Meet Colin Wayne. Social media connoisseur, military veteran, published fitness model, and CEO of a multi-million dollar company, one that’s based right here in Huntsville.
Wayne is the owner of Redline Steel, a fledgeling company making a big impact. He was recently invited to the White House to attend President Trump’s third annual Made in America Product Showcase. Only one company is chosen from each state, and Redline was the face of Alabama.
So how did this Huntsville native manage to take the internet by storm, grace the covers of magazines, become a trusted social media advisor and land the corner office of his very own facility all before the age of 30?
The road wasn’t an easy one.
“I’m a high school dropout. I got my GED, joined the military. You don’t necessarily need college to be successful today. The most important thing is self-belief.”
He even believed he would become a world-renowned fitness model. Colin’s love for the camera has humble beginnings.
“My mom was a professional photographer. She had a studio here in Huntsville for about 20 years. She specialized in children’s photography. So I was super comfortable in front of the camera.”
“You’d think in Alabama, the success rate could be super low, like you need to be in NYC or LA. But we live in a time of day when social media is so powerful. You can do anything no matter where you’re located,” he says.
And his mastery of social media all started with a single post.
He says, “I made a Facebook fan page. That’s where it all started. My first 30 days I had over 100,000 followers. I honestly didn’t know what I was doing at first. But I saw market opportunity.”
And whatever he does, Colin likes to think he attacks it, all in.
“I literally bought an RV in 2017 and lived at Redline for three months because I didn’t want to drive 25 minutes home and 25 minutes back.”
Because of his unorthodox path to corporate America, and the millions of “No’s” he heard before he got his “Yes”, Colin keeps an open mind when looking for members of his team.
“I look at things with a little bit of a different perspective….I don’t care about a lot of the stuff that corporate America does. Because everybody’s a person and everyone deserves a second chance.”
Meeting any president of this country is an honor that most people don’t receive.
The Plant Manager of the Redline Steel, Major Holmes, recounts the day he and Colin stepped into the White House to present on behalf of Redline. But, for him the moment stands out for a different reason.
“I had a chance to meet the president and his staff. But most importantly, I got the chance to meet the butlers, the individuals who were cleaning up the rooms. The people who made it possible for me.”
“This gave me an opportunity to give my thank you…to these individuals who paved the way for me to stand in the White House. To stand in rooms where African Americans were not allowed unless they were holding a tray.”