From Prison to Purpose: Troy Alexander on the Power of Radical Self-Accountability

Transformation doesn’t start with opportunity, it starts with accountability. In this episode of Deal Flow Diaries, we sit down with Troy Alexander, founder of T363 Skin, to unpack a journey that begins in a prison cell and evolves into building a purpose-driven brand rooted in discipline, identity, and self-respect.

Troy shares how 18 months in isolation became the foundation for his philosophy on mental toughness, systems over motivation, and radical ownership. From studying human behavior behind bars to becoming a fashion journalist and cultural strategist advising global brands, his path challenges conventional ideas of success and reinvention.

We explore the creation of T363 Skin, a brand inspired by Troy’s past and built for the future, redefining how men approach self-care, confidence, and personal standards. This conversation goes beyond skincare. It is about identity, discipline, and the decisions that shape a life.

Join us as we talk about:

• How self-accountability can completely reshape your trajectory
• Turning adversity into clarity, discipline, and purpose
• Identifying overlooked markets and building a brand from lived experience
• The role of mentorship, networking, and service in unlocking opportunity
• Why self-respect and daily habits are the true drivers of confidence and success

Whether you are building a company, rebuilding your life, or redefining your standards, this episode offers a powerful reminder that transformation starts within.

This is Deal Flow Diaries: real stories, hard truths, and the mindset behind what it actually takes to build something meaningful.

Follow Troy Alexander & T363 Skin:

Instagram: @thetroyalexander, @t363skin

Website

LinkedIn

Questions and comments; reach out to us at inquiries@dealflowdiariespodcast.com

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If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:04

DealFlow Diaries, where the dealmakers talk. A podcast that takes you inside the minds of the Titans shaping today's global economy. I'm Alexandra Fairweather.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

And I'm Elaine Chamberlain. Together, we sit down with visionary founders, fund managers, and deal makers across private equity, real estate, fashion, tech, and beyond.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Each episode, we uncover the untold stories behind their biggest deals, hardest setbacks, and boldest bets. Lessons in strategy, risk, and ambition you won't find anywhere else.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Smart, unscripted, unfiltered. This is DealFlow Diaries.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

Today's episode is about radical self-accountability. What happens when you stop blaming the world, confront yourself fully, and decide to rebuild your life from the inside out.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Today, we are joined by Troy Alexander, founder of T363 Skin, cultural strategist and former fashion journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, Yahoo Beauty, and Weight Watchers for Men. He has also been featured in Vogue and British GQ and has advised companies including Simrise and Amazon on building world-class brand and customer experiences. But Troy's story didn't begin in boardrooms or media. At 22, a fight escalated and resulted in 18 months in a six by nine prison cell. It was there that his voice and his philosophy were born. That experience shaped his belief that real change comes from systems, not motivation. T363 skin reflects the ethos. The T stands for Troy and 363 are the last three digits of his prison number, a daily reminder of the man he is committed to becoming. After his release, Troy immersed himself in the science of skincare, spending six months in Seoul studying advanced skincare innovation and later completing cosmetic chemistry coursework at UCLA, working alongside world-class chemists to build a brand rooted in expertise and integrity. Today, as a professional speaker and cultural architect, Troy is challenging men to stop hiding behind performance and start doing the work of real self-respect. This conversation is about accountability, masculinity, and building systems that actually change lives. Welcome, Troy. Thank you so much for being here today.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Thank you very much, ladies, for having me. This is an honor. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

I love your story. I think you are so inspirational. We have a lot of synergies between the both of us. And I want to start from the beginning. Who were you before everything changed at 22?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

I grew up with a military father who was very strict and very um hard on me. So I think I don't really know who I was. You know, I think I was lashing out as a teenager and looking for love. And I think that what led me to do what I did and get attention from him.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

How is your relationship with your father now?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

He passed away nine years ago. But before he passed away, we mended our relationship. He said something that was very profound before he passed away. He said, son, life goes on and you have to go on with it.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

I love that. That's so profound.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Yeah. He said that four days before he died.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

Wow. That was his message.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Can you tell us a little bit about the experience at 22 that landed you in prison and just a little bit more about that and what that experience taught you?

