MESS in a Bottle

MESS IN A BOTTLE IS A T-SHIRT COMPANY WITH MESSAGES THAT COME PACKAGED IN A REUSABLE BOTTLE. “MESS” WOULD REPRESENT THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY,” OUR PRODUCTS ARE EMOTIONAL, THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND AN EXPRESSION OF THE CURRENT CLIMATE OF THE WORLD. MESS IN A BOTTLE IS A CONVERSATION STARTER. IT’S A WAY TO PUT A MESSAGE OUT THERE AND, WHETHER PEOPLE AGREE OR DISAGREE, IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO ENGAGE AND START ASKING QUESTIONS. THE PRODUCTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO T-SHIRTS, MUGS, PILLOWCASES, PENS, AND JACKETS.

FORMER ARCHITECT KALILAH WRIGHT, OWNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF MESS IN A BOTTLE, WAS BORN IN JAMAICA. SHE MIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES AT THE TENDER AGE OF FOUR AND WAS RAISED IN BROOKLYN, NY. AS AN ACCOMPLISHED DESIGNER, SHE WAS LIVING OUT THE AMERICAN DREAM OF BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR AND OWNING HER OWN SHOP.

AFTER EARNING A MASTER’S DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE FROM MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. WRIGHT WENT ON TO WORK FOR KEVIN PLANK OF UNDER ARMOUR AS A STORE PLANNER AND ARCHITECT. MORGAN WAS ONE OF THE ONLY SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAD A NIGHT PROGRAM SO I WENT TO SCHOOL FROM 6 TO 9 PM. IT ALLOWED ME TO WORK DURING THE DAY AND THEN GET MY MASTER’S AT NIGHT. AFTER I GRADUATED, I FELT LIKE BALTIMORE WAS THE CITY WHERE I COULD EXPLORE MY CAREER OPTIONS. IT WASN’T EXPENSIVE.

AFTER HEARING FORMER BOSS KEVIN PLANK SPEAK AT A TOWN HALL MEETING ABOUT HOW PROUD HE WAS TO HAVE STARTED HIS OWN COMPANY FROM THE GROUND UP IN A CITY THAT HE LOVES, BALTIMORE, HER MIND STARTED TO TURN AND SHE COULDN’T GET HIS SPEECH OUT OF HER HEAD. SHE BEGAN LISTENING TO CHANCE THE RAPPER’S DEBUT STUDIO ALBUM, SURF, WHERE THE COVER ART IS A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. ONE MONTH AFTER THAT DAY AT HER DESK, SHE QUIT HER SIX-FIGURE “DREAM JOB”, STEPPED OUT ON FAITH, AND GAVE BIRTH TO MESS IN A BOTTLE.

“I REALLY WANTED TO CREATE A COMPANY THAT ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BE VOCAL WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING AT ALL. SO, I LAUNCHED MESS IN A BOTTLE DURING THE FREDDIE GRAY UPROAR RIOTS AND THE BALTIMORE UPRISING IN JANUARY OF 2016 SO PEOPLE COULD WEAR THE CLOTHES AND HAVE A VOICE. WE WANTED TO GIVE A MESSAGE TO THE VOICELESS.” STATED WRIGHT.

I WAS SO EXCITED TO BE A YOUNG, BLACK WOMAN IN WEST BALTIMORE, OPENING A STORE AND SERVICING PEOPLE WHO LOOKED LIKE ME. BUT BEING HELD AT GUNPOINT MADE BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR SO HARD. IT WAS A DIFFICULT AND TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE. BUT THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE, I CREATED A GREAT MESSAGE FOR OTHERS A SHIRT THAT SAYS, “JUST KEEP GOING — SIGNED THE UNIVERSE.”

KALILAH WAS FEATURED ON THE VARIETY TALK SHOW “HARRY” HOSTED BY GRAMMY AND EMMY WINNER HARRY CONNICK, JR. AND IT HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN SALES FOR MESS IN A BOTTLE. WRIGHT SAID THAT THE EXPERIENCE “WAS AN AMAZING FEELING AND IT WASN’T PLANNED AT ALL.”

“Just Keep Going - Signed the Universe.”

