[caption id="attachment_9679" align="alignleft" width="391" caption="Douglas with President Obama"][/caption]

“Who are you wearing? You look fabulous! Can we get an interview?”

Go to any high-profile event and these are some of the things you will hear. As celebrities strut their stuff on the red carpet, fans are cheering and reporters are asking questions. There is always excitement at a red carpet event. From the Oscars to the Grammys to the Golden Globes to movie premieres, red carpets represent the buzz in the air at the start of a special event. Douglas Melville wanted to take ‘the red carpet’ to the next level. He decided to start Red Carpet Runway as a way to give people the chance to experience the life of the red carpet for themselves.

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A brief background…

Douglas Melville has always been fascinated by the business world. As a little kid, he would look at the stock pages in the newspaper and try to understand why the numbers on the page were so important. Since graduating from Syracuse University, Melville has  achieved many impressive accomplishments. He started out as an intern for Qwest/Warner Brothers Records, where he got to learn about the industry from the one and only Quincy Jones.  He has since worked with Britney Spears, Michael Fredo, and  Andy and Tommy Hilfiger. Douglas also had the honor of working for Magic Johnson as the President of his marketing company. Additionally, he worked on Johnson’s executive team at Magic Johnson Enterprises in Beverly Hills, CA. Douglas Melville is no stranger to high-profile clients, and is well-respected in the industry for being a master of his craft. “I have been very fortunate,” reflects Melville, “learning directly from the individuals that helped trail blaze industry in America and getting the chance to travel around the US to understand the American people.”

Red Carpet Runway…

Douglas’ current project is Red Carpet Runway. Their mission is to “Allow anyone to create their own red carpet experience! Any size. Any budget. Any event.” They have been used by MTV, Extra TV, CBS The Early Show, and more. Red Carpet Runway is not exclusive to the rich and famous. Anyone can order a custom-designed red carpet and backdrop and easily set it up at an event of their choice, such as a Bar Mitzvah or Sweet Sixteen party. The idea came about while Douglas was walking down the red carpet at a premiere. “The feeling of energy and excitement walking down the Red Carpet was so electric,” says Melville.  “It didn’t matter to people that I wasn’t a celebrity, I was on carpet as a guest.  Then it hit me – bam – I wanted to create that same feeling for people to be able to share when they are having their next party…”

Red Carpet Runway has already produced the red carpets for events attended by Beyonce, Barbara Walters, Kim Kardashian, 50 Cent, Tommy Hilfiger, Russell Simmons, Dwyane Wade, and the list goes on. Red Carpet Runway even designed the red carpet for the MTV TRL Finale, which was a huge honor for long-time MTV fan, Douglas Melville.

As much as Melville enjoys the larger, high profile events, he also has a soft spot for the events not having to do with the entertainment industry. From weddings to Bar Mitzvahs, to charity events, to red carpets for US Troops coming home, Douglas loves making events special.  “I mean I literally get excited for everything Red Carpet,” he says. The most interesting Red Carpet Runway request? “A woman called us and had us create a Red Carpet + Backdrop for her to hang in her bathroom – so every time she walked out of the shower she could see her self on a Red Carpet posing in the mirror. I though that was hot,” says Melville.

Designing a red carpet is not always easy. You have to be very in tune with who the party is for. This is a very important aspect of Red Carpet Runway. “The design concepts are put into reality by Bill Sidarweck, he heads up the operations and design teams,” says Melville.  “He has been the creative influence and visionary around our Step & Repeat patterns, design sizes and our selection of carpet colors.”

A true entrepreneur…

In the field of business and entrepreneurship, Douglas really knows his stuff. Red Carpet Runway is Melville’s third business to date, and he is constantly coming up with more ideas for the future. He reads for four hours a day, with a goal of becoming a human Wikipedia of sorts on business topics. Melville has been a guest professor at Syracuse University, his alma mater, and a judge for the Entrepreneurship Program’s annual Panasci Business Plan contest. Douglas really values helping students turn their business ideas into reality. His advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? “It (starting a business) takes twice as long, and costs twice as much. So once you make your business plan, double it. If you are willing to make the commitment to turn your idea a reality and make it a business – then go for it. But if for any reason at all, you think you may NOT  wanna do it – then stop before you get started,” says Melville. It is also important to trust the person you are working for (in Melville’s case it is Bill Sidarweck), and have a good balance of ideas. For example, one person should be looking way into the future and have big dreams and plans for the business, while the other should be practical. “Basically – one person has to be the visionary and one person has to be the practical thinker,” says Melville. One without the other makes achieving mainstream success very difficult in today’s marketplace.”

It is also important, according to Douglas, to come up with the most original idea and to cater to what people really need. “It’s really an art..I understand what people want, what they wanna hear, what they wanna see…filling a need,” says Melville.

“Most people start a business that doesn’t fill a need. They create a need and then they find people to fill the need…That’s why most businesses fail.” Melville does mass amounts of research before committing to business plans, because without it, you can become lost.

Inspiration…

Melville is inspired by so many people. “I am most inspired by those who I learned from…professionally it is everyone that came up with an idea, or had a passion for something and succeeded enough to become the story teller for that field or that industry,” explains Melville. He learns so much about business by learning about others, including TED Videos on innovation and books such as Napoleon Hill’s ‘Book Think and Grow Rich.’ He is also inspired by his parents, who have been behind him every step of the way. Melville is a huge supporter of President Barack Obama, who he has had the privilege of spending the day with during his campaign in ‘08. When asked about his time with Obama, Douglas said it’s surprising, but, “He’s literally a normal person.” He believes that that is a huge part of Obama’s appeal.

The future…

So, what’s next for Douglas Melville? Besides continuously coming up with new business ideas, he really has big plans for Red Carpet Runway. They recently launched a Red Capet Runway workout video with NYC personal trainer NikkiFitness, with special tips on  how to pose when you walk on the red carpet. You can now also buy a red carpet laptop pad, coaster, or cancer ribbon for charity. “We are always thinking about ways to make the Red Carpet more accessible,” says Melville.

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Douglas is enjoying every minute of this business and looks forward to seeing where it goes in the future. “Red Carpet Runway is a culmination of every single moment of my life up to this point,” he says. “The tradition of the Red Carpet dates back to 548BC and I felt someone needed to make it accessible to everyone. I will be working until I can reach that goal.”