On this week’s podcast, Marcus sits down with Richard McGill, the founder of Mobile Fashion Week. From a background in theater, design, photography and fashion, Richard dreamt of bringing every facet of the fashion industry together to support a local charity. Listen or read this week’s episode to hear the story of an upcoming Mobile event!
Transcript:
Richard: Hey, I am Richard McGill, founder of Mobile Fashion Week.
Marcus: Well, welcome to the podcast, Richard.
Richard: Oh, hey. What's up, you?
Marcus: Okay, so full disclosure, Richard and I do know each other. We've met through Tony, who is a photographer here locally, and we've kind of run into each other occasionally, but I wanted to have you on the podcast, because I love what you're doing with fashion week.
Richard: Awesome.
Marcus: Thank you for coming.
Richard: Thank you for having me. Super excited.
Marcus: The way that we normally start the podcast is we always kind of try to find out a little bit about the person, before we get into some of the ways of their thinking and what they have going on and stuff like that. Tell us a little bit about who you are, where you from, where'd you go to high school? Did you go to college? Did you graduate? So on and so forth.
Richard: Awesome. Awesome. Well, I'm Richard McGill. You already got that part, but I'm from Mobile, Alabama, born and raised. On the playground is where I spent most of my days. Y'all get that reference?
Marcus: Yes. Absolutely. I'm old enough to get that reference.
Richard: Awesome.
Marcus: Jerry's just trying to touch you again. Pay no attention to the man.
Richard: Let me shimmy for you. But yes, I went to Davidson High School. W.P. Davidson. I was in musical theater, I was in color guard. I was the only boy in color guard at that point. I was the boy with the flag.
Marcus: Blazing new trails.
Richard: Man, hey, I always had that flag and I was throwing it. Had a big old smile on my face. I was good to go. In Mobile, Alabama, 2005. I went to the University of Southern Mississippi, and then I transferred to the University of South Alabama. I did have a musical theater ... I was on the tract for musical theater degree. Developed a nodule on my left vocal cord. Kind of switched it up for me. But it didn't end anything, it just started a new path, which I was really excited about. And then I ... Yeah, in Mobile.
Marcus: But you didn't graduate music theater, you went and got a graphic design-
Richard: Yes. Photography and graphic design.
Marcus: Photography and graphic design degree. But you're in ... I mean, you predominantly are in fashion. That's where you live, that's where you love, that's, you know, all the things that are you surround fashion.
Richard: Is about, just with fashion. It's just explaining to people and educating people on the fact that fashion is every day. You might not think you are the most fashionable person in the world, but what you picked and your chosen skin is what you're wearing. You chose that to wear, and whether you think it's fashion or not, like you'd make a decision.
Marcus: Conscious or not.
Richard: Yeah, and just teaching people that that's okay. No matter if people are telling you "Oh, well that doesn't look great together, that doesn't look good together." There's going to be people that tell you all the time "That doesn't look good." But there's going to be those people that are like "Hey, that's some pretty fresh style you got going on there." The only thing that changed in between those conversations is the person. You didn't change your outfit, it was the person that looked at it and so that's what I always try to remind people about. That's what it's about.
Marcus: So, I'm the same way. I didn't grow up with a whole lot of money and so I was always very ... like I remember when Nike first released the Cortez's and they had the red heel and they had the blue stripe and I just was like "Oh, man I'd really like to have those," but I was the kid wearing the shoes from Payless, right. Just recently I started getting Air Jordan's.
Richard: Okay.
Marcus: And so I was wearing some the other day and Terrance DeShaun who has not been on this podcast but he is going to come on this podcast, was giving me crap about "What do you know about J's?" And I was like "Please player, don't even start with me." Like I've been lusting after J's since they first came out in the 80s but I would agree with you that fashion is very much what you're comfortable in but it projects quite a bit.
Richard: Yes.
Marcus: And so even as a business owner ... I'm going to go out on a limb here and I may make some enemies but the thing that kind of bugs me about fashion here in Mobile is that, you know, in the business community it's much like what it was in D.C. where you go to a business event and it's the blue blazer, the gray slacks, the white shirt with the red tie and it's like there's so much more to it then that.