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Yeah, the friends at the time, they were we were all friends, and we were thinking we were in Las Vegas, and we were always gambling in one of my friend's basement. And, you know, full disclosure, none of us came from impoverished neighborhoods. We were upper, upper middle class black kids, so we weren't struggling. Um but we were just gambling in his uh basement, and the fight escalated over money, and I pulled out a knife and I cut my friend, and for some reason, I don't know where the knife went. It just went everywhere and it cut him really bad, and blood was everywhere, and the police were called and uh um ambulance was called, and my life just changed right then.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Interesting. Yeah. So what was that experience like going from your normal everyday life to now living in a prison cell with cellmate and very structured routine? What did that look like?

SPEAKER_00 4:45

The fight escalated really bad, and so I cut my hand really bad. So I was in a cell by myself. So I wasn't in general population when I first went to prison because obviously, if you know anything about the penal system, I'm a wounded little bear in there, and people can attack and hurt me. And so they had me in isolation. So I was in isolation probably about nine months of my sentence, healing my hand. And so I really started to pray, think, talk to God. There was this orderly that used to always walk by and give me Bible scriptures and Bible verses because I was isolated in this six by nine by myself for such a long time. And so I had to learn how to train my mind. I had to learn how to not allow anything to affect me. And so I just practiced mental toughness every day. Was I scared to go in there? Of course I was, but I was isolated. So I think my journey was different because when I entered in prison, I was in this place that was like a holding self for me. So I could um get my strength to really eventually go into general population where you're with murderers, rapers, killers, and all the things.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

I would love to hear a little bit more about that isolation experience. I think anytime you're stripped from everything in your life, you really have to do some insightful um reflection. Yeah. Right. And what did that look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Many nights of crying. I know people talk about men don't cry, but I cried many nights. I question why I was alive, why why did I do this? What happened? So many sleepless nights because you hear things in prison that you never hear normally. And I just had to sit with myself. Every day was um like ground hall day, rinse and repeat. You know, you wake up at 5:30, they come knock on the cell, breakfast, then you sleep. So I like to tell people, you know, I don't sleep now because for 18 months I slept for 24 hours a day, you know, as much as I can. I tried to sleep the time away.

SPEAKER_03 6:47

Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

And so I just learned, I started reading the Bible. I started reading every book that I could get my hands on. And one book that changed my life was Um Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

I love that book.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

I read that book over and over and over. And regardless of anyone's political belief, another book that changed my life was Um The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump. And those two books, along with the Bible, those three books changed my life.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Wow. What were the biggest takeaways that you took from those books?

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Yeah, um, so thank you. Great question. Um, with Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich, the biggest takeaway is what I was doing when I was in prison, strengthening my mind. The mind is if you can think it, you can achieve it. And he speaks about that in the book. And so just the correlation and the connection between the two. Obviously, the Bible, there's many parables, and one of my favorite um scriptures in there is ask and you should receive, seek and you will find, and knock, and the doors were open.

SPEAKER_03 7:48

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

And no one tells you how long. You could be knocking for 20 years. You could be seeking for 15, you could be asking for 30. But if you stay focused and driven, you will achieve what you want. And then the art of the deal, I learned that your name could be everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

That's incredible. I want to hear more about how you became an entrepreneur after prison. Something that you and I oftentimes relate to is that post-incarceration program, right? And I'm a huge supporter of that. I think it's very important that anyone who is currently in prison, has been in prison, feels like a human being, right? And that's it's as simple as that. And what did that look like getting out? And did you have a mentor? Did you go into a program? What did that look like for you? And what was the impetus to become an entrepreneur?

