When Moziah (Mo) Bridges was 9 years old, he made his first product for his business that would eventually become an internationally recognized brand. Originally, he was looking for an accessory to “help [him] look sharp”. All he found were ugly-colored, clip-on bow ties. When he couldn’t find anything that expressed his personality and fit his fashion taste, Mo decided to take matters into his own hands (literally).
With the help of his grandmother, Mo sewed his own bow tie at his grandmother’s kitchen table. Then, he began selling bow ties on the side of the road. He then expanded to selling on Etsy. Later, in 2013, Mo appeared on the 5th season of Shark Tank but failed to receive financial support. He did receive Daymond John’s mentoring. Since then, Mo has created bow ties for all 30 NBA teams and former President Obama.
In 2012, Mo founded a charity called Go Mo! Summer Camp Scholarship Fund to send Memphis kids to summer camp. As of 2021, his charity has sent more than 50 kids to summer camp. At age 17, Mo expanded to neckties, pocket squares, and facemasks. He even wrote a book. His Memphis-based business now sells products to other stores such as Bloomingdale’s.
Mo’s charisma, family, and media outlets also greatly influenced his success. His mother helped him run his business while other family members helped sew the ties and ship them. Later, news outlets found his story interesting and provided publicity. Publicity would have been useless though, if Mo was not a personable character. In 2022, Mo’s net worth was $2 million.
Mo’s Bow was born out of a 9-year-old who wanted to add a bit of flare to his attire. He created what he wanted and saw potential. His business provided handmade bowties for both boys and men. From there, he expanded and continued to address another need. Mo saw yet another need in his community and decided to donate part of his profits to help.
This is a really cool story! I feel like a lot of us have sold things on the side of the road as kids, but it’s amazing to see a young entrepreneur persevere and go far beyond that. This is also a good example of modifying a product that already exists.
It’s so cool how Mo saw a lack of bows ties that fit his style and used his own style and personality to design some himself. It’s really inspiring to see young kids create their own spin on things, and even more to see how far it takes them!