Richard: There's so much more you can do.
Marcus: Put some effort into it and so I'm the guy that shows up wearing all the weird stuff, you know, and the funky clothes but I love it. That's who I am, and I can get away with it because I own an advertising agency, and I don't work at a law firm.
Richard: But everybody can get away ... Even those people who do work for law firms. Even if you feel that you have wear a suit, wear a funky sock with it. Do something really cool, wear a really different tie, wear a bow tie or do something crazy because it's not the norm any more. I think it's definitely the new generation of people that are showing us like "Hey, you should be you." I mean people are going to love you and it's not so much more, I feel, it's not so much more about the business anymore. It's more about who you are and people are realizing that.
Marcus: Like, authenticity.
Richard: It's your authenticity; you are not playing a suited person.
Marcus: No, and they can see thought it.
Richard: You're playing you and that you are amazing so be you. Just be great being you.
Marcus: Yeah, that's awesome. So I want to go back in your history. What was your first job, and I don't mean your first job in fashion. I mean like your first crap job, like flipping burgers or whatever.
Richard: You want to know it?
Marcus: Well, yeah.
Richard: Only a few people know it. I worked at Golden Corral.
Marcus: Seriously?
Richard: Yes, Golden Corral.
Marcus: Doing what? Now a lot of people know about it. So you know, like..
Richard: Golden Corral. I was that really loud guy at the front saying "Hey," to getting your Coke, getting your drink and that's back when like the budget really wasn't good the sign wouldn't say Golden Corral it would say like the Golden Oral or something in the light.
Marcus: I'm telling you this may be the last episode of this podcast, friends.
Richard: Hey now, people know me, they know my spirit, they know my heart. They know me...
Marcus: It's all good.
Richard: But, no, that's what was my first job and I loved it. Just because it taught me a lot. It really did even though it was my first crap job and I knew I wasn't supposed to be there. I knew that wasn't in my wheel house but I was touching people and I was my energetic self and I did make peoples day. It was a job that taught me from day one that it was okay to fail and I feel like a lot of people these days feel like ... Especially because of social media and I love social media, I'm always on social media. But you have to post like the best of the best, of the best, of the best and you have to live this like that's not authenticity you. When you fail you learn so much more than if you succeed. Like if you're doing great all the time how are you growing? You're not growing but the moment that you mess up, you know what I'm not going to do that again and I'm going to learn from that and then I can help the next person that comes and asks about it and you're just sharing that knowledge. Even though it was Golden Oral. Even though it was the Golden Corral that's where I learned it from and I learned it from there and then I probably got out of there quick. Then I went, of course, into Abercrombie & Fitch. That was my next ...
Marcus: No, the Golden Corral ...
Richard: You almost said it to. Got you!
Marcus: The Golden Corral is the much better story and the lesson that you learned there is absolutely perfect.
Richard: Yes.
Marcus: Yeah, because I think sometimes so many people are afraid to fail but I actually I want to fail quickly and I want to fail often. And I want those to be micro steps that allow me to pivot into the direction that I need to go.
Richard: Because that's the only way that you are literally going to grow as a person. If I'm telling you you are great all the time ...
Marcus: Or as a company.
Richard: Person, company ...
Marcus: Organization.
Richard: Who you are, just anything. If you are being told "Oh, that's just great, that's just great, you know, that's awesome." No give me honesty back. I know, and this goes back to fashion week, not to be conceited or anything but we put on the best show that we can put on. So you telling me "Oh, that was a great show," well, that's why I did it like that. I knew that, what could I have made better? "Oh, well the lighting over here really couldn't see the clothes when it got here," Bam! Not going to do that again.
Marcus: You're going to fix that.
Richard: I'm going to have them make sure there is plenty of lighting over there, that's right. Make it overly bright. "This designer, her clothes started falling apart in the run way." Okay I'm going to make sure to talk to her about her seams and making sure that we are secure in our seams and we're doing this and we're doing that. You just telling me "Oh, it was a great show. Thank you, we can't wait until next year." Okay well you're going to see the same thing next year if you don't tell me what else you need. What do I need to give to you?