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Well, I like to say, you know, my prison term was the greatest thing that happened to me. That was my Harvard, that was my Yale, that was my Princeton. I had nearly almost two years to study human behavior. I think a lot of people don't understand. Some of the greatest minds, they're in two places. They're in graveyard and in the penal system. And I had great angels along the way while I was in there. Like one correctional officer, she walked past me one day and she said, You know you don't belong here. I'm like, lady, I got like 15 months. Like, what are you hell you talking about? What the fuck, you talking about? I didn't, I'm here.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Don't tell me that.

SPEAKER_00 9:21

Exactly. And she would always say, You know you don't belong here. And she said, God has a bigger purpose for you. So that was the first thing that started to click with my mind, along with the three books I said I was reading, and along with the people in there. So there was angels in there, like guiding me. Like my um cellmate always told me, he said, Youngblood, if you study the people in here, the men in here, they're the same men out there just dressed up. So every day you walk in past murderers, rapers, killers, everything, they just dress up and you don't know. And so those things started to kind of develop and shift my thinking that there's purpose and opportunity for me. Because when I was in prison, I know it sounds weird, but people were speaking life into me. And those people who were doing life sentences, who were doing 30 years, were speaking life into me to go out in this world and become what I needed to become. And I think that is what transformed and helped me become where I'm at today. And so the journey, I think it hasn't been easy, but it's been ordained, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Yeah. What role does discipline play in your life today?

SPEAKER_00 10:30

I learned discipline first and foremost from a military father.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

And then I balked at it. And then when I went to prison, is really discipline. And so at the two touch points of my life, discipline has always been in the middle. And so every day I'm disciplined. I wake up every day at 4 30 in the morning and I meditate, I pray, I journal, and then I'm in the gym by 5 30.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

And what would you say to people that constantly have excuses? I mean, your story is incredible. You have overcome so much. And I think it's very easy to make excuses when you haven't gone through something like you have. What is your advice for our listeners?

SPEAKER_00 11:12

I don't believe in excuses. I don't. And we all get an opportunity to do something in this lifetime. And so get off your fucking ass and go do it. We we none of us should have excuses.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

You know, I remember the first time when I moved to New York. And I moved to New York in 2003.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

How old were you?

SPEAKER_00 11:31

I was uh 29. And I was on Lexington Avenue and it just clicked. I saw this young lady. She was young, vibrant, energetic, and she was in a wheelchair and he she had her suitcase and she was moving. And I said, here's a woman that has no excuses. She's here in New York with her suitcase and her wheelchair, and she's just smiling and happy. When you see things like that, how can any of us have excuses?

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Absolutely. We're so blessed.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

We're so blessed. Thank you. We're so blessed.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Yeah. So with that attitude in mind, no excuses, can you tell us a little bit about after you get out? How do you start building this amazing career?

SPEAKER_00 12:10

Yeah. So again, think and grow rich. If you write things down, they come to fruition.

SPEAKER_03 12:18

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

So I started writing in my journal, and I still have my journals when I was in prison, and one day we want to turn them into a book.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

That would be amazing. Incredible.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

But I started writing everything that I wanted to do. I mean, my wildest dreams. I mean, wildest, you know, travel the world, do this, do that. And I started to prepare myself on this journey by writing everything that I wanted. I didn't know what I didn't know, but I just started writing what I wanted. And that started to catapult this path that I'm on. And I was very fortunate and very blessed, and I'm not going to say otherwise, I came back out of prison to a two-parent household. I wasn't struggling. My parents had means. So I landed, boom, safely. Where a lot of people who go to prison, they don't land safely. They're in halfway houses, they're in so many things, as you know, being in the, you know, understanding the penal system, I was very blessed. And then I was even more blessed to one day I ran into an old buddy at the time when I got out of prison, and he offered me a job. And this particular job, I was picking up trash at an apartment complex because I just got out of prison, so I took any job.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

