Richart Ruddie
Richart Ruddie
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Richart Ruddie: The Tech Connections, Support From Locals, and Innovation [In California] Is Superior to Elsewhere in the Country

Richart Ruddie of Brandefenders .

Tell us about yourself?

Serial entrepreneur who got started with a mix of digital marketing projects.

Worked on a startup dealing with consignment shops and then moved into the affiliate sports betting niche.

Sprawled out into everything from diamonds to finance niches from there and today have multiple businesses running paying dividends for my relentless hard work and dedication to being an entrepreneur through and through.

What do you think is the single biggest misconception people have when it comes to startups?

That you can just create a social media account and things will take off.

I remember back a decade ago when things were even easier that a friend thought his business would just take off like a wildfire and after creating the product it never went anywhere.

Today it’s even harder yet it’s easier than ever to reach the entire world.

What lessons has being an entrepreneur taught you?

If you’re comfortable with sacrifice and pressure and criticism and the pain of running a business 24/7 and you can focus on the end result versus the struggles of getting to that result you can be a winner.

Bridging connections with hard work is a recipe for success.

If you could go back in time to when you first started your business, what piece of advice would you give yourself?

There’s a ton of assets I would go out and buy that would be worth substantially more but I enjoy the journey and what I’ve accomplished and built.

I have parlayed zero dollars in startup capital out of my own pocket into an 8 figure net worth.

I plan to take a few million dollars next and turn it into 9 figures. After that my goal is 9 figures into 10 figures and to keep on going and instill these same values in my children.

A lot of entrepreneurs find it difficult to balance their work and personal lives. How have you found that?

Give me a situation and I’ll make it work. find a challenge and I find a solution and the pieces to the puzzle.

This is what drives me. Finding a challenge and finding a solution. Balancing personal lifestyle just gets in the way.

Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?

The company is headquartered in the Salt Lake City suburb of Provo, Utah. There’s a lot of desert in Utah and when you think of a desert you think of a cactus.

Well a cactus is great at defending and protecting with its prickly needles and Brandefenders is the company that you want to defend and protect your brand from anything bad or negative.

What do you think is your magic sauce? What sets you apart from the competitors?

Creative solutions to resolve clients needs with a USA based staff that is super diligent and hard working. We thrive on customers success and thats what has kept me in the reputation space for about 12 years now.

How have you found sales so far? Do you have any lessons you could pass on to other founders in the same market as you just starting out?

We have numerous websites that rank online but we also keep on fixing things for clients and they end up sending us new clients and the cycle continues on down the road. When you are good to people they are good to you.

I have been in business 12 years and have 0 unhappy clients and everybody when you ask them about Rich Ruddie they have nothing but the kindest things to say.

Its come up in numerous business deals where they say high praises and its a testament to the golden rule in business.

What do you consider are the main strengths of operating your business in California over other states in the US?

I used to operate my 3D printed eyewear company Protos Eyewear out of San Francisco and the tech connections, support from locals, and innovation there is superior to elsewhere in the country but I like the current vibe brewing in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Florida area at the moment.

What (if any) are the weaknesses of operating your business within California?

I own numerous shopping centers in the golden state and the cost of doing business and the red tape can be a bit annoying. Elon Musk was quoted as saying if Gavin Newsome had a gun to his head and had to build the gigafactory he still would not be able to get it done.

We are currently suffering through a cost of living crisis. With California already being one of the most expensive states to live in, how has this impacted your business?

We are still seeing new tenants sign and even with people moving out it still feels extremely busy here. We just signed one of the biggest grocery stores to a long term lease so they also see the longevity in California despite the detrimental high living costs.

It is no secret that California is the birthplace of innovation. But that also makes it incredibly competitive. How have you found the competitive environment of California?

Competiton is fantastic. It really helps drive innovation, thought leadership series, and throngs of supportive networks that you can lean on for help, feedback, or introductions. That is the beauty of being in a competitive startup hub.

Have you considered moving your company to another state? If so, which state and why?

I operate globally. I have operations in California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Florida, and have workers as far away as Thailand and clients out in Japan.

I like the diversity of supporting as many states as possible. California really is one of the most culturally diverse and beautiful places in the world and I love spending time there.

Where do you see your business in the next 5 years?

I want to start the next business to impact a billion people. I ahve a few ideas but lets see my relentless work ethic make it happen.

And finally, if people want to get involved and learn more about your business, how should they do that?

Connect with me on Twitter and drop me a line. There are always new ideas people are coming to me with and I’m providing them feedback on whether or not its a good idea and what their risk vs reward profile looks like.

Follow Brandefenders on Twitter or Linkedin.

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