In this episode of RISE Urban Nation, Taryell Simmons sits down with Mo Cisse, founder of Meraki Allure, to explore how he built a sustainable fashion brand rooted in purpose, quality, and environmental responsibility. Mo shares his journey, the challenges of going against fast fashion norms, and the lessons he’s learned in building a brand aligned with values and impact.
Mo Cisse, founder and CEO of Meraki Allure, joins RISE Urban Nation to share his journey of building a sustainable luxury fashion brand that prioritizes quality, purpose, and environmental responsibility. In an industry driven by fast fashion, Mo chose a different path—focusing on made-to-order clothing, ethical manufacturing, and environmental impact. This episode dives into entrepreneurship, sustainability, and how to build a brand that reflects your values while creating lasting change.
🌐 Website: https://www.MerakiAllure.com
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merakiallure/
🌱 Environmental Partner: https://www.edenproject.com/mission
Host: Taryell Simmons
Guest: Mo Cisse
Music: Will Maker
Production: RISE Urban Nation
Taryell Simmons (10:57.739)
RISE Urban Nation, I got a little monologue for you. What if the clothes you wear could reflect not just your style, but your values? What if fashion wasn't just about looking good, but about doing good? In the world driven by fast fashion, quick trends, and mass production, today's guests chose a different path.
path rooted in intention and sustainability and in purpose. Welcome back to Rise Urban Nation where we amplify the voices of black and pan-African entrepreneurs, leaders and change makers shaping the future. I'm your host Terrell Simmons and today I'm sitting down with my brother from another mother and we're sitting down with somebody who's always stylish. I was joking with him in the green room just earlier. He's like, one day I'm gonna surprise you.
Mo Cisse (11:52.978)
you
Taryell Simmons (11:56.834)
and show up with a t-shirt and flip-flops. was like, that'd be a surprise for everybody. even, rise up, if you're watching the video, I even put on my jacket today just because I knew this brother was coming. Because every time I see him, he's dressed to the nines, got a jacket. He's a really clean cut CEO of Meraki Allure, a brand redefining what it means to build with care, consciousness, and community. Please help me welcome.
Moe, Cisse
Mo Cisse (12:29.208)
man, thank you, thank you so much for that beautiful and very thoughtful introduction. I don't take that lightly because we've respected and seen each other throughout San Diego for so many years now. So I don't take it lightly when another local leader speaks any highly of each other. So thank you man for having me.
Taryell Simmons (12:51.375)
No, anytime brother, anytime brother. I remember the first time I seen you at an event and I was like, who is that brother? and you know, I don't know if I'm ashamed to say it, just because you were dressed so sharp. was like, I wonder if he's the owner of this place. I wonder if he put this event together. Like, who is that brother over there? And you know.
Mo Cisse (13:15.226)
I appreciate that. I appreciate that.
Taryell Simmons (13:20.367)
As cliche as that is, that's usually how it is. when you're dressed so nicely in an event, people often wondering, like, is this person the reason why we're all here? Does he own this thing, right? But we'll talk about that more in the show, because I know you've been, you you do this with intent and purpose. I've seen some of your social media clips where you even talk about like,
Mo Cisse (13:23.727)
Thank
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (13:34.074)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (13:49.93)
dress how you want to be addressed. And I loved, I love that, like in your marketing message, but let me, let me, let me dial it back a little bit. want to start with the heart of your brand because Meraki Allure isn't just fashion, it's philosophy. What inspired you to start Meraki Allure and what does Meraki mean to you personally?
Mo Cisse (13:52.08)
Thank you.
Mo Cisse (13:59.546)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (14:04.08)
Mmm.
Mo Cisse (14:08.282)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (14:16.592)
Yeah, thank you so much for starting at the root of things because you and I both share deep roots, ancestry from being from Africa and so many other things. So I appreciate you starting with the foundation of things. So for the audience listening, I'm an immigrant. I'm originally from Guinea, West Africa. I came to America when I was 12 years old. So a long time ago.
Taryell Simmons (14:31.331)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (14:46.768)
and when I came to America, the short version of the story is I got bullied a lot in sixth grade for not speaking English because French is my first language. So you, Terrell, you know, all the African jokes, you know, we walk around with no clothes, we African booty scratcher, whatever the crazy titles are that people give to immigrants, especially African immigrants.
Taryell Simmons (14:54.351)
Hmm.
Taryell Simmons (15:00.142)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (15:04.622)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (15:09.728)
so that to me was one of the hardest years of my life is that first year in America, because I had to learn English, cold Turkey as French is my first language. But fast forward to high school and college, I noticed that every time I dressed nicer, people actually treated me better with more respect, which actually ties into your introduction about your impression of when you first saw me at that event. the
Taryell Simmons (15:17.903)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (15:37.487)
the level of respect that that demanded in that room without me even meeting you or talking to you. So long story short, by the time I got to college, I started becoming a personal stylist as a hobby. I would take men and women shopping and help them build their confidence by dressing the part. And fast forward another 10 years, in 2015, two of those clients that I had,
sat me down in Carlsbad, San Diego had an intervention with me telling me that I needed to take fashion more seriously. thankfully I listened and in 2016 we launched Meraki Lure with the intention to eventually become a global leader in sustainable fashion for men and women and the word Meraki itself, it's a Greek word, it means to do something with love, to put a piece of yourself in your work.
Taryell Simmons (16:08.138)
Ha ha ha ha.
Mo Cisse (16:28.751)
So for everyone listening to this, could be as simple as when you do a podcast host like Torrell, you put your heart into it. You really try to align with the right people or you're a chef. You want to make sure that you're cooking meals that truly are made with love. We all know the difference between food that just made up randomly versus food that's made with love. So truly the Greeks have a really
Taryell Simmons (16:28.943)
Thank
Mo Cisse (16:54.041)
powerful association with the word Meraki because it's ingrained in their culture that whatever you do, do it with love, do it with passion.
Taryell Simmons (17:03.021)
I love that. I love that. And yeah, as you know, somebody that grew up Nigerian, although born here, so I didn't have to learn. We still got the jokes to African booty scratches like, like did dad come from Hudson? But, you know, I think for me it's been lovely to see. I don't know how you feel now, but I see now that there's more embracing of African culture.
Mo Cisse (17:09.571)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (17:31.673)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (17:33.424)
and black American society now. And it's like almost, man, need to get that new African fit. have you heard that new Burn the Boy? like now, like this new generation of Africans who grew up here, they don't.