And so I'm not ashamed of doing any work. I've picked up trash buds and poop and everything in this apartment complex. But this particular apartment complex, when I filled out the application, it didn't have, have you ever been convicted of a felon? And so again, here in lie, an angel. He asked me, Did I want a job? This particular application did not say that. I got the job and that was the trajectory of my life.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

What did that feel like, seeing the application and knowing that you are not going to be isolated because of your past.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

I knew that was a sign from God. And I, regardless of anyone's religious beliefs, I'm not putting that on anyone. I knew that was a sign from the most high. That you did your time properly in prison. You tried to impact, inspire, and help, so I'm going to help you.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Do you still talk to that man?

SPEAKER_00 14:20

I sure do.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 14:22

I talk to a lot of people who have helped me get along the way that I'm on.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

And what is your role now helping others as they exit prison? And I know you speak at a lot of facilities and prisons, and what does that look like for you and what is your role in your mind in helping others?

SPEAKER_00 14:42

I think for me, it's it's a part of who I am. With all due respect, I am a product of that because I put myself there. And so a lot of us put ourselves there. We all need to see people that have accomplished something that have started where you started. And so my last prison I spoke at was this prison in uh Missouri, Farmington Correctional Center. And it was a hundred men, and I just talked to them about entrepreneurship. They were so interested in entrepreneurship and building and everything. It was just amazing. Like they weren't thinking about their time. You know, a lot of men had a lot of time, but they were very interested in entrepreneurship, and I was sharing so much. It was just one of the most beautiful moments of my life. Wow. I mean, it's super beautiful to give back and help. And so I spent my own money to go down to Farmington, um, Missouri, and talk to these men. And I became very close with the warden of several prisons. I ended up going into a juvenile prison and was talking to the kids there as well. I think we should all constantly give back. I firmly believe what my cellmate used to tell me. We're all here on this earth to make the next person better.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Absolutely. So beautiful. And where did you find this passion for T363?

SPEAKER_00 16:00

T363 has been a journey.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

So start us from the beginning. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

So one thing prison taught me was we're all visionaries. Every one of us in here, all of us, we're all visionaries, but none of us take the time to sit with ourselves.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

You had time.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

I had time.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

So every day I had time to look at concrete every day. And I know this may sound weird to readers, but if you actually sit with yourself and really sit with yourself, you can see through walls. And I began to see through walls. And I always wanted to build something.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Is that a metaphor for visualizing and seeing something deeper in yourself and your future? Correct.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

We all have that ability. I I'm I'm not special. All of us do. And I began to really sit with myself. And I've always wanted to build something. And then when I got an opportunity to become a fashion journalist, you know, writing for New York Times and Forbes, and again, I was writing everything I wanted to do. So it goes back to I wrote everything I wanted to do. So I did that. And I began to travel the world and go to fashion shows. And I just saw a gap in the market that no one was speaking to straight men about how to dress. So I saw that gap in the market. Hence, I was writing for Weight Watchers because I was teaching men how to dress once they lost weight, which I still think is a great idea, but I don't know why they folded it. But it's a huge opportunity now that these men are on ZEPIC. And so I saw the gap in the market that no one was speaking to straight men. And then when I started consulting with Simrise, which is the second largest flavors and fragrance house in the world, I was on their advisory council and me, their advisory beauty council. So I shot a campaign with them in Germany and Paris, and I was at face of their brand for a while. And then I saw that no one was speaking to straight men about beauty, and that was my aha moment. I was like, oh, okay, I saw this hair, I saw this hair, boom. And then I started talking to a lot of incredible people about my idea, like people who are experts, like dermatologists and all that stuff. So I, because being a journalist, I amassed a great network.

