An African-American man was recently spotted knitting on an NYC subway train. Seeing this was so impressive and unusual that one woman took a photo of him and shared it on social media. It turns out that the man was Louis Boria, founder of Brooklyn Boy Knits. His story has since gone viral, and his sales have exploded.
Louis started knitting as a way to pass the time while commuting to and from work for two hours a day. After mastering the craft, he launched Brooklyn Boy Knits in 2009.
While he enjoyed the craft and used it to make scarves for the homeless and for disaster victims, the craft did not really turn into a full-time business. However, that all changed after his story went viral.
The power of social media
Now, Louis is overwhelmed with the order requests he's getting for hand-made scarfs, sweaters, hats, baby clothes, and more.
“For the first time in 10 years, I have pending orders,” he told the New York Daily News. In fact, he's had to hire two employees to help him keep with the orders.
What began as sharing a photo that warmed the hearts of women turned into a big business boost for Louis. He says that he is very grateful to the woman who shared his photo on Facebook, and is giving her the scarf he was knitting when she spotted him on the subway.
For more details about Louis Boria or Brooklyn Boy Knits, visit www.BrooklynBoyKnits.com or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brooklynboyknits/