I’m an Analyst at AT&T and a Fashion Designer for Celebs Like Zendaya

This as-told-to essay is based on an interview with Steven Goudeau, the 42-year-old head designer and CEO of Stephen Goudeau. It has been edited for length and clarity.

For the past 17 years, I’ve had two jobs. I own my own fashion brand and work as a full-time analyst at AT&T.

I don’t think the average successful entrepreneur has just one income. I’ll never have one job.

I’ve loved fashion since I was young

My parents were super stylish. One of my earliest memories is of my dad wearing a mesh tank top and gold MC Hammer pants standing next to a VW Beetle. As I got older, I also started to play with my look.

I studied communications but kept creating clothes for local people in New Orleans, such as the pastor’s wife. I didn’t have any sewing skills, so I would visit a family friend who owned a local alterations shop, and she showed me how to cut patterns and sew.

I got a job as a visual merchandiser at The Gap in Houston, which was my first real experience working two jobs. During the day, I worked for Chase Bank as a phone contractor, and then at night, after The Gap had closed, I decorated the store windows.

I started my first fashion brand in 2006

My cousins helped me with my first brand, Studio Sixth Sense. I designed clothes for the professional woman who lives a luxury lifestyle.

I did the designs while they handled marketing, model booking, and finance. A local seamstress would sew the clothes. I’d take individual commissions and participate in small fashion shows.

I didn’t seek funding to launch my brand. As luxury fabrics such as merino wool and crepe were not cheap, I needed a full-time second job to cover this outlay as I finished my contract with Chase.

A friend referred me to AT&T

A family friend told me about a well-paid tech support job at AT&T. It promised good benefits and a good salary. I interviewed, passed the test, and started working for AT&T in March 2008.

At work, I’d keep a sketch pad with me so I could draw my designs during my downtime. It wasn’t long before my designs started to get noticed.

New York Fashion Week invited me after seeing my designs on social media

I was approached by New York Fashion Week for its September 2012 show, as they’d spotted my designs on social media. I was ambitious but still a little raw.

I participated in a show with a group of other designers and created a new collection called “Eat Cake” inspired by Marie Antoinette. It featured big shoulders, a lot of lace, and a lot of jewels. It caught the attention of celebrity stylist Law Roach.

He started working with Zendaya in 2014 and shot her in my clothes. As time went on, other celebrities, such as Tyra Banks, Lil’ Kim, Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child, and Emmy-winning actress Tabitha Brown were photographed in my pieces.

When I started gaining traction, I changed the name

I never wanted to put my name on the brand because I didn’t think that people would accept a male of color in the luxury fashion industry.

Then I started listening to people around me, and I agreed that Stephen Goudeau on a label inside a couture gown sounded so much better. It’s spelled differently from my name, so I kept my own identity.

I don’t think I will ever have one job

Being comfortable is an unhealthy way to live for me. I work 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week at AT&T. My average day involves getting out of bed and grabbing coffee, then catching the train or an Uber to take me to the office.

For the next eight hours, I work as an analyst for AT&T. I won’t design on my lunch hour because I’m too busy. Analysts watch the data all day, liaise with the techs, and work with the managers in the field.

At Stephen Goudeau, I’m the head of the brand. When I go to AT&T, I can relax a little because somebody else is in charge. I can concentrate on my day-to-day role.

AT&T knows that I have my own fashion company. Having a brand hasn’t stopped me from progressing at AT&T.

When I get home from my day job, I focus on my designs

Even if I’m tired, it’s not hard to get inspired. My apartment is full of mannequins. I may work until 1 a.m., but I only need three or four hours of sleep.

In the evenings, I have calls with my fashion company and a team meeting on Monday nights. Having a solid team behind me ensures I don’t get swamped.

The upsides of having two jobs are, of course, the finances

Working at AT&T has also taught me a lot about running a business. I get to work with a larger team and see different personalities and how different people work.

I am sacrificing the time I get to spend with my family and friends, and I feel guilty sometimes, but they continue to be my biggest supporters.

I stay on track through positive thoughts. As soon as I get out of bed every day, I put my feet on the ground and tell myself I’m going to have a good day because we have the power to predict how our day will go.

In 2025, I plan to get into retail

My goal is to have a showroom this year. I’ve started designing a lot of accessories because nobody wears couture every day.

My family does worry about me getting burned out, but they see the bigger picture. They know that I want the Stephen Goudeau company to be known as a luxury household brand, but I don’t plan to leave AT&T.