From the Archives: The Story Behind Culture Vibes

Originally published in 2022. This entry has been lightly edited for clarity while preserving the original story and voice.

Hey tribe! 🤎

I decided to start this new series that I think you'll enjoy. I want to let you get to know me a bit more by telling you the stories behind the tees I create and, first, the story behind Culture Vibes.

This brand's “why” is YOU, so to speak. A Black woman.

You see, I spent most of my youth not knowing where I fit in. I had low self-confidence, and I just wasn't proud of who I was. I didn't know HOW to be proud. Big lips, wide hips, heavy chest, brown skin. I know that many of you can relate.

The thing is, as I got older, I wanted to start living unapologetically and authentically, not just for myself, but for my daughter. I didn't want her to feel like I did. I wanted her to grow into her magic at the same pace as she grew into her womanhood.

Cue 2018…

I was already doing tee designs, but on a crafting level. A lot of my designs were for and about Black culture, but not entirely exclusive.

Fast forward a bit to November 2018 and the release of Black Panther.

If you know… you know!

That movie was a catapult of some sort. It made me feel so proud and seen. I knew at that point that I wanted to always feel seen, because why not?

So I went home and thought of a brand name, and Culture Vibes was at the top of my list. The reason behind it was simple: the culture is deep, one of a kind, and a total vibe like no other.

True… right?

From that point, I exclusively did Black pride designs. However, I struggled somewhat with finding the right tone to speak to my audience because I felt it had to be gender-neutral.

Moving a little further down the timeline to January 2020, I had already made up my mind that I wanted to take my business seriously.

Then came 'Rona and her mess. 🙄

In March 2020, I had just gotten a new job that I really liked. By early June, the COO of the company fired my boss and then told my colleague and me, who were in the same role, that she was trying her best to keep us both on board.

I knew that if it came down to choosing between me and him, they would choose him for obvious reasons, if you catch my drift.

I immediately pivoted. I incorporated my business, grabbed the domain and email, opened business accounts, and started researching marketing.

Deep down, I felt that losing that job would actually be a blessing. Besides, I would rather have been at home with my kids while the world was falling apart anyway.

By mid-July, I was let go.

I was asked to come into the COO's office, and I knew what was coming. When she apologized for letting me go, my reply was:

“It's okay. It's a blessing in disguise.”

She was, of course, surprised and asked how.

I told her I was going to focus on my T-shirt business, got up, and left.

I had my website up and launched within a week of being let go. I took money from my last check and paid someone to teach me how to run ads.

I kept hearing that I needed to know my target audience, and I thought I did. I knew which social outlets to target as a Black millennial, and that method worked. But looking at the statistics, Black women loved my brand more because of the tone I used.

I couldn't help but talk as a Black woman to my fellow Black women.

It's the one thing I knew and related to.

It's who I was.

It's who raised me.

Well, they say your tribe finds you… and YOU did!

So here we are, and I genuinely hope that you like it here as I continue to grow and experience life.

You gave new meaning to my brand because the “Culture” was created by Black women. We are the culture, and sis, we are one hell of a vibe!

I hope you can find a tee or two, or even a button, that speaks your vibe because that's the mission.

I want you to live unapologetically and feel seen.

I would love to hear from you, too. Your input matters!

"Let your vibe speak louder than words". 

- Myesha 🌻