Desmond "Dez" Williams is behind on accepting his LinkedIn invitations. ¶Well, all of his social media platforms for that matter. But that's to be expected when you're running a fast-growing beverage company that you've built from your kitchen counter.
Williams was training for a 12-mile obstacle race when he got the idea to produce a watermelon juice drink. He trained with a group, who took turns hosting post-workout feasts at each other's home.
"I would pull out these big halves of watermelon and people would dig in," said Williams, who attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and holds a bachelor's degree from Florida A&M University. "There would always be a huge puddle of juice (after slicing the melon). One day, I poured the juice into a pitcher. I later poured a glass and said, 'Wow, that's good!'"
Turns out, watermelon juice is chocked full of the amino acids, minerals, and vitamins necessary to endure the grueling training for an obstacle course. Plus, it's super-hydrating - a must when refueling.
Williams, a new father of a 6-month-old, found himself toying with the idea of starting a company producing watermelon juice. That idea led him to enroll in the University of South Florida's graduate entrepreneurship program and test out his theory.
But Williams wasn't sure he was on to something until he won a pair of business competitions and snagged $30,000 in cash prizes.
It was proof that Aquamelon was indeed a viable idea.
Williams recently spoke with Tampa Bay Times correspondent Kenya Woodard about his first foray into business beginning at the tender age of 7, his pathway from working for a tobacco conglomerate to founding a wellness company, and what makes Tampa an ideal locale.
You've got an extensive background in business and science, including stints in sales and environmental engineering. How did these experiences help build your business foundation?
I worked at Phillip Morris (now Altria) and that business model and that experience taught me what I needed to build a business. I embraced the (Altria) business model but I needed a product that helped people. That's when I was bitten by the consumer packaged goods model.
I knew there were some options (in that area of business) but I didn't know exactly what they were, so I stayed with corporate and kept getting experience. I later joined an engineering firm and learned more about systems. I learned how to build ground water treatment systems. I was dealing with systems that gave me the opportunity to break them apart, redesign, and put them back together again.
Tell me about the role USF played in helping you launch Aquamelon?
I just so happened to be at a fork in the road. I had to decide if I was going to get a business degree or a technical degree. I picked the business degree and I would validate that (Aquamelon) was a good idea while (in business school). I told the dean that I'm here to launch this company. I needed USF for credibility and to help me vet this concept so that when I get to the end, we've figured out pitfalls and fortified this in a way that allows me to build around that.
I knew I needed some guidance and direction and investment because my family didn't have any money and I didn't have any money.
You knew that Aquamelon would be a success if you could just get the right support and resources behind you. Where did you get that gumption?
I had already come from the bottom. Everything I experienced, it was familiar to me. Sacrifice and struggle and have not was all familiar.
My mother had me when she was really young. She made a lot of sacrifices. She was bent on raising a good kid that had a set of tools to go further than she did. One of the biggest sacrifices she made was starting a flea market business that expanded into three locations across the city.
We sold African artwork, handbags, and jewelry. She also sold clothes with Afro-centric appliques. It was really a hustle. But it was a job. That's how we ate. I helped her at conventions or I would work a flea market and she would work another. I watched her do it from 7 years old. By 11, I was running the booth. Then we'd go home and count the money.
Who's been your greatest influence? From whom did you get the wherewithal to start and sustain a business?
Watching my mom, she was a beast. She got breast cancer at 25. Her mom died at 20. She didn't have any collegiate skill sets. Growing up, a mischievous Dez behind the As and Bs and when I started going left in high school, she packed us up and moved us to California.
We slept on her girlfriend's floor for two months until she got a job and an apartment. When I look back on that, I think it was so gangster. She told me, "You were about to be washed up and you didn't even know it." She was courageous enough to move to the other side of the country with nothing so I wouldn't be in the midst of those negative influences. I tell her that I don't know if I would have been able to make those kinds of decisions.
You could have selected any place to start your business. What made Tampa the ideal location for your startup?
Tampa choose me. I wasn't looking to go into business (here). I started looking at USF and the entrepreneurship program. I never considered the viability of Tampa for launching a business. Investment capital is hard to come by here. I've had the opportunity to really use my skillset and influence people to rally behind a cause and trying to build an agricultural-based business in the rural parts of the south. That's been an opportunity to show what I'm made of. I learned that Florida is the number one grower and exporter of watermelons and has been for years. When I understood that I was in the best location to launch from a logistics standpoint, I said, "This is a sign."
Why do you call Tampa home?
It's the diversity of the people. People here are active year-round. They don't have a concept of seasonality. It's like summer is the lifestyle. Active is the lifestyle. Healthy is the lifestyle. This product caters to their lifestyle. I love Bayshore. I love the long morning runs. I love the water front. I love the access to fresh produce. And I love the diversity. I've met some of the most awesome friends. I love that I can go to the Ethiopian restaurant and go to the Mediterranean restaurant and the Indian buffet. It's dope.
I'm on vacation every day.
Sunday Conversation is edited for brevity and clarity. Contact Kenya Woodard at hillsnews@tampabay.com.