Refresh Clothing 2, a Birmingham staple, celebrated its 10th anniversary Oct. 3. Owner Corey Bishop celebrated 25 years of entrepreneurship the same day.

The clothing store and its owner are not your average business or entrepreneur. That’s evident immediately upon entering the vibrant and inviting Five Points West flagship location where Bishop is known for often greeting customers by name and knowing their style right away. Bishop is proudly celebrating the store’s long years of operation and serving the community at 2247 Bessemer Road in Birmingham.

With Refresh Clothing 2, Bishop has intricately woven the hard-learned lessons of his past into a pattern that has fashioned a new vision for his future, while simultaneously doing the same for others — with fashion as the common thread. Refresh Clothing 2 takes an approach to fashion that centers on providing clothing as ready-made and interchangeable collections and offering styling that translates into trendsetting seasonal offerings for clients as young as 6 and as old as 75.

Owner Corey Bishop assists a customer recently at Refresh Clothing 2 in Birmingham, Alabama’s, historic Five Points West. (contributed)

After overcoming personal hurdles more than two decades ago, Bishop moved into his Five Points West-Ensley location in October 2014, a few years after the departure of former family-owned staple Music-n-More. Bishop is building on the strength of that foundation, his personal experience and wisdom from mentors like Eric Walker who inspired him to take the path to ownership.

“Having a mentor is important,” Bishop said. “I had to change my mindset to see myself as an entrepreneur and economic developer. Now, I’m set on training the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

Part of helping train new business owners demands that Bishop continues to allow others to mentor and train him. He’s invested in himself by taking part in many accelerators and opportunities through REV Birmingham and Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance. He was a participant in TeamUP, a business advisory services program hosted by the Birmingham Business Alliance. Through TeamUP, the BBA armed local organizations with the skills and expertise to create engaged, effective and exceptional teams.

“The day you stop learning is the day you die,” Bishop said. “You always have to keep growing and learning. That’s why I wanted to get knowledge through TeamUP and the efforts of the Birmingham Business Alliance and partners like Prosper.” Prosper is a nonprofit civic partnership aimed at boosting Birmingham’s and Jefferson County’s inclusive economy.

Bishop grew up in Birmingham and is ready to see his hometown grow. He wants the Five Points West community to become a destination and not just a drive through. He is hopeful for the future and senses that things are changing for the better. “It’s in the air,” he said. “Things are changing. We have businesses and people coming back and businesses and people staying. It’s finally feeling stable here. We deserve that.”

To do his part to help the growth continue, Bishop keeps expanding his ventures. He’s already partnered with Reginald Davis to add Twice as Nice Water Ice to his collection of businesses. The neighborhood business serves flavored ice reminiscent of an Italian ice but with an undeniable Birmingham flair. Bishop is heavily involved with the Five Points West Chamber of Commerce, working with other entrepreneurs in the area to boost foot traffic and dollar exchanges. He has introduced new initiatives like The Big Homie Podcast, which shares news from a street perspective; Arrogant Treats; and Frame by AB, a service offering photography and videography. He is also working with local fashion businesses like Ace the Seamstress and home-based clothing brands Kritical Love and Heartful Echos.

Bishop supports other entrepreneurs by providing resources such as Zack’s Digital Dashboard, which specializes in logos, banners and T-shirt design. This is all Bishop’s way of paying it forward the way others did for him when he stepped out and officially started Refresh Clothing 2 a decade ago and when he jumped “feet first” into the world of entrepreneurship officially on Oct. 3, 25 years ago.

To learn more about Bishop and Refresh Clothing 2, email 7777treeoflife@gmail.com.

Owner Corey Bishop assists a customer at Refresh Clothing 2 in Birmingham, Alabama’s, historic Five Points West. (contributed)