{"id":2066,"date":"2014-07-29T08:51:48","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T12:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/dev-mag\/?p=2066"},"modified":"2016-06-09T10:04:50","modified_gmt":"2016-06-09T14:04:50","slug":"fashion-statement-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2014\/07\/29\/fashion-statement-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Fashion Statement"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Efua Mensah-Brown (\u201905) remembers being an \u201cordinary\u201d college student.<\/p>\n

She remembers living in Cone Hall her freshman year and so many of \u2018those days,\u2019 waking up at 7:55 a.m. for an 8 o\u2019clock class at the Education Building. Efua remembers being an RA at Winburn and Southern Courtyard and the occasional 2 a.m. fire alarm going off. She even remembers Landrum and using her meal plan to buy Vanilla Coke, fruit snacks and Oreo cheesecake. \u201cI was seriously convinced I was being ‘healthy’ because I walked everywhere,\u201d said Efua. \u201cMan, I was fit!\u201d<\/p>\n

She also remembers the amazing friends she made that still keep in touch, tailgating before football games and belting out the fight song every time as though it were the first time, and playing \u2018capture the flag\u2019 at night on Sweetheart Circle, hoping the game would never end. She especially remembers memorizing and singing the Georgia Southern University Alma Mater during graduation. \u201cI was proud to be an Eagle!\u201d said Efua. \u201cI remember so much… I just love Georgia Southern and it will always have a place in my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Efua has proven to be far from ordinary. Originally from Ghana, Efua grew up in Dubai but has spent the majority of her adult life in the United States. During her years at Georgia Southern, she majored in logistics and intermodal transportation, as well as economics with an emphasis in international business. After graduation, Efua worked as a management consultant for seven years, and went on to earn an MBA from the University of Chicago in 2011. That\u2019s when she decided to take a leap of faith and become an entrepreneur. That\u2019s how Proverbs by Efua was born.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been an awesome adventure,\u201d she said. \u201cI have always wanted to make a difference in the world and have always wanted to have my own business. Once I learned about the gravity of the human trafficking problem, I felt a personal calling to do something about it. I decided to put these two passions together, and have been marching towards that goal ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proverbs by Efua currently sells clothing (dresses, shirts, skirts) online. Efua describes her style as \u201cvery classic.\u201d She wants her fashion to be accessible and easy to accessorize. \u201cI am currently the only designer but it has been an amazing journey,\u201d said Efua. \u201cMy first year after launching was a very exciting year. I learned so much about running my own business. I learned the difference between necessities and nice-to-haves. I also saw firsthand what was working and what wasn’t. These past few months have been about analysis and implementing what I\u2019ve learned so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Efua always envisioned starting a social company. Before she launched ProverbsbyEfua.com<\/a><\/em>, her goal was to start a business that highlighted education. \u201cI was inspired by the proverb: \u2018Give a man some bread and he\u2019ll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he\u2019ll eat for a lifetime.\u2019 At that point, I wanted to name the brand \u2018To fish.\u2019\u201d However, the name was deemed too confusing. After brainstorming, a friend helped Efua settle on \u2018Proverbs,\u2019 which she says encompassed all of the meaningful, uplifting and life-changing proverbs. \u201cWhen I began to learn of the gravity of human trafficking and decided that if I was going to make a difference in the world, I wanted to tackle an incredibly huge problem, I felt that \u2018Proverbs\u2019was still a relevant name. Proverbs state a general truth and give advice. My brand is about shining a light on the truth of human trafficking and on providing people with an everyday way to end it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Efua was drawn to the fashion industry because she truly enjoys it and believes that fashion is so \u2018every day.\u2019 \u201cEveryone buys clothes and it is such an easy way for people to contribute to putting an end to a big problem,\u201d said Efua. \u201cFighting for freedom, I believe, is something that should be a part of every aspect of our lives.\u201d Today, 20 percent of Proverbs by Efua\u2019s profits go directly to support the A21 Campaign, whose main goal is to end human trafficking in the 21st century. The other 80 percent goes to running the company, as well as raising awareness and educating people on how they, too, can help end human trafficking.<\/p>\n

Not unlike her many memories of college life at Georgia Southern, there are no \u201ctypical\u201d days for Efua. She admits she has had many triumphs in life, but also suffered her fair share of setbacks. \u201cIf I were to list the obstacles I’ve had to overcome in my life, it would take up many books. Although I cannot say I enjoyed these setbacks, I can say that without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Efua also says that her time at Georgia Southern was amazing and definitely played a key role in how far she has come. \u201cThere were so many people who helped me grow and who gave me opportunities to reach my full potential. Namely, Dr. Manrodt at the business school was very influential when it came to my major and career. Vickie Hawkins from housing was influential when it came to campus life and giving me an opportunity to experience it to the fullest… Dr. Jerry, Ms. Donna, and Todd and Megan Strain at the then Baptist Student Union, and Stewart Moody all had a hand in keeping me grounded.\u201d Efua especially credits all the dedicated staff at the Center of International Centers, who helped her adjust to being in a new culture, when she arrived on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly don’t believe you can achieve anything substantial and of value in life without challenges and obstacles,\u201d says Efua. \u201cChallenges build character, faith and perseverance. The greater the challenge, the greater the reward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever you take a stand into the unknown, the road will be riddled with obstacles. However, if it’s something you believe in, you have to be faithful to the calling and persevere. This is how I feel about my brand and I am proud of myself for not quitting when the going got rough.\u201d And the world is starting to take notice. At the beginning of the year, Efua was featured in British Vogue<\/em>. \u201cIt really helped to validate my business and it encouraged me to continue on in the cause,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Efua\u2019s parents also worked hard to provide her and her entire family with strong educations and the ability to succeed in life. \u201cAlthough life was great growing up, it wasn’t perfect,\u201d said Efua. \u201cI feel like it is those imperfections that have made me who I am. My family is definitely supportive although the uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship may be a little hard for them to digest sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

That said, Efua has no regrets. \u201cI want to be running a company that encourages and motivates people to take part in making a difference in the world, just by making a tiny change in their everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n

And all of Eagle Nation can admire, and remember, Efua for that.<\/p>\n

What is human trafficking? <\/strong>
\nHuman trafficking is defined as an illegal trade where humans are forced, coerced and\/or tricked to be exploited sexually or for their labor.<\/p>\n