Mo Cisse (17:37.241)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (17:41.143)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (17:59.108)
They don't connect with being you in a way, the same way. Their struggles is different. They don't have the same struggles we had.
Mo Cisse (18:04.153)
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. No, I agree with that observation. You are 100 % right. And the nearly 30 years that I've been in America, this is the first time I've seen Americans, Black Americans become open to African culture. But I think it's also good news for Africa because, you know, there's so many different research and things that's pointing to that the future of the world is in Africa.
So it's no longer this old ancestry factor. It's becoming the cool factor, like you said, to visit Africa. There's now, this is in all the years I've been here, this is the first time I've seen so many Americans visit Africa for different reasons. So I'm grateful that although it took some time, but I'm grateful we're moving in the right direction.
Taryell Simmons (18:41.027)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (18:58.795)
Man, like I'm even seeing in the fashion world, the homage and the move to African fabrics, colors and so forth. Another young lady, I don't know if you know her, she's, man, what's her name? Joanne, who does Climbing & Co. She had an event like a year or two ago and she was talking about how United Airlines,
Mo Cisse (19:09.544)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (19:18.221)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (19:21.677)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (19:27.851)
All of the design structure of the clothing and so forth and some of the patterns of some of the VIP sections that they're playing was all African print design and textile.
Mo Cisse (19:40.161)
Wow, that's powerful. That's major. I had no idea.
Taryell Simmons (19:44.272)
And there's a lot of fashion industry now that is also emulating. some of your biggest brands have emulated and taken from African culture, right? And so from your lens, what are you seeing in the fashion industry that doesn't sit right with you when you look at like how there's so much borrowed from the different motherlands and used?
Mo Cisse (19:53.407)
that's true. yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Mo Cisse (20:12.853)
Yeah, you're hitting on a very, important and profound topic, which is it's a fact now. Thank God to social media and so many different influencers are lifting the veil and showing that a lot of these big brands have borrowed their logo or patterns from different African tribes, which is crazy, but it's true. But the second part of it is.
it's cool to see that more brands are also choosing to be more environmentally conscious. So for the audience listening here, because I didn't know this either when we first launched our company 10 years ago, is that fashion is number two or number three of the most wasteful industries in the world. And this is next to the oil industry. Some of you guys listening, might be old enough to remember that.
Taryell Simmons (20:45.721)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (21:00.367)
Mmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (21:09.729)
when we were growing up, new clothes only came out four times a year to follow the seasons of the year, four times a year. But now fashion brands are producing new clothes almost on a weekly basis.
Taryell Simmons (21:14.351)
Mm.
Taryell Simmons (21:24.367)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (21:25.205)
almost on a weekly basis. So you can only imagine what that does to farmers and the environment, you know, even the extra clothes that used to get shipped to third world countries. Now that's being overloaded. You know, these third world countries are not even able to consume the amount of waste that we're creating. So some companies are actually burning excess clothes or they're putting them in landfills.
Taryell Simmons (21:43.929)
Wow.
Mo Cisse (21:50.669)
So this ripple effect of instead of producing new clothes four times a year, you're doing it on a weekly basis. That's where the whole fast fashion industry unfortunately thrives from.
Taryell Simmons (22:02.285)
Wow, wow, that's sad. Being that there's so many people in the world that could use that and we're choosing to burn instead of like seeing how we can reuse and recycle and so forth. So is that what made you really get into the sustainability piece? Why sustainability as a foundation?
Mo Cisse (22:07.882)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (22:13.74)
Exactly. yeah.
Mo Cisse (22:22.208)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (22:30.375)
Exactly. Thank you for that question. To me, also being from Guinea, West Africa, I already know what it's like for big companies to take advantage of third world countries. So for me to have decided to go the fast fashion route would be detrimental to where I come from. But also for me, at this stage in my life, I'm not in my 20s anymore.
whatever I do for the rest of my life, I want to make sure that it actually adds value to humanity. So whether it's a simple conversation like we're having right now or whatever business or endeavor I choose to attach my name to, I need to make sure that it elevates or impacts humanity in a positive way. So when we were doing the research to launch this company 10 years ago and I saw the research on fast fashion, I was like, man,
I can't sleep at night knowing that I'm a part of the problem instead of part of the solution.
Taryell Simmons (23:29.305)
Thank you.
Taryell Simmons (23:33.792)
Yeah, I appreciate that. Because you're one of the very few that I know that's intentionally choosing to look at humanity and legacy and choosing that as purpose over profit, especially in fashion. And that's not an easy route to take, but you're doing it, brother. And we appreciate you for that. Now, let's you're welcome. Let's talk about the real journey. You chose to build a brand that's sustainable.
Mo Cisse (23:51.371)
Thank you. Thank you.
Mo Cisse (23:57.173)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (24:01.293)
made to order and environmentally conscious, an industry built on speed and scale, what are some of the, would you say, like, the biggest challenges you faced early on in that?
Mo Cisse (24:07.795)
yeah.
Mo Cisse (24:14.751)
Yeah, another beautiful question. think the challenge is when you're first starting out in this industry, it can be very intimidating because the companies are in the fast fashion lane. They tend to grow faster.
you know, because they're using a lot cheaper products, you know, and they make it very appealing because when you go shopping at your mall or your any store, everything on the mannequins looks sexy, it looks nice. You cannot imagine the dark side of where the clothes were made in the factory. It's hard to tie the two. That's why it's important for us as consumers to get educated, watch the documentaries and support some of the other businesses that are trying to.
make a difference, but when you go shopping at the store, everything looks nice and sexy. You cannot imagine the dark side of it. So for us in the beginning, it was a lot of nos. So many manufacturers didn't even want to work with us because we weren't ordering thousands of pieces at a time. They'll tell us literally, come back when you're
Taryell Simmons (25:08.162)
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (25:17.743)
Wow. Now, does that make it harder to find the right manufacturers?
Mo Cisse (25:26.396)
Yeah, it makes it harder in the sense that some of the manufacturers you might want to work with as a new brand, they're going to say no to you, unless you got big pockets and then you're going to order thousands of pieces at a time. So for me, it took some time, but I'm grateful now after 10 years, we have some solid relationships with manufacturers that are very environmentally conscious. There's no child labor. They're not like doing all of these crazy factory conditions. So.
Taryell Simmons (25:49.389)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (25:55.643)
It takes time, to me, again, this is why as an entrepreneur, it's similar to you. I'm really big on what's your why for doing something. Because if profits is the priority, it's going to potentially lead to taking shortcuts and certain things. But if your priority or why is based on making lasting impact and making a difference, it's going to affect your decision making pattern.