SPEAKER_03 18:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

And then I started tapping into my network. And then one of the dermatologists I spoke to, I got him before he was became what he became now. Um his name is Dr. Balasani, and he is um Martha Stewart's dermatologist. The guy, I don't know if you guys. And then um he was a dermatologist behind Road.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Hello guy, yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

And I talked to him and he was like, Troy, it's gonna be fucking hard. It may take you years because men don't give a shit.

SPEAKER_03 18:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

He said it may take you years, but he said, if there's anyone that can do it, it's you. And he told me that. So he spoke again, it goes back to speaking life into you. Yeah. He spoke life into me. Didn't tell me how long it was gonna take, because it has taken a long time, but he spoke life into me. And that was the first person I was like, okay, I can do this. And then I went on a journey to create it. 2018 was the idea. Again, I was writing for Yahoo! Beauty, so I was speaking about men's beauty in 2014, 2015, 2016. So 2018 was the idea. My business partner at the time, the name of the brand was at first at one time called Troy Skincare.

SPEAKER_01 19:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

I had this idea, I was like, let's move to Los Angeles because I believe LA will be the next beauty hub. And again, visionary, seen through the wall. So we moved to LA, everything was great. Business was, we were raising money, we were talking, we were networking, we didn't know anything. I had the idea, and so she came with me on the journey. And we started to get ready to launch, and it was a trademark issue. And so that derailed everything. And to your point, because you know the family, the Burkos, they were all interested in our idea. They loved everything, you know, and so there's a trademark issue. So that kind of halted it. And so had to go through the trademark issue, and that took some time. And then one day I was in the shower. Again, it goes back to the visionary, and God said, use your prison number. And that's how T363 was born. I was in the shower, and T's the first initial of my name, Troy, and 363 is the last three of my prison number. And so we scratched Troy Skincare, and now it's T363 Skin.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

It's very powerful.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

I want to go back to something that you said earlier about networking and how important it is to put two worlds together and figure it out based on mentorship and building relationships. I would love to hear your advice to anyone listening on how important that is.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

That is the most critical thing that any human being can do. Understand how to network and meet people.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:56

My mother told me something when I was young. She said, always be nice because you never know who you're sitting next to.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

Totally.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

I wrote a LinkedIn post maybe about a year ago, and I sat next to this rabbi, and we were flying to Miami. And the post got nearly a million impressions and comments because the juxtaposition, he's a rabbi with the curly things. I'm a black man in a hoodie, and we had one of the most amazing conversations that will forever shift and shape my life. And that's a form of networking. And he has a Shelva Center in Israel, and we talked about everything. And he spoke life into me and he's introduced me to some amazing people. And I think everyone should always be open to talk to someone who may look different than you and get out of your comfort zone. I think all of us live in bubbles. We hang out with the same people, we do the same places, and sometimes it's okay to branch out and meet new people because those new people could impact and change your life.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

I think there's a difference between networking and relationship building, right? Because there has to be a genuine interest in the individual that you're meeting or being introduced to. Can you talk a little bit more about that? I think that was is probably more your speed after getting out of prison, correct? I mean, people, you can meet people, but building that relationship is so important.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 22:23

And what are some things that you do to build relationships when first meeting others?

SPEAKER_00 22:29

Great question. So I think for me, what I do to build relationships is I always show up with kindness. That's the first thing. I always ask, how can I be of service to you? I think when you building relationships or networking, it's how can I be of service to you? And can we have a coffee? You want to get to know that person. You want to, you know, listen to what they want to do. And I think for me, like once a month, I go through my network and I send them all a note and give them a touch base of what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Every month I send a note to everyone in my network again to give a touch base of what I'm doing and ask them what they're working on and ask them how I can be of service. And I started doing that maybe about 20 years ago. And it's been religious. Again, it goes back to what we talked about discipline. I've been very disciplined about that. And you just because people move jobs, people move opportunities. And I really firmly believe that I want to keep my network strong because people know people. And we all have ideas, we all have things we want to accomplish. And that person in your network could help you. Like one of my friends, she said something was very profound. She said she found her boyfriend through her network. Because instead of going on the apps, she asked people in her phone, her network, hey, do you have any single guys? Do you have any single guys? Right. And I think that's a form of networking, right? And so I think, again, everyone should be open to networking and meeting new interesting people because your life could change just like that.

