Kelly Reddington’s entrepreneurial success story is one for the ages, and as Kelly continues to thrive in his business endeavors, he wishes to inspire others to get out there and grab life by the horns. Kelly was born in one of the worst parts of Buffalo, New York, to a single mother of three.
He never had a well-off childhood. There were times when they had no food on the table, no electricity, and at times, no heat because their entire household was struggling financially. It was at that moment that Kelly knew that he wanted to be rich and successful one day. Being the determined and smart kid that he was, he also knew that the one way to get there was by starting his own business venture.
And so he did, at the young age of fifteen. Remarkably, Kelly had the idea of starting his very own candle company to raise funds for his school’s sports teams. He saw an opportunity that no one else saw, (or wanted), and he quickly jumped on it to help raise some funds.
His business was a wild success. Word travelled fast and before long, other schools started contacting him left and right, asking for his help to start their own fundraising campaigns. Kelly’s first-ever company, Altered Seasons Candle Co., was a definite success. Altered Seasons generated $75,000 per month for Kelly when he was still 17.
However, all good things must come to an end. And for Altered Seasons Candle Co., the end came when Kelly couldn’t handle the pressure of managing a business that became huge overnight. It was too overwhelming for a young adult who still wanted to enjoy his youth and have the time of his life.
So he sold Altered Seasons to a regional fundraising company for $1,000,000. After earning that much money, he had finally achieved a taste of what it was like to be rich. He spent most of his money buying material possessions that he couldn’t afford during his childhood, making up for lost time. Kelly felt that he had so much catching up to do with life, so he enjoyed everything to the fullest.
Eventually, Kelly got back on his feet and founded a brand-new business venture called REDDEQ. It is a portmanteau of ‘Reddington’ and ‘Equity’ which allowed him to invest in other people’s ideas and businesses. Reddeq eventually transitioned into real estate investment after Kelly made some costly investment mistakes and trusted all the wrong people. The experiences he gained were so valuable that the investments were still worth it in the end.
Kelly has collaborated with some of social media’s biggest influencers, such as Caitlin O’Connor, Jessica Bartlett, Danny Duncan, NELK Boys, and America’s Next Top Model Contestant Ava Capra. For a kid who had dreams of becoming successful, he is definitely in pursuit of greatness.
However, despite his many achievements, Kelly didn’t want to rest on his laurels. He wanted to establish yet another business. Thus, Big Wick Candle Co. was born out of the idea that he wanted to build a brand that was bold, fun, and energetic. He wanted to drive sales through social media and exposure, so he requested assistance from talented artists and models for Big Wick. Big Wick combines humor, as its name implies, as well as a high-quality product. Currently, Big Wick Candle Co. has more than 16,100 followers on Instagram and is widely popular on the internet due to its funny take on the candle industry.
Kelly’s overall success hasn’t gotten in the way of his interests and overall lifestyle. As he learned from his past experiences, he’s always wanted to have a balance between work and real life. When he’s not busy with his business ventures, Kelly can be seen enjoying the outdoors riding on his road bike or playing basketball. He also enjoys snowboarding and ski-biking during the winter.
Check out more of Kelly Reddington’s business ventures, achievements, and interests over at his official website.