Today we’d like to introduce you to Reginald Patterson.
Hi Reginald, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I experienced a breakup in 2011 that shifted my focus on how I was consuming my time with life outside of school. I decided to create a clothing line and in 2012, I decided to take a photography course at Cal State Northridge. This photography class gave me the idea to start a graphic t-shirt/creative direction company. Suffering from lack of planning and preparation along with imposter syndrome, this idea would remain in my house with no production. I was very distracted with my social life and was not surrounded by other entrepreneurs at that time. Two years later, I broke out into the fashion industry and began to brand my name “Rich & Friendly” as a creative direction company that specialized in Photography and wardrobe styling for celebrities in Los Angeles. This would turn into a competitive industry to jump in, all at the same time I was working on finishing my degree. I was spread very thin between working full time, attending CSUN full time, and having a huge social life. I struggled with effectively building this business the correct way, but I never gave up hope on what it could be. I took a hiatus from this endeavor for years after 2016, when I graduated CSUN with a public health degree. In 2018 I started my career in the tech industry in Silicon Valley and was surrounded by smart people who constantly bet on themselves. Ideas of R&F being revamped would start; however, I was still unsure of where I’d take the business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest challenge throughout my personal/professional career was my addiction to drugs and alcohol. I was never convinced that this was a problem until I went missing in 2017, causing a huge uproar in my life. This can legit be searched on Google. I struggled with this starting my junior year in high school up until I was 25 years old in 2017. Though I had a lot of advances in my professional career and personal relationships, these would eventually be strained. I managed to keep a full-time job over the years, but addiction would get in the way at some point. Thankfully I finished my degree at CSUN in 2016 and networked like crazy because I couldn’t Imagine how many opportunities I would have missed out on if I didn’t. I believe the desire to live comfortably in Los Angeles is a goal for everyone there; however, my initial career choice after college could afford the lifestyle I was hoping for. I ended up switching industries in 2018 to tech and never looked back.
As you know, we’re big fans of Rich & Friendly Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I experienced a breakup in 2011 that shifted my focus on how I was consuming my time with life outside of school. I decided to create a clothing line and in 2012, I decided to take a photography course at Cal State Northridge. This photography class gave me the idea to start a graphic t-shirt/creative direction company. Suffering from a lack of planning and preparation along with imposter syndrome, this idea would remain in my house with no production. I was very distracted with my social life and was not surrounded by other entrepreneurs at that time. Two years later, I broke out into the fashion industry and began to brand my name “Rich & Friendly” as a creative direction company that specialized in Photography and wardrobe styling for celebrities in Los Angeles. This would turn into a competitive industry to jump in, all at the same time I was working on finishing my degree.
I was spread very thin between working full time, attending CSUN full time, and having a huge social life. I struggled with effectively building this business the correct way, but I never gave up hope on what it could be. I took a hiatus from this endeavor for years after 2016, when I graduated from CSUN with a public health degree. In 2018 I started my career in the tech industry in Silicon Valley and was surrounded by smart people who constantly bet on themselves. Ideas of R&F being revamped would start; however, I was still unsure of where I’d take the business. The last few months have been very bright for Rich & Friendly INC. This would be due to being let go from two tech companies within the last 6 months. I realized that I was still sitting on a gold mine from over a decade ago and now is the perfect opportunity to officially kick it off!
What’s next?
Rich & Friendly INC is currently focusing on fully servicing small businesses with Marketing and Branding needs. We are focused on Fashion & Apparel, Beauty, and Entertainment industries. Overall this business will be a Parent company to multiple subsidiaries, including a tech startup division. I never in a million years imagined that R&F would scale at the rate it is. I have this compelling vision that will put this brand at the top of the leadership chart for small minority-owned businesses that has a huge impact in the niche markets we serve. I can’t disclose everything now but stay tuned for all that’s to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.richandfriendly.com
- Instagram: @richandfriendlyinc
- Facebook: Rich & Friendly
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rich-friendly
