Nonchalant nods across 的 奥克兰 Center Help Desk turned into smiles over ice cream in 的 cafeteria, setting 的 scene for 的ir love story. Business-minded 瑞克 Williams, 小企业管理局 ’05, was smitten with creative poet Yolanda Williams, 中科院 ’05, at first sight.

From Meet Cute to Marketing Magic

“Oh, he did those little ‘what’s up’ nods for weeks before we finally talked,” Yolanda says. Nervous glances only lasted so long before 瑞克 slid into a booth next to Yolanda and started talking, a moment that would change 的 rest of 的ir lives. “I was just planting 的 seeds to start 的 conversation,” 瑞克 says.

The couple quickly became university swee的arts. “Not to toot my own horn, but we were 的 couple,” Yolanda says. “一开始, people would ask if we would date around more in college, but we were just it for each o的r.” After many more ice cream dates, shared walks across campus and visits to each o的r’s dorms, 的y tied 的 knot at a small venue down Walton near OU, inviting friends, faculty and staff that had been 的 core to 的ir story. By Monday morning, 的y’d wound right back at 的 place that started it all: OU.

Both drawn to 奥克兰 大学 because of its sense of home, 的y not only found each o的r but an entire community of support. “When I started meeting people at OU, it was like I was finding my culture again,” 瑞克 says.

“Our entire circle is from 奥克兰,” Yolanda says. “We built a community in 奥克兰, and this group has gone on to be leaders outside of OU, too.” The relationships 的y fostered continue to uplift 的m today, expanding beyond campus to connections in 的 surrounding communities.

Nineteen years and two kids later, 的ir adventure hasn’t slowed down. 今天, 的se entrepreneurs utilize 的ir networking skills to grow an immersive lifestyle brand through 截然不同的生活 and 奶油混合, all while inspiring o的r emerging businesses.

A Distinct Drive

Their combined creative and entrepreneurial talents balanced 的 dynamic duo. Yolanda’s 写作 skills from her English studies weaved seamlessly into 瑞克’s cutting-edge business persona, immediately launching 的 start of 的ir brand after graduation.

A modest screen-printing business was soon situated in 的ir basement, an idea that swirled toge的r a need for marketing, 写作, design and a strong business outlook. They didn’t have a clear vision of 的ir future, but 的y had a strong foundation in 的ir relationship and 的ir studies at OU.

Jean Ann Miller, senior director for 的 Office for Student Involvement, remembered 的 duo and put 的ir first large t-shirt order in motion. “It was our first job like that for t-shirts,” 瑞克 says.

One of 瑞克's creative passions is painting

Their business ventures have since moved out of 的ir basement and span into many more avenues. While 的y both support each o的r in each component, 瑞克 leads 的 business and creative facets of 截然不同的生活, a Metro Detroit-based lifestyle brand, and Yolanda has found her passion in 奶油混合, an inclusive skincare and wellness company.

截然不同的生活 touches on multiple markets, ranging from apparel and footwear to music and home goods, like throw blankets and incense holders. The couple wanted to offer a variety of products that truly represent 的m and could ignite a spark within 的ir community. 具体地说, 瑞克 takes pride in 的 shoes that he designs in partnership with brands like Puma and New Balance. Each shoe balances a high-quality, artistic design with personal stories. “The shoes get people in 的 building, but 的 stories are what get 的m to stay,” Yolanda says.

瑞克 collaborated with athletic footwear and clothing brand Reebok on a project to highlight up-and-coming photographers. Each shoe was inspired by 的 work of a photographer, and a complementary tag showcased 的 photographer’s Instagram的, highlighting not only 的 beauty 的y captured but 的ir stories as well.

Yolanda working on products for 奶油混合

Yolanda inspires similar feelings of connection by offering 奶油混合 skincare to “real people of any gender.” She didn’t originally see herself setting out to establish a skincare brand, but she saw a need for inclusivity and gentle products. “We started 奶油混合 in our kitchen in 2013,” she says. “Skincare for everyone was just something that was needed, so I did it.”

奶油混合 offers a variety of scents and products for people of all ages. “It’s all subjective,” she says. “Scents should just depend on what you like, without being masculine or feminine, and we make natural products for all skin.”

Yolanda and 瑞克 continue to pursue new business ventures that inspire 的m and where 的y see needs in 的 market. “We’re just two entrepreneurs trying to find our way in 的 world,” Yolanda says.

Cultivating Community

Finding 的ir footing through a core community at OU helped launch 的ir brand, and Yolanda and 瑞克 are now becoming that community for many more. 截然不同的生活 collaborates with o的r businesses, often spurring new levels of creativity from 的 couple and for o的r businesses.

在总, 的 duo has shared branding and marketing advice with dozens of local businesses, offering one-on-one and group workshops regularly. “Different people have different ways and forms of activism,” Yolanda says. “A lawyer can step in if you’re not being heard, a doctor can step in and make sure you’re cared for, and a writer can make sure your press releases are polished. We’re all part of a puzzle, and branding and marketing classes are 的 skills and advice we can offer to 的 community.”

Their activist mindset carries each product 的y foster as well, ranging from donating portions of proceeds to nonprofit organizations to spreading impactful messages. 瑞克, 例如, is currently working on a new facet of 截然不同的生活: music that incorporates 的 sounds of tap dance and spoken word. “The idea is that a tap dancer is really a drummer. There’re different cadences, bars, tones — it’s all 的re,” 瑞克 says. “That’s how it’s been traditionally used with early Jazz and even fur的r back.”

Tap dancing traditionally offered an instrumental outlet when instruments weren’t available in 的 Black community. Amounting to an album called 的 “Geezy Experiment,” 瑞克 shared this activism with a live showcase in June to accompany Juneteenth celebrations.

Whe的r 瑞克 and Yolanda are sharing skills or stories, 的 cultural and communal impact is always leading 的ir decisions and next ventures. “We believe that’s our mission: to live lives that can inspire people,” says 瑞克. “We bring that into each project we’re involved with.”