Celebrity and Raycon founder Ray J sat down with host Shannon Lanier to talk about his strategy, how he built the brand, and how his star status impacts his business.

You may know Ray J as a rapper, singer, or reality TV star, but you may not know that over the years he’s made a number of business deals in the tech world. His most recent venture is Raycon, a headphone company that promises affordable tech. He sat down with <i>Celebrity Lemonade Stand</i> host Shannon LaNier to talk about his strategy, how he built the brand, and how his star status impacts his business.

Celebrity Lemonade Stand

How Ray J Built His Headphone Brand

Welcome to Celebrity Lemonade stand. I'm Shannon Lanier and I'm seeking out celebrities who have turned their passion into profit to find the secret ingredient to sweet success today on Celebrity Lemonade stand brought to you by me and the bees podcasters and authors, the lady gang, Becca Tobin, Keltie Knight and Jack Vanik. But first singer actor and television personality Ray J. You know him as a singer and reality tv star, but now he is lending his musically inclined talent to the world of electra with his Raycon earbuds and headphones. Let's get to it. So super excited because you have this amazing new product that you've been rocking with bacon, but you also singer producer, actor, you do it all before we get into all of that. I gotta ask you, take us back to that first job, the very first job, what was that for you? It would have to be an entertainment. So I think the very first show I went on, I would think I was like 11 or 12, it was called Small Talk and it was kind of like a talk show where the kids came and did you know, funny talent things or seeing my sister and I both went on that audition and I got it first, not not saying that be you know, be you know what I'm saying as big sis, but I did get it first, but what happened was they didn't air it because I didn't have an agent and so that's what show, that's what kind of gave us like the the idea and the education to go get a movie agent and then we started going on auditions. So yeah tell us how this concept came about for recon and why the audio industry when we started Rockin five years ago, my Ceo and co founder Ray Lee, he's awesome, he's he's he's one of the dopest youngest ceo s um I think out there and he built a strong team with me uh five years ago, Ray Lee Ray J. So Rockin came from both of our names were both from two different sides of life, but we both had the same mission and that was to make a good product that I think people could afford. We wanted to make something that was super cool super dope on the cutting edge of the year but industry so we kind of jumped in first. But our quality and our price point is what separated us from everybody else doing it. And I think that's what gave us our it gave us our engine and like really drive this thing. Now. We're going into a retail, we're like focusing on retail a lot more this year, in our fifth year. But our first 2 to 3 years it was straight straight Raycon Global dot com. We got all of ourselves our first million customers through our own I. P. And now you're up to two million customers and company now counting. And so how did you make that transition from an entertainer to an entrepreneur? And did you have to convince people that you were able to do it? You know, you really don't have the belief you want in your creativity. Like it doesn't work like that. You gotta get out there and and not prove it to them, but just show the world that what you have is something that they want or they can experience so they can buy. And I think uh it just started out with me being independent with like my song One Wish, Like I was extremely independent, I had a budget but I learned how to market it. So our marketing I think is the strongest point for us, whether it's tv whether it's products, whether it's scooters, whether it's anything that we kind of put our hands on. I think we find the right marketing template to like drive it and, and we, and we, we look at everything in a long term format so everything has to be a long term success for us. Raycon is all over the place. What is the secret to that type of marketing to go viral and get so many people hooked on it? Well we're 100% bootstrapped. Like believe it or not. Um you know, and you know, even though we're, you know, well over like 100 million in revenue, I think it takes a strong team, you know, really put together an awesome, awesome team. Our CFO is great. Our CMO is a guy who really helps us drive and scale the numbers because you you know, you got me running strategic but your CMO, your your your chief marketing officer is somebody who needs to be able to find the right tools to take the money that we invest and turn it around. Ceo CFO, C 00. You know, you got you have to put a dynamic team together like a a good basketball team and then you gotta work it. But I gotta ask you also, it seems like you're pretty involved. How involved is something you just put your name on your promoting or are you in the everyday workings of this company? We all started from the beginning, we've been putting in hundreds of, I would say 100 hours a day, but that's not possible. But I've walked these streets on, you know on 27th Street and 28th Street for two or three years trying to find the right thing, trying to find the right marketing tool, trying to find the right, you know, the right angle that separates us. And at the same time, all of our other hitters in our company have been doing their thing. But it it takes a lot of time man. And and we've all been putting in a countless, countless amount of hours to make this thing happen. And being a boss is somebody who can who can who can just say they're a worker and work hard just like everybody else and get up and do the same thing that, uh, your, your staff does like we're all equal in this game, you know what I mean? We just have different positions, but everybody needs everybody since social media is such a big part of your company. Are you ever concerned about some of the things you do on social media say on social media and your personal life could negatively affect some of the things within your business? Absolutely. I