Marcus: Yeah, and like anything there is a good way to give feedback and I think giving feedback is an art form. You want people to give you that feedback. You want it to be from a position of them wanting to help you versus being overly critical and just trying to destroy you.
Richard: Just being shady. There's no point in being that. I get it. There's a lot of shows that have been inspired by Mobile fashion week, a lot of different fashion events, fashion weeks have been started and of course they're going to say stuff like "Oh, we would have done it like this, we would have done it like this." Okay, that's great.
Marcus: Go do it.
Richard: Yeah, go do it. That's not how we do it but that's okay. You do your thing.
Marcus: So you are a founder of Mobile.... Are you the founder? And that I know that.
Richard: Yeah, so I'm the founder. We did it after an event we had called Fashion Forward. It was me, Suzanne Massingill, with Barefoot Models and Talent, and Toni Riales. There was a local model Morgan that had a brain tumor and we needed to raise money for her and then we don't play sports. We don't do any of that stuff so what are we going to do?
Marcus: Really? You seem like a very sporty guy.
Richard: Right? Don't I look like I play something. I'm just like "Yes, field goal, touch down, War Tigers, Eagles."
Marcus: No, let's not do that. You just lost the rest of our audience.
Richard: Roll Tigers ... War.
Marcus: Yeah, but that was how it started?
Richard: Yeah, it started from that because everyone loved the idea, they love the concept. They loved that we booked real models, got real designers, real styling. Everything was authentic about it. Before then, it was a little fun mom-and-pop, mom and daughter little fashion shows. Like fun stuff which is done by the Junior League which is an amazing group. They have the audience, they have the clientele and that's who they market to but we wanted to do something different. So then me and Susan got together and I was like "Hey Susan I want to start something, I want to start it, let's do it." And she was like "Hey let's try it, let's go, let's see what happens." And that was year one in 2011. Okay, we learned some stuff. We got in a little bit of debt. Let's try year two. Year two, okay we actually donated a pretty good check to Camp Rap-A-Hope. Year three, okay, this is an even better check. Okay, year four.
Marcus: Is that where the proceeds go?
Richard: Yeah everything goes to Camp Rap-A-Hope. We've had little other non-profits that we've joined in. We do Children With Hair Loss, that's a really cool one where if you go to any of the salons that we partner with you get a free ticket to the show if you donate your hair and that's 100% free wigs to kids that have lost their hair towards any kind of cancer treatment towards alopecia like just losing their hair any kind of diseases like that. It's just been so much fun getting to work with these people and getting to know that it's not all sad. Yes, it's sad when you see the little bald girl.
Marcus: Yeah but it doesn't have to be.
Richard: But it's not ... that's now who they are. They're still getting though life and they're doing this and we're getting to help them and it's powerful.
Marcus: So, you're are in your ... this will be your eight.
Richard: This will be year eight, season seven.
Marcus: My gears just crunched.
Richard: Last year I had the opportunity with H&M to go to Vietnam to open up Ben Thanh Market in H&M and it was an amazing opportunity and I couldn't let it pass and neither could, like the board, they're like "Hey, no, you've got to go. You've got to have this happen." This is one of those, not failure times, one of those times we reflected on because when I was gone a lot of stuff happened that was going to cripple the show and people spend money ... It's not like we're a cheap ticket. Like we're $25, $30 a ticket to come support Camp Rap-A-Hope and see a show. So if we don't put on the best show or if we know that we're not going to be able to provide that. We're not going to have you waste your money that you could have used on this, that, the other. Could have just given to Camp Rap-A-Hope right out of your pocket. So, when it got closer to the fashion week we walked the space again it just wasn't what we needed it to be. We've talked to some vendors, they weren't going to be able to deliver what they were supposed to and then I was out of town, so I couldn't pull up the charm like "Hey let's get this together guys. Go team." The board was like "Hey, it's going to cripple the show, it's going to ruin the brand, it's going to not be like anything anybody signed up for and people are going to be wasting their money and we can't do that to them." So we decided to cancel the show last year. The PR nightmare that came with that was like "Oh, their canceling it forever. It's because Richard was out of town." No, it wasn't because of just me out of town. It was other factors that went into it. This isn't just the Richard show, this is an amazing group of people that just come together, volunteer their time and energy to raise money for Camp Rap-A-Hope and the only way that our industry knows how, which is to put on a fashion show.
