ORLANDO, Fla. – Their slogan is “Great things come in pairs,” and these twin brothers said they went into the sock business because they felt like it symbolizes them both: creativity, closeness, comfort and artistic style.
Marcus and Mario Taylor said before they started The Sock Gallery inside the Oviedo Mall, they were actually going in a completely different direction.
Recommended Videos
“We’ve always had plenty of ideas, and we realized at an early age that being twins was very uncommon and unique,” Marcus and Mario said.
The Memphis natives said they originally pursued careers as aircraft technicians.
“After years of working in the aviation industry, we realized how well we work together and with others,” Marcus and Mario said.
Their business started in 2015 with a small kiosk. After one year, they moved onto their own brand, creating the option for customers to customize their socks. By 2017, they had their own store in the Oviedo Mall.
The 1,700 square-foot store allowed them the space they needed for production and equipment, which gave shoppers the luxury to have their custom socks designed the same day.
After years of growing their business in the mall and working with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment, including Shaquille O’Neal, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jamie Foxx, Diddy, and many more, their business is moving into a new season.
They have left the Oviedo Mall and are set to reopen on International Drive in mid-October.
“Our plan is to do things a bit differently than in Oviedo. Since we’ll be located in the busiest tourist destination, we’re looking to bring a bigger experience and more products. We’ll offer our exclusive line of products, host meet-and-greets, and much more,” Marcus and Mario said.
So what makes their socks so popular? The brothers tell us they believe it’s because of the work that goes into their design process and customization.
“We create an entire theme around the photos or logos provided. We think about the moment our customers open that package and how amazed they are with their order. We want it to be the best experience every time and not just a pair of cookie-cutter designed socks like elsewhere,” Marcus and Mario said.
The brothers said one of their biggest successes is the impact they make on kids in the community.
“We’ve had several opportunities to speak to youth empowerment groups, providing great mentorship on future endeavors and entrepreneurship. We’ve also participated in summer programs where the youth got to experience real-life work experience with us and learn and ask questions about business and becoming entrepreneurs,” the brothers said.
When it comes to advice for young entrepreneurs or struggling Black businesses, they said it’s important to love what you do, and it’s OK to fall.
“Make sure that your business is your passion. Or it will become a job! Everyone might not see your vision or understand it, but when you put heart into it, it becomes a brand. Everyone then understands and want to support it. So don’t give up. For the struggling Black business out there, sometimes you have to go back to the drawing board, create a new play, and get back out there and crush it, because every day is a new opportunity,” they said.
Black Men Sundays talks about building generational wealth. Check out every episode in the media player below: