Business Spotlight: The Nguvu

Zeke Bryant, owner of The Nguvu (pronouced “N-Goo-Vu”) and I caught up over the phone to discuss his business and the unique items he makes for his customers.

Ervin: Thanks for chatting today! I know you have been creating custom items for a while now so tell me about your business?

Bryant: The Nguvu started as a business in 2013 where I was creating custom bow ties after my wife bought me one a while ago and I figured I could make them myself. I then started receiving requests from others who also wanted a custom wooden bow tie. At that time, they were pretty much one-for-one originals.

Ervin: Tell me what the name means, it's pretty unique.

Bryant: It means Strong in Swahili and Kenyan. I was using fabric from Nairobi, Kenya and started researching names for strong. My tagline on facebook says: “Feel STRONG. Look STRONG. Live STRONG. Be The NGUVU. If you feel strong, you will look strong. If you look strong, you will live strong. If you live strong, you will be Nguvu.” I wanted a name that represented a strong yet masciline feel without necessarily being just for men.

Ervin: So what is your background if any in this field?

Bryant: Well I went to art school in Atlanta before transitioning to finishing my degree at IU in Design and Production. I also have experience in photography, video, painting, drawing, clothing and design plus audio engineering.

Ervin: This is great! I didn’t know that. So now you've expanded beyond bow ties so what other items do you make?

Bryant: I have tried all kinds of things from clothing to embroidering as well as custom fabrics, various hats and even earrings. I have also started working with local event coordinators to make signs for backdrops in both wood and acrylic.

Ervin: Awesome and I’ve seen some jackets you make as well!

Bryant: Yes, I have been doing lots of custom orders on letterman jackets with business logos and whatever else others want on their jackets.

Ervin: So how do people find and contact you for their custom orders?

Bryant: I have both Facebook and Instagram for my business under The Nguvu. I can also be reached via phone: 260-255-5024, email: info@thenguvu.com and on my website at thenguvu.com.

Ervin: Thank you for your time today and sharing more about your unique business!