Marcus: So, Mobile is not the epicenter of ...
Richard: Right, where have you been? What are you talking about? No it's not.
Marcus: No, but I mean let's be real. I mean it's not the epicenter of fashion. So I just want to say in this that it is absolutely very cool that we have something like this because it's not New York City, it's not L.A., it's not even Miami or any of the other secondary markets that would be considered fashion centers.
Richard: Yeah. It's really not and when I got back here that was one of my main ... I moved out to L.A. that's when ... around the time when I met you and we started being cool with each other. I don't know what to say. That was kind of weird. Nothing creepy was happening.
Marcus: It's all good people.
Richard: But when I moved out to L.A. and I was there for six months and I got to work with some people at L.A. fashion week and I've got to engulf myself in there and when I came back and because the L.A. market just wasn't for me. It just was a lot of mean. I just didn't ...
Marcus: Born and raised in Mobile you're used to people being friendly and hospitality and stuff.
Richard: Smiling and just being able to be who you are and you would think that in L.A. it would be even more.
Marcus: More embracing.
Richard: More embracing. Like me just being the loud person that I am it was more embracing but no. It wasn't so came back on home. So I came back home and when I got here a lot of my really talented friends that were into make-up, into hair, into designing were leaving for these big markets as well. They were going to even New Orleans or Atlanta, some of them went to New York, or some of them went to L.A. and I was like, "Wow, we just lost a lot of really talented people," because they feel they didn't have the outlet to express themselves in Mobile and I was like "No, we can't lose anymore talent." That's why we have to show that we can embrace that talent here. So we did the fashion show for Morgan and then I was like "No, it's fashion week. That's what we're going to give them." Yes, you might be a hair stylist down here, you might have to do up dos for prom and homecoming all year but this is the one week that you can do these crazy looks and you can get pictures of them. You can have them all week.
Marcus: Thanks for filtering.
Richard: Man, you know I was. I was about to... I'm trying to be a good Christian around here.
Marcus: He's trying to church it up a little bit though.
Richard: Sorry, everyone. Sorry everyone but yeah, love y'all.
Marcus: Now, let's think about this as an organization, okay. So, if you were talking to someone that wanted to get started in running these types of events or being more involved in the Mobile community, what's the one bit of wisdom you would impart to them?
Richard: Don't be scared, do it. I mean even if you have three people that show up and three people that support you. Those three people next year will tell three more people and then those six people will tell six more people.
Marcus: So, just out of curiosity how many people came to the first event.
Richard: The first event it was fresh, I was young. So I was on the street I was peddling. It was our first year because we are a 501C3 though the Mobile Arts Council and so those were the days of Bob, Charlie, Hilary. Give me all these contacts and meeting all these people and that when I met Stacy Hamilton and I got in touch with the Downtown Alliance and I was like "Oh, I know all these people now." So the first year we did get about 150, actually 200.
Marcus: Pretty darn good for the ...
Richard: For the first year, yeah. There was a lot of ... I called in a lot of favors because like you said I worked with Tony Riles and so though that I knew people at Mobile Bay Magazine, I knew people at Access Just Launch that year as well. So I knew Hayley Hill. So I was like "Let me get all these people and let me try and get some free ads from them," and be like "Oh, it's a non-profit." So we had a lot, a lot of press in that first year. It was the first year.
Marcus: Right.
Richard: So, I feel now, of course we've grown, we've learned a lot from that year. Now if we had that same amount of press and people coming it would be even more. But hey this is what you learn.
Marcus: Yeah, it'd be a much bigger event. No, I just ... to your ... I mean what you were saying though, those three people. I mean it is, it's a process. You have to go though that process and go through it and build on it and learn the lessons like what you're talking about and grow.
Richard: Learning the lessons because ... guys just don't be afraid. You can do it. There are at least three other people that have the same idea that you have in your head but they are just so scared of failing or just scared...