Taryell Simmons (26:23.937)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (26:25.029)
So for anyone listening that's looking to go into this industry or any other industry, let's start with what's your true intention for doing that thing? Like, is it a popularity contest that you're in? Or is it a value-based route that you're going? Because depending on which lane you choose, that's going to have a dramatic impact in how you make decisions and more importantly, how long you stay in the game.
Taryell Simmons (26:38.351)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (26:53.679)
And which route you take, especially if you're going into fashion. And I think something that has a really strong value based that's trying to make long lasting impact is it's really hard to lean into fast fashion, so to speak, your true goal is humanity and long impact and so forth. think so I want to.
Mo Cisse (26:57.757)
Exactly.
Mo Cisse (27:11.709)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (27:20.567)
make sure my listeners have a good understanding of what I think we got a good understanding of what fast fashion is. But could you educate our customers on slow fashion and what is it and how does it work? What is slow fashion?
Mo Cisse (27:34.567)
Yeah. So slow fashion or sustainable fashion has so many layers from manufacturing to the type of packaging that you use all the way to the burn excess clothes or are most of your products made to order. Because if you're focused on how volume you're going to just produce produce and whatever is left over, you're going to burn it or donate it or whatever else.
parameters you may have. being environmentally conscious for a fashion brand number one means how are the clothes made? What kind of products or dyes are you using in your production? You know, so for us, we're still not 100 % where we want to be. But the goal is we can proudly say in 10 years of being in business, we've never burned excess clothes. Most of our stuff is made to order.
Taryell Simmons (28:06.254)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (28:32.933)
So the other part of it is similar to the quality jacket that you're wearing is using more natural fibers like wool, cotton, silk, linen, and things like that versus synthetic products like polyester, rayon, or some of those, all of those different synthetic products. You know, the challenges in fashion, one of the reasons why polyester is so popular
is because you can, it's a plastic particle basically. You can use this thing to create any type of color, any type of pattern, any type. So it's very, it has a lot of benefits. That's why it's so popular. So for us, we're trying really our best to slowly reduce the amount of synthetic products that we use and use more natural fibers like cotton, wool, linen, and silk and things like that because
And what I love about the world that we're in right now, of course, nothing is perfect. But the good news is that there's a lot of research that's starting to show that even on an energetic level, when you wear natural fibers, it vibrates differently than synthetic products.
Taryell Simmons (29:48.654)
I was just about to say that because I was reading the article about that how there is a return back to cotton, the least organic cotton because synthetic products not only does it...
Mo Cisse (29:50.077)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (29:58.204)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (30:06.479)
hurts your in inner inner your your vibration and energy frequency It can hurt your health in long runs because sometimes some synthetic products can seep into the pores of your skin Leading to cancer and other things that
Mo Cisse (30:10.696)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (30:19.854)
Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. And it's becoming really alarming recently because when women wear these tight leggings to go work out at the gym, you're sweating and these synthetic particles get stuck to your pores and things while you're working out. So it's becoming more of an issue because leggings have become this thing that people wear in so many different environments. So.
I'm grateful that we are living in a time where science is starting to produce things that are really a no-brainer. I mean, at the end of the day, it's not a complete surprise that natural fibers are better for your health. It's kind of like telling someone, trying to convince someone why organic food is better than processed food. I mean, it's not a big shocker that something that's grown naturally is going to be better for your health than something that's grown with a bunch of hormones and...
Taryell Simmons (30:55.641)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (31:17.736)
and different negative attributes, you know.
Taryell Simmons (31:19.181)
Nah. Nah. I'm curious, because how do you do it? Like, how do you, in the world that's so fast-paced, not just with fashion, but if anything, but speaking strictly to fashion and your mission, how do you really, you know, manage costs versus staying true to your mission? And then, like, do you ever sometimes feel pressure to, like, compromise your value so you can grow faster?
Mo Cisse (31:28.998)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (31:34.664)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (31:38.214)
Hmm
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, now it's a true battle and for anyone listening to this that's looking to get into entrepreneurship or you're already an entrepreneur.
Knowing you're laying and sticking to it, it's so important early on. One of the biggest mistakes that we made in the beginning is we thought that all of our family and friends were our ideal clientele. Know your customer really fast. Know your customer really fast or really soon. Because you're gonna, if you don't, you're gonna end up spending all of this time and energy trying to chase all of these people that may not be your ideal clientele. know, so for us,
Taryell Simmons (32:13.806)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (32:17.348)
there.
Taryell Simmons (32:26.404)
there.
Mo Cisse (32:29.186)
One of the key components is we've been really focused on a relationship-based business model versus like the traditional retail model where it's just like a revolving door to the next customer, next customer. So for us, when we connect with a client and build that trust with them and we even consult with them because we do a lot of personal styling, which we call image consultation. So anywhere from college students trying to get their first job or
executives or business owners, we can actually come in and help you redo your whole image from haircuts all the way down to the type of shoes and accessories you should wear. Because again, my background is in personal styling for the last 20 years. So we incorporate those parts of it. So to answer your question, when we build these relationships with people and they build a trust with us, now they're recommending us for their weddings or for their job interviews or for special events. So it's more of a repeat.
customer business space instead of just a one-time transaction and focus on volume volume. And that's a lot of years of learning. Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (33:32.515)
day.
Taryell Simmons (33:37.008)
Yeah, I'm over here even thinking about what you were saying. I know your ideal client or what I think could be your ideal client. I'm not going to go over here and assume that I know your business that well. But from you saying that, made me think is because I'm an executive that goes to a lot of different galas and functions, right?
Mo Cisse (33:56.72)
Yeah? Mm-hmm. yeah. Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (34:00.432)
You know, I didn't have to do this until I got promoted into an executive role. And then I realized very quickly that as many galas and functions as I had to show up in the pictures, like I did the I did need to expand my my my dress wardrobe because like you start seeing like,
Mo Cisse (34:18.598)
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (34:21.135)
It looks like I wore that same outfit for this event, that event, that event. Okay. I was like, I had to learn, I had to get a couple more suits. And so I stole something from, I saw Steve Harvey posted something on like, he's like, you need to have these five different suits and then you can rematch the coordinations. The tag goes with the black, the black goes with the blue, the tag goes with the blue. And it's like now.
Mo Cisse (34:24.422)
yeah.
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (34:35.374)
Yep, exactly. yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
yeah.
