Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Rogers.
Jordan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I got my start in the entertainment business through music – it’s always been somewhat of a north star that has lead me to where I am today. I was lucky enough to receive a music scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.
The experiences I had through drumline allowed me to travel all over the country and exposed me to more than what was in my backyard. While in Atlanta, I began to develop a hunger to work with Musicians, Photographers, Graphic Designers, etc. in hopes of developing their skills and positioning them to achieve their dreams.
However, I wasn’t able to figure this out all on my own.
I had an opportunity to work at Twelve Music (A music studio) with one of my closest friends, Torey Best. He and I were mentored by the previous studio owner, Dina Marto and began working with various creatives in the city to help brand/promote musicians such as Lil Baby, Pi’erre Bourne, Rick Ross and Diplo.
I’d spend the majority of the day at school, in class – and all of my hours at night in the studio. As soon as I graduated, I transitioned to Los Angeles to pursue TV/Film production. Some friends of mine from High School were generous enough to open their doors and allowed me to sleep on their couch, while I figured out how to create opportunity for myself in LA.
As time passed, I was able to slowly reconnect with other friends who had also moved to LA in pursuit of creative careers – spanning from childhood, high school and college. Through these connections, that initial fire I had in Atlanta to help build and work with creatives resurfaced, and I began to focus all of my time and energy into creating what is now Roloren.
In the beginning, I had no clue how I would make my business work, but luckily with the help of my very close friends Michael Majors and Eli Ashe, I’ve been able to establish myself and do what I love.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has not been smooth at all, but I think that’s what makes the journey so rich.
Many of the struggles that I faced came when I transitioned from Atlanta to Los Angeles. I used to work at a clothing store in The Grove and would skateboard from South Central to work everyday – I had little to no money, so I’d find myself eating at KFC twice a day because they had a bunch of coupon options for discounted meals.
My living situations were also very unpredictable because I was staying with friends, at any point in time they could’ve simply kicked me out – I’m very grateful that they didn’t.
However, as time went on – I was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and slowly make steps towards my passion whenever I had time.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company is a creative agency that pairs artists from various disciplines together to help brand and promote small businesses.
I manage all of the creatives under Roloren and specialize in developing strategies for the businesses we work with. Simply put – I help connect the people I manage to a business, we assess their marketing workflow/strategy and see where we can provide our services to help improve their business.
I am most proud of the chemistry that flows between the people I work with. I’m originally from Miami, so Roloren has become somewhat of a small family to me away from home.
I think what sets us apart from others is accountability. More than having each other back, we continue to challenge one another to grow outside of our comfort zone.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I believe that Los Angeles is a great city for businesses like mine. There are a lot of people in the city looking to do something creative, so there’s never a drought when it comes to working with others.
I would definitely recommend them starting out here – would just emphasize the necessity of having a well-oiled plan to follow and being open to adjusting when their plan shifts.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: jvrdrvp
Image Credit:
@Michaelangelovisuals, @35mmajors
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