Meet Maven Rucker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maven Rucker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maven, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ll begin by saying to give me true freedom. Creatively, emotionally, professionally. I struggle with rigid, traditionally-cultured & boring a$$ work environments. Work settings that cut-off individual creativity and authenticity in exchange for professional safety and top-down philosophies. You know, spots where people are afraid of their managers or being fired for stepping outside the cultural norm. Kind of like the work culture of those rigid, boring a$$ investment firms you see in TV commercials. Maybe everyone’s suit is too tight?

Ultimately freeing myself (and other creatives like me) from traditional corporate responsibility and the “report to work” routine along with my strong need for having a creative outlet is the 93 octane that fueled my drive for starting KUMAA Branding. I enjoy the challenge of wearing all the hats (currently) and I try to locate my fun-zone within the headaches of building my brand strategy platform.

Understanding that sh!t is going to happen, often times contrary to our well thought out plan(s), is inevitable. Being honest about it helps me with remaining adaptable, flexible, consistent & eager to continue forward.

What should our readers know about your business?
The main thing I want people to know about me and KUMAA Branding is that we’re not here to play it safe. We’re here to push boundaries, challenge assumptions, and make sure that your brand is as bold and dynamic as you are! It’s about more than just aesthetics or looks; it’s about creating a memorable impact on your audience.

Whether you’re a startup trying to differentiate, a countercultural movement (our fave to work with) making an introduction or an established business looking for a refresh, KUMAA will help bring that vision to life in a way that’s open, fearless, authentic, creative, and uniquely yours.

What problem does KUMAA solve?

Misalignment in your messaging. When ya’ll are saying one thing about your operation but doing another to communicate it, this clearly creates confusion and ultimately damages consumers’ trust with your brand. Let’s work together to fix that sh!t by creating clear, authentic messaging that not only reflects the company’s values but resonates with their customers on a deeper level.

In essence, we help you find your promotional voice then use it with courage and confidence.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ll simplify this and say refer to the Awesome AF list below:

Places to visit:
1. Outerspace.
2. The National Civil Rights Museum
3. Stax Records & Soulsville
4. Ardent Studios
5. FedExForum (NBA – Grizzlies)
6. Riverside Drive/Tom Lee Park at Sunset
7. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
8. Rooftop Bar – Clark Tower (32nd Floor)
9. The Pyramid
10. MoSH (The Pink Palace Museum)
11. St. Jude World Cancer Research & Medical Foundation ($9 Billion Campus)
12. xAI (Elon Musk) – Grock Supercomputer
13. Southland Casino (West Memphis)
14. Saddlecreek Mall/Apple Store

Places to eat!:
1. Casablanca (Mediterranean)
2. Cafe Med (Mediterranean)
3. Uncle Lou’s (Sweet Heat Wings)
4. Big Bills BBQ (Rib-tips)
5. Cozy Corner (Ribs/cakes)
6. Broadway Pizza
7. Frank Grassanti’s (Italian)
8. Bonchon (Korean Fried Wing)
9. Kukuruku Chicken (Korean)
10. Gus’s World Famous Chicken
11. Moondance (Germantown)
12. Stoney River (Saddlecreek Mall)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Unapologetic. which is creative platform based here in Greater Memphis & founded by one of my best friends who’s basically a brother to me, IMAKEMADBEATS (James Dukes). Along with other talented & brilliant creatives, briefly working with their team Q2 2020 to Q1 2021 provided me with some valuable insights into brand strategy and operations within the creative landscape. It showed me first hand what it looks and feels like to achieve great results when you don’t have a department of people ready for projects, but instead, one person who has to be the entire department.

The phrase that sticks with me today from our creative meetings: “We do things differently here. Unlearn most of the traditional corporate sh!t you know and learn how to adapt and produce results in a creative way.” – IMAKEMADBEATS

Website: www.KUMAABranding.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kumaa.branding/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-rucker

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/poncebeyond

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poncebeyond?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kumaa-branding-memphis

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kumaabranding?si=zwgE7hrVpszpLSJQ

Other: MemphisVoyager: https://memphisvoyager.com/?post_type=interview&p=83383

Image Credits
All images are owned and licensed by KUMAA Branding DBA KUMAA, LLC.