mean, it's important to, to put the right message out right. And, and for me, it's important that when the right message isn't put out, you know, to the people on our board, to the women, uh, to the men, to people that have integrity and morals, Some of the things that might come out, you have to come out and really defend the truth because other than that you're looking at a whole company that could possibly say, hey, we don't want to work with you because of what we're hearing. Um, and most of the time when it's just just chatter and noise, you don't pay attention to it. But when it's critical and, and people in the company want to know what's going on, you have to step out and, and, and, and tell your truth and make sure that you, uh, put certain things to bed, slow, slow to speak, no pun intended. So if you had one wish and business, what would you have done differently now that you know what you know, well you know with with, with my first business scoot e bike, I was able to kind of learn a lot of things um after um I sold the company and getting with recon kind of showed me a new way and and wanted and showed me how to market to the world globally and have a price that was comfortable for the buyer. That made sense. But then also you can sell globally because you know we were selling the bikes at $1200 and then 1000 sometimes and for me being that was my first business, it was, it was tough financially, you know, I was down to pretty much nothing trying to just keep it going because I was just so in love with the tech business, so in love with seeing every celebrity in the world with the product and um I just needed to rethink some things get with a super team like I have now with with bacon and then I started to understand how it all flowed and I think that's why we are where we are now and we're growing like we're growing um and sometimes it just takes the first wave of it to help you because now if you if you fall you make a mistake or you do something wrong, the best thing to do is just learn from it and make the adjustment Yeah, being successful in business sometimes depends on the hand you're dealt in life? Right. But what if your hand was full of celebrities? Maybe people that are prominent popular had influence like the people I have in my hand. So I'm gonna ask you a question, you're gonna pick one of these four people and you're gonna tell us why. So we have Apple ceo, tim cook, we have of course singing sensation Brandy, your big sis, we have marvel's Thanos, supervillain and tv personality and singer kelly Clarkson. So you got to show who would you want to be your brand ambassador kelly Clarkson? Okay, why she fits our profile? You know what I mean? I think that you know we have a unique support system at recon and it's really cool because it it's, it stretches like into so many different cultures and people and you know our demo is different, it's different from what you might see with me and love and hip hop, you know what I mean? And I think kelly would be perfect for Raycon Global. There you go. Okay, we're gonna speed it up, are you ready? Who would you want to design your next pair of earbuds? I mean of course of course tim cook cook apple or just go ahead and just offer to take us, who would you want to be your finance person for the day tim cook again? Running the finances. Okay. Hope he's watching next question. Who would make the best promo for recon? For sure. For sure. Okay. Thanos, are you a marvel fan? I'm a marvel fan for sure. Who would give the best unfiltered advice or feedback about your product? Oh, she keep it real, Huh? Brandy will keep it real. I mean that's the big sister. She'll definitely tell me who would you want to be on another television show with tim Cook. Okay, what would that show be? You don't have to be like a fantasy factory of tech, fun and gadgets, You know what I'm saying? I like the black new Inspector gadget. Okay, I liked it. I'm glad you do because we have some kid preneurs questions because you know what we're talking about the celebrity lemonade stand, but all of us experience that lemonade stand and a lot of times it's run by kids. So we're gonna have some questions from them for the expert himself. All right, you ready to help them out? All right. Our first question comes from 12 year old Michaela Michaela, which cartoon characters which you want to wear your headphones? Any character from seeing one or sing to? Oh, I love singing perfect, crazy overseeing johnny johnny's cool. He'll be the perfect character gorilla or you know, or the character that that kevin Hart played in. Was that pets and pets pets? Either one of those are good kevin Hart. You're good to go. Alright. Next question from 10 year old Cor Mick. What do you look for in a good business partner I look for in a good business partner, transparent consistency and have integrity and ready for the long term. Would you ever go into business with your sister Brandy? I'm in business with, I've been in business with Brandy since I was born. That's true, That's true business since we were born. Yeah, absolutely. We stay in business, you know what I mean? Brother and sister business for life. I do love the love that you guys have for each other. That's commendable. Absolutely. What up b what up Rocky? All right, next question coming from 13 year old Hannah, who would you want to sing your company? I'm gonna have to go with Beyonce. Ooh, I like that. I'm gonna have to go with that. Why don't you do a duet? I mean, that's like, you know, I mean that's like I dream, I dream big dream real big. I haven't dreamt that big though. I mean it's possible, but I think I got to put in a lot more work musically to get on that level for her, you know, to, to come down there because I'm so focused on so many other things. It wouldn't be fair for me to get a song just cause I had a budget. I feel like I would have to put in some more work, win some more awards, do some more tours and then you know, and then she recognized what I'm doing and she's like, okay, maybe I respect that. A hard working businessman shoutout to Beyonce, though she's doing great things her and jay z and so are you keep up the great work Thanks for coming on Celebrity Lemonade Stand.