After collaborating with Bradley Murray, he started to gain confidence. Bradley, who is also from Chicago, helped Sam with his portfolio. He then went to events around the city, networking to get his name out there.
“I can go far if I stay focused,” Sam says. “I’m a business, building my brand.”
To make more of his dream, Sam moved to New York where he got a modeling job. The transition was difficult.
“I had family support and I had a job, but New York City living in general is expensive,” he says.
Sam is currently a stylist and market editor for BET’s “106 and Park” and also does personal shopping. While living in New York, Sam met a young woman who interned for BET, who eventually introduced him to a woman who produces for the network. The producer loved his style and sense of fashion and introduced him to the fashion director.
“I was set up with an interview with Texanna Watts, who gave me an internship and afterward hired me,” he says.
Although he says working with BET is fun, he doesn’t consider it a job because of the relationships he has gained with his "coworkers." Michael Barnett (Mike B.), a stylist seen on “House of Glam,” is someone Sam works with who has introduced to him to a lot of things in styling.
As his styling brand grows, he eventually wants to open his own company to help improve and develop the image of prospective clients.
“I want to [be able to] put specific people in contact with other people for whatever they want,” he says.
Fashion designer Rachel Roy started her career in styling and has built a fashion empire, with a clothing line that is available in many stores. Inspired, Sam says that he wants to model her career–– eventually taking his career to higher heights.
Follow Sam Desalu on Twitter @SamDeSalu and contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
