One entrepreneur that I found inspirational was Moziah Bridges, the founder of Mo’s Bows – a bowtie and fashion accessory business for men. In the about section of his business’ website, Mo details how his career as an entrepreneur started very small and in a personal setting. He was nine years old and sitting in his grandma’s kitchen, wondering what to wear. He says that he wasn’t able to find the look he was going for, and wanted to find fashion that would allow him to express his personality more – so he put the phrase “be the change you want to see in the world” into action and started his own bowtie business (that has now expanded into selling neck ties and pocket squares and other fashion accessories as well). He’s appeared on several broadcasting shows such as The Steve Harvey Show and Shark Tank. He’s also written a book for entrepreneurs.
You can find his website and store here: https://mosbowsmemphis.com/
What I found interesting and inspirational about Mo’s Bows was that the idea came from a mundane, personal moment. There seems to be this perception of entrepreneurship that says that good ideas happen in light bulb moments, or great moments of inspiration that happen once in a billion ideas. It tells young entrepreneurs that only the geniuses make it in this field, and that average IQ, mundane “me” has no chance. This isn’t true though – you don’t have to be a “genius”, or come up with an idea that is more exceptional than everyone else’s – good ideas really can start anywhere, and often they start in small personal moments like Moziah’s. Another thing that struck me is how successful Moziah Bridges has been with such a small accessory. Physical size is irrelevant, but I found this inspiring because maybe he isn’t solving world hunger, but he took a specific niche and made a business out of it – and he does it well. It’s inspiring to see that there are opportunities like these, where the actual product may be small, but it makes a world of difference for the individual just the same because it adds style and beauty to the individual’s wardrobe.
Really good take, for any young entrepreneur. The smallest experience can have the largest impact. I hope to learn from this experience and apply it to my own entrepreneurial thought process.
Nice post. Your last paragraph talking about how good ideas often come from the mundane is great. A lot of entrepreneurs probably don’t spend years aspiring to fill the roles they have (e.g. a bowtie designer). Instead, they have a passion for solving problems and that passion often leads them into their niche.