Taryell Simmons (34:50.703)
I got a little more suits in the collection today. were like, man, your wardrobe, like, bill and it must be expensive. every time I see you, I like, actually, I just switched up the jacket and the pants and the shirt. So, and sometimes I do a turtleneck instead of the suit and tie and then the bow tie. So I'm doing different combinations. So every time it looks different.
Mo Cisse (34:52.806)
Exactly.
Mo Cisse (35:05.918)
Yeah. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (35:12.88)
Mm-hmm.
That's what I call timeless wisdom right there. That's timeless wisdom. It's something that can apply to the kids of today, something that can apply to executives like yourself, but it's timeless because it's truth. And that's also the other thing that I love about what we do is that when you, that thing that Steve Harvey says, when you feel good, you do good, like in my opinion, it's the cheapest way
Taryell Simmons (35:18.381)
LAY
Mo Cisse (35:43.628)
and quickest way to build someone's confidence, by dress them up. Anyone listening to this right now, if you're going through a tough day or a tough week, whatever it is, go treat yourself, wear your best outfit, go for a walk, go see it at a coffee shop, and just see how the world interacts with you. It's one of my favorite games to play with clients, is just see how you feel when you dress. Let's not wait for special occasions.
Taryell Simmons (35:46.009)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (36:12.812)
You know, and this is something I talk to my sisters a lot about is don't wait for these big occasions to treat yourself to feel good because number one, you do it for you. But number two, watch how the world reacts with you, you know, especially when you look like this.
Taryell Simmons (36:24.121)
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (36:30.297)
Yeah, yeah, Yes, exactly. And that's real. And then, you know, to add to your point, like, when I start having to dress up more, I felt more confident and I, my attitude for success had a different mind frame, like, because I'm dressed apart now. And I think a lot of people want success, but not everybody's.
Mo Cisse (36:41.348)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (36:44.91)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah? Yeah? Yeah?
Taryell Simmons (36:58.955)
willing to stand on the principle of what it costs for something. Like, because even dressing up, like I could have got like a cheap suit off the rack. But when I when I did it intently and like I like get the suit tailored and tucked in, I was like, man, this is this is making me look like I was bit in the gym and I haven't. Instead of just like grabbing the first one off the rack and it.
Mo Cisse (37:01.252)
there.
Mo Cisse (37:08.62)
Yep. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (37:16.226)
Yeah? yeah.
Taryell Simmons (37:26.807)
It kind of fits, but it don't fit. you know, like once I got started taking it and then take it to like Northsome's rack, get it tailored, you know, it changes the whole, and then people think, man, he must have spent the arm like that looks like it's tailored, right? Really.
Mo Cisse (37:41.924)
Mm-hmm. That's another timeless wisdom you're sharing with the audience right now is outside of the name brand or these fancy marketing, the two things you pay for in fashion, ladies and gentlemen, number one is the right fit. How well is that piece of clothing fitting you? That's number one. Number two is the quality of the fabric. Just like we talked about early, synthetic fabrics versus natural fibers. But outside of the name brands and marketing,
Those are the two things that everyone can pay attention to. You can literally take an older suit, get a retailer, get it fitting you the right way, hugging your body the right way, and all of a sudden it makes a big difference. So I'm glad that you brought that up because that's another timeless wisdom for people listening is making sure that the things that you wear fit you properly. It can make a shorter guy look like a taller guy.
Taryell Simmons (38:23.883)
Any? It does, it does.
Taryell Simmons (38:37.689)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (38:41.312)
It can look someone that's heavier, look slimmer, know, wearing the right colors and the right fit. it's, and it's a universal thing. I can't tell you how many times I've been here in the U.S. or overseas or visiting Africa and I'm just sitting somewhere at a coffee shop, Terrell, and someone taps you in the shoulder or compliments you. And that sometimes leads to genuine friendships or business. You never know, but just because of the way you carried yourself.
Taryell Simmons (38:47.555)
Meh.
Taryell Simmons (39:07.087)
Exactly, exactly. I'm curious to know, you have a favorite color palette? Because I feel like all the colors I see you wear matches your palette. Does everybody, well, let me run the question. Is there, should everybody have a certain color palette that works for them? Like when you look at somebody, is there a certain color palette that just don't work well for people and there's certain color palettes that do and you need to accentuate the color palettes?
Mo Cisse (39:35.127)
Yeah, that's another great question. think one of the things we teach our clients when we're consulting with them, it is important for you to figure out what works for you. Obviously, if you don't know how to, we can help with that. But one of the tricks, another timeless wisdom for our industry, for people listening, is know the difference between style and fashion. Style, exactly. Style is personal to you, Tarell.
Taryell Simmons (39:57.936)
What's the difference?
Taryell Simmons (40:02.926)
Okay.
Mo Cisse (40:03.763)
who Tarell is, he's a professional, he's an executive. That's completely different if I'm talking to a 20-year-old Tarell.
Taryell Simmons (40:11.151)
Okay.
Mo Cisse (40:13.123)
Completely different. If he's a college student or he hasn't gotten his first job yet, or if he's not a parent or he's a bachelor, he's not even married, we're gonna have a different conversation about that person's wardrobe. So style is personal to who you are. So when I talk to our clients, I tell them all the time that my job is not to make you look like Mo. Not everybody needs to walk around with the suits and things that I wear, unless it aligns with where you are in life right now.
Taryell Simmons (40:35.151)
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (40:39.726)
Where?
Mo Cisse (40:42.743)
But fashion is what you're sold through magazines and trends every single season. Sometimes we can incorporate trendy things from fashion into our personal style, but your personal style should always be priority because it's personal to you. So that's the importance between the two is that fashion is what you're sold into trends and magazines every season, but style.
is personal to who you are. So if I'm talking to a mom who's an executive, I'm gonna have a different conversation with her than a single lady that just got out of college and trying to build her career. So back to your question, the palates does matter because sometimes, actually this happens too much. What tends to happen a lot is someone will see something on a mannequin or a social media post, they're like, my God, it looks good on the mannequin. That means I should.
Taryell Simmons (41:24.847)
Mo Cisse (41:41.986)
it will probably look good on me. Not necessarily so. Not necessarily. So you went back to the question about me and my palette. For me, because of my beautiful dark skin tone, we get to get away with a lot more colors than someone that doesn't have our skin tone. I mean, I wear pink, I wear forest green. I've pushed my own limit to see how many colors I can get away with. That doesn't mean that someone that's light-skinned doesn't.
Taryell Simmons (41:45.145)
there.
