On October 5, 2023, I visited Corey Bishop’s shop, Refresh Clothing in Five Points West-Ensley. As I entered the store, I felt the welcoming atmosphere of the shop and Mr. Corey Bishop. I appreciated the presence of someone who was hands-on with his customers and that’s what makes Mr. Corey different from any other clothing entrepreneur. Usually when I enter a clothing store, it’s hard to pick out a piece of clothing to match the new shoes I picked up, but Mr. Corey has his shop designed to where I could just walk in and find an outfit automatically. The store had everything separated on both sides of the store, with both walls filled with coordinated clothing. That makes it very easy and accessible for anyone from ages 5-75 to shop.
Being in the store with Mr. Corey taught me that his path wasn’t always easy. He started off selling clothes from the trunk of his car in 2005, taking a risk on trying to be successful and not being afraid to be different, while overcoming some personal hurdles and mistakes. Fast forward to now, it paid off well for him, inspiring me to do something different from my peers and making me more confident in thinking outside the box and taking a risk. When Mr. Corey told me that if I can find something I would do for free and really enjoy it, imagine what could come of that if I applied myself to learn more and get paid to do it that really stuck with me. That’s a very important note I took from Mr. Corey. He also had me try on a new jacket that had just arrived in the store. The quality of the jacket was great!
On the road to success, Mr. Corey didn’t do everything by himself. He had the help of a mentor who guided and motivated him. I now know that everyone needs to shadow after someone and have others help them along the way, because learning from others will take us a long way. Mr. Corey even talked about how his participation in Prosper’s Team UP program has truly helped his store and him.
In addition to his clothing store, Mr. Corey has another store located in the same shopping center in Five Points West-Ensley called Twice as Nice Water Ice. They serve delicious flavored, frozen ice, hot dogs, chips, and more. Someone owning two shops in one shopping center is unprecedented, but Corey Bishop has done it. I know that if he can do it, I can do it, too, as long as I stay focused, allow others to help me and find something I love to do.