17 minute read
Cute and Cocky
Cute and Cocky
Nikkita Gordon is Shooting for the Stars with Her Concealed Carry Products
Sometimes, we encounter people who are bursting with enthusiasm and creative energy with a personal drive to succeed. While most young women her age are thinking about parties and hanging out with friends, 23-year-old University of West Georgia Alumna Nikkita Gordon, demonstrates a strong entrepreneurial spirit and is bursting with ideas and goals for the future.
Her line of products to help women carry concealed weapons fashionably is gaining momentum, but her drive and ambition began at home.
Family Ties
“I grew up in Albany, Ga., with three older sisters and one younger brother,” she says. “I come from a family of achievers, and I always wanted to be unique in my family and make my own mark.”
Her entire family encourages one another, and the ambition to help her family – especially her mother – is part of what propels her. Her mother, Sabrina, has been a steady and strong influence in her life, and she encouraged all of her children to set goals for themselves.
Nikkita's oldest sister, Shandreel, lives in San Antonio and works in the oil industry; her second sister, Latoya, is a supervisor for a call center in Jacksonville, Fla.; Jasmine, her third sister, works as a supervisor at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in their hometown of Albany; and her younger brother, Roger Jr., is a forklift operator at Carrollton’s Pilgrim’s Pride and is working toward obtaining his forklift instructor’s license.
“My mom and brother both live in Carrollton now, and it’s so good having my family close by,” she says. In recent years, Nikkita has also been able to develop a closer relationship with her father. “My dad, Waylon Jackson, lives in Albany, and he is very supportive of me and my goals," she explains. "He was unable to be active in my life when I was younger because he was incarcerated for a few years. But within the last five years, he has supported me tremendously.” Her dad now operates his own landscaping company and mobile barber shop.
Family ties and love serve as motivation for Nikkita's desire to succeed.
Photo by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography
A Change in Direction
“When I was in high school, my goals were more about athletics,” she recalls. She says that as an adolescent, she was the fastest runner in her neighborhood. Nikkita is only 4 feet, 11 inches tall, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in speed. “I could run faster than the adults and all of the kids, including the boys,” she exclaims.
In the seventh grade, Nikkita decided to put her natural gifts for running to work, and she joined her middle school track team. By the time she was a student at Albany High School, Nikkita found she had ability in both the shorter, faster races, such as the 100-meter, 200-meter and the 4 X 100-meter relays, and in the endurance events. She often competed in the 4 X 400-meter relay, the 800-meter, the long jump and cross country. A born leader, Nikkita was named captain of her track and crosscountry teams.
“In high school, I always loved art and made my highest grades in art classes," she says. "I wanted to study art in college. I thought track would be what got me into college, but my classes would focus on art.” She originally considered attending SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design, but the high tuition prices of a private college would have meant she would have much higher student loans. “I have always worked to support myself," she says. "In Albany, I was a waitress and a cook at a local restaurant, so I could save money for school."
After researching the Georgia university system, various track prospects and approximate tuition requirements, Nikkita fell in love with the opportunities offered at the University of West Georgia (UWG).
Sometimes, when life doesn’t go exactly according to plan, it is often how the experience is dealt with that matters. “I originally came to UWG with the goal of being on the track team and maybe getting a scholarship,” she explains. “But when I tried out for track my freshman year, I was told I did not make the team. I couldn’t believe I didn’t make the cut. But after that happened, I decided to really focus my time and energy on my education and to create some goals for the future. I also decided to study business rather than art.”
Determined to keep on running, Nikkita made the track team as a walk-on her sophomore year and completed a season running in the West Georgia Wolves uniform. But during that time, a passion for academics was ignited.
“After I had decided on working toward a general business degree, my sister, Shandreel, told me I should get a solid, targeted degree." Nikkita ultimately received an undergraduate degree in marketing, with a certificate in advertising from UWG. She also received a certificate in entrepreneurship from the UGA Small Business Development Center (SBDC). With classroom experiences highlighting entrepreneurial and business endeavors, Nikkita began to develop a personal drive for starting a business of her own.
