MBA alumnus and ISM Fashion House founder Brennan Lawson sparked passion for entrepreneurship at ASU

Brennan Lawson knew he wanted to begin a career in business when he left the Air Force. What he didn't know is that his time as an MBA student at ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business would kickstart his journey toward founding a boutique fashion company.

Brennan Lawson (MBA '14) knew he wanted to begin a career in business when he left the Air Force. What he didn't know is that his time as an MBA student at ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business would kickstart his journey toward founding a boutique fashion company.

"I learned that entrepreneurship was for me," Lawson says. "I realized that what I really care about in life is freedom."

This desire for freedom guided him away from initial career plans of working in the technology industry to found ISM Fashion House — a Black-owned, designer-led boutique based in Los Angeles that currently offers eyewear designed by Lawson himself.

The W. P. Carey School caught up with Lawson to discuss the impact of the MBA experience on his career, how his entrepreneurial spirit drives his community work, and what's next for his business.

Why W. P. Carey?

The W. P. Carey MBA program was Lawson's first and only choice. "I was stationed at Luke Air Force Base," he says. "I started looking around for MBA programs, and I came across ASU as the top option in the state."

He applied for and enrolled in the W. P. Carey Evening MBA program with the goal of picking up the necessary skills to launch a career in tech after his service time was over.

"I wanted to add some legitimacy to my resume," he says. "I wanted to understand what I didn’t understand about the private sector. Back then I probably would have called it the ‘civilian world.’ I ended up accomplishing both of those things and it worked out well for me. I learned a lot, I gained great friends and connections, and I had fun."

Selecting an MBA concentration is one of the ways W. P. Carey students can customize their education to align with career goals. Lawson was hesitant to select a focus at first. “W. P. Carey is known for supply chain and finance is also popular. I found myself interested in supply chain, but only because it was similar to the work I was doing in the Air Force at the time.”

Taking an applied course called Lean Launch was inspiring for Lawson. "I was interested broadly in this concept of commerce, and how it can create freedom for folks," he says. "The Lean Launch course was taught by an entrepreneur from Arizona. The experience got my feet wet for the first time and sparked my passion for entrepreneurship."

Why entrepreneurship?

When he graduated from W. P. Carey, Lawson was still planning to leverage his MBA to break into tech, which he did for a few years, but never felt fully comfortable in the industry.

"I don't enjoy organizational culture," he says. "Even if I like my boss, having someone near me with more control over my time than me is just a nonstarter for me."

At ASU, Lawson learned to understand entrepreneurship as “much less formulaic and a bit of an art form.” Compared with other business careers, this appealed to him. When he found himself without a job at the beginning of the pandemic, Lawson took the leap to start his own business. The product idea came from a lifelong hobby.

"I have always enjoyed sketching, literally just pencil and paper,” he says. “At some point that became sketching eyewear, just because it's so cool and symmetrical. I like sketching things with lots of symmetry."

Creating his company and products has been a meaningful adventure. "It reinforced my passion for entrepreneurship, which I already knew I had. Fashion is one of those ways that I'm able to express myself. It's really unique,” he says. “My big thing is accessories. I love eyewear, shoes, and bags. Those are what drew me to fashion."

ISM Fashion House has allowed Lawson to combine his love of freedom, entrepreneurship, and fashion with his creativity and self-expression. The brand's first collection of eyewear was completely designed by Lawson, as was much of the marketing and branding work.

The W. P. Carey MBA program and his experience as an entrepreneur have helped him become a better leader. "I was an officer in the Air Force, so I did have some experience with leadership and management, but it's an entirely different school of thought leading airmen versus leading a team of peers on different functions of my business."

"There's a lot more delicacy involved than I was prepared to engage in before my MBA," he adds. "I've softened my approach, and I think I'm a better leader now than I was in the Air Force, and that’s because of entrepreneurship."

What's next?

After the successful launch of his first eyewear collection, Lawson is looking forward to the future of ISM Fashion House, with three new collections in the works. "I'm doing it in collaboration with friends and folks that I've been inspired by along this journey," he says.

He is also actively involved in his community of Venice Beach, California. Lawson’s entrepreneurial spirit and skills helped him and a friend create an event called Venice Soulstice, a block party-style event celebrating Black expression and culture in the neighborhood and featuring up-and-coming local artists.

His dedication to affordable, accessible housing has led him to become involved with grassroots organizations like California YIMBY and Westside for Everyone, which advocate for more affordable housing options and legislation that promotes access to housing.

"Alongside freedom and entrepreneurship, I think the biggest way to offer opportunity at scale is to lower the cost of housing," he says. Lawson is partnering with Westside for Everyone to grow the chapter in Venice Beach. “The goal is to build community, raise awareness, and support the legislative agenda, as well as engage with and maintain engagement in our community.”

Even while living in California, Lawson still stays involved as a W. P. Carey alumnus as well, serving as a mentor at the Center for Entrepreneurship and New Business Design. He loves the feeling of giving back, but also enjoys learning from current students. "It’s exciting for me to tap into the mindset of a young entrepreneur who's more interested in entrepreneurship than working at Intel or Amazon."

Lawson advises aspiring entrepreneurs to stay focused, finetune your ego, and remember the driving purpose you have for being a business owner. Your driving purpose will ensure you stay passionate, helping you lead and grow the venture in ways you can be proud of.

"One thing that I've come to terms with and felt proud of in my approach to ISM and keeping it a bootstrapped operation so far, is that it's allowed me to not only support my self-expression, but also to support the communities and folks that are in my life that I care about,” he says. “Keeping and maintaining that aspect has been incredibly important to me maintaining my interest in running ISM.”

“Understanding how to finetune my ego early on is how I came to this realization,” he adds. “I think that ISM has a lot more staying power now, because I view it this way.”