From her first job at a Chick-fil-A to putting herself through college managing two stores at the Mall of Louisiana, retail feels like home for Meredith Waguespack.
So when she shifted gears from being a stay-at-home mom to an entrepreneur, managing sales and marketing for SFT—short for Southern Football Tees—came naturally.
SFT became a creative outlet where Waguespack could merge Baton Rouge culture, game day experiences and Louisiana lifestyle, as Business Report details in its latest entrepreneur feature.
Initially launched by Waguespack in 2011 as a children’s clothing line with online sales, the brand has since evolved. Today, her mother-in-law and sister are involved in the business, too, which expanded to include a brick-and-mortar store, T-shirts, accessories and souvenirs in 2016.
Though she’d already been in business for about five years, it wasn’t until the August 2016 flood that Waguespack really felt her brand solidify. By designing and selling a Cajun Navy T-Shirt, SFT raised $50,000 for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Waguespack says the experience taught her that she shouldn’t try to be all things to all people.
“It was eye-opening to see how many people wanted to support Louisiana and that helped us create a well-defined brand,” Waguespack says.
Working with her creative consultant and graphic designer, Waguespack looks for inspiration everywhere, whether it’s in classic Southern movies like “Steel Magnolias” or at the library. Waguespack strives to set SFT apart by by building a community around her brand with a blog curating the hottest finds in food and fashion from local influencers. Her social media marketing strategy aims to tell the stories behind her design inspirations.
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