Today we’d like to introduce you to Karlyta Williams.
Karlyta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been someone who spends a lot of time reflecting on who I’m becoming.
When I was 15 years old, we were discussing a novel in my AP English class and the central focus of the discussion was setting, knowing, naming the woman you want to become and why that’s so important. I was so daily impacted by that conversation, I wrote an entire paragraph about it and little did I know, it would become a lifetime exercise for me. I divided the page in half. On one side, I wrote all the ways I was already that woman. On the other, I wrote all the things I was or was doing that were pulling me away from her.
During the pandemic, I found myself returning to that exercise. Like many people, I had more time to think, evaluate my habits, and become intentional about how I was living. As I worked through that reflection, I noticed something surprising. Alcohol kept showing up on the side of the page that represented things creating distance between who I was and who I wanted to be.
What surprised me was that I wasn’t a heavy drinker. I was a social drinker at best. But I started noticing how deeply alcohol was woven into the way we celebrate, connect, network, unwind, and gather. Even while we were all isolated, people were recreating virtual happy hours and cocktail rituals because those experiences represented something much bigger than the drink itself and that realization sparked my curiosity. Why.
I started making mocktails at home, but they didn’t quite satisfy me. I wanted the experience to feel as intentional and layered as a crafted cocktail. So I started experimenting. I have always loved baking from scratch, and many of the principles that guide my cocktail creation today came from understanding balance, acidity, sweetness, texture, and flavor. What began as experimentation quickly became a creative outlet during a season when creativity felt especially important for me as an extrovert who couldn’t be extro! Ha!
When restrictions lifted, I invited friends over and served them some of the drinks I had been creating. One of them looked at me and said, “You should do this.” The funny thing was, I had no idea what “this” was.
But during that same season, I had a deeply spiritual experience. The name Mockery came to me. The vision came to me. The purpose came to me. It felt less like a business idea and more like an act of obedience.
So in 2021, I started showing up wherever people would let me. Most people said no. One day, standing in front of someone I was sure was about to turn me down, I heard a little voice tell me, “Tell her you’ll do it for free.”
So I did.
That became what I now call “The Year of Free.”
What’s interesting is that Mockery wasn’t actually what I thought I would be doing when the world reopened.
Before the pandemic, much of my work centered around helping people become more present in their lives. I had a full time executive level job job in the non profit sector (still do) but my mission venture was being a Reiki practitioner, I facilitated sound experiences, hosted women’s gatherings, and offered natal chart readings as a tool for self-understanding and personal growth.
One of my favorite events was called Mother Moon. It brought women together to honor their ability to nurture, create, and bring life to things in all its forms. Whether someone was raising children, had experienced loss, chose not to have children, or was pouring their energy into a business, a passion, or a dream, the goal was the same: helping women recognize the power and beauty they already carried within them.
Looking back, I can see a common thread through all of that work. I was always trying to create experiences that helped people feel more connected to themselves and to one another.
At the time, I assumed that was the path I would continue down. But I love how life has a funny way of revealing a larger vision.
What I couldn’t see then was that Mockery would become another expression of the same mission. Instead of gathering people around healing modalities, I would gather them around a beautifully crafted drink and a meaningful conversation. The medium changed, but the purpose remained the same.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a business strategy (HA!), but it changed everything. Without money changing hands, people were willing to engage in conversation. They told me their stories. They shared their relationships with alcohol, celebration, recovery, grief, health, faith, and belonging. Those conversations became the foundation of what Mockery would eventually become.
The real turning point came during a vendor market. A woman walked up to my booth, hugged me, looked me in the eyes, and simply said, “Thank you. We need this.” That moment changed me.
I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. As a child, I sold handmade Christmas decorations at church in early adult hood it was poetry-themed T-shirts. Every business idea I ever had was rooted in the same question: How can I create something that helps people feel better, happier, more hopeful, or more connected?
Standing in that market, I realized Mockery wasn’t really about beverages. It was about people. It was about creating space for connection, celebration, and belonging.
Today, Mockery Zero Proof is Detroit’s first dedicated nonalcoholic bottle shop and social space, but at its core, it is still the same thing it was when it started. It’s an invitation for people to gather, celebrate, and connect in ways that feel intentional and authentic.
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned throughout my life is that when you’re truly obedient to something bigger than yourself, the rewards often arrive in forms you never expected. Mockery gave me the opportunity to build a business, but more importantly, it gave me the opportunity to serve people in a way that feels deeply aligned with who I’ve always hoped to become.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like most entrepreneurs, one of my earliest challenges was figuring out how to bridge the gap between the size of my vision and the resources available to support it.
When you’re starting a business, you can be incredibly wealthy in passion, purpose, and determination while simultaneously being very aware of every dollar that leaves your account. Learning how to build something meaningful while navigating financial realities was certainly one challenge.
Another challenge was that what I was building was unfamiliar to many people. Today, nonalcoholic spirits and alcohol-free social spaces are gaining more visibility, but when I started, many people simply didn’t understand the concept and I spent as much time educating as I did selling.
People would ask, “Why would I drink a cocktail without alcohol?” or “Isn’t the point to get drunk?” Those conversations became part of the work. I learned that building something new often requires helping people understand why it matters before they can fully embrace it.