Taryell Simmons (41:54.349)
there.
Taryell Simmons (42:07.608)
there.
Mo Cisse (42:10.601)
get away with same colors, it depends on their body and their proportion. But those are all the things that come into play when you're building your palette of colors is your body type, your shape, your color, and things like that. But yeah, to answer your question, it's important for people to take a little bit of time to figure out what works for them and what doesn't work for them.
Taryell Simmons (42:34.415)
And let me tell you, I've seen this man dressed in a lot of rich colors and textures. Like his color and texture palette is, mwah, is on point. I was like, man, is my skin chocolate enough to pull that off? I be looking at him like the mannequin in the store. like, I wonder if I can pull that off. I was like, I'm going have to mimic that at my next. I actually.
Mo Cisse (42:41.793)
You
Thank you Absolutely you can sir absolutely you can
Taryell Simmons (43:01.807)
You wore this textured suit one day that I think is red, like a red velvet. And I've been looking for that thing, but I didn't find one. I found a black one though. And I finally found a black one that mimics your red texture. And that boy, that had me looking like a million dollars. was like, thank you Mo, because I was looking for this thing because of you.
Mo Cisse (43:09.519)
yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. yeah. Yeah. I appreciate that, sir. I appreciate that. Yeah, man.
Taryell Simmons (43:28.141)
Now let's talk about what makes Meraki Allure different. This made to order, no waste, environmentally conscious manufacturing. I also saw that you have a tree planting with every purchase. Is that true?
Mo Cisse (43:42.781)
Yeah, so with our custom clothes, these are the clothes that basically are natural fibers. They're basically to your measurements. This is like over 21 different measurement points in your body. Our custom process takes about six weeks to create pieces for you. So yes, we did partner with a company to really expand our commitment to being environmentally conscious with planting trees and things like that, because fast fashion is growing at such a rapid rate.
that it's affecting the environment. So we wanna again, do our best to be part of the solution.
Taryell Simmons (44:19.439)
Now, how does one do that? How do you fit planting a tree and all these other things into a business model that aligns profit with purpose? How does one do that?
Mo Cisse (44:31.413)
Yeah, that's a great question. luckily, as you can imagine, when you're running a business, you're wearing way too many hats. So luckily, this is a partnership with an organization that does it. So we're not the ones physically managing, planting the trees and things like that. So it's a partnership that we did with one of our manufacturers out of Canada, actually. And they are the ones that do the planting and basically follow through with that commitment.
Taryell Simmons (44:42.063)
Mm.
Taryell Simmons (44:53.283)
Gotcha.
Taryell Simmons (45:00.109)
Gotcha, gotcha. And out of curiosity, what's your role in not just in the partnership for the trees, like, you know, making sure everything's made to order over oak inventory, making sure you're getting quality and scaling. What's the role that you play in all of those necessary partnerships in your business model to make sure those things happen?
Mo Cisse (45:08.513)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (45:24.744)
Yeah, that's a, I love that question. So here's something that you probably know of already because you've networked so many years, similar to me is one of the things that we look for when we choose to work with a certain factory, we're looking for LEED certification. You may have seen this term, even some apartment buildings and commercial buildings in San Diego have this certification, meaning they're using renewable energy and things like that.
Taryell Simmons (45:42.127)
I'm out.
Mo Cisse (45:54.557)
So that is one of the major certification we look for when we're looking for the right manufacturer to know that they're committed to being environmentally conscious. they recycling their waste? How are they using their power and things like that? So that is one of the things that we look for before we partner with certain manufacturers.
Taryell Simmons (46:16.429)
Yeah. Have you got to see a moment of like where this, you saw a successful impact on your brand either with a customer or through, I don't know, one of your many partners through your environmental efforts? Have you gotten to see those moments yet?
Mo Cisse (46:32.66)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (46:37.853)
Yeah. So one of my favorite moments that happened recently, as you know, Terrell, I'm a new dad. So our baby girl is only two. Thank you. Thank you. I'm slowly working my way closer to you. know, I'm working my way.
Taryell Simmons (46:46.863)
Congratulations.
Taryell Simmons (46:53.355)
But hey, listen, anything that, not that I got much more to give you as far as wisdom, but as a girl dad, I can tell you it's the most beautiful, lovely thing you can go through. There will be some days of learning and growth, but it's all beautiful.
Mo Cisse (46:56.671)
Hey! Hey! Hey! Yes. Yes.
Yeah. Yep. Absolutely. Just like anything else. Yeah. So yeah, as a new dad, one of the beautiful things that happened before our baby girl came to life in January. So in October, one of our favorite partnerships we have is with a dating coach. This lady is amazing. She works with executives from different big companies, from Tesla to Google. So.
she works with men, she helps them establish quality relationships. So my role in this partnership, she does the dating side, my role is to come in and dress them for their dates. So this partnership has been going on for almost six years and it's one of my favorite because I love, again, as I said, my mission is to help elevate people's lives. I love anything that can really make a lasting impact on people. So one of our...
Taryell Simmons (47:48.373)
Nice.
Mo Cisse (48:03.679)
clients from this partnership lives in Columbus, Ohio. He flew me out to work with him. So I spent two days with him, took him shopping, got him a new haircut, got him all the way down to like what type of wallet this man should have, you know, to the top of shoes. So he was freaking out because I was helping him save money, get clothes that he can use for multiple occasions. Similar to you, you can kind of interchange clothes.
Taryell Simmons (48:19.02)
DAAAHH!
Mo Cisse (48:32.946)
So he was really like blown away by how one piece of clothing can be used for like three, four or five different outfits while still saving some money. So that was one of my favorite recent collaborations through the partnership because I can see it in real life, like someone's confidence rising even to the point of me teaching this guy like how to walk with more confidence in his outfit.
So yeah, man, it's a beautiful thing and he's never had a custom outfit before, so we just shipped him his first custom all black suit. So yeah, man, it's a blessing. It's a blessing,
Taryell Simmons (49:11.343)
I love it. I love that. I these stories when they come to fruition. How is it, you know, because I think in today's society, a lot of customers are having brand loyalty with organizations that really align with their values and they're looking and searching for, at least I believe that's what's happening. In your own opinion, how important is it for customers today to align?
Mo Cisse (49:17.382)
Yes.
Taryell Simmons (49:40.003)
with brands that reflect their values.
