing brand. It was on my vision board for many years until I pinned a name to it in 2015. The name and the motive behind the brand were something that I considered for years. I worked on the concept of the Jlove Brand for four years prior to its launch. I started spending a lot of time watching business videos and my relationship with God was also maturing. I figured, anyone can start a brand of their own with a fancy name, but I needed something that was beyond me. Creating cool Christian slogans on garments was something I knew for sure I would never get bored of. The Bible is an interesting book and it's new every morning with fresh interpretations and inspiration. That's where I saw a gap - everything we read is in scripture but not many have used the word creatively or fashionably. Overall, I could not find a well-known, cool, quality-driven Christian brand in South Africa and in most parts of the world, so I became more driven to start.
How have your past personal & professional experiences helped you to run your company?
I think my past church experiences, and not really understanding the preacher at a young age didn't sit well with me. In my teenage years, it was a whole transformation when I switched to churches where I experienced more freedom. The concept of having a relationship with God rather than strict religion and doctrine made sense to me, and meeting young enthusiastic individuals in youth outreaches was a build-up which I believe fueled me towards the vision of the brand.
When it comes to my other professional experience, nursing chose me. Honestly, God put me [in it]. I'm a natural creative, I was also good in economics, so I thought I would end up in fashion/interior/economics mainstream. However, I felt compelled to pursue the profession of nursing after a girl in my class mentioned that it was what she was going to study. I believe I was positioned in this profession to build my character and humility. The point I'm making is, I always knew that no one can take my creativity away so I probably needed to do something outside my natural strength. As a result, I have been more driven to serve. I have improved my people skills. I panic less. I'm more considerate and empathetic, and more than anything, I pay attention to detail.
What's your definition of success? Do you consider yourself a success?
I believe success is a series of small wins. You have to believe you will make it one step at a time and celebrate your small victories. The fact that I'm still breathing is a success - so I believe I am a success 100%!
Have the women around you helped you to rise? How?
Yes, I have an amazing support structure of women. We basically embrace each other’s talents and gifts. That's reason enough to rise when you are surrounded by those who don't discriminate against you but rather encourage and support you.
What are some of your future plans? Are you working on anything else right now?
My future plans are to expand globally - to have Jlove outlets all around the world, and to find more creative ideas to create more employment and to be a company that contributes to the world at-large.
What advice would you give to a woman starting out in your industry or starting her own company/organization?
My advice would be: your "why" will drive you, so do your research and have a reason to start that will be reason enough to drive you to roll out your plans into the world. Your "why" is important.
Describe yourself in ONE word. Authentic
Complete this sentence: "To be a girl or woman today is..." Magical