Today we’d like to introduce you to Rodney Sullivan.
Rodney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My entrepreneurial journey started April of 2014. I had just been laid off with no savings plan and absolutely no idea where my life was heading. What I did have was a burning desire to discover my purpose and passion. I knew there was more to my existence than slaving away in some cubicle to enrich someone else’s life. My items were collected in a box and handed to me, along with a promise to not contest if I filed for unemployment. This was pivotal for me because I had never filed for unemployment and I was clueless on how to even begin the process. However, at this point, I did know that I was not going to update my resume’ and I wasn’t interested in going to work for anyone else ever again. Meanwhile, child support was on my heels, rent was due on the first, and now more than ever I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. I knew something had to change quickly and that something was how I was approaching life. It was at that point I picked up a book which I had previously purchased a few years back, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. Although I had read this book before I’d never read it with passion and a desire to truly understand the principles laid out by Mr. Hill. That book literally blazed the path for me to jump headfirst into entrepreneurship.
As fate would have it, at the same time I was laid off, a good friend of mine at the time was let go from his job. Ironically, before our misfortunes at the jobs we were stuck in, we were trying to decide on something we could partner up in to create a secondary stream of income. I took our layoffs as a sign that we were moving in the right direction. Before long, after him seeing a neighborhood candy lady selling kool aid pickles and me doing a bit of research, we figured we just may be able to make a business of selling kool aid pickles. We found a small commercial property in Acres Home, TX which we got a great deal on for $250 a month, and with a 50/50 verbal and handshake agreement, we agreed to go into business. Even though koolickles (kool aid pickles) have been around for ages, a lot of people at the time had not heard of them. I immediately recognized the value in this and began laying out the plans for us to create and build a brand. We gutted out the interior of the shack and painted the exterior with Mardi Gras colors (green/purple). We opened the doors October 10th, 2014. The day of our grand opening, I recall us celebrating and dancing around the register as we counted our grand haul of $126! Even though the majority of the first days take came mainly from family and friends, I still envisioned us having lines all the way down the block. Weeks before our opening we printed up and distributed approximately 500 flyers as a part of branding tactic. The very next week those long lines down the block became a reality mostly due to our branding and marketing campaign. The weekend after that we opened up at 11 a.m. and we were immediately overwhelmed because lines had started to form an hour before opening. It seemed as though all of Houston had come out! That Sunday at closing time, as we counted out over $7k from the weekend take, we realized we were definitely on to something HUGE!
Our next big break emerged a couple of months after our grand opening. It was raining out and I was inside the shack prepping for the day. I heard a tap on the servers window, which was tinted at the time. When I opened the window, to my surprise on the other side was Houston’s own Majic 102 DJ and food critic Robert “Bassman” Washington. Bassman was doing a show called Houston Eats in which he was showcasing local entrepreneurs in the food industry. He had gotten word about the pickles and came to see if it was just hype. Once he tasted the pickles we agreed he would come back and do a segment on us for “Houston Eats”. Even before the interview, Bassman went above and beyond by plugging us randomly live on the radio, introducing me to Kandi Eastman and receiving her support, as well as inviting us to the radio station to do a pop up for the entire crew. I am blessed to call myself a friend of Rob and to have had an opportunity to share quite a few memorable moments with him before his passing. One of my most cherished moment is the last time I saw him. We worked out together with a good friend of ours Mark Hagan of Gym Godz. After working out, Rob and I got a chance to chop it up before leaving, and that’s when he told me how proud he was of me for sticking with the pickles even after facing quite a few adversities. Rest In Peace bruh, you are loved and missed dearly.
Let’s fast forward to 2016 when we received another tremendous blessing. H.E.B Groceries has an annual contest called “Quest for the Best”. The contest s comprised of 25 finalists which are chosen from over 300 small businesses throughout all of Texas. The grand prize is $25k, first place $20k, second place $15k, and third place $10k. Although we didn’t place, being a top 25 finalist allowed us an opportunity to get on H.E.B shelves. That contest was the affirmation I needed to confirm The Purple Pickle Factory would be more than an idea and much more that a hustle. It was my inauguration to the business world and my farewell to a friendship that existed for almost two decades.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Entrepreneurship definitely requires patience, perseverance and resiliency. Everyone is tested and I realized early on that I was no exception to the rule. My very first challenge came soon after we counted out our first big haul of over $7k. Although we agreed upon a 50/50 partnership, once the money started rolling in my business partner started displaying his true colors. His first attempted strike came when he attempted to devalue my position in the company. His girlfriend and he decided she was entitled to a 10% stake in the business and that percentage should come from my shares. That day I had to pray on this deeply because not only was our business in jeopardy but our friendship was definitely on the ropes. God showed me a vision that day that if I refrain from handling this betrayal by the code of the streets, He would answer my prayer of becoming a successful businessman.
