Savvy is a new profile series I wanted to start that highlights rising individuals in their respective fields. This week's Savvy interview focuses on an individual combining their love of fashion, entrepreneurship, and aspirations of being an attorney. I was able to catch up with The Throwback Closet vintage thrift store owner, Tedrick Hawkins aka Teddy. Tedrick is from Tyler, Texas then moved to Dallas in 8th grade and calls both cities home and draws on his upbringing for inspiration.

Q: How would you define your career title?

Tedrick: I am the creator and owner of The Throwback Closet but, I'd like to think of myself as an entrepreneur. I have some business ventures that I have an interest in. I feel that an entrepreneur is the best way to describe the man I aim to be.

Q: Why did you choose this field?

Tedrick: I grew up going thrifting at Goodwill with my Grandma, and I've always been interested in fashion. The idea to create the store came after I found a Polo shirt that I liked but couldn't fit. I thought about giving it to one of my frat brothers. If you know me, you know how cheap I can be at times Lol! I decided that I was too broke to be buying gifts. (I honestly shouldn't have been shopping in the first place.) However, I knew I'd probably never find another shirt like that if I didn't buy it right then. So, I bought it with the intent to sell it to someone. I didn't have a platform to sell it on, so I created the Instagram page.

Tedrick draws from many areas for inspiration, even his favorite rapper Nipsey Hustle’s The Marathon mixtape and career as a whole.

Q: What inspires you?

Tedrick: Man, my competitive nature, and the fact that I'm afraid of failure. I've taken my fair share of L's throughout the process of building my business, and I know that I will experience more failures in the future; but, I know that I will win in the end. I look up to people who have some great stores all over the country. I'm always comparing myself to them. I know that they're where I'm trying to be so I'm working to catch up and hopefully become better one day. Also, music is a big part of where my inspiration comes from. Nipsey Hussle is my favorite rapper, and his music has mentored me through this Marathon, I've been on.

Q: How do you want to change the industry for the better?

Tedrick: That's something I've never really thought about. My main focus has been establishing The Throwback Closet as a legitimate part of this industry. From my perspective, I think this industry is in a great place right now. It's steadily growing, and people are catching on to what has been in the works for a long time.

Q: How do you manage to be a business owner and pursuing a career as an attorney?

Tedrick: When I created TC I was a student-athlete in college. It was always something I did on the side in my free time. I enjoy it so it never really feels like "work." I can say that the possibility of trading in a career as an attorney for a career thrifting is becoming a reality. I plan to continue working towards becoming an attorney because its a secure and respectable career, but if my store gets to a point where I can do it full time and live comfortably, I'm doing that. I'd much rather have the freedom to support myself and my family doing something that I love.

Q: Describe your creative process.

Tedrick: I have my style, so a lot of the items in the store come from things that I like. I know that everyone isn't into the same things that I prefer, so I follow a lot of other thrift stores, and I watch the type of things they are picking up. I also like going out and seeing people dressed up. I take bits and pieces of things that I love from everywhere and compile them into what I'm doing.

Q: What advice do you have for anyone looking to pursue their dream?

Tedrick: Go ahead and do it. If it makes you happy, I feel like you should be doing that. I know that there are risks when it comes to following dreams so calculate those risks and be strategic about how you move.

Q: What does Savvy mean to you?

Tedrick: I think that savvy is knowing how to do something and doing it well.

Tedrick is savvy in many ways and ties each of those aspects into one to work best for him. Follow his journey through The Throwback Closet, Twitter, and Instagram. I hope you found some inspiration from this week's Savvy profile to go and chase your dreams. Subscribe to get updates on who will be selected next in the Savvy series.