We had the good fortune of connecting with Troy Vaughan III and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Troy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind this endeavor was to galvanize communication between African-American couples on topics germane to singlehood, dating, marriage, divorce, and sex via fiery, fun-filled debate. We wanted to deliver a more purpose driven, deliberate form Battle of the Sexes, one that would bolster the dating and marital IQ’s of some of the most outspoken, over-the-top, and opinionated men and women in Atlanta. We also wanted to create a safe and all-inclusive space for people to express their thoughts on dating, marriage, and sex. Though RING|SIDE’s geographical foundation began in the bible belt, we welcome the anointed as well as the agnostic to our RING. RING|SIDE indiscriminately welcomes everyone, regardless of your dating practices and/or marital philosophy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The organization is called “RING|SIDE” because the Battle of the Sexes debates are arranged and semi choreographed like a boxing match. Also, because we focus on helping singles get to the wedding RING and also help couples stay inside the wedding RING. As a community, RING|SIDE is made up of conservatives & non-conservatives; traditional & non-traditional; vanilla & non-vanilla; religious & non-religious members. All are assembled to ameliorate communication between African-American men and women in the dating landscape via unvarnished, communicative debate. RING|SIDE doesn’t subscribe to one particular religion or political ideology; because of this, I am proud of the hyper diversity of our infamously beloved community. We started out hosting small Battle of the Sexes parties in a home in Decatur, GA. The parties were primarily just our small circle of friends. Later on, we opened the parties to the general public. Afterwards, our popularity and reputation spread and we subsequently expanded. With a growing organization, the biggest challenge was trying to host events at local clubs/lounges in Atlanta that we could afford. Our budget was typically small so we couldn’t always book venues that would accommodate our crowds.

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?
Centennial Park, The World of Coca-Cola, The Trap Museum and the Georgia Aquarium to visit. Piedmont Park, Fernbank Museum and Botanical Gardens to hang out. Slutty Vegan to grab a mouthwatering, vegan friendly burger or Slim and Husky’s for a flavorful hip-hop inspired pizza. The Painted Pin, Clermont Lounge and Dugan’s for some potent spirits and epic people watching. Club Onyx and Trapeze for an epically wild and memorable night. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout all outspoken, over-the-top and opinionated verbal heavyweights that comprise the RING|SIDE Facebook community! Thank you for your continued support and participation. I want to send extra special shoutouts to Kimberly Grimes, Belle Morgan, Kenya Anderson, Justin & Robyn Nevile, Marc-Antonie Cooper, Natalie Gullatt, Audrey Johnson, Felisa Ware, Roger and Naima Waddy, Brian Gardner, Stephen House, Micky Royal and Cheyanne Foxx.

Website: www.ringsidedebates.com

Instagram: @lettroytellit

Twitter: @ringsidedebates

Facebook: RING|SIDE, LLC

Youtube: youtube.com/user/Katholik1911

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.