Discover the transformative power of family on entrepreneurship and the shift from relentless hustlers to strategic business owners.
In this first episode of the Family Man Building the Brand podcast, co-hosts and longtime friends Cecil and Ralph introduce themselves and trace their journeys from young hustlers in LA to married entrepreneurs trying to balance business and family.
They discuss how they met and bonded over being enterprising at a young age, whether selling candy at school or flipping cars. This hustler spirit continued as they started one venture after another in their late teens and twenties - a t-shirt line, vending machines, and real estate. Eventually, their hustling coalesced into the launch of their streetwear clothing brand, Royal Dynamite, in 2010. They share how they leveraged connections and influencer collaborations to market the brand.
Learn the crucial role of family support in unlocking the full potential of your entrepreneurial pursuits.
What we discuss in this episode:
[00:00 - 14:50] The Journey of Two Sierra Leonean Entrepreneurs
Cecil and Ralph share the story of starting the podcast and their business partnership with the Royal Dynamite clothing brand.
They connected through LA's Sierra Leonean community events and spaces.
How Cecil and Ralph started tapping into their passion for entrepreneurship being young hustlers early on.
[14:51 – 29:38] The Hustle and The Grind: Building Royal Dynamite
The journey of an entrepreneur is not a straight line and often involves dabbling in different ventures.
Cecil and Ralph became entrepreneurs by starting small businesses and hustling through tough times.
They explain the motivations and process for starting the Royal Dynamite clothing brand.
[29:39 – 55:59] Building a Brand and Raising a Family
Cecil and Ralph discuss how they started building and scaling their business in the early days of social media.
They discuss the difficulties and lessons they had learned when they opened a successful pop-up shop in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Ralph and Cecil created Royal Dynamite to represent their city and African culture
Parenthood forced them to add more structure and move from hustler to business owner mentalities.
Cecil and Ralph share their goals for helping other fathers balance growing a business and family.
Connect with Cecil and Ralph!
Cecil's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cimifly_/?hl=en
Cecil’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilvwilliams
Ralph's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ralphdiesel/?hl=en
Ralph’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelsaye/
Be sure to check out new apparel at https://royaldynamite.com/
Shop our unique t-shirt line and support global education with every purchase. Visit www.royaldynamite.com and use code FAMBABRD20 for 20% off your first order.
Please leave a REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to start building their brand success. Listen to other episodes on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Key Quotes
"If you can connect to people emotionally; and for something that is near and dear to their hearts, then you can get them to be paying customers." - Cecil Williams
"One of my mentors used to tell me, your dreams should be real... You need to be able to tell your story. You need to be in front of people." - Cecil Williams