SPEAKER_02 24:02

I wanted to ask, I know you talk about men neglecting themselves. What does that look like? What are you seeing?

SPEAKER_00 24:09

I say this and I like to say that because I am an expert at that. I did 18 months in prison, so I saw true neglect. And I fundamentally believe men don't love themselves because we don't know how to. And men don't really know how to survive without their egos. And that is why we're at this impasse with men because we all want to peacock. We all want to put our chests up and we're all scared little boys, when it all boils down to. And so that's where this stems from. That's why because I've had time to study men, where a lot of people don't understand that. Again, it goes back to what my cellmate said. If you study the men in here, they're the same men out there.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

I have two sons, so I'm kind of curious about this. What do you think I should be doing as a mother so that they have that self-love?

SPEAKER_00 25:06

Where innately you're gonna give them that self-love because you carried them.

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:10

And so they're gonna feel your presence and your grace and your honor and your just purpose automatically. But truthfully, and women, we can talk about this offline if you like. You can DM me, whatever. Ultimately, to raise a boy, the father must be involved constantly.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:26

Constantly. And today, a lot of fathers are working very hard, and the mothers are working very hard. So they're not there to guide and coach their sons.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

On that note, can you speak a little bit further about the I blame women movement?

SPEAKER_00 25:41

Yes. So that is a very provocative statement. I blame women. So I had the idea of I blame women in 2014. And again, goes back to the visionary thing. I blame women really, it's a love affair to women. If you read the manifesto, it's women are the gateway to help men be better. Every man that's ever built anything in this world, they've pillow talked with their girl, they've ran ideas past their girl. And so the woman really is the superpower of the man. And so we wanted a provocative statement to start to bridge and have conversations. And women truly allow us to do things we shouldn't be doing. I had a conversation with a woman a while back, and we were at a bar and we were chatting, beautiful young lady, and she said, I do not allow my husband to make love to me until he brushes his teeth before he goes to bed, until he gets a manicure and pedicure, because she said, if I gotta get myself all dolled up, I gotta put my cream on, I gotta do all this stuff for him to want to make love to me. Why can't he do something for me? And that's where the impetus of I blame women comes from because women can help us raise the bar.

SPEAKER_03 26:59

Right.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

Every woman that I know has given their men advice on taking care of their skin, and then all the women they say he's still in my cream.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Right. My husband has stolen mine. Exactly. But I'm gonna get him on the product.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 27:18

Can you tell us about your hero product that you launched with and what that looks like in terms of future launches, future products that you're going to release?

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Yeah, so we wanted to launch with one product just to start and just a test. So we launched T363 Skin December 15th, 2025. And we're getting great feedback. And so every man has heard of the word moisturizer. They've heard that word. They know they've been drilled that word. And so we wanted to make it easy for them to understand that a vitamin C moisturizer is good for them. And that is what we worked with the chemists. We've worked with our team, formulated and made sure that it is top, top, top. And what we started to do was test it with women. Because as we said, women are the gateway. Women understand beauty. So I I've been seeding it with a lot of my female friends who have big following and investor women that I know, and just seeding it. And the response has been really remarkable. And I, along with the team, we've built something really remarkable. And I'm just so grateful. And, you know, we're pushing all of our products are already completed. They're already done because I worked backwards. I wanted to make sure that everything was done. And then we launched step by step, step by step, step by step.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

It's such a smart launch strategy that I think a lot of people want to go to market with 15 different products, but they don't actually hone in on what that hero product is. What made you choose this one product to launch with?