A Frightening Experience
“I had enjoyed working at a local chain restaurant when our family lived in Albany so, to continue making money to pay for school, I got hired on at one of their sister stores in Carrollton,” she says. She generally worked the 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, and one morning, something happened to her that eventually led to a business idea.
After her shift, Nikkita got ready to leave and noticed a lone man, smoking a cigarette, standing right outside the restaurant door. Earlier, he had been inside the restaurant for several hours. While it wasn't unusual for people to stay inside the restaurant for long stretches at a time, something about this man made Nikkita pay closer attention.
“After I clocked out, I walked by him as I left work and kind of looked at him from the side of my eye," she relates. "I knew he was watching me. I thought to myself, 'If he starts hurrying after me when I cross the street, I’ll need to do something.'" Sure enough, as she crossed the street, the man began walking quickly to catch up to her. “I knew then that I had to do something, so I suddenly turned around and confronted him,” she says. “I said to him ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ And he said, ‘I’m trying to walk you home.’”
Nikkita knew she had to convey a confidence and strength she wasn't feeling and told the man she didn't need anyone to walk her home. "I felt nervous,” she shares.
Fortunately, her fellow employees had been keeping an eye on the situation. When they saw her confront the man, they came outside to check on her, accompanied by a police officer who had been eating inside the restaurant.
The officer instructed the man to leave her alone and a co-worker offered Nikkita a ride home. While the experience had a favorable outcome, it left a big impression on her. She became inspired by the idea to help women defend themselves.
When a strange man tried to follow her home after work one morning, Nikkita became inspired to develop a product to help women defend themselves.
Photo by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography
“Because of my business, entrepreneurship and marketing classes, I had already been thinking about different entrepreneurial ideas,” she says. “I started right then to think about creating self-defense products for women.”
Cute and Cocky
At the time of the incident, Nikkita had never held a firearm or even been exposed to guns. She became convinced that women who have the desire should be able to confidently handle a personal firearm and be able to easily access it if a threat arises. Thus, an idea was born that would combine a women’s self-defense system with an entrepreneurial enterprise: Cute & Cocky Firearm Accessories and Apparel.
“When I was growing up, I always had a very fit and muscular body type. I would get teased a lot about my muscles, and people would call me names," she shares. "When I was younger, this teasing made me feel bad about myself. But, as I got older, I became proud of what my body and mind can do. I always liked to say, ‘I am cute and I am cocky!'"
Nikkita chose to name her business “Cute & Cocky,” and because the word “cocky” can also be associated with firearms, as you cock a gun before firing, she loved the idea of the double meaning.
Nikkita's initial idea for the product development focused on finding a way for women to smoothly conceal a firearm under clothing. The product design would incorporate the idea that women want to look good while feeling safe, so she started thinking of ways to create a prototype.
As a student entrepreneur representing the University of West Georgia, she had an opportunity to pitch her idea at the 6th annual TiE Atlanta Pitch Competition on Feb. 23, 2019. TiE Atlanta is a nonprofit that invests in entrepreneurs through education, funding, mentoring and networking. TYE (TiE Young Entrepreneurs) is their signature youth entrepreneurship program.
Twenty-three university teams from Georgia composed of undergraduates, graduates and Ph.D. candidates pitched their business idea to a group of judges at Georgia State University’s Buckhead campus with hopes of advancing to the TYE finals.
Cute & Cocky was one of 10 teams chosen to advance to the finals held in April 2019. Nikkita's pitch placed third in the competition, winning $2,000 for the growth of her business.
Reaching Out for Help
An effective part of entrepreneurship is having the confidence to ask for help and realize that no single person can do it all. “I was really lucky because during my sophomore year, Mr. Rick Sigman was a consultant with the UGA Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and one of its offices is located on the UWG campus," she says.
The SBDC, with 17 locations across the state of Georgia, provides the tools, resources and training to help small businesses start, grow and become successful. The SBDC also offers targeted help to minority business owners through its Office of Minority Business Development (OMBD). The OMBD is a special initiative created to provide attention to the needs of minority entrepreneurs by identifying procurement opportunities, locating sources of capital and supporting outreach efforts of minority business people around the state, according to the UGA SBDC center.
