Left university to pursue my childhood life full time – now earns £256k a year, it was the best decision I ever made

MAN has revealed he dropped out of university to follow his childhood passion, which he has now turned into a £256,000-a-year business.

Justis Pitt-Goodson, 26, started making her own clothes at just 13, when one of her teachers gave her a sewing machine.

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He began making bow ties, and although he now thinks his sewing skills were “terrible”, he was greatly encouraged by his family and friends.

“That kind of encouragement was crucial,” he told CNBC.

Justis continued to sew throughout school, and when she was at university in Rutgers, New Jersey, she developed her clothing business BrownMill, along with her friends Kwaku and Taha.

BrownMill makes bespoke clothing and streetwear and now turns over £256,000 a year.

After two years, he decided to drop out of university and built his business while working part-time as a writer.

Afterwards, he was fired from his job and decided to focus on BrownMill full time, using his family’s New Jersey home as headquarters.

As the business began to grow, Justis and his friends decided to raise funds by offering a subscription service.

They noticed that some people were purchasing 12 items a year from their business, so they offered an annual subscription of £150, £400 and £800 to loyal customers.

“A lot of people came in because, like I said, they were already spending this money on us,” he said.

“And since we had all the money at once, it allowed us to activate that capital and invest it in machines and things that were essential to our growth.”

In 2021, the three friends opened the first BrownMills store in Newark, New Jersey.

In addition to making new items, the company takes old clothes and recycles them.

“Whether it’s turning shorts into jeans or jeans into shorts, we love looking cool,” Justis said.

Justis said every day of work at his store is different, so there is never a dull moment.

“I’m doing a little bit of everything every day, I’m grateful for that,” he said.

BrownMill’s popularity continued to grow and even NBA players were seen wearing the brand.

The company sponsors local basketball games and hopes to inspire the younger generation to start their own businesses.

“I think there are a lot of people here in Newark who might have the same aspirations.”

Justis wants his business to continue to grow, but he doesn’t want it to grow too much, as he doesn’t want it to “lose its freshness”.

“Within five years I would definitely like to have another store, maybe two, located in growing black communities,” he said.

He added that he thinks it will be viable for the business to make millions.

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