In 2023, senior Quinn Angelos, an aspiring entrepreneur, established her small business Grouphug. Last year’s winter Lancer Market laid the foundations for her business’s success, inspiring Angelos to take her creations to the next level.
After receiving the opportunity from CHS to kickstart her clothing business, Angelos quickly began working to prepare everything for the market in the month she was given. It took weeks of preparation, consisting of new design creations and the selection of certain pieces.
“I was already kind of floating around the idea of starting a business,” Angelos said. “And when I saw the advertisement for the Lancer Market it gave me the motivation to actually do it.”
According to Angelos, Grouphug’s first appearance at the Lancer Market was a success for both the company and her personal experience. She took it as an opportunity to put herself out there and promote her designs to fellow students.
“I sold out of all of my products, and it was a really nice starting point to go off of and grow from there,” Angelos said. “I got lots of pre-orders, so it was really beneficial for me and really got my name out there.”
While Angelos established Grouphug on her own, her friends and family assisted in making her accomplishments possible. As Angelos shares familial ties in the clothing industry, she has had some familiarity with running a business.
“My dad has a clothing brand, he has always been really artistic,” Angelos said. “That is what inspired me to start this.”
Grouphug is a non-profit organization that donates their funds to other organizations that need support. Senior Sophia Owens helps Angelos to promote this cause by taking photos of her products for social media and the website.
“I think that what Quinn is doing has such a cool purpose,” Owens said. “She donates all of her profits to homeless shelters. I want to help out in any way I can.”
Although the business did not achieve as much success in the previous Lancer Market compared to her first, Angelos took this in stride. Implementing new learnings, she plans to persevere through the business’s struggles and attend the winter Lancer Market this December.
“At my last Lancer market in the spring we actually lost money which is okay, that’s what happens,” Angelos said. “I’ve kind of slowed down since then, but I am looking forward to getting it back up and running.”
Through her clothing designs, Angelos promotes lessons that she’s learned from those close to her throughout her life. Her business has especially taken a rise in popularity at CHS for this spread of positivity and meaningful messages.
“The main sweatshirt that you’ll see people wearing around school is the grey hoodie,” Angelos said. “It says, ‘never go to bed angry’ on the back. My parents always say that, and it is a rule in our house.”
Continuing to give back to the community, Angelos strives to spread positivity through the phrases written on her products and by donating to the less fortunate. While also following her passion for design, she aims to continue to uplifting CHS’s well-being through her art.
“I thought Grouphug was a good name because it promotes inclusivity and kind, positive thoughts,” Angelos said. “I wanted it to feel as if I were hugging you.”
