TAMPA, Fla. — People who know Malachi McCloud described him as a quiet person. 

He prefers to use two other words to describe himself, Dolo Society.

“Dolo Society are these kind of laid back, kinda loner people that are like very calm,” he said. “They have a sense of style.”

But Dolo Society is more than a self-description. He turned the phrase into a brand and a line of clothing.

“My sister, she was begging me to start a business,” he said. “I didn’t know what business to start. She’s a business lady herself. She gave me, I think it was $400 or $500 to start off. I bought a batch of shirts. I had a really cheap design and had some of my friends model it and it took off from there.”

It took off all right, like a rocket, and now it’s a successful business.

“At my school, I see at least like three or four people a day wearing my stuff,” he said. “I mean, people don’t even know it’s me. Sometimes I go to the mall, we see it everywhere. My mom was in Atlanta a couple months ago. She was going into a museum and she saw it and started freaking out ‘It’s Dolo Society! It’s Dolo Society!’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’”

But that’s just half the story.

“So, I have manufacturers out of Pakistan, China, and I communicate with them through an app called WhatsApp,” he said.

He also has employees too, hiring friends and family to help with deliveries. McCloud is now selling Dolo Society T-shirts, hoodies and even dresses both online and at On Point Fashions’ two stores in Tampa Bay.

He’s doing all of this as a senior at Boca Ciega High School, still waiting to get his diploma later this month. His mother is still trying to wrap her head around all of this.

“I’m still in shock,” said Yolanda McCloud. “I’m still trying to take it in and every day he’s coming up with a different design and I’m just so thankful. I am so thankful that he’s my son.”

And Malachi is thankful for his sister Myisha McCloud, who challenged him to start a business because she saw his potential before he did two years ago.

“We put the plan together, mapped it out,” said Myisha. “Mapped out what the expenses were going to be. What’s your timeline? What’s your vision? And see how dedicated he was to it. He actually had no idea that I was going to actually front home the money to him.”

That $400 to $500 seed money she gave him to start his business has grown to more than $20,000 in profit so far. Enough for him to buy his dream car as a teenager.

He’ll be driving in style to the University of North Florida, where he plans to study business. And he won’t be waiting to get that degree before he puts what he learns to use, eventually opening his own clothing store.

“I thought I should invest in him just as much as he invested in his mind,” she said. “And I love him. I care about him, so I want him to be successful and I want him to know that it’s OK. Don’t be scared. I got you. We’re gonna do this together. And if I instill that in him now, he will later instill that in somebody else, so in turn, pay it forward.”

Having such a supportive and driven family is the reason Malachi wanted to get into the fashion business.

“Having people wear my brand and get it out there, I don’t think it was about the money at first, just going out and seeing people with my merchandise on really,” he said. “It says a lot to me. It brightens my day. I smile every time I see it.”