We recently connected with Mo Merrell and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mo, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I’ve had so many experiences in this business, I’ve been the only black vendor in a large event a few times and I’ve had very different outcomes, but those outcomes did not change how I showed up to each event in which only one I experienced racism. That moment could have stopped me from showing up in spaces where no one looks like me, but it didn’t because I understand hatred is attached to an individual, not every individual. I like to think that I stand out because I am a driven person in general, I’m outspoken but well spoken, friendly and accommodating to my customers and anyone I come into contact with. I make sure I go above and beyond for each customer that chooses a Mars Jameson bag because it is an honor to have them want to carry an item I made. Who I am and what I’ve learned in business and the morals I adopted are what I think makes me successful in any room and I show up with the confidence that I belong in whatever space me and my business occupy.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m Mo Merrell! Mars Jameson Brand is my business where I make and sell handbags. Mars Jameson is named after my parents, Marsha and James. There are many things in this world that I enjoy doing but nothing makes me happier than cutting into a piece of fabric to begin making a handbag. Each of my bags are made either with or without a pattern. The complexity of patterns gives you it’s challenges and every pattern is different so working on a new bag can feel like creating a bag for the first time again. Creating has always been a passion of mine since I was a child. I used to make my dolls clothing by hand as a kid and create my own clothing as an adolescent. I’ve always been hands on in everything that I do and one of the reasons I love handbags is because of the personality you can give to a handbag. The way it’s constructed, the tools needed to construct it, the challenges, the reading, the cutting, the details …all of that comes together to create a finished product that someone will buy and wear and that still amazes me that someone is out there wearing a bag I created. I have passion for what I do and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities I think that has been impactful in my journey thus far have been resilience, strength and understanding. I do not think I could have started this business without resilience as there were times when I didn’t want to do this ever again. If I made a mistake, it would crush me and fear would creep in to tell me I wasn’t good enough but I’d withstand it and keep pushing. Strength is needed for anyone to run a business because being an entrepreneur can break a person, the harsh realities of business and the falling down and getting back up, the days with no sales, the vendor events where no one comes to your table, those are the times when I had strength to keep going no matter what the challenge was. For me, understanding has been important in my journey. The understanding of business, failure, success, self-care, reality, and the business of handbag making itself has been important to my livelihood. I could not do anything I am currently doing now, which is working 2 jobs and running a business, without those three qualities.
The advice I would give to anyone early on in this journey is to keep going BUT know and understand the importance of SELF CARE. You cannot win if you are not taking care of yourself and your mental health. Never be afraid to try something new and always believe in yourself. That may sound cliché but I think when we believe in ourselves, we beat out the fear that tries to creep in to tell us we are not good enough.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents had a hard life. I had a hard upbringing. I grew up with drug addicted and alcoholic parents, my father was absent. I was raised by my mother who was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol up until the time I was 21 years old. Having a drug addicted mother was hard but her sickness led to my creativity. I stayed in my bedroom as a child, deep in my head creating things, whether it was poetry or writing novels or singing or creating clothes, I remained creative my entire adolescent to teenage years because of my mother. She wasn’t able to fully grasp my creative abilities because she wasn’t really ever there for me. Drugs took a hold of her and didn’t allow her to get to see my creativity grow. Once both of my parents were clean, in my twenties, they embraced and nurtured my creativity to the best of their ability. My mother passed away in 2011 so she never got to see me create handbags but she and I shared a love for handbags and I hold those memories closest to my heart. It sounds weird to say that I am thankful to have developed my creativity in my childhood but nonetheless I am thankful that out of those terrible moments, I was able to find a way to be creative. The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to let me be. I wholly believe that I could not have found my way to my creative space with their interference.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marsjameson.com
- Instagram: @marsjamesonbrand
