13 minute read
FEATURE
Edwin Bah
The man behind the “Go Lift” movement
KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD FEATURE EDITOR
He’s a man that lives and breathes his brand. He’s a man that won’t stop at good enough. He’s a man that strives to break the generational curses of his family. He’s a man that sets a goal, and will go through any means to achieve it.
“Being an entrepreneur means setting my family up for generational success,” Edwin Bah, graduate student of sports and leisure, said. “I feel like when people hear the word entrepreneur they just think of self, but to me it’s about longevity, it’s about setting yourself up, so that you don’t have to work anymore.”
Tired of trying to fit inside a box everyone else wants to fit him in, Bah broke barriers by shutting out what others thought he could or should do and trusted his intuition.
“I don’t want to work for anybody,” Bah said. “I want to be my own boss. Seeing people like Mark Cuban, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, motivates me to go above and beyond for my brand. I can’t stop and I won’t stop.”
It all started during his senior year of undergrad while celebrating the legacy left behind by Robert Grays. Twenty-four push-ups seemed easy enough for a past all-state football player, but he would soon come to find out that the strength he spent years building on, slowly disappeared as he left that lifestyle on the backburner. Disappointed that he could only do seven push-ups, Bah went to the only place he knew could help.
“We started going to the gym every day and we never missed a day, sometimes we even went two times a day,” Bah said. “My roommate, Ashley Hill, and I were determined and that determination sparked a movement.”
What started as Snapchat posts encouraging individuals to “Go Lift” led to a simple T-shirt design of a stick man with the bolded words “Go Lift B****” surrounding it. It’s simplicity resonated with people and in the first day of selling shirts they were sold out in less than 24 hours.
“At that moment we knew we had something people wanted to buy,” Bah said. “We immediately started playing around with the image and sending off our ideas to graphic designers. From that moment on we took it seriously, and that’s the reason why the brand is what it is today.”
Driven by his competitiveness and desire to be number one at whatever he puts his mind to, Bah won’t just stop there. Focused on creating six streams of income for himself, Bah says the “Go Lift” movement is just a leg of the table he’s trying to build.
“My number one goal in being an entrepreneur is to be the best, I want to be number one,” Bah said. “After graduating from undergrad and facing the real world, seeing how hard it is to get a job, I realized I had to create my own lane of success.”
His unique stance on success follows closely through his movement.
“If I can do it, you can too,” Bah said. “It all goes back to the person who made me realize that I appreciate my life, which is Robert Grays. You have legs, you have a life and you have a beating heart so go do it. Don’t be lazy and don’t waste your days on this Earth wishing you did, just go do it now.”
Despite his efforts, being a Black entrepreneur in this world climate can present some challenges of its own. Bah explores the struggles of being a small business owner and a Black man in America, he says mixing the two together can be disastrous at times.
“There’s no launching point for us,” Bah said. “It’s all pity parties and people just feeling sorry for you. We need more inclusion of Black entrepreneurs, we need a safe space for Black entrepreneurs and I feel like a lot of companies and institutions just don’t do that for us.”
Although Bah faces new challenges every day, he turns every negative into fuel for his success. Bah says there is 365 days in a year and sometimes you’re going to have a few bad days here and there, but what matters the most is what you do after those bad days; do you keep going or do you let those bad days eat through that motivation and drive you’ve built?
“A lot of people are wishing on your downfall and it’s hard to find people who genuinely care about your Black business, but I surround myself with people who know my pain and my experiences and we support each other,” Bah said.
He’s a man of resiliency and he has just barely cracked the surface of his success. He hopes in the next five years his brand can reach a more diverse audience, and he plans to be more inclusive in his clothing items.
“I hope the legacy will be that some crazy college kids actually put their dreams into fruition and that someone else can do it too, it’s just that easy,” Bah said.
14 April 19, 2021 Staff Farewell | News | Collegiate Health | Sports | Media | Feature | New Staff | Graduation
MEET THE NEW SENIOR STAFF
Amos Perkins: Editor in Chief
Hi there! My name is Amos Perkins, and starting next fall I will be the editor-in-chief of The Wichitan. I am a 4-8 grade social studies education junior hoping to graduate in Spring 2023. I joined The Wichitan as a freshman who mostly wrote sports, before becoming managing editor and holding that title for the last year. Almost exactly a year ago, I got married to my high school sweetheart, the love of my life and fellow Mustang, Emma Midgette (now Perkins). In my spare time, I love writing fiction and collecting old maps and flags.
I joined the paper, because I wanted friends and a place to belong. And I can honestly say The Wichitan has given me that and so much more. The people on the paper are truly like family to me. The outgoing seniors have elevated us to a place the paper has never been before, and I am so excited to see the amazing ways we can continue to grow. writing and languages. I hope that my future career involves travel ing, writing and meeting tons of people.
I joined The Wichitan because I wanted to hone my voice as a jour nalist and my eye as a designer. The Wichitan areas, but it has also given me tons of new friends. The organization really feels like a family! I’m so excited to grow the organization with in this next year, and I can’t wait to see what campus voices our team will amplify next.
Stephanie Robledo: Managing Editor
Hello! My name is Stephanie Robledo and this upcoming fall will be my third year with The Wichitan. Previously, I was news editor, but this time I’m coming back as managing editor. I have enjoyed my time at The Wichitan and hope to continue being part of this amazing team for as long as I’m at MSU. I’ve learned a lot as news editor and am excited to learn more and take on a larger role as a managing editor.
More things about me: I am an English and mass communication junior, originally I’m from Dallas but have been living in Wichita Falls for two years now and my favorite color is pink.
Outside of the newspaper, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I also enjoy traveling and hope to do more of it in the future when everything goes back to normal.