So I reached out to my former attorney who I retained during my hustling days. She referred me to a friend of hers which kindly advised me for no fee. Strike two came when that business partner opened up the company’s business account exclusively ins his name. When I confronted him about this he told me “my bad bro, this is my first partnership and I’m learning how business goes”. One of my favorite sayings is “it’s chess, not checkers”. From that point on, I realized that I would have to pull out my chess pieces and get in defensive posture. The third strike came after HEB recognized us as a finalist in their “Quest for the Best” contest. Even though we didn’t place among the final 4, we still had an opportunity to have the product in HEB stores. At this point, the business was failing horribly due to misappropriation of funds and lack of business knowledge. I recognized that if I was going to be a successful businessman, I needed to strengthen my weaknesses, which at the time primarily were funding and knowledge. I focused on my talents, pursued my passion, and geared my actions to building better partnerships in business and in my personal life.
I’m a firm believer in the law of attraction. So to me, it was no surprise when I crossed paths with one of Houston’s gems and legends Mr. Roy Douglas Malonson. I eventually parted ways and dissolved the partnership I was in. Mr Malonson began mentoring me and eventually invested and helped to found The Purple Pickle Factory LLC. With his expertise, he partnered Michael Moore (The Stuffed Baked Potato Factory) and myself and together we have worked to revitalize what was once a sinking ship and we have been approved to go into HEB stores this fall. I’ve experienced quite a few adversities but I chose to speak on the ones I have today because they were the ones I endured and conquered in the beginning. So I encourage your readers to “keep pushing and don’t stop at the first, second, or the 100th hurdle, pursue your vision, it will pay off”.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Purple Pickle Factory – what should we know?
We are The Purple Pickle Factory LLC and we specialize in candy-flavored pickles. We were founded in Acres Home, TX by Roy Douglas Malonson, Michael Moore and myself. Currently, we offer five flavors: Green Apple, Tropickle Punch, Strawberry, Watermelon, and Blu Razzberri. Our Pickles can be found in: Southern Q’s BBQ, The Stuffed Baked Potato Factory, Pyburns Groceries (all locations), Jims Supermarket, Watkins Supermarket and select HEB and Joe V’s Groceries. In my opinion, the company’s proudest achievements have to be earning an opportunity to be in the Quest for the Best contest and maximizing on that by being placed on HEB shelves. Another milestone is being in business for five years now. For half of a decade now, we’ve been expanding and getting better. What sets us apart from others in this industry is our determination to be more than “the candy ladies hustle”. When we entered this lane, we created a brand while others were still serving pickles out of their front door. No matter how odd your idea may seem, or if a million others are doing it, look for a different way to do it and go with it. “Your mistakes become muscles and your losses becomes lessons”.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The quality I attribute the most for my success is my determination to find positivity in any and every issue that I’m confronted with. I’m often asked what am I smiling about and I always reply “because my life is great”. I can be having a horrible day but still be determined to turn it around before the day ends. You have to find a way to remain positive through it all. I refuse to be broken, so I absolutely refuse to submit to any problem that I’m faced with. I believe it’s all in how you word it. If you say you can’t, then you won’t. If you ask yourself, how can I do it, your sub-conscious will activate the solution mode in your brain. No matter how bad it seems, you will be able to find some positivity in the matter.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5100 Westheimer #200
Houston TX 77056 - Email: tppf@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @thepurplepicklefactory
- Facebook: thepurplepicklefactory
- Other: www.purplepicklefactory.com
Image Credit:
Roy Douglas Malonson, Uncle Honeys Desserts, Pyburns Groceries, Guzel Cakes, Brass Cuisine Spices, Yummy Bites TV
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