IT WAS INITIALLY ORCHESTRATED BY A FRIEND OF HERS THAT WAS LOOKING OUT. SHE SAID THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED TO HAPPEN WITHIN A MATTER OF DAYS. HER FRIEND TOLD HER THAT THE HARRY SHOW WAS LOOKING TO FEATURE ENTREPRENEURS FOR THE NEXT EPISODE. AFTER GETTING WIND OF THAT INFO, KALILAH CALLED AND SPOKE TO THE CASTING DIRECTOR TO FIND OUT ABOUT GETTING ON THE SHOW. WHEN THE EPISODE AIRED, SHE RECEIVED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ATTENTION AND A BIG JUMP IN SALES.

INITIALLY, THEY WENT TO LOCAL WHOLESALE PLACES TO GET T-SHIRTS AND ONCE THEY STARTED CREATING MESSAGES THAT PEOPLE LIKED, CUSTOMERS STARTED TO BUY THEM. THEY POSTED ON INSTAGRAM AND TOLD THEIR FRIENDS, WHO, IN TURN, TOLD OTHER FRIENDS.

WRIGHT WANTED TO EMPOWER WOMEN BY CREATING A BUSINESS ROOTED IN HONESTY AND RAW CREATIVITY WITH A FOCUS ON MESSAGES THAT SHE NEEDS HERSELF AS A “REGULAR DEGULAR“ WOMAN.

“I’M VERY IN-TUNED WITH WHAT’S GOING IN POLITICS, SO I CREATE DIFFERENT MESSAGES THAT ARE FUNNY AND SENTIMENTAL. CUSTOMERS CAN EITHER PICK ONE OF OUR STANDARD MESSAGES, OR THEY CAN CREATE THEIR OWN CUSTOM MESSAGE.” WRIGHT STATED.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF NOW AND WHAT’S YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE? WE’RE JUST A T-SHIRT COMPANY NOW BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO US EXPANDING. WE HAVE LAUNCHED MESS IN A BOTTLE VENDING MACHINES AND MY GOAL IS TO HAVE THESE VENDING MACHINES ALL OVER THE WORLD. AFTER THAT, I REALLY WANT TO DO MESS IN A BOTTLE WATER AND WINE - EXPANDING THE COMPANY INTO THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY.

If you can dream it, it can happen.”

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE LOOKING TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS? KW: I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN START A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WITH ZERO MONEY. YOU CAN START A BUSINESS WITH NO MONEY, BUT YOU NEED MONEY TO GROW THE BUSINESS. STARTING A BUSINESS AND HAVING A GREAT IDEA DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING. FOR STARTERS, I WOULD REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS, START-UP A WEBSITE, START AN INSTAGRAM PAGE, GAIN FOLLOWERS. I STARTED MY BUSINESS WITH UNDER $500. I BOUGHT MATERIALS FROM CRAIGSLIST, AND I STARTED GOING TO LOCAL SHOPS LIKE TARGET AND BUYING T-SHIRTS. DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE LOGISTICS.

“MY WILL TO SUCCEED. I KNOW I CAN BE GREAT, WHY NOT TRY.”

HERE ARE SOME TIPS: >CONTINUING TO GROW AND EXPAND THE BRAND. >START UP CAPITAL AND GROWING AND SCALING THE BUSINESS. >FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR YOUR TEAM AND FINDING THE CAPITAL TO PAY THEM. >MIXING AND CO-MINGLING FUNDS. IT LEADS TO A LOT OF ISSUES I COULD HAVE AVOIDED.

WRIGHT LEFT US WITH THESE WORDS. KEEP CREATING DOPE ASS SHIT UNTIL SOMEONE NOTICES AND FOLLOW YOUR OWN PATH, IT’S A BETTER STORY TO TELL.

CHECK OUT THEIR TEE CLASS AND LEARN HOW TO START YOUR OWN T-SHIRT COMPANY AT WWW.THETEECLASS.COM

VISIT MESS IN THE BOTTLE TO GET YOUR YOUR MESSAGE AT WWW.MESSINABOTTLE.COM. FOLLOW MESS IN A BOTTLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA @MESSINABOTTLE.

Mess in a Bottle Bag

Mess in a Bottle Camo Jacket

Mess in a Bottle

Mess in a Bottle Door Mat