Emily Beaman: News and Social Media Editor
Hello hello! I’m Emily Beaman and come this fall, I’ll be the news editor and social media manager for The Wichitan! A couple of fun facts about me: I’m a political science major, I’m a Cards Against Humanity collector, I have a small Sonic obsession and my dog, Honeybee, is my best friend. I joined The Wichitan during the spring of my freshman year and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! Being part of this paper has made me love the news world more and helped shape me into a better journalist. The people I get to be around are so helpful, amazing and fun, and I’m so thankful I’ve been able to work with them in such an enthusiastic environment.
I’d also love to hear from anybody who has any story ideas, but I also love random conversations, so feel free to reach out to me for anything and everything!
Colin Stevenson: Photography Editor
Hello, again, for the first time! While COVID limited my participation in the paper this past year, I plan to come back full force and give my all! This will be my third year with The Wichitan, and I couldn’t be more excited to be working with such talented people. I hope to use my skills to benefit the campus, better the paper and grow as a person along the way. I’ll do my best to create fantastic pictures to complement our team’s amazing writing.
Beyond my role with the paper, I am a mass communication junior from Fort Worth, a professional photographer with nearly 5 years of experience, a huge nerd and tech geek (I built my own PC and am very willing to discuss if you wish) and a bit of a goofball. I often keep a camera on me to be ready, so feel free to chat it up if you see me around! ing stories in their notebook instead of taking notes in class.
As an Afro-Latina, the two cultures I share have been an inspiration and motivator for me; not only for my writing but also for my career. Once I graduate from Midwestern State, I plan on making it to the big screen and become a news anchor/television host for Telemundo and change the culture and diversity in the newsroom. As I take on this new position, I plan to continue expanding diversity and inclusion and to provide a platform where everyone feels they have a voice.
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MEET THE NEW SENIOR STAFF
Abigail Jones: Assistant Editor
Hello there! I’m Abigail Jones, your assistant editor. I’m a mass communication junior with a focus in public relations and advertising, and I like to do a little bit of everything for The Wichitan. From reporting, to layout and design, to copy editing, I’m your gal! I’m also a self-taught artist with my own business, and I have a love for writing and languages. I hope that my future career involves traveling, writing and meeting tons of people.
I joined The Wichitan because I wanted to hone my voice as a jourThe Wichitan has helped me in those areas, but it has also given me tons of new friends. The organization really feels like a family! I’m so excited to grow the organization within this next year, and I can’t wait to see what campus voices our team
Omar Combie: Design Editor
Hey guys! Guess who’s back again?! I, Omar Combie, will be reprising the position of design editor of The Wichitan for the upcoming academic year. For our readers who may not know me, I am a mass communication junior and international student. I come from the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Lucia. I have some MSU Texas alumni in my family, so it was through that connection, I ended up coming here in Fall 2019.
Not too long into my first semester, I joined The Wichitan, and it has been an immensely valuable experience. I have been able to hone my graphic design skills significantly along with various soft skills including teamwork and leadership. I look forward to bringing you more eye-catching designs next semester.
Alexis Martin: Business Manager
Hey y’all! My name is Alexis Martin and I’m the business manager for The Wichitan! I joined during the 2021 spring semester when a position opened up for business manager and have felt at home ever since. The atmosphere at The Wichitan is kind and supportive and I look forward to spending my last semester in college at this paper. As business manager, my job is to find businesses that want to advertise with us. The interest in advertising comes from my internship at a local radio station. I’m a true crime junkie and I love spending time with my family and friends! I hope to work in radio and advertising after I graduate! I will be graduating from MSU in December of 2021 with a degree in mass communication and a minor in digital media!
Thalia Doe: Sports and Feature editor
Hello! My name is Thalia Doe, and I am the sports and feature editor of The Wichitan. I am a Spanish and mass communication senior with a minor in broadcast journalism. I joined The Wichitan in January 2021 because of my passion for writing and sharing stories with the world! Growing up, I was always that one kid in the back of the classroom writing stories in their notebook instead of taking notes in class.
As an Afro-Latina, the two cultures I share have been an inspiration and motivator for me; not only for my writing but also for my career. Once I graduate from Midwestern State, I plan on making it to the big screen and become a news anchor/television host for Telemundo and change the culture and diversity in the newsroom. As I take on this new position, I plan to continue expanding diversity and inclusion and to provide a platform where everyone feels they have a voice.
Joseph Nelson: Entertainment Editor
Hey everyone! My name is Joseph Nelson, and I am an English major graduating in 2022. I joined The Wichitan in the Fall of 2020, and I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to publish my writing and get to know the hardworking and innovative students involved in the paper. From writing articles about campus events to the occasional opinion piece on national issues, I consider myself lucky to have found such a great outlet for engaging with my campus community. I spend my free time working on creative writing and video editing, both of which inform my ambition to one day produce my own films.
As a reporter and editor, I am committed to offering MSU students a paper that presents fair and engaging visions of our campus and the world outside it, from news articles to op-eds.
Dallas Wabbington: Cartoonist
Hi, how are ya? I am THE Dallas Wabbington (and not Dallas, Fort Worth). I’m continuing my position as a reporter and going into my second year as the cartoonist for The Wichitan. I am an English senior working on my teaching certification for grades 7-12. Moving from a small school district to a university was a big change, and I have enjoyed so many different opportunities and experiences. With my love for writing, it was only natural that I would use my skills to contribute to the university.
I joined The Wichitan towards the end of my sophomore year at MSU and feel that I have truly grown as both a person and a writer. I have met a lot of pretty cool people and have had the honor to write so many stories that catch the eye of so many readers. All I want to provide in my stories is a chance for readers to see a different perspective.