Marcus: There's more than that. There's more than three people.
Richard: Three people.
Marcus: So, I will go just to soap box for just a second.
Richard: Yeah, let's soap box.
Marcus: I get tired of people coming to me and not wanting to tell me their ideas and the reason why is because they're scared that if they tell me that idea that somehow ... First of all I've got my own ideas and I'm busy executing on those, but the other thing to is ideas are cheap. Ideas are really cheap, it's the actual execution of the idea is where it becomes valuable. And most people never take that first step to execute the idea and so it's just a wasted thought.
Richard: Yeah.
Marcus: But anyway.
Richard: Stand on that soap box.
Marcus: Get back on topic.
Richard: The more you know.
Marcus: By the time this releases we will probably be two or three weeks out from Mobile fashion week so what are you currently working on?
Richard: Okay, so what am I currently working on or ...
Marcus: Right now, but I mean ...
Richard: Right now.
Marcus: Yes, right now. So we're recording this on the 30th of August. So what are you working on for ...
Richard: Right now. It's just finalizing the schedule. Everybody thinks that "Oh, it's just a fashion show. You can put that together in a month."
Marcus: That's hilarious.
Richard: No, no, darlings. It takes literally a year. After the last show we are already ... Like while we're putting that last show ... this show on we're already going to be working on ideas, concepts, designs for next year because one you have to give these designers a chance to make something and you have to give them a chance to let their ideas grow because sometimes their not thinking about it yet. They're just trying to get though that month. Those are the new designers that don't realize they have to be so far ahead yet. But then there's other designers that are a little bit more into the game and know a little bit more. They're already prepared, already have some of that worked out. But you need to give them time. You have to get the Pantone colors for the season, you have to make sure you're trendy. You're keeping the social media up all year so people just don't forget about it and it's like "Oh, well August is here so we're going to start hearing from Mobile fashion week again." No, we have to be at events, we have to be at this, we have to be at that. We have to be promoting, we have to be sharing. So, right now we are finalizing the actual day of fashion week. We used to do three shows. Then we started doing two shows. This year is going to be our first year with one show. One really big show and it's not because of anything else besides the fact that shows cost money and at the end of the day the more money we're spending; yes we have a great week. But the less money we're able to give to Camp Rap-A-Hope. At the end of the day that's what it's about. Like giving the money to the kids with cancer. How do you say no to that? So us cutting down the days that we're actually having to spend on production costs and just focus on the show, focus on the big show and just do other little fun special things though out the week that have to do with fashion, have to do with Camp Rap-A-Hope and promoting that. That's what's important this year. That's what we're focused on this year.
Marcus: Very cool.
Richard: Just another little fun little change. So yeah just finishing out the calendar. Making sure all the models are still the size they're supposed to be from casting because sometimes you just like ...
Marcus: Cheeseburgers.
Richard: A new restaurant will open up and you'll eat there a couple times. I've been at that Poke Luau.
Marcus: Where's that?
Richard: Oh, man you don't know about Poke Luau?
Marcus: No.
Richard: It's over in Pinebrook shopping center.
Marcus: I'll have to check that out. Is that buy ... We're going on a tangent folks, give us just a second.
Richard: Yeah, y'all go there too.
Marcus: Yeah, is that over by Whole Foods?
Richard: Whole Foods. So it's Whole Foods and then that new F45 work out place. It's right next to ...
Marcus: Andy Vickers, owns F45.
Richard: He's an awesome guy too. All these awesome people. But right next to it there's this Poke Lulu place.
Marcus: What kind of food is it?
Richard: It's just Poke. It's like... Do you know what Poke is? Like the rice with ...
Marcus: Some sort of meat and fresh vegetables and stuff like that.
Richard: Yeah everything.
Marcus: Alright.
Richard: Just go see them.
Marcus: Come on, you had to know. I should have told you beforehand just strap yourself in dear listener because we're going on a ride today.
Richard: Left, right, up, down. You all should be prepared.
Marcus: Who's one person from the business world that motivates you? Or from the fashion world, I'll throw you a bone. So fashion world ...
