Today we’d like to introduce you to Misfit Millionaires.
Let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, I was always into drawing and anything art as a kid. My mother always encouraged me and entered me into drawing contests. My style was shaped and honed by Dragon ball Z man lol! Fashion was also a love of mine. I was obsessed with colors and matching and creating looks, ya know? Growing up not having much forced me to be very resourceful and creative in what I wear. I would always get compliments on my style; I experimented with different looks as to always reinvent myself. A huge influence of mine was the Wayne and Juelz I can’t feel my face style with the ripped jeans and skulls! Now at the time that was something we’ve never seen before like black rockstars and the music was as hard as the fashion!
Around 2011 is when I decided to create a clothing brand. I wanted to find something different to wear to Birthday Bash in, and I didn’t want to wear the typical designer outfit. I found this indy brand called Fli Pelican out of Atlanta, and it inspired me because I never knew anyone around my age or background that had their own clothing line. I created my first logo and brand name, but I wasn’t in love with the name or image. Over the next two years, I left my hometown, Barnesville, GA, for the Navy. During downtime, I kept creating, and one random night in the middle of the ocean on a warship I came up with Misfit Millionaires. I loved the name! It embodied everything I stood for, I ran the logo and name by my bro Terron whom I attended Gordon College with, and he just happened to be on the same ship as me. I ran with the name, and I reached out to different graphic designers to digitize my logo. The original bear logo was created in October; my deployment ended in December. As soon as I got back to Georgia, I got a hoodie and a sweater made with my logo on centered. I uploaded a photo of me in the sweater on Instagram and instantly had people trying to order.
I knew I had something at that point. My first mass order was crewneck sweaters in which created a crazy buzz, I was able to get some merch to some popular figures, and the brand continued to grow! Around 2016 I moved to San Diego, CA. My approach changed here as I really cut my teeth. I decided to host random street pop-ups in Gaslamp I took advantage of club pop-ups, I did a few pop-ups on Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles. I would give merch to my favorite artists at their concerts. It was all about seizing the opportunity. One major thing that also changed is I officially added my business partner William Morning a Kinston, NC native. He was more than ready to take on any challenges that came with entrepreneurship and provided a high level of professionalism and intellect. Will is also very business savvy and added great ideas to further the brand, and we’ve seen major improvement and success financially, which propelled our latest release. Our first week orders for the 2019 release substantiated our California fanbase and proved that we have a brand that could be gold.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road was not smooth at all! The Navy prevented me from several opportunities due to scheduling; there would be times where we deployed for three to seven months at a time. It was hard to really work the streets and social media due to limited internet. However, being away forced us to plan in advance and make the most of any free time. I had a notebook with hundreds of designs, plans, budgets, and video concepts. So, when we finally touched land, we hit the ground running. Trial and error also marred the road. We basically taught ourselves how to run a business. We did a lot of research, ordered a bunch of books on the subject as well, and bounced ideas off the homies at Sail Club and Souren.
Juggling a job and a passion can be difficult, but If you really want something you’ll find a way, and that’s what we’ve done. The homies Rich and Vic have seen the grind and made the first initial investment to our biggest shipment. These were guys I met while on the ship. You just have to take the good with the bad and work on eliminating your excuses.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a luxury streetwear brand. We specialize in comfortable, dope everyday clothing. You can wear this if you’re just kicking it or if you’re trying to look fly in something rare when you hit the city. What we are most proud of is the fan base that we’ve garnered with limited staff and the constraints of having other jobs. The limited releases keep our brand fresh, and it’s a more intimate feeling when you see someone rocking the brand! I felt the most pride once we started having orders in places like New York, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii. I have no idea how we reached those people, but we did! It takes a lot for a consumer to invest their hard-earned money into something and have that confidence to commit to a buy. For that, we are appreciative and will provide the highest level of customer service at all times.
What sets apart is our customer service, our ability to adjust, and our promo approach. We draw and approve all of our initial concepts and designs and pass them on to a freelance graphic designer. We usually release our new products with a promotional video. It’s very important for us to give the people an experience, some people are visual beings. They need to see a cinematic version of what you’re attempting to portray. Most times, we will not just post a picture and wash our hands. We write out scripts and video treatments, scope out perfect locations, and models to give the viewer something extra. I like to compare the approach to a TDE. We’re going to take our time and do things right rather than rush to have something out. Our interaction style is the same as a rapper releasing a mixtape. You’ll see us in the streets and clubs with our mascot passing out free stickers and business cards. Events such as Complexcon selling merch, street pop-ups, mall pop-ups, etc.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always laughing. Laughter is maybe the biggest part of me. I’m very competitive and standoffish which may be perceived as being quiet, I am very calculated, I don’t say things just to say something you know? I was obsessed with football, fashion, art, and I ran track. I’m very laid back and goofy. I have a dark, inappropriate sense of humor. I’m very much an intellectual thinker and optimist. Growth and development is a big part of who I am. I always have to learn something and move forward and be better than my previous self. I take great pride in my appearance work ethic and style. I thrive off of passion and positivity. I always want people to be in a good mood. I believe it is infectious and rubs off to the next person creating a better environment for all around.
Contact Info:
- Address: Ron HarrisWilliam Morning
- Website: www.misfitmillionaire.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Pressed Out Media. Golden Quality Visuals. Will Morning (President). Josiah. Tyler. Jamila. James Stegall. Tremaine.
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