First and foremost I want to thank every single person that came out and showed their support for the Mercado Goods Showcase Event! Our very first event was meant to be experienced as if it were an art installation. So for those who showed up I hope it exceeded your expectations. This Blog post is meant to highlight somethings Ive learned thus far in developing a brand, Share some behind the scenes stories leading to our first event, then finally communicate about where I think the brand will be headed next! As always enjoy :)
For those who may not know. 'Mercado Goods' officially started on Christmas Day of 2023. That's when we shot the very first campaign for our brand 'Mercado Goods'. Since then It has only been a span of seven months and Ive already noticed that looking back there are so many things I would do differently. From the Beginning my goal was to provide the road map for the next person who is looking to start their own brand or business. So if that's you. This next part is especially for you.
1. Find out which blank works best for you
If you are just starting a brand I'm sure you've probably noticed there are hundreds of blank apparel brands all claiming the same thing. They all say they make the "best blank tee." I highly recommend spending a little extra time in finding which blank you think works best for you.
For Example what I plan on doing next is ordering a selection of blank T-shirts from multiple different companies to test them out and see which one I like best. Now this way I can ensure that when my shirts come off the printer that the fit of the T-shirt will be 100% up to my standard.
2. Keep track of every penny spent
You want to make sure that you are including all of your expenses going in to making your product so that when you price out your product you can know exactly how profitable you are. I don't do this as much as I should be doing it that's precisely why Ive included this into this list. At the end of the day it's a business and you can't grow creatively if you can't grow financially. Ive always struggled to see it this way but simply put mo' money mo' opportunities.
3. The bread that you make should always be reinvested into the business
At this moment I'm not even referring to t-shirts anymore. This could apply towards any business. In the past I would make a sale and spend the bread. But that really only gets you up to that very moment. Anything after that you're practically F**kd. If what you're looking for is growth. Id separate that money from your personal spending money and re-invest it into your business. As a reminder this is a documentation of the things I personally am learning from developing my brand. Because I do it does not mean you should too. What works for me may not work for you.
4. Your logo and designs don't matter
Yea there may be some people out there that all it takes is one cool design a few pics uploaded to social media and BOOM they're rich. But nine times out of ten that Is not happening. In short you're just starting chances are your first designs will be mainly bought from friends and family just like me. There's nothing wrong with that we all have to start somewhere. Long story short you got to be the one to make those logos and designs mean something to someone.
5. Cool designs or brand identity
Personally Ive noticed that when it comes to streetwear there is really only two kinds of brands. The brand who will always consistently put out super dope designs. Or the brand who stands for something and creates a brand identity/ culture. Being that I've always loved streetwear I wanted my brand to mean something and have a culture. Just like the many brands I idolized growing up. Not just that but from what I can tell it sure does seem like the brands that create a culture always outlive the flashy cool new thing.
Here is a video on brand identity from New York designer 'Kid Super'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXJURralLvI
I hope this can give you some guidance.
6. Keep it stupid simple
I know you probably have just cooked up the craziest design of your life. But what I have learned is when you are just starting try and make the coolest design you possibly can but limit yourself to one color. It will keep your expenses low wile you build your brands identity. Also if it's just one color and you know how to screen print think of all the money you'd save.
7. you don't choose your community your community finds you
I remember when I first started 'Mercado Goods' I thought I wanted my community to check off certain boxes. Although that's a good way of understanding what you want your brand identity to be. It's simply just not possible. Your community finds you not the other way around. I look back and I laugh at myself for thinking the opposite.
8. Everything is about trial and error
Before you even start I want you to consider the fact that you will have to be ok with failing over and over again. Because nothing turns out how you want it. Things always go left. The plan never goes according to plan. If you are not ok with failing I highly encourage you not to even start.
My favorite quote from Mike Tyson is "Everyone has a plan: Until they get punched in the face."
9. Its a marathon not a race
Wile its true a lot can happen in a year. You really want to consider that it may take the next 10 years to get precisely where you envision. Nothing happens overnight. Just try the hardest you can and be consistent.
10. Person to person connection is more valuable than followers or likes
To me this is the most important thing I want my brand to be about. Because I care a lot about people and I've always loved meeting new people too. I never liked how people might treat you different because of how many followers you have or because you have a blue check mark. I always thought that sh*t was cringe as f**k. I personally never cared for any of that sh*t I just always enjoyed genuine conversation and interaction with people since I was a kid. For me it's not about status it's about people.
I also have noticed that even though we live in a digital age and people are addicted to their phones. People are trying more than ever to get out and do something. F**k followers, F**k likes, F**k clout what matters more than ever in my eyes is person to person connection. And it's more valuable too.
Those are just some of the things I have learned in the 7 months of building my brand.
As for the event. Again I wish to thank anybody who was able to make it out to our first ever event and show their support for the brand. It truly means more than you'll ever know!
What many might not know is before the event even started everything was coming out all wrong. Everything from my landlord raising the rent on me to where I could no longer afford it, my tire exploding on the express way, my car being towed in front of my own house, the venue telling us we had less time to set up, the card reader not working, the band not setting up on time. Were all just a hurdles my team and I faced along the way. But we continuously kept adjusting the plan on the fly and in the end I would say we had a killer event.
I choose to highlight this part of the story because with social media now a days we tend to only show the good parts of our life and hide the ugly. But the fact of the matter is everything leading to the event was a disaster. It took us being strong and persistent that got us to the final result.
What's Next for Mercado Goods?
We will be Collaborating with artists across the United States of America and host our next "Mercado Goods Showcase Event" In Texas.
We will build a side to the business where we can help produce product for smaller brands.
We will own our own space that will not just serve as our studio but also brings all sorts of creatives together and offers studios that can be rented for more affordable rates.
We will become a part of people's weekly routines by posting one YouTube video and one blog every week. The goal with this is to document our journey as we grow and hopefully through this documentation we will be able to provide a road map for the next person.
If you made it this far. You a real one. Thank you <3