Richard: No, it's actually right in like I can always think big. Think globally act locally and the one person that just inspires me right now and he's local. It's Scott Tindle. Scott Tindle is just an amazing ... y'all clearly ... everybody should know who Scott Tindle is right now.
Marcus: Yeah, I mean he's been on the podcast before and Scott and I are friendly.
Richard: Yeah, he's just like one of those people that has those ideas but doesn't just spit them out. Like all the sudden they're just there and it's like "Oh, this is an actual thing now. Oh, we actually have a restaurant here now."
Marcus: We have Duck Boats that drive down...
Richard: We actually have Duck Boats.
Marcus: Dauphin Street and we have a fort that's actually being used and we have a restaurant in the fort that has amazing Po Boys and who knows what else dear Scott Tindle has planned for this city.
Richard: Hey, and there's going to be a fashion week at that same fort.
Marcus: Is it going to be there?
Richard: Yeah, it's going to be at the fort.
Marcus: Nice.
Richard: Yeah, it's going to be great and then we have some food there from ... oh, and they just got their liquor license so we got booze from them too. So you know the fort is going to be a poppin' place
Marcus: Somebody hide the Vodka from Richard before the show.
Richard: I don't actually drink. I take pictures of everybody else being drunk. It's really good. Especially at business events. It's like "Got this for later." What he has done ...It's just one of those people that's also inspiring also can make light of bad situations. Like bad stuff happens ...
Marcus: Yeah.
Richard: Forgot to get this license so we've got to ground, you know, the Duck Boats for a little bit but hey learned now not going to do that again.
Marcus: Yeah, move forward.
Richard: Yeah, move forward. So he's just really ... He's inspiring so many like Andrew Vickers he like worked with Scott and now he's doing his own thing. Just being that inspiring person and being okay with sharing ideas and not thinking like "Oh, I have to keep these ideas to myself because I wanna be the most successful, the richest person in Mobile." No, share your ideas.
Marcus: One of the things that the internet has taught me is that ideas are meant to be shared.
Richard: Yes.
Marcus: Right, they're meant to be shared freely and that, you know. So we give away a lot of information whether it be on the Marketing Madness videos or the podcasts or the blog posts that we right and stuff like that and I mean we go into great detail in some of the things that we share. The funny thing is even if you give away those details often times people will never do anything with it. It's just information that they kind of consume.
Richard: I learned a lot about SEO from y'all. See look, hey.
Marcus: Throwing that out there.
Richard: Yeah, learned it, hey.
Marcus: Are there any books, podcasts, people or organizations that have been helpful to you?
Richard: Yeah, Mobile Arts Council has been just the supporting of Mobile fashion week. When Bob and Charlie were there, of course, they were just people that I could go in there, talk to, cry if I needed to and just be like "Guys, I'm so overwhelmed. I don't know what's going on. I don't know what to do next." And they were just there ... just the ear to talk to. They were also ... It was really inspiring just for them to talk to in the fact of fashion is art as well. I know it gets lost.
Marcus: I love it.
Richard: A lot of people don't think of it as art. They think if it's not hanging up on a wall it's not considered art.
Marcus: Right.
Richard: So, being that outlet for them as well saying "Hey, fashion is art." Yes, it's clothing. Yes, you can wear it every day.
Marcus: It's functional.
Richard: But yes there are some designers that are making these gorgeous pieces that you will never wear down Dolphin street but they're these beautiful concepts and it took time and effort. It took just as much time to make that dress as it did to paint that picture.
Marcus: And as much creativity.
Richard: Much creativity and much uniqueness and that's just energy.
Marcus: What's the most important thing that you've learned about running this organization?
Richard: Just to ... I know that sounds bad because you should take everything seriously but not to take it too seriously.
Marcus: Right.
Richard: Not to take everything ... It's not mapping the brain, it's not brain surgery. It's nothing to do with that. Yes, we have this. Yes, we're dealing with money. Yes, we're donating money. All this important stuff behind it but if it ended today, if it ended tomorrow, if this was the last year, if next year's the last year, if anything happen that would not affect me as a person much without saying "I've learned a lot from it." I've learned so much for it and now I can move on and do something else for it. Not that it's going to end anytime soon.
