Meet D.Richard Merritt | Strategy Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with D.Richard Merritt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi D.Richard, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success is that I strive to keep a servant’s heart in every aspect of the work I do. Growing up as a teacher’s kid, I was volunteered for every community event and church activity imaginable. With those forced volunteer moments, the values of giving back, donating your time, and selfless giving were taking root in me. Those values carry with me to this day as I work with artists and creatives to bring their visions to reality.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My journey to creating a startup like so many millennials was due to the recession that started in 2008. Post-undergrad, I found myself in a hopeless job market with increasing anxiety due to pending student loans and my grandfather’s cancer that was starting to turn for the worse. I channeled that energy into volunteering on local political campaigns in the Atlanta area which lead to my first job as a community organizer on President Obama’s re-election campaign. This was a major leap of faith, packing up my car, leaving Atlanta, and moving to Orlando, Fl within 72 hours. After that election, the political bug bit me and I went on to work for several more campaigns on the state and national levels. During that time I could see that representation of black and brown people was scarce in the progressive movement at the decision-making level. In 2017 I came to a crossroads professionally where I needed to make a change. After cycles on the road and feeling pigeonholed into African American voter outreach, I knew I needed to branch out on my own. I knew I needed to be at the table to advocate for communities that look like me. This is where I made the decision to create my own business that could help creatives and campaigns engage with communities of color.

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 enjoy entertaining and hosting out-of-town friends. When you’re with me I try to find things that match my guest’s interests and personalities. If they want to experience a week in the life of me it would be very food and sports/recreation-focused. Monday, we would start with a good walk/hike with my two dogs, followed by relaxing poolside and eating locally in my Druid Hills neighborhood. Tuesday would be an afternoon at Piedmont Park followed by tacos and margaritas on 10th street. Wednesday would be a morning run and then we would do Cocktails in the Garden at Botanical Gardens. Thursday we would check out Little Five Points and the shops, and definitely stop at the Porter for a craft beer and Brewhouse for their patio. Friday – Sunday we would check out the beltline and go to few games if the Hawks, United, and or Rugby ATL are in town.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out Evonne Blythers of Georgia Coast Eco Tours. Evonne has worked for over 20 years to expand the representation of people of color in the nature conservancy community. Due to Evonn’es efforts, hundreds of inner-city Atlanta youth have been exposed to Georgia’s state parks through sponsored hiking excursions, camping trips, and wildlife education programs.

Instagram: @Merrittocrat

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-richard-merritt-99626313/

Twitter: @Merrittocrat

Image Credits
D.Richard Merritt