Mo Cisse (49:43.633)
Yeah, in my own opinion of after being in this industry for so long is that whether it's politically, I mean, sorry, English second language, whether it's politically or socially, the world is going through so much right now that I feel like people are craving for more authenticity. They're craving for more connection. They're craving for things that...
are more than just in surface level. So I don't care if it's from the quality of the food that you're consuming or needing a mental break from what's happening in the news. So in my opinion, the more people find things that align with their values, the better for them because they feel like they're part of something that's bigger. You know, just like us supporting that tree planting partnership, it makes us more excited to sell the next suit, you know, to do the next thing.
Taryell Simmons (50:31.917)
Nah.
Mo Cisse (50:41.371)
because we know that it has a longer ripple effect than just making money.
Taryell Simmons (50:46.083)
Yeah, yeah. And I think people buy into some of those values and missions as well. When they when they see their favorite organization or company or advisor do it, right? Because I think at the end of the day, you're not just selling clothing, you're you're you're aligning to a bigger mission and purpose that people want to be a part of. Right.
Mo Cisse (50:56.049)
I am.
Mo Cisse (51:00.679)
Yeah, exactly.
Mo Cisse (51:12.846)
Exactly, exactly.
Taryell Simmons (51:14.383)
And also you're helping people show up differently in the world, right? Because I show up with one of your pieces of color, I'm showing up differently, not just because I look good, because it's a line to something that's bigger than myself.
Mo Cisse (51:18.682)
Exactly.
Mo Cisse (51:23.185)
Yeah? Yeah.
Mo Cisse (51:28.323)
Exactly, exactly. I think I just recorded this video a couple days ago for our YouTube channel. We've been growing that channel for a bit. And I was talking about what word are you pursuing in life right now? What is the intention that you're really looking to manifest? And for me, the word alignment is basically the highlight of my 30s, because I just entered my fourth decade of my life.
Taryell Simmons (51:43.439)
Mm.
Mo Cisse (51:55.793)
So now it's a different word. I'm looking for a different type of freedom, things that could be fulfilling. But the way I can summarize my thirties is looking for more alignment, alignment with the quality of my friendships, the alignment with the type of clients I get to work with, alignment with the different opportunities that I'm looking to be involved in. So when you say that word, it's like another fundamental thing that really describes what our intention is with the world, you know?
Taryell Simmons (52:23.695)
I love it. Let's bring it home for our listeners. I think I want to take us through entrepreneurship, identity and legacy. What are some of the biggest lessons you learned on entrepreneurship? Well, let's say on your entrepreneurship journey, because you've been at it for some time now. What are some of the biggest lessons you can give to somebody who's probably going to hear this and they're going to be like, oh, you know.
Mo Cisse (52:41.798)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (52:53.197)
I've been talking about starting this fashion line for some time now, but I wanted to be in 10th floor purpose like my guy. in doing that, just share some, you know, those biggest lessons you've learned on your entrepreneurship journey.
Mo Cisse (53:10.726)
Yeah, thank you. I'll start with the most painful part first, just so people can get a reality check. As a child that was bullied, my confidence was affected all the way to college. That's number one. So when I embarked on the journey of entrepreneurship, the thing that surprised me the most is that I did not know that entrepreneurship was going to be a spiritual journey.
What I mean by that is for anyone listening, I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about how those Mo deal with challenges, how Mo deals with difficulties. Are you going to quit? Are you going to play the victim card? Or are you going to look for resources? Are you going to reach out to your community to find other ways to pivot and adapt? Because I've heard it said before that one of the best forms of intelligence is the ability to change. One of the best forms of intelligence
is the ability to change. And to me, that really encompasses what entrepreneurship is about. Because if you let your ego and your comfort zone get in the way, your business will naturally suffer. So that was one of the most expensive business lessons that I've been through is that I didn't know that I needed to check myself in the mirror. That I needed to be like, okay, you know what? Like today was a tough day, you know.
Taryell Simmons (54:28.952)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (54:33.084)
And another conversation we can talk about this, but we even had a really dark moment in 2019 where a scammer used stolen credit cards and bought over $30,000 of products from us. And by the time the car processing company, credit card processing company caught it, he had already escaped and took all the $30,000 worth of products with him. So that would have been a perfect opportunity to quit and close the doors.
Taryell Simmons (54:57.537)
Wow.
Mo Cisse (55:02.245)
Perfect opportunity. So that's one of the most profound lessons for me is before you embark on this journey, please have a moment with yourself to figure out like, what is your why with it? What are your boundaries? How do you cope with challenges? Because let me tell you, just like real life, it's not a question of whether challenges will happen or not. It's just a matter of time.
Taryell Simmons (55:09.037)
there.
Taryell Simmons (55:29.273)
Right.
Mo Cisse (55:31.418)
that challenge would happen. And everyone has different sets of challenges. For us, it was the scammer, for you it might be a different thing. But for anyone listening that's already an entrepreneur or looking to get into entrepreneurship, mean, please have a moment or some moments to yourself to figure out, okay, right now things are rosy, I'm excited, I got my business cards coming in the mail, I got my website coming up. That's very beautiful and romantic.
Taryell Simmons (55:53.315)
there.
Mo Cisse (56:00.406)
I must say it that way. But do have some honest conversations with yourself. How will you manage challenges and who are the people around you that you trust that you could do this journey with, you know? But besides that, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (56:01.284)
Hahaha!
Taryell Simmons (56:10.831)
there.
Taryell Simmons (56:17.283)
Well, I got another question about challenges since you're talking about it, not just managing it, but like, because I imagine when you went through that whole situation with the credit card scammer and so forth, how that must have really shook you up and.
Mo Cisse (56:37.55)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (56:38.867)
and left you discombobulated and just gasping for like, how am I going to like overcome this? But how do you stay grounded when things get challenging?
Mo Cisse (56:41.898)
yeah.
Mo Cisse (56:45.269)
yeah.
Mo Cisse (56:48.622)
Yeah. Yeah. So for me, you mentioned this another one of my beautiful, one of my favorite words that you mentioned earlier, you talked about legacy. For me, I'm in this game because I'm in it for the long haul. If I was only in for profits, we could have automated this business long time ago about a bunch of cheap items from overseas and then just automated online. That would have been a perfect business opportunity. A lot of people do that.
You know, but to me, the long-term vision of being looking like the way I look like and knowing where I want to go, there's not a lot of people that look like me. That is what I'm committed to. So the commitment is for the long-term vision. It's not for the temporary profit. You know, so when you, your vision is greater than the temporary challenge, makes it, of course it was challenging, of course.