SPEAKER_00 28:56

So again, it goes back to men have heard that word. So men have heard the word moisturizer, right? Most men will put on a moisturizer before they wash their face. Because when they're in the shower, they think the water's hitting their face. Like, I already washed my face. And so we wanted to make it easy. And again, all the research and just talking to men, right? So, you know, the one thing that data doesn't do, right? And when I was a fashion journalist, right, they would send scouts around the country that they would sit in parks, walk the streets, and look at trends.

SPEAKER_02 29:28

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

And that's how a lot of designers get their inspiration because they have a scout traveling around the world and looking at trends. And so for me, I implied the same mechanism, and I look at every man that I walk by. I look at every man that I walk by, and I can tell that he's not taking care of his skin. He may be dressed to the nines, but he's not taking care of his skin, and he's not taking care of his teeth.

SPEAKER_03 29:53

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

And those are those are two points that men forget. They forget about oral health. Yes, they may brush their teeth, but their teeth don't look that great, and their skin does not look that great. And your skin is the largest organ on your body.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Yep. So how are we going to convince all men that this is time? What's the marketing strategy?

SPEAKER_00 30:13

I love that question. How are we going to convince men is going to take beautiful women like you?

SPEAKER_02 30:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:18

Our community is really about building a community of women.

SPEAKER_03 30:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

Because women are the true backbone. Women are the true power of this earth. You guys breed and give life. We assist with that, but you bring life into this world. And so we're looking to build an army of women to help us help men be better. Because instead of us fighting and trying to have ego amongst each other, we can thrive together.

SPEAKER_01 30:50

I want to go back and I'm curious as an entrepreneur, how have your past decisions impacted the way you make decisions now as an entrepreneur?

SPEAKER_00 31:00

I made a lot of early mistakes with Troy skincare. You know, I had to pay my business partner out, to trademark all the things. How I make decisions now is, yes, it's gut related. It's definitely gut related, but I bring in my advisors to get some great feedback because one of the guys I listened to a lot, his name is Jim Rome, and he says, Do you know there's books of people who have done what you've done that could save you years on your life? And so I started to start reading more books and in and tapping into people who have done what I want to do to get insight to be able to move around those mistakes that I made early on.

SPEAKER_01 31:43

So mentorship is very important in your life.

SPEAKER_00 31:45

Very important. Very important. My mentor, his name is Eric, and he was the founder of Art of Shaving.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

Oh, wow. And are you focused mostly on building the online sales or are you going to be doing in-person activations and store sales?

SPEAKER_00 31:59

Yeah, I mean, we're going to start with online. When we look to partner with people, you have to also understand the prison story too. And a lot of brands don't understand that. You got to look at it like this. I'm a black man who's a convicted fella who changed his life around. I'm an anomaly. So I don't fit in any box. And you look at retail and you look at all these things, there's no one that's like me there. And so that story has to be digested properly and it has to be done right. And so what we wanted to do was be provocative with the I blame women to start the conversation and then drive them that way, right? And so we're looking to do billboards. We have six locations across the country that we're going to go do billboards. We're working on a campaign that may drop on uh International Women's Day. Um, it's all tied to I blame women.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

I want to talk a little bit about raising capital. What are some tips and tricks you can provide for our listeners? As we know, it is not an easy thing to do. And I think people don't talk about it enough. People don't talk about real life experience and strategy and what that looks like on your daily life. It's really fucking hard. So I want to hear from you.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Fuck it hard. Oh my gosh. It's interesting, right? Because I read Howard Schultz's book, right? And he talks about, you know, the founder of Starbucks. And what I started to do was read all of these people's stories. Jeff Bezos got denied, Airbnb, these everyone gets denied. I have talked to 150 investors, and I've gotten denied.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

You know, Howard Schultz said he talked to 245 before he got a yes to Starbucks.

