A native North Carolinian, Richard launched his marketing career at the age of 10, promoting his family’s gymnastics school. Distributing flyers at local sporting and entertainment events, and then answering the business phone to sign up new students, the groundwork of marketing and sales was being laid. He then evolved his abilities via door-to-door sales of wreaths and trees to fund his scouting adventures each holiday season. While earning a degree in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing and minoring in Economics, Richard interned with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, working in Community and Public Relations. Here, he learned the grassroots basics for building a brand community of “raving fans.”

Upon graduating, Richard became a “Madman” in the ad agency world, working on Fortune 100 brand IBM. Helping Hanes and Hanes Her Way to #1 market share soon followed, as well as the launch of the Michael Jordan collection from Hanes. Subsequently, Richard’s account management work, guiding 3M, SBC (now AT&T), Chili’s Grill and Bar, Pebble Beach Resorts, Tostitos, and O’Charley’s Restaurants, led to increased year-over-year sales growth translating to $1+ billion in incremental revenue.

During the recession of 2009, Richard’s focus turned to helping the smaller brick-n-mortar business owners (independents and franchisees) increase traffic into their locations to survive, then thrive – including restaurants, hair salons, nail salons, car washes, dentists, veterinarians, and daycare/educational centers. He realized his true business purpose when a desperate prospect asked, “Can you help me, Richard, get the locals to give me a second, third or fourth chance to serve them?” He did, and the prospect became a client for four years, having avoided imminent closure.

Seeing small business owners hit even harder by COVID and the government restrictions, Richard‘s purpose today is to guide the smaller brick-n-mortar owners/operators toward recovery and growth – building their brand and scaling the business via traffic counts + online orders, and a customer experience that results in a community of raving fans and brand evangelists.