Marcus: Right.
Richard: Because we're still young around here and we're just going to ride it until the wheels fall off.
Marcus: There you go.
Richard: But it's just the importance of just not taking it too seriously.
Marcus: Well, I mean fashion and art are meant to be fun, right?
Richard: Yes.
Marcus: And there is ... often times I think we try to make things serious in an effort to lend importance to them.
Richard: It gives it validation. If we make it serious, if it's a serious thing then it's validated.
Marcus: Right. We have to study it and pick it apart and make it mean something more then what it means.
Richard: Those lines. Did you see those lines ...
Marcus: Right, exactly.
Richard: It was a fun picture.
Marcus: Yeah, exactly.
Richard: It was a Campbell's soup can, you know.
Marcus: Yeah, Andy Warhol is the reference there if you're not catching it. I mean it is ... How much cocaine was consumed in the making of those Campbell's soup cans?
Richard: No matter.
Marcus: I mean, how much fun was he having while he was doing that? You really think he was trying to be all that serious, no. I mean it was Campbell's soup. He was trying to make a statement but it wasn't meant to be this global thing.
Richard: Yeah, no.
Marcus: See I get on these soap boxes. I need to just ...
Richard: I like your soap boxes.
Marcus: Yeah.
Richard: Where did that term come from you think?
Marcus: Soap box?
Richard: Where's that term come from?
Marcus: Soap box. Back in the day when people would stand on some sort of pedestal and what's the old term ... Stump speech when ... in politics. Anyway we're way off topic now guys. See I told you this is the last one. We've got another one, we may have to put him in front of this just to make sure that this ...
Richard: Make sure you know.
Marcus: How do you like to unwind?
Richard: How do I like to unwind. Do I unwind? No. I like to sew.
Marcus: So you do ... I mean you're actually making fashion pieces and stuff.
Richard: One of my things for fashion week ... one of the other things that inspires me. Yes, I make ... I sew, I design, I do all that fun stuff too. I love so many ... and this is what help people that want to start events as well or want's to start something to. I don't believe in a jack of all trades. Like I just don't think it's a good concept. I never really liked it. I liked the fact that you know a little bit about everything but I don't think it's good for the market place, I don't think it's good for anything. Like you just doing it all yourself. So I love make-up, I love hair, I love design, I love shows, I love everything about it but I don't want to be the designer that also does hair, that also does make-up, that also does photography, that also does this, that also does that.
Marcus: No, but you have to have some understanding of it in order to pull all of those things together. To make your vision come though.
Richard: I do that through fashion week. So I get to play dress up with the designers, I get to talk design to the designers, I get to talk make-up to the make-up artists that support. I get to talk hair to the hair stylist that are coming. You get all these facets together and you get to be engulfed in it all at once without trying to be like "Oh, I'm perfect at everything." And you're not actually giving it everything you're 100% because you can only give 20% of yourself to hair, 20% of yourself to make-up.
Marcus: Yeah.
Richard: Just put an event together, get these other people that are amazing at these talents because that's what they focus on and just be engulfed in it and just have fun with them.
Marcus: Yeah, that's really cool. Now tell people where they can find out more about the event.
Richard: Gosh, go to Mobfashionweek.com M-O-B fashionweek.com We post fun blogs there, we have some information about Camp Rap-A-Hope there, we have pictures from past shows. You can see what designers are walking this show. You can see the hair stylists that are supporting, the make-up artists. Everyone that's on the board and on the team that puts this show together because yes I talk because I'm the talker. I'm the loud one. I'm the one ...
Marcus: [laughs]
Richard: I'm the loud one. I'm the one that puts myself out there but there's so many people and that's what's also empowering as well. Having people because there are those people in life, in the world we live in that have to be the center of attention but I work with this amazing group of people that they will work back behind the scenes. You don't need to know their name, you don't need to know they helped at all. Susan Massengale one of the ones been there since day one and she never comes out and says thank you afterwords. She never does that after the shows. She cleans up, she gets all the models stuff that they leave because we have these ...
Marcus: Make sure that everything's buttoned up and taken care of.