Taryell Simmons (57:35.673)
Yeah, understandable.
Mo Cisse (57:44.76)
I'm not telling anyone listening to this that it was an easy thing to overcome. But the point is, is that you have to have a long-term vision that you care more about than the temporary gain. Because if the temporary gain is your priority, then most challenges will knock you out the game. Because as you already know, Tyrell, you've worked with a lot of different business owners. Most new businesses go out of business within their first couple of years.
Taryell Simmons (58:08.633)
Damn. Yeah. And it's because they can't withstand the challenging. And I will say another two. And I want to double back to the things you were talking about earlier when you was like, he's like, I had to check Mo. had to, like a lot of certain business owners don't check themselves to understand who they are personally and how they show up in business because any flaws you have.
Mo Cisse (58:11.418)
You know?
Mo Cisse (58:23.428)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (58:26.948)
Yeah. So yeah. So yeah.
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (58:37.035)
your personal life, it will show up in your business. And if you don't deal with it, it will deal with you. And that really takes some time. The word that comes to mind for me is mindset. And I'm curious for you what mindset shifts are necessary for your growth.
Mo Cisse (58:39.84)
Exactly.
Exactly.
Mo Cisse (58:50.135)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (58:54.648)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (58:58.166)
Yeah. Yeah. I love that you use the word mindset because I would say that's one of the things that did save me beyond my spirituality. I've been listening to personal development, people like Les Brown, Tony Robbins, Jerome, so many different people for many years before I entered entrepreneurship. So those names are new to you and you're about to go into business, please. Exactly.
Taryell Simmons (59:09.785)
Hmm.
Taryell Simmons (59:21.043)
All phenomenal ladies. Those are all legends. If you want to have a mindset shift, any of those names on that list.
Mo Cisse (59:28.02)
Exactly. So well repeated, just in case you didn't catch it the first time. You know, it's anywhere from Les Brown to John C. Maxwell to Tony Robbins to Zig Ziglar to so many different people and even a lot of recent leaders as well. Eric Thomas. So the truth is the mindset matters, but it also matters not just in business. You know, we're both married men now to me.
Taryell Simmons (59:31.47)
BLEH
Taryell Simmons (59:43.919)
you
Mo Cisse (59:54.624)
Mindset also matters as a married man, as a father. Like mindset is the foundation. No matter which way you slice it, the way you think and how you see the world will have a lasting impact in everything you do. And entrepreneurship is not an exception to the game.
Taryell Simmons (01:00:12.527)
Nah, because we're both in this new season of, well, a little bit more seasoned in the marriage and the kid thing. But something you said earlier, you're in the fourth decade or in this next decade in a season of life. So I'm curious now that you've got these new things and you're in this new season. What does success mean to you now?
Mo Cisse (01:00:17.11)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:00:26.22)
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:00:32.92)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mmm.
man.
Success to me now is having more freedom. More freedom to look at myself in the mirror and be like, you know what Moe? Things are not perfect, but you're growing. You're pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. You're not just living for comfortability anymore. You're pushing yourself, you're growing. I can go to bed at night knowing that I at least tried toward my goals.
Mo Cisse (01:01:12.716)
But when I know that Mo didn't even try, when I know Mo just plain scared or he's being hesitant, Terrell, that's the guy that I don't want to see in the mirror. The guy that didn't even try. The version of myself that hesitated, you know? But if I tried and I continue to at least make consistent effort toward the man or the business that I want to build, I can go to sleep with that.
Taryell Simmons (01:01:23.503)
Mm.
Taryell Simmons (01:01:39.983)
I love that. What advice would you give to black and pan-African entrepreneurs throughout the diaspora who want to build purpose-driven businesses?
Mo Cisse (01:01:52.704)
that's a beautiful question that I haven't really been asked before. And I, am grateful for the opportunity to elaborate on this now. One of the things that's been very consistent throughout my life since I've been in America is somehow, I don't know where it comes from. We can dive into family and other things, but for me, I looked at me as an ambassador for my culture, for my family, for people that look like me.
at a very early age, even before I got into fashion, the way I carried myself. Man, even in high school, we got one best dress and things like that, because to me, I wanted to shock the world of what they think an African guy is supposed to look like or act like. So for anyone listening to this, that's from the similar culture is please take pride in the way you represent your culture, your
nationality, your business, whatever it is, is that when people see it, they're like, man, I haven't met someone like that in a while.
You know, I love shocking the world. You know, they don't, they don't know that I speak six languages. They don't know that, you know, I've been bullied before. They don't know a lot of things, but I love that positive shock factor for people outside of our culture because too many people have a limited conceived notion of who we are and how we're supposed to act. So to me, that's my little inner child joy that I get when someone from outside our culture looks at me up and down, they're like, man.
He's different. Well, what did you expect?
Taryell Simmons (01:03:30.467)
Yeah, he is different. Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that he does not disappoint. I didn't even know you speak six languages. OK, Mr. Kobe being Bryant, like now I got eyes. Like what six languages do you speak?
Mo Cisse (01:03:43.895)
So I speak French, that's my first language. And then I speak obviously English, I Spanish, and then three different dialects from back home and Guinea.
Taryell Simmons (01:03:56.078)
wow. Is there more than three dialects back home in Guinea?
Mo Cisse (01:04:00.361)
Yeah, in Guinea they probably have at least six total, if I'm not mistaken. Six total.
Taryell Simmons (01:04:05.039)
Wow, that's impressive. Man, I'm still struggling to learn one language. need to my life together. How do you? I was just grateful, grateful that I know somebody who speaks six languages and I can hang out with them if I need to go to any other part of the world that speaks one of those six. How do you balance?
Mo Cisse (01:04:11.351)
It's all good. It's all good. We focus on gratitude, you know?
Mo Cisse (01:04:25.438)
Yeah
Mo Cisse (01:04:29.799)
Exactly, exactly.
Taryell Simmons (01:04:34.937)
building the brand was building a legacy. How do you balance that?
Mo Cisse (01:04:40.309)
Yeah, to me, this is where your word comes back again, where it's alignment. To me, fashion, as cliche as it sounds, is just an excuse for me to elevate people's Because I don't look at what I do as selling clothes. I look at what I do as selling confidence. You can buy clothes from anywhere. You can buy clothes from anywhere.
Taryell Simmons (01:05:07.481)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:05:09.93)
But to me, the alignment is when I work with a client, I just love that instant confident that they get. Because I know if they do that on a weekly base, they do that eventually on a monthly base, it's going to affect their relationships, potentially their careers, and the way they carry themselves. But if someone is listening and they happen to do work that currently doesn't align, because the statistics don't lie.
