As a journalist for the culture, Speedy Morman is no stranger to sparking conversations, posing the right questions, and creating viral moments — take his iconic moment with Ray J’s unbreakable glasses, for example.
The New York native is much more than meets the eye. He is proof that success is sure to follow when you put in the work.
“Hard work truly does supersede everything else,” Morman told AFROTECH in an interview.
“I think it’s important to commit yourself to something, and when you commit yourself to something, work hard at it and stay consistent, a lot of times, not all the time, but a lot of times, it will pay off,” he continued.
Turning His Love For Comfort Into A Business
Alongside his natural-born hustler attitude, Morman always remained authentic to himself. After pulling up to the White House in a tracksuit, it was a no-brainer for him to take his love for comfort to the next level. As the founder of the comfy lifestyle brand Comf, he is transforming comfort into an entrepreneurial journey.
“I kind of just stay true to myself, and I’ve always said, if they want us in their spaces, they have to accept us as we are,” he said, referring to his decision to pull up to the White House. “When I got invited to the White House, it wasn’t even a thought. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to wear something casual.’ I woke up and put on an outfit as I would have if I was going anywhere else, and so yeah, I wore a sweatsuit.”
He added, “Listen, you’ve got to be yourself no matter what.”
With Comf, he’s encouraging others to do the same.
“It [Comf] becoming a business was kind of just seamless,” said Morman.
He continued, “Over the years, so many people were just mentioning to me, ‘Oh, you should start your own brand,’ and so I said, ‘Alright.’ Slowly but surely, we just started rolling out small stuff like some slippers and just comfy-related items. Comf is like a lifestyle. You gotta be comfy in all aspects, not just in dress, but in every room you walk into. You have to be comf with yourself and in every relationship. That’s how this turned into a business.”
His Thoughts On The Term ‘Self-Made’
Morman believes the pinnacles of his success are possible because he’s worked with individuals who are just as committed to doing the work as he is.
“I’d be remiss not to mention that I had a lot of help along the way — producers, directors, my business partner, Ish, in Comf,” Morman recounted. “There’s no such thing as a self-made person. I think along the way, there are always people who contribute to one’s journey, and so I certainly have a lot of help and infrastructure, but I do my part, and that’s working hard.”
His Biggest Lesson In Business
As the world prepares for the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers during the National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11, Morman will head to Las Vegas, NV, for another competition among some of the hottest celebrities by way of Diageo vodka brand Smirnoff.
Morman will host the inaugural Smirnoff SMASH Pickle Bowl, where he will not only host matchups between unlikely celebrity pairings like musical artists Saweetie and Lance Bass, but the Complex correspondent will also go head-to-head with some familiar faces in what has been dubbed one of America’s fastest-growing sports, pickleball.
For Morman, authentic partnerships with a brand are the only way to go as he continues his career path.
“When it comes to brand partnerships, you can always see through when someone is excited or not to be working with a brand or a company,” he said. “So, for me, an authentic partnership looks like one that’s seamless like this. I’m excited about it. I was honored that Smirnoff wanted to work with me in any capacity.”
Looking ahead, the Syracuse University alum says we can expect to see more exciting interviews with prominent guests on his show, “360 with Speedy On Complex,” as well as a more intimate look into what a day in the life of Speedy Morman looks like through his latest vlogging venture, “Speedy’s Little Vlogs.”