Because the concept was unfamiliar, there was also skepticism. Some people loved the idea immediately. Others didn’t. I’ve heard plenty of opinions over the years, and not all of them were kind. But I’ve learned that innovation often comes with resistance. When you’re introducing something people haven’t seen before, doubt is part of the territory.
One of the most difficult seasons came shortly before Mockery opened. I had spent years doing pop-ups, vendor markets, and community events. I poured my heart into a summer event series, and the response wasn’t what I hoped it would be. Tickets weren’t moving, and I found myself asking the same questions many entrepreneurs ask: Am I doing this right? Is this working? Should I keep going?
Rather than pushing harder, I did something that has become important in my life. I got quiet.
Every year before my birthday, I dedicate time to reflection and intention setting. During that season, I pulled back from events and focused on listening instead of forcing and What happened next changed everything.
I was unexpectedly led to a building I had no plans of pursuing. In fact, I wasn’t planning to open a physical location until much later. When I walked into the space, I immediately felt something I can’t fully explain. It was everything I had imagined without realizing I had imagined it. A small corner shop with beautiful windows, the kind of place I had dreamed about since childhood.
The irony is that even then, there was another obstacle. Someone else had already submitted a letter of intent for the space. I remember feeling incredibly disappointed because I could already see the future there!!
But eventually the opportunity came back around, and today that space is Mockery. What makes that moment especially meaningful is that it reminded me of my great grandparents, who owned a neighborhood market in Southwest Detroit. Some of my earliest memories of entrepreneurship came from watching them serve their community. Looking back, opening my own corner shop felt like coming full circle.
The truth is that challenges don’t disappear once a business opens. I feel like entrepreneurship is an ongoing exercise in growth, adaptability, and resilience. There are still hurdles. There are still moments of uncertainty. There are still days when I have more questions than answers. But I’ve learned that every challenge carries a lesson.
When you’re in the middle of a difficult season, it can feel overwhelming. Looking back, however, those same moments often become the chapters that shaped you the most. They’ve taught me patience, trust, perseverance, and the importance of staying connected to my purpose even when the path forward isn’t entirely clear.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that success isn’t the absence of obstacles. It’s the willingness to keep showing up, keep learning, and keep moving forward despite them.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mockery Zero Proof is Detroit’s first dedicated nonalcoholic bottle shop and social space, but at its heart, it’s a hospitality concept built around connection, inclusion, and celebration.
We specialize in premium nonalcoholic spirits, wines, beers, ready-to-drink offerings, and handcrafted zero-proof cocktails. We also provide mobile bartending services, curated beverage experiences, educational tastings, private events, and community-centered programming designed to help people gather in meaningful ways.
What makes Mockery unique is that we’re not focused on what people are giving up. We’re focused on what they gain.
For generations, alcohol has been one of the primary ways people celebrate milestones, build relationships, network, unwind, and connect. The alcohol-free movement is creating new opportunities for people to participate in those experiences on their own terms, whether they’re sober, sober-curious, wellness-focused, pregnant, training for a marathon, managing a health condition, taking medication, practicing a faith tradition, or simply choosing not to drink that day. At Mockery, we believe everyone deserves access to beautiful, elevated social experiences regardless of what’s in their glass.
One of the things I’m most proud of is helping people discover that nonalcoholic beverages can be every bit as complex, intentional, and celebratory as their alcoholic counterparts. Many customers walk through our doors expecting a substitute. What they often find instead is an entirely new category of hospitality and flavor.
Beyond the beverages, Mockery has become a gathering place. We’ve hosted tastings, workshops, wellness experiences, creative events, and community conversations that bring together people from all walks of life. That sense of belonging is just as important to us as the products on our shelves.
At its core, Mockery exists to expand the definition of celebration. We want people to know that joy, connection, community, and memorable experiences are not dependent on alcohol. They are created through presence, intention, and the people we share them with.
If there’s one thing I’d want readers to know, it’s that Mockery isn’t simply a bottle shop. It’s an invitation to experience hospitality differently and a reminder that everyone deserves a seat at the table.
How do you define success?
I’ve always believed that success is less about what you accumulate and more about who you become. That doesn’t mean I think financial success isn’t important. I absolutely do. Financial freedom creates opportunities, expands choices, allows us to care for the people we love, explore the world, support causes we believe in, and build lives that feel abundant and meaningful!
What I’ve come to believe, though, is that those things are often the byproduct of alignment.One of my favorite ideas is that we’re capable of becoming far more than we can currently imagine for ourselves. Throughout my life, I’ve tried to stay focused on becoming the highest and best version of who I am, trusting that as I grow, my capacity for impact, opportunity, and abundance grows as well.
For me, success is the balance between alignment and action. It’s knowing who you are, being honest about who you’re becoming, and then doing the work required to bring that vision to life. It requires faith, but it also requires effort. It requires dreams, but it also requires discipline.
Some of the most successful moments in my life haven’t been tied to money at all. They’ve been moments when I knew I was operating in purpose, when something I created helped someone else, or when I felt deeply connected to the work I was doing.
At the same time, I don’t believe we’re meant to suffer our way through life. I believe we’re meant to experience joy, beauty, connection, adventure, and abundance. Success is creating a life that makes room for all of those things.
If I had to define it in one sentence, I would say:
Success is becoming the fullest expression of who you were created to be and having the courage to live as that person every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mockeryzeroproof.com/
- Instagram: https://share.google/Fxge01EdOh7vFE6Jk