“Mr. Rick served as my consultant on starting a small business, and he really helped me get off to a good start,” she says. When Sigman took a position as a lecturer within the UWG system, Todd Anduze took over as her SBDC consultant. “Todd has been so helpful with explaining finances and has helped me set up that side of my business,” she explains. “He has given me lots of personal, one-on-one help, and I really appreciate it.”
Nikkita officially launched her business on Feb. 26, 2019 at The Burson Center in Carrollton. The Burson Center is a system of services designed to help facilitate innovation, entrepreneurship and stage I and II business development in the Carroll County and West Georgia area.
The small business incubator helps entrepreneurs build a solid foundation that will improve long-term success and fosters an environment for organizing, planning and expanding a business.
The Burson Center has incubated 84 businesses, creating 789 jobs and over $69 million in capital investment since opening in 2006, according to The Burson Center website.
"There, early in the stages of growth, I was personally advised on my business strategy by Lauren Holverson, previous manager of the center, and Daniel Jackson, president of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and Carroll Tomorrow," she explains. "They really helped give me access to manufacturing knowledge and professional space to conduct my business activities."
Nikkita created a patent pending design for a firearm retention system (FRS). The invention, called the FRS-1, is a sewn-in firearm apparel holster.
Photo by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography
After researching female safety, firearms, firearm apparel and more, Nikkita created a patent pending design for a firearm retention system (FRS). The invention, called the FRS-1, is a sewn-in firearm apparel holster.
Nikkita offers additional attachments for purchase so the same retention holster can be utilized underneath multiple outfits.
“I have also recently introduced the first item in my apparel line,” she says. Named the FRS-Hoodie, it looks like a traditional hoodie, but the same patent pending firearm retention system is pre-sewn right into the pocket of the hoodie. Nikkita says it is virtually impossible to distinguish if a firearm is holstered in the pocket, but a quick flip of the top of the pocket and the firearm can be quickly and safely accessed.
Retention system ($39.99); Additional attachments ($12.99); and the FRS-Hoodie, above, ($75). Available for sale at www.ccfirearmapparel.com.
Photo by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography
Currently, Nikkita hand-stiches each FRS product, but her goal is to license her design to an outside manufacturer and retailer.
Eventually, she would like to add additional products to her line but wants to make careful decisions. She is researching other products in the concealed carry industry areas to avoid market segments that are currently saturated, such as concealed carry handbags.
“I am currently thinking about developing a prototype for a comfortable ankle holster that will conceal a handgun underneath a woman’s pants,” she says.
Networking is Key
As part of her research, Nikkita has enjoyed meeting with other industry professionals, and in particular, tries to seek out female mentors and professionals.
She sees law enforcement as a potentially large market for the FRS-1 and has found that developing a variety of contacts and friendships in many areas of business has helped her grow the Cute & Cocky brand.
She has received support and advice through contacts made with the Women- and Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE and MBE), and she is particularly proud of her collaboration with a criminal investigator with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Investigator Ashley Hulsey.
“Investigator Hulsey wears the FRS-1 to safely conceal her firearm under her clothes or uniform," she says. "I am very proud that she wears the Cute & Cocky FRS-1 in the courtroom!”
You'd never know this cutie is packing heat under that denim jacket.
Photo by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography
Another mentor to Nikkita has been John Paulk, owner of a local gun range. “In January 2019, Mr. Paulk sponsored me to attend the "Shot Show" in Las Vegas and even helped me get an interview with a senior editor for Shooting Industry magazine," she relates.
The Shot Show is a trade show held annually in Las Vegas featuring tools, firearms, shooting and protective equipment, tools and tactical accessories. She is proud to share that her FRS-1 holster was included in the new products section of Shooting Industry magazine's first ever issue for women in May 2019.
Nikkita is also grateful for the help given to her by patent attorneys from an international law firm. “The firm's attorneys occasionally do pro bono patent work for beginning entrepreneurs, and I was very lucky to work with them," she shares. "I talked on the phone with lawyers in their Philadelphia office and then met with one of their employees in Atlanta who helped me with the patent application and approval process."
