Mo
got his love for fashion from his well-dressed dad and grandfather, who always
looked sharp and believed in the importance of dressing for success. As a young kid growing up in Memphis,
Tennessee, the hats and shoes Mo picked out were always striking, and he
described himself as a classy kid who liked to dress up nice. Even at a young age, when his mother would
take him shopping, he said he only wanted to buy things
that “spoke to him.” As far back as the
age of four, Mo would wear ties and blazers not just for special occasions, but
to play outside, ride his bike, and walk around his neighborhood.
However, one of the things speaking
to him was a desire for fashionable, contemporary bow ties, and no matter where
he looked, he just couldn’t find any that fit his taste. That’s when he decided to learn how to make
the bow ties he wanted himself.
At the age of 9, Mo’s grandmother, a
nearly 80-year old seamstress, showed him how to use her scrap fabric and
sewing machine to design his own bow ties.
He was very particular about the styles, creating ties that ranged from traditional
polka-dots and stripes to multi-colored paisley and even sports team-themed
ties. As he got better, he realized that
what he was doing might be something more than just a way to create bow ties
for himself. He had located a void in
the market, which meant he had a business on his hands.
With
the help of his mother and grandmother, Mo began selling his handmade bow ties and
spreading the word. Soon, news of the
young fashion entrepreneur got out.
Online sales were taking off, and boutiques in Tennessee, Alabama,
Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Arkansas were carrying his wares. His mother soon became a full-time employee
of Mo’s Bows, of which Moziah “Mo” Bridges was the CEO and self-described NBT
(Next Big Thing). By the time Mo was 12,
Mo’s Bows had earned over $30,000, and was featured on The Today Show, Forbes, The
Steve Harvey Show and in O, The Oprah Magazine.
Recently,
Mo appeared on the business reality show Shark
Tank, where he actually refused a monetary offer of $50,000 in order to secure
a guarantee of mentorship by clothing mogul Daymond John. One of the most successful ways to get where
you want to be in life is to surround yourself with people who can help you get
there. We call this building your Dream
Team, and Mo has taken a great step by adding Daymond John to his team. John, who got into the clothing business by
sewing his own wool hats as a teenager and selling them on the streets of his
neighborhood, also once refused an investment in order to maintain his own
direction. Ultimately, his clothing
brand FUBU would come to be worth hundreds of millions. Mo himself plans to attend design school, and
intends to have his own fashion line by the time he is 20.
Are
you ever too young to start following your dream? Many of the world’s most successful
entrepreneurs don’t think so. Richard
Branson, who started his first business at the age of 9, says he wish he had
started sooner. He went on to found
Virgin, the billion-dollar company that has seen Branson expand into everything
from music to cellular phone service to consumer space travel. Ralph Lipshitz, the youngest of four brothers
who grew up sharing a single bedroom in The Bronx, New York, fell in love with
fashionable clothes while in the seventh grade.
At the age of 12, he began selling hand-made neckties to fellow
students. He also worked in department
stores after school to save up to buy the clothes he wanted. We know him now as Ralph Lauren, the
billionaire founder of the Polo clothing line, and one of the richest men on
the planet.
Sometimes
what you need isn’t age, experience, or even money. All of those can help you reach your goal,
but the most important asset to finding your way to success is the willingness
to take the first step. The saying, “Put
your money where your mouth is!” isn’t talking literally about money; it means
that anyone can talk about what they want to do, and you should differentiate
yourself by being a person who actually takes action. Ralph Lauren did it. Daymond John did it. And now Moziah Bridges is doing it. Think about what you’d like to be doing, what
speaks to you, and figure out how to take action to start making it happen in
your life!
Until
Next Week,
Live
Your Dreams!
No comments:
Post a Comment