“Most people have dreams but are afraid to take the chances to get there. I knew that I wanted to be in sales business but was not determined and willing to take the chances to get there. That is, until last summer when two of my friends died. I knew the dreams they had, which were similar to mine. It was an eye opener for me and that’s what really influenced me into starting my business.”
Rome Barnett is a sophomore at Southern Nazarene University studying sports and leisure.
He heard about SNU through the football program and currently plays for the Crimson Storm.
Originally he had dreams of being a coach after he graduates. “I am stuck in the middle right now with wanting to be a coach or continuing my business,” says Rome. “I am learning how to do both, and whichever comes out more successful for me or I feel more passionate about, then I am going to choose that path.”
The logo on the clothing line is the Colosseum with Rome’s name across the middle. According to Rome, the significance behind it is something dear to his heart.
“My mom traveled a lot when she was younger. One of her favorite places that she went to was Rome. That’s why she gave me that name. She loved it.”
“The reason I chose to use the Colosseum in my logo is not only because it’s in Rome but because of the saying I heard many times as a little kid (“the Colosseum wasn’t built in one day but it lasted a lifetime”). It required a lot of hard work and dedication to build it,” says Rome.
“I like to think of my business in a similar way. Its something small right now, but with hard work and dedication I have hopes of it growing and becoming something great that’ll last a lifetime.”
With this small business, Rome hopes to be an influence in his hometown community.
“I believe that God is using me to to show the kids that they can be something more than a football player or an athlete. I want the kids who don’t have an athletic ability to know that that doesn’t mean they can’t have a future. It’s so much more than that. They have the ability to follow their dreams too.”
Rome hopes to have a website up and running soon. In the meantime, if you would like to purchase clothing from him, you can contact him through his social media sites listed below:
Personal Accounts Business Accounts
Instagram: @nbh_rome Instagram: @rome_sportswear
Twitter: @barnettrome Twitter: @rome_sportswear
(Photos Courtesy of Jalil Maxwell) Facebook: Rome Barnett Facebook: Rome’s Sportswear