We had the good fortune of connecting with Marquita Polite and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marquita, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been a creative from an early age. My hands were always busy “making” something. Writing in my diary as a kid turned into writing poetry, and poetry turned into writing speeches for the various extracurricular clubs I was involved in. Over the past 10 or so years I’ve explored my creativity as a form of self care and finding out what I enjoy doing. So it was only natural that I pursue something creative not only for leisure, but also as a part time, and hopefully soon a full-time career. I enjoy all the creative things from teaching myself how to watercolor, making jewelry, writing poetry, blogging etc.,. the list goes on. Struggle Bus Design Co LLC is the combination of many of my creative abilities. Designing graphic tees allows me to be creative while also expressing myself through writing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart from others, are my unique designs, colorful tees, and quirky phrases that I put on my tees. In comparison to other graphic tee designers, I feel that my designs are more original because they are inspired by my day to day experiences with a tiny dash of pop culture mixed in. The tee that I’m most proud of is my “Excessively Black” tee that I created in 2021. It’s my bestselling tee at the moment I created that tee as a statement against racism in the midst of all the discussions on race and the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. I want Black voices to be amplified and heard while they are alive. While starting Struggle Bus Design Co LLC, I learned a lot of lessons. The one that was the most impactful was to work smarter not harder as cliché as that may sound. However I learned that the key to my success as a one woman small business owner is to put systems in place to create balance since I do still work a 9-5. Planning and having systems in place has been a life saver for me

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area for a week, I would definitely take them to Tampa Bay and surrounding areas to explore Florida’s Gulf Coast beaches, food and shopping. Our first stop would be Caddy’s Treasure Island for a beachside lunch and drinks. Caddy’s has the best fried grouper sandwich. Our next stop would be a quick drive across the bay to Coquina Beach to be beach bums for the rest of the day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d dedicate this shoutout to my grandmother Mary. She turned 94 this year and I don’t ever remember a time when she has not supported my creative endeavors.

Website: www.strugglebusco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strugglebusco/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestrugglebusco

Image Credits
Image 3 & 4 Thee Girl Brand

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