Courtesy of The Good South
The owners of The Good South Steven Nelson and Jason Welch.
Ole Miss alumni and college admissions counselors Stephen Nelson and Jason Welch recently launched The Good South.
Both Mississippi natives, Nelson and Welch have opened the Mississippi-operated online retailer with the hopes of sharing “Southern lifestyle clothing with a mission to support students pursuing higher education,” according to the company’s mission statement.
Welch said that the pair were inspired to launch the brand by their experiences both as admissions counselors and consumers.
“Through our jobs as admission counselors for the university, we have had the opportunity to travel together for work and have discovered that our passions are alike,” Welch said of working with his friend. “We love all aspects of Southern culture, and we love the Southern style. As admission counselors, higher education is extremely important to us, and we found that the best way to combine our two greatest passions of the Southern lifestyle and higher education was to start The Good South.”
The pair opened The Good South at the end of 2013 as an online retailer selling bow ties, T-shirts and hats handmade in the Deep South.
Beginning in May, a portion of their yearly proceeds will be awarded through The Good South Scholarship to an entering or current college student with a passion for service.
Nelson and Welch hope that Ole Miss students, and students in general, will be inspired to try their own hand at entrepreneurship.
Welch, a marketing graduate of the Ole Miss business school, said that the opportunities afforded him as an undergraduate allowed for today’s success.
“The business school provided me with opportunities and tools that have become a sound foundation for personal success,” Welch said. “I was able to meet with entrepreneurs, hear business leaders speak and receive meaningful advice.”
Nelson majored in biology while studying at the university and said that his involvement in campus life allowed him to build professional skills in use today.
“I fell under the College of Liberal Arts and am, to this day, appreciative of the well-roundedness of my degree,” Nelson said. “I received the foundations of communication, working with others and critical thinking in classes, and I know that campus involvement has helped us as well. From meeting extended members of the Ole Miss family, learning diverse communication skills, leadership skills and time management, I feel that we had well-rounded experiences.”
Welch encourages students to seek out professional development opportunities.
“I was fortunate to serve as a student adviser on the Business Advisor Board and, through that experience, was able to meet with business leaders across the state, South and nation,” he said.
Nelson, an alumnus of the Associated Student Body and Student Programming Board, similarly appreciates the connections established in his time at Ole Miss.
“All of the organizations I had the opportunity to be involved in contributed to my success, but campaigning helped me to learn the most,” Nelson said.
The pair believe that The Good South represents an intersection of their experience as admission counselors and Southern entrepreneurs.
“We sell items that best represent what we love about the South while creating opportunities for both current and college-bound students through The Good South Scholarship fund,” Welch said. “This year, we will award our first four scholarships to current undergraduates and college-bound students, because we want to reward committed students.”
Nelson said that giving back to the communities they serve as admission counselors was a primary goal in starting the business.
“We come across thousands of students each year, meeting future doctors, lawyers, artists and teachers,” Nelson said. “While the students we meet are extremely diverse, they all share the same concern: the need for scholarship money. After repeatedly hearing this concern, we decided we wanted to do something to help.”
Welch said that The Good South is also seeking two interns.
“We would love to host Ole Miss students as interns, and are looking for a graphic design and brand photography intern,” he said.
The Good South will award its first scholarships in May. An application is available online at www.thegoodsouth.com/pages/our-cause.
