Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Dismuke II.
Hi Omar, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story started in 1984. I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and creativity has pretty much been the one constant in my life. My father was killed when I was ten months old, so I was raised by my mother, grandparents, and aunts. My grandfather had a huge influence on me. He was a minister, a community leader, a big reader, and somebody who always pushed me to think bigger than my surroundings. He exposed me to books, jazz, Bob Marley, travel, and experiences that helped me realize early on that there was a bigger world beyond the westside of Detroit.
My mom was big on faith, being yourself, and doing what’s right, even when nobody was watching. She was always teaching life lessons, always making me read Proverbs, and always reminding me to think for myself instead of blindly following what everyone else was doing. She talked a lot about self-preservation and staying true to who you are.
By the time I was twelve, I had decided I wanted to be an architect. That led me to study drafting at Mumford High School and eventually earn acceptance to Tuskegee University, where I studied architecture. While at Tuskegee, I got introduced to graphic design and Adobe Photoshop CS, and I went down a rabbit hole. This was before YouTube, so I taught myself through a lot of trial and error, curiosity, and late nights figuring things out. Before long, I started designing flyers for people on campus and quickly realized I could actually make money doing something I genuinely loved while helping people.
After graduating, I made the decision to pursue design and my newfound creative passions instead of architecture. Around that same time, I also learned FL Studio and got deep into music production. I spent years producing beats, chasing placements, and learning the business. I was fortunate enough to earn production credits with Logic, CyHi The Prynce, Maybach Music Group and even got a shoutout from 50 Cent along the way. For a while, I really thought music was going to be the path.
Then my son was born in 2013, and life got real. I still loved making music, but I was trying to build a family and create something sustainable. At the time, chasing placements felt more like a gamble than a plan. As tough as it was, I made the decision to lean fully into design, branding, and digital marketing and started building with a lot more intention. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects connected to organizations like Google, Foot Locker, TD Jakes Enterprises, and the It’s On Us campaign launched by President Barack Obama, while collaborating with countless entrepreneurs, national nonprofits, and community leaders along the way.
Today, I serve as the Digital Content Manager and Social Media Strategist for Wayne County, Michigan within the Executive Office, while continuing to build brands, ventures, and a legacy my son can be proud of.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hell no. It definitely wasn’t a smooth road.
Honestly, one of the biggest challenges was not having a blueprint. I always knew I was creative, but I didn’t even know graphic design was a career. I didn’t know people built businesses around branding, design, and creative strategy. A lot of what I’ve accomplished came from curiosity, trial and error, and teaching myself along the way.
Another challenge was not having strong, consistent male leadership for most of my life. I lost my grandfather when I was 9, and a lot of my journey has been figuring things out in real time. Looking back, I realize I spent a lot of years trying to become a man without really having a model for what that looked like day to day.
Then my son was born, and that brought a whole new set of challenges. I was trying to be a present father, build a career, grow businesses, be a good partner, and somehow still find balance in all of it. There were plenty of moments where I didn’t have the answers. I was learning as I went.
As you know, we’re big fans of 339 Group, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I started 339 Group as a way to bring together everything I’ve learned across design, strategy, storytelling, and brand building. I help businesses, organizations, and leaders get clear on who they are, what makes them different, and why anybody should care.
What sets me apart is that I think like an architect first. I’m always trying to understand the problem before I jump to the solution. Who is this for? What do they care about? What’s getting in the way? Once I understand that, the creative part becomes a lot easier.
At its core, that’s really what I’ve spent my career doing: translating complex ideas into something simple, relatable, and easy to understand. Whether it’s a brand, a campaign, or a product, that’s where I get in my bag.
Brand-wise, I’m proud of a few things. I helped turn an idea into a nationally distributed streetwear brand that expanded into more than 40 Foot Locker stores nationwide. I’ve also led major creative campaigns that helped organizations raise more than $500,000 and earn national recognition for their impact.
I love working with people who have a clear purpose and are committed to building something bigger than themselves.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Most days I was pretty quiet. Other days I was probably laughing obnoxiously with my cousins or my siblings. I was also funny, witty, and probably had a little too much confidence in my comebacks because I was constantly being told I had a smart mouth.
I’ve always been into creativity, fashion, and culture. I loved drawing, comic books, cartoons, movies, music, and anything that sparked my imagination. I was a huge fan of X-Men, Spider-Man, Power Rangers, Nickelodeon, Saturday morning cartoons, and just about every classic Black sitcom from the ’90s. I remember being into cologne way earlier than most kids. I also was voted best dressed in my middle school class.
Music was a huge part of my life too. I collected cassettes and CDs and spent hours listening to hip-hop, R&B, and whatever else caught my ear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://omardismuke.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dismukeii/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omardismukeii/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@omardismuke
