Meet Brandon Patton and Joseph Evans III | Co Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Patton and Joseph Evans III and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon and Joseph, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Many men in our community don’t realize how harsh some grooming products are for their beards, hair, and skin. That’s why we started Evan Alexander Grooming. To make fine grooming products with nourishing all-natural ingredients so you can look amazing and feel unstoppable.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Brandon – In 2015, I was homeless, sleeping in my car behind Ralph’s in Inglewood, California. I felt very insecure and didn’t share with anyone in my family that I had hit rock bottom. Every day I would go to Starbucks to figure out my life and listen to Tai Lopez videos to turn my life around. It was the only thing that gave me hope at the time. Fortunately, things did eventually begin to turn around. My cousin allowed me to sleep on her couch. We agreed that l would only stay with her for two months until I found a job. When I would get dressed for interviews, I realized my beard was not well maintained; but I didn’t want to cut it. So, I began to research and study how to grow a healthy beard.

Through trial and error, I figured out best practices in growing and grooming my beard. As I learned more, I began to share these tips with close friends and a few people I would bump into throughout Los Angeles. What started as a small following quickly grew beyond what I could manage. So eventually, I decided to start a YouTube channel to share my knowledge. Although I didn’t have any expectations, the YouTube channel began to increase. I would get a lot of questions from guys asking where they could buy beard products. At that point, I created an online marketplace and developed relationships with several beard companies that I found on Instagram. I was then able to build a bridge between these companies and the beard community.

My tribe was happy, and I was able to spotlight hidden gems that were selling beard products. I was still sleeping on my cousin’s couch, but I was producing content every day. My mission was to educate and build an online infrastructure that would help elevate the confidence of three million black men through the power of grooming. Life was looking better, and I had a purpose. I began to look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. As I continued to strategize the expansion of the brand that I had built, I closed that chapter of my life in LA, relocating the business to Atlanta, GA.

Joseph – It hasn’t been a smooth journey. At times I worked 70 to 80 hours per week. I was balancing a full-time job as a V.P. of Real Estate Development and the demands of being a small business owner. It was somewhat manageable initially, but as time progressed, it became harder to maintain. We hired additional staff to help with day-to-day operations, but that did little to alleviate my responsibilities as an owner. As months passed, it became more and more demanding. The late nights and early mornings began to show, and I knew something had to give. At that moment, I had finally realized that I had to make the most significant decision of my life. I had to choose between the security of a 9 to 5 or going out on a limb and truly giving my all to the business. But It was more profound than just a job or the company.

My career has been the culmination of several years of education, internships, and years of work. The job I had was everything I had been working for, for more than ten years. I was nervous, hesitant, and scared. I was scared to leave the security of a 9 to 5. Afraid to have that conversation with my father. How do you tell the person who has pushed you, motivated you, and stressed the importance of financial security that you were saving to leave your job? The person who sacrificed so much so that I may achieve more than he ever imagined.

But I made my decision. I knew that I would eventually have to leave.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to Slutty Vegan, Bar Vegan, Sivas, beltline, Break at Barney’s, Art Museum to name a few.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We want to shout out to our black men’s beard community that help propel us in this position. Without them, we would not have been in a place to have a successful brand launch.

Website: evanalexandergrooming.com

Instagram: evanalexandergrooming

Linkedin: evanalexandergrooming

Twitter: EAgrooming

Facebook: evanalexandergrooming

Youtube: Black Men’s Beard

Other: Tiktok: evanalexandergrooming

Image Credits
photos of Joe and Brandon were taken by @J_uniqueeye