SPEAKER_03 33:49

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

So I'm like, I still got more to go. My first money came in again through networking and being of service. So everything for me, I I know it sounds weird to people, but everything to me, again, is networking and being of service. So my first money in was I was speaking to one of my friends and she wanted to launch a hair care brand. And she would ask me questions and talk to me, and I would just give, give, give, give my time. And all my friends were like, Why are you giving this fucking woman your time? Like, I'm like, dude, like I come from prison. I I not come from it, but that's a product of me. And like, I want to be of service. And she would always ask me, she was like, How can I help you? How can I help you? I was like, don't worry about it. I'm I'm I'm giving. I'm here to help you. And this particular woman, she's uh one of five black neuroscientists. So she's a very brilliant woman, but she wanted to be an entrepreneur too. And I would help her, we would have conversations, I'd look at her deck, I would do all these things, and she said, Do you have a deck or yourself? I was like, Yeah, sure. So I sent her my deck and she said, Well, my mentor is the former CEO and president of Anheuser Bush. And she said, I want to introduce you to him. So she introduced me to him. We had a quick Zoom call, and he loved my energy and my story. And again, it goes back to speaking life into you. He said, I've been around a lot. I've seen a lot, but he said, I've never seen you. And he wrote me a check in six weeks.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Wow, congratulations. There is something I think a lot of investors now are looking at the founder rather than the deck and what that pitch looks like. Because if you can believe in your founder, then chances are that business is going to succeed and you're going to have the return that you're interested in. Right. So thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_00 35:34

I like to tell, let me just add a little quick point before we, you know, your next question. I like to tell, you know, investors and people this if I made it through the snakes, the rats, the murderers, the rapists, and all of that in prison, because once my hand healed, I did have to go in general population. If I can make it through that and stand here talking to you beautiful women, I can build this business.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Yeah. It's all easy after that.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

It's all easy.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

Well, we end our show with a lightning round. Okay. Um, Alexander. Oh, you got the words.

SPEAKER_02 36:06

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I got it. One word to describe the old you.

SPEAKER_00 36:11

Ego.

SPEAKER_02 36:12

One word to describe the man you are today.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

Accountable.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

A daily, non-negotiable habit.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Looking at myself in the mirror and realizing that I can keep getting better, I can keep getting wiser, and I can keep getting stronger.

SPEAKER_02 36:28

I love that. Hardest lesson you learned.

SPEAKER_00 36:31

That transformation starts within.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

Something men need to hear more often.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

This question, and I'm going to answer this, this is for the ladies. Men need to hear that they're loved, that they're appreciated. That's what we need to hear. We don't hear enough of that.

SPEAKER_02 36:46

What does real transformation mean to you now?

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Real transformation means for me that men and women work together to lift each other up. That's real transformation.

SPEAKER_02 36:57

If someone listening knows they need to change, but keeps putting it off, what would you say directly to them?

SPEAKER_00 37:04

I would say look at yourself in the mirror. Forgive yourself of the mistakes you may have made and start loving yourself. I think again, it goes back to we need to start loving ourselves. Like I love me. I love me. And I think that's where real change starts. You got to start loving yourself and you got to start forgiving yourself for the mistakes you've made. We've all made mistakes. And I think that's what it really boils down to.

SPEAKER_01 37:28

I love that. Well, Troy, I want to thank you again for being here today with us. I wish we had you on before Noah Neiman. He was constantly talking about his skincare routine. I'm going to put you two in contact. He's the co-founder of Rumble, which I know you were interested in trying. And maybe you go try out the pack instead now that you get your free class with DealFlow Diaries. And where can everyone find you?

SPEAKER_00 37:54

So I'm on LinkedIn at Troy Alexander. You can also find me at the Troy Alexander on Instagram, and you can find me on our business Instagram, T363Skin. That is where you can find me.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

And what can we look forward to in the next six months from you?

SPEAKER_00 38:13

Our brand exploding, and we are impacting men to be better.

SPEAKER_01 38:19

I love that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 38:21

Thank you.