Taryell Simmons (01:05:18.191)
you
Mo Cisse (01:05:39.413)
which is that most people, over 60 % of Americans, do not like their jobs. It's a fact. So for me, I wanna extend my heart out to anyone that's doing what they gotta do to pay the bills, just like I did before I went full-time with my business, is at some point, figure out what that thing is for you. If you wanna start your own podcast, if you wanna do something else, you're a painter.
Taryell Simmons (01:05:44.919)
you
Mo Cisse (01:06:04.735)
That's why these leaders like Les Brown, John C. Maxwell, and Tony Ra, they always talk about there's a way to transition from where you are and for where you want to be. You don't have to obviously just get up and quit your job today, but there's gotta be a healthy transition for you, whatever that means for you. Some people can just go cold turkey and start their business today. But for most of us, similar to me, I stayed at my corporate job for at least three years before I went full time with my business. So...
whatever that is for you is that because to me, in my opinion, there's a different part of you that comes to life when you do the thing you love because yeah, we're recording this podcast right now, but I bet you, you know, if it wasn't for our different commitments, Torella and I could have this conversation for hours, you know, and it doesn't feel like work, you know, but the truth is, is
Taryell Simmons (01:06:51.961)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:06:57.065)
That's the thing that I wanna empower more people to pay attention to. Pay attention to how you feel when you do the thing you love. Like one of my other passions is writing. So we have a sister company where we do life coaching and things. And Terrell, I can't tell you how many times I'm writing or coaching a client and then I just lose track of time. I lose track of time. That's one of the common factors around anyone that's doing things out of love, out of passion. So to you.
for the sake of time to answer your question in nutshell is let's go back to what Terrell said about alignment. Whatever is it that you want to do in life, this is truly aligned with the core of who you are. Because if it doesn't, it might work temporarily, but long-term, something's gonna shake you out of the game.
Taryell Simmons (01:07:44.865)
Yeah. Yeah.
And I know that to be true for all my listeners. just dropped a bunch of knowledge on you. I'm going to try to recapture this knowledge for you. Alignment is key. I remember in my old career when I wasn't in alignment. When I started the career, I was in alignment because the company sold me on some values that I felt were in line with my values. But when I got in, the values weren't aligned anymore. And only two things happened.
Mo Cisse (01:07:50.591)
Mm-hmm.
Mo Cisse (01:07:55.669)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:08:05.247)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (01:08:16.689)
And when your values and who you are and what really drives you are not aligned, it's either you separate from the company or the company will start to separate from you or that thing that you're doing separates from you. And the reason being is because you are no longer
Mo Cisse (01:08:23.052)
yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:08:29.013)
Mmm. I love that.
Mo Cisse (01:08:36.255)
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (01:08:36.535)
in alignment and so you're not going to do the thing that somebody is alignment is going to do. Stay the extra hours, be more passionate and so forth. So if fashion is in your alignment, right, no matter what job you have, you should show up the best dressed to that job because fashion is your alignment. then once you get your chance, you have, you know, put yourself in position. So my listeners, if you're trying to get into the fashion industry and you hear some of the things that most talk about,
Mo Cisse (01:08:41.247)
Yeah, yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:08:51.793)
Yep. Yep. Yep.
Mo Cisse (01:09:06.28)
Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (01:09:06.543)
I ask you, are you in alignment? Are you building for speed or sustainability? Are your values reflected in your business? Because at the end of the day, legacy is built on intention.
Mo Cisse (01:09:09.299)
Mmm, I love that. Yeah. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:09:17.395)
Yeah. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:09:23.251)
Mmm, I love that. That's a t-shirt right there, I love that. I love that. Yes, sir. Just because you said that, I'm going to figure out a special code for your listeners. Yeah, I'm going to do that. Something that has the... Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (01:09:26.479)
What I build here at Rise Every Day Show is with intention. What Mo's building with Moroccan is with intention. And there's attention in the details. That's why it looks so well.
Taryell Simmons (01:09:46.507)
Okay, yeah. Okay, we gonna get a special code for all my listeners.
Mo Cisse (01:09:51.751)
I'm going to text that to you, something that has the name Rise. I don't know if it's Rise Together or something, but I'll create a code for your listeners because that bomb that you dropped right there, they can use that for so many different parts of their lives if they're open, because you and I both know not necessarily everybody's open, but to help add further value, we'll create a special promo code for your listeners. Yeah.
Taryell Simmons (01:10:06.383)
Mm-hmm.
Taryell Simmons (01:10:12.527)
I love that because I'm thinking right now because there's a couple of my listeners that I know are about to go to a conference and speak at a place and they should be taking this code that you're going to give them to update so they can show up differently on stage. That's going to elevate themselves and elevate their business as soon as they get out on that stage.
Mo Cisse (01:10:25.042)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:10:28.604)
Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:10:33.575)
Yeah, absolutely.
Taryell Simmons (01:10:40.213)
I appreciate that. You heard it first here. Mo, this has been powerful, man. I could speak to you all day. But, you know, as you said earlier, if we didn't have other commitments, we'd probably be here talking for hours. But I want to say you reminded us that business isn't just about making money, it's about making meaning. And before you go, where can people connect with you, support the brand and learn more?
Mo Cisse (01:10:41.811)
Yeah. Yeah.
Mo Cisse (01:10:51.463)
Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Mo Cisse (01:11:00.924)
Mm. Thank you.
Mo Cisse (01:11:09.915)
Yeah, thank you so much. Everything under every platform is marakeelure.com or you can just Google. And then luckily you can also Google my name nowadays, is Mo, M-O, and then C-I-S-S-E. There's only me and then soccer player or a basketball player that shows up. So you can actually Google. Yeah, so.
Taryell Simmons (01:11:34.287)
What? You famous out here?
Mo Cisse (01:11:38.919)
Thank God, after all these years of grinding, you could just Google either Mo'sa Sayo or Meraki Lure and all of our platforms from YouTube to everything else would show up.
Taryell Simmons (01:11:49.028)
Nice, awesome. RISE Urban Nation family, if this episode resonated with you, make sure you subscribe, share this with someone building the business, leave us review because here at RISE Urban Nation, we don't just build businesses, we build legacy. So until next time, I want you to unite, uplift and ignite each other. Peace.
Mo Cisse (01:12:04.307)
Mmm.
Mo Cisse (01:12:09.595)
I love that. Thank you.