While many organizations and individuals have helped guide Nikkita, she realizes success will ultimately lie within herself. “My family is supportive of my business ideas, but can’t help out financially while I’m getting started," she shares. "So, if I am going to be successful, I know it is all up to me. But I am fully committed to investing time and energy into my dreams."
A Common Misconception
As a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment, Nikkita can often be found at the range, honing her shooting skills. She received firearms training in Atlanta with Marchelle Washington, a U.S. Army National Guard veteran who is a pistol instructor and teaches handgun safety courses for women.
“There seems to be a misconception that black people do not enjoy sport shooting, but that is not so," she relates. "I have seen many active firearms enthusiasts of all races, genders and ages."
Thirty-nine percent of men say they personally own a gun, compared with 22 percent of women, according to a 2017 Pew Research study. And while 36 percent of whites report they are gun owners, about 24 percent of blacks and 15 percent of Hispanics say they own a gun.
Over 6 million women participated in target shooting in 2016, and females who participated in hunting increased 104 percent from 2001 to 2016, a total of 1.1 million women, according to a 2016 Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation National Survey.
These trends indicate that women are becoming a much larger part of the hunting and recreational shooting industries. Manufacturers and retailers are beginning to recognize the impact of women in the industry and are realizing that more needs to be done to market their products and services to this vital demographic.
Work and Play
Her business may be starting to get off the ground, but like everyone else, Nikkita still has monthly bills to pay. In addition to working some hours at the restaurant, she cuts men’s hair and is sharpening her skills through an apprenticeship at TrendSetters Barbershop in Carrollton.
Joseph Long, AKA Joe Fade, manager of TrendSetters Barbershop in Carrollton, Ga., supervises Nikkita as she styles Quantavious Whitt's hair. Nikkita is currently an apprentice at TrendSetters where she cuts all types of men's hair.
Photo by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography
She does have interests outside of her entrepreneurial efforts. Even though she decided to pursue her studies in business, she has maintained a passion for art. “I particularly like to do mosaics and watercolors,” she says. “For me, creating art keeps me balanced, and it helps me be more patient with life and its obstacles.”
She continues to add various pieces to her home collection and often utilizes themes in her work, including female empowerment, prevention of drug addiction in minors and resistance to the oppression of colored Americans.
Nikkita still enjoys running as well. “I still like to run and try to do anywhere from two to five miles a day,” she says. “I love running, and it helps to heighten my competitive drive.”
She also loves to travel. While she was a student at UWG, she says she was fortunate to participate in a two-week study abroad program in Berlin and the Czech Republic.
“I hope to visit lots of different countries someday," she shares. "I am very interested in Dubai and China." She has also enjoyed trips within the U.S., such as attending the NRA Personal Protection Expo as an exhibitor in Ft. Worth, Texas.
Shooting for the Stars
Nikkita says the ultimate reason for her drive and determination all leads back to her desire to help her family. “My mother worked so hard to take care of all of us,” she shares. “I would like to be able to help her and have a homeplace where we can all live together.”
Her ultimate dream is to buy some land where, in addition to a family home or homes, they could work together growing healthy organic foods, becoming mostly self-sufficient and enjoying an outdoor lifestyle – with their own shooting range, of course.
Her goals this year for Cute & Cocky include having a launch and crowdfunding campaign for the FRS-Hoodie, a local women's holster fashion show and serving new dealer locations in the Southeast.
As the core motto for her Cute & Cocky business, Nikkita decided on the phrase, “Never Be Compromised." This motto certainly illustrates her drive for her own personal success, and it seems she won't compromise when it comes to making her dreams become a reality. WGW
To learn more about Nikkita Gordon and Cute & Cocky Firearm Accessories and Apparel, call 404.707.6406, email her at cuteandcocky@gmail.com, or visit the website at www.ccfirearmapparel.com
Follow her on Facebook @CuteandCockyLLC, Instagram @cute.cockyfirearmapparel and Twitter @CuteCocky
"Never Be Compromised" is the core motto for Nikkita Gordon's Cute & Cocky business."
Photo by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography
