A variety of different style caps can be found at SvN Arrow.
                                 Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

A variety of different style caps can be found at SvN Arrow.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>There’s no shortage of styles or colors of shirts available at Akil Asim’s first store for SvN Arrow.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

There’s no shortage of styles or colors of shirts available at Akil Asim’s first store for SvN Arrow.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>Matching gym set outfits in various colors are available inside SvN Arrow’s new store.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

Matching gym set outfits in various colors are available inside SvN Arrow’s new store.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>SvN Arrow offers more than just clothes. Bags, bottles, jewelry and more are also offered.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

SvN Arrow offers more than just clothes. Bags, bottles, jewelry and more are also offered.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>There’s no shortage of styles or colors of shirts available at Akil Asim’s first store for SvN Arrow.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

There’s no shortage of styles or colors of shirts available at Akil Asim’s first store for SvN Arrow.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>Akil Asim grins ear-to-ear outside of his new storefront for his business SvN Arrow. He and his trademark brand can be found in the heart of downtown Clinton, at 209 Vance St., Suite A.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

Akil Asim grins ear-to-ear outside of his new storefront for his business SvN Arrow. He and his trademark brand can be found in the heart of downtown Clinton, at 209 Vance St., Suite A.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>There’s no shortage of styles or colors of shirts available at Akil Asim’s first store for SvN Arrow.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

There’s no shortage of styles or colors of shirts available at Akil Asim’s first store for SvN Arrow.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

With a dream to never stop moving forward, Akil Asim started his clothing business he calls SvN Arrow. He continues to fly like his brand’s namesake as he enters the next chapter in his journey, opening up his first store.

”This feels real good; there’s a lot of new lessons in it,” Asim said. “I’m learning as I go because it is my first store, but I’m just grateful for the opportunities and it’s a blessing coming from where I came from, so I’m just thankful.”

Asim’s new spot is located in the heart of downtown Clinton and he can be found at 209 Vance St., Suite A. There you’ll find his trademark apparel of shirts, gym clothes, caps, hoodies and much more — all marked with his signature logo of a looping arrow pointing to the right, representing his life’s journey.

Since starting his business nearly two years ago, his success has steadily grown. Asim said he never imagined he’d be so successful so quickly.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t,” he said with a big smile. “Sometimes when I’m out and about and I see people with that arrow on them, I’m still like, shocked, because that came from me. Sometimes I see people I don’t know and I’m just like, wow, I wonder where they got that from, but it’s still all really crazy to me.”

As far as how and why Asim chose to open up his first store he’d share the story behind it and how the loving women of his family helped him get it up and running.

“Me and my mother had been looking for a place for a while and we couldn’t find anything that was in our budget,” he said. “One day, though, I rode by and I saw the sign in this window. Then I called and the price was right, so I said to the building owner ‘I’m bringing you the money tonight.’ The rest is history.”

“After that, my grandmother, mother and aunt helped me paint, we put everything together and opened the doors to the people,” Asim said. “We probably had everything done in a week. My grandma, she loves that type of stuff and she was in here nonstop working. My first day, I believe was June 15, so we’ve been open about a month.”

For those that haven’t heard about Asim’s journey or the story behind is brands logo, SvN is his unique abbreviation for the number seven — a significant number in his life. It’s the amount of time he served in prison after making wrong decisions that resulted in time behind bars. In his younger years, Asim said he was moving too fast when it came to life in the streets.

For Asim, the arrow also represents how everyone can have crookedness within, but he believes an arrow is still an arrow, no matter the shape. Now, he’s on a direct path with a dream to grow his business through a motto of “No Days Off & The Grind Never Stops.”

On his new building’s window, the words “Using Fashion to Inspire & Encourage Change” is written, which he continues to strive toward. After persevering through all he has, Asim left these words to both inspire and encourage change in those that may now be where he once was.

“First thing I would say is if I had opened my mouth to ask for help, I would’ve never been in prison,” he said. “If I had simply picked up the phone and said, ‘look, this is what I’m going through and I need some assistance.’ So first things first, put that pride to the side and open your mouth.”

“For a person who’s gone through what I’ve been through and feels like they can’t do anything else, I’m proof that you can,” he continued. “Write down and form a plan and figure out what you got to do to execute that plan. Study whatever it is you’re trying to get into and take it one day at a time, because it’s possibilities out there.”

“I started selling clothes a month out of prison and here I am. Aug. 21 will be two years I’ve been free and I‘ve got a store,” he added. “So it’s possible and I did it all the right way and took things one day at a time. Find you a support system and a team of like-minded people who genuinely care about you and genuinely want to see you succeed and pushing through and make it happen.”

Asim sees big things for the future of his brand.

“This is just the beginning — we’re in just Sampson and Duplin county and we’ve got plans to shoot the arrow all over the world,” he stated. “So I look forward to the day of seeing it all over the world. We aren’t even on the commercials on TV or in the mall yet, so we still have so much work to do and so much to accomplish.”

For more information of Asim or SvN Arrow, visit his website www.SvNARROW.com or call 703-919-4402.

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook, and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.