Richard: Everything's buttoned up and taken care of. You don't have to see her, you don't even have to know she was a part of it because at the end of the day we all work to donate this charity to Camp Rap-A-Hope.
Marcus: Yeah.
Richard: And that just one of my things that I just loved about working with her, working with the rest of the team with Allison, with Lindsey, with Malcome, with all of these amazing people. Just they don't have to be the center of attention. You don't have to know they're there but they are, they're helping and I appreciate them so much but I'm, of course, like I said the loud one. I'm the loud one, I'm the one like "Hey, y'all coming to the show now? Y'all get over here y'all."
Marcus: Oh my god, help us. Richard I want to thank you again for coming on my podcast to wrap up any final thoughts or comments you'd like to share?
Richard: Man, just come to the show, support Camp Rap-A-Hope, support all the local events that happen in Mobile; 1065 all these great really cool events. There was that new music ...
Marcus: South Sounds.
Richard: South Sounds, gosh, please go to South Sounds.
Marcus: Yeah, and then you're talking about Mobfest
Richard: MOB Fest. That's an event that comes around. All these events, support them. So go there. It might be something you're into, e-mail them say you want to be a part of it if you want to be part of it. If you don't, if you just want to be at the house and go to a cool event, man there's so many events around Mobile.
Marcus: It's important that you support them. Some of them are free so it's not even a matter of paying to go but it's important because the people put a lot of effort into that and if people don't come out then they stop putting that effort in and the other thing to is just from the economic impacts stand point because well it's a business podcast so we'll talk about it.
Richard: We gotta talk about that.
Marcus: From the economic stand point, you know, I was talking to someone who shall remain nameless who said that they generate $30 million worth of revenue for the city by bringing their event here.
Richard: Voldemort? Was it Voldemort?
Marcus: No.
Richard: Oh.
Marcus: And so we ...
Richard: You said nameless, okay.
Marcus: No. It's...
Richard: It's not a bad guy.
Marcus: Yeah.
Richard: Their bringing money in.
Marcus: I don't want to ... I mean he's going to be on the podcast soon and he may actually talk about this but we were having lunch the other day and $30-$40 million every year is brought into the city by this guy.
Richard: Oh, wow.
Marcus: And, you know, the tickets to the event are not that expensive but it's extremely important that we go out and we support these events. Even if they're free because there's sponsorships that, you know, they want to know the numbers that of people that come and there are organizations like yours where it's $25, $30 to come or even if it's $50 who cares. That money's going to a good cause and yes that's not a cheap ticket but at the same time it's a fun event, go.
Richard: It's not like trying to go to New York. So many people ... Some of our guests that come they will never have the chance to go to New York fashion week. They'll never have the chance to go to Miami fashion week or L.A. fashion week so we want to bring that experience to them and we don't want be like "Oh, it's $100 to come to our show." Yeah we would love to raise that much money, if you want to spend that much money on a ticket write the other donation to Camp Rap-A-Hope. We don't need that money, we're okay. We're not profiting off this at all. No ones making money everything after they count zeros out goes to Camp Rap-A-Hope. So we're not trying to profit off of this. All we're trying to do is create an amazing event for you to have fun at and not think about ... because that's the fun thing about Camp Rap-A-Hope is they don't ever want to push the fact that the kids have cancer on you. They want to push the fact that they're having fun and they're able just to have fun because its not a big taboo subject because every kid there has cancer so you don't have to talk about it.
Marcus: Right.
Richard: Because you already know everybody else here has it so we're just going to have a fun weekend and not have to talk about it. You don't have to worry about these ports and tubes around you because you see it all around. It's just a fun week of kids ... oh gosh, I get emotional about it.
Marcus: Well, I do need to wrap up.
Richard: Oh, yeah we do.
Marcus: But I want to say ... I normally wrap up with appreciate your willingness to sit with me and share your journey as a business center but I would just like to commend you for taking something like this on because I know it's not a small feat. So pouring your life into something and not getting anything from it other than just an outlet is an amazing thing. You're a beautiful individual. Thank you for what you bring.
Richard: Thank you so much. Thank you so much everyone.
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