Meet Orlando Dixon of #BlackBoyJoy Apparel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Orlando Dixon.

In a constantly changing industry, Washington D.C. born Orlando Dixon is striving to challenge the status quo. After graduating Berklee College of Music, Orlando began focusing his attention on songwriting and vocal production, achieving credits that included a Top 20 record on Billboard’s Urban AC chart (2011), and working with the likes of Grammy Award Winner Regina Belle. Simultaneously he began building a buzz on YouTube amassing a following of 29k subscribers and 3M total video views, resulting in being discovered and selected to audition for NBC’s The Voice. As a member of both Team Usher and Team Adam, Orlando finished as a semi-finalist (Top 32), finishing one battle shy of the live playoffs. His stint on the show led to work as a background vocalist for Zac Brown Band, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, One Republic and K. Michelle.

In 2014, as a recipient of an Artist Grant, Orlando released of his debut studio album titled “Listen:” independently. Following his debut he released his signature song #BlackBoyJoy, a truth-telling narrative about the challenges faced by people of color today and resilience in the face of adversity. It was this song that inspired him to venture outside of music and start his own clothing line #BlackBoyJoy® Apparel, in 2017. Just one year later, Orlando was cast as an original member of Disney Music Group’s new Acappella vocal group DCappella. Now, with the release of his latest project “When Summer Comes…” he transitions into a new sound crafted all on his own with music written and produced solely by himself. As new business ventures and creative opportunities continue to flourish, Orlando hopes to make strides with his message and further solidify his place in the industry.

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?
My journey as a working black artist and entrepreneur has had its triumphs and pitfalls. Navigating a career in the entertainment industry as a musician and performer requires me to be a self-starter. From failed record deals to opportunities in Television and Film, most of the successes I’ve had have come without the aid of a Manager or Agent. I’m fortunate that making the decision to go to college (Berklee College of Music) and having the support of my family motivated me to learn how to hustle. This element of my work ethic is something I consider to be one of my transferable skills as an entrepreneur. But fusing those two worlds, creating a space and platform that celebrates both my passion for music and highlighting my community, has also been challenging.

My clothing line, #BlackBoyJoy® Apparel, is a lifestyle brand aiming to provide alternative apparel and style options with messaging that reflect Black men and women. This company was birthed from a song, #BlackBoyJoy, I wrote and produced in 2016. What started out as an idea quickly manifested into an online store with products that people could buy, but I had no idea what I was doing at the beginning. To be honest, I felt like I started backward in that I launched the store without considering the most important thing I would need to run it: a business plan.

Figuring out what my demographic looks like, how to promote an online business, and how to grow and expand my business is always at the top of my priority list. Maintaining a level of creativity and innovation in what I do for my business is also an interesting experience within itself. Still, I’m grateful that being a small business owner allows me the space to grow my business in my own time. This is what makes the triumphs and the pitfalls of my journey so much more valuable to me.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about #BlackBoyJoy Apparel – what should we know?
#BlackBoyJoy® Apparel is a lifestyle brand aiming to provide alternative apparel and style options with messaging that reflect Black men and women. This company was birthed from a song, #BlackBoyJoy, I wrote and produced in 2016. I felt there was a need for more black-owned, street style apparel options in the market at the time, much like what I experienced growing up (i.e. FUBU, Phat Farm, Sean John).

My vision is to promote positive imagery while celebrating the Black community in an empowering way. I also hope to use this platform as a means to shift the narrative and bring awareness regarding issues specific to the Black men and women. This year #BlackBoyJoy Apparel made it a priority to donate and align with organizations such as Color of Change, Until Freedom, and Know Your Rights Camp on a quarterly basis as we continue to keep the collective goal of equality at the forefront of what we do.

One of the things that set #BlackBoyJoy® Apparel apart is our attention to customer service. We aren’t a brick and mortar business, so finding creative ways to stay engaged with our customers and responding immediately to inquiries or issues with care is what we rely on to build lasting relationships with our customer base. This is especially important during this time of COVID when mail delivery and the process of order fulfillment have become challenging. Our customer support is everything so we make it a priority nurture that part of our business as best we can.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My ambition, my work ethic and my ability to be open to learning at every part of my journey is most important to my success. I’m my opinion, true mastery of anything is understanding there is always more to learn, and there’s always room for growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://blackboyjoy.storenvy.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackboyjoyapparel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackboyjoyApparel/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BBJapparel

Image Credit:
Photographer: Sam Gross

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