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Meet Rayson Esquejo

Meet Rayson Esquejo, a digital brand maker hailing from Los Angeles. He's a self-taught marketing guru who has made a name for himself in the industry by hacking his way to the top.

Growing up with AOL chatrooms, MySpace, and a love for downloading music, Rayson knew early on that there had to be something in the world of marketing for him. So, after working on a few internships and graduating from UCLA during an employment downturn, he took what he had learned and went door-to-door offering online marketing services. With the demand for online marketing being low at the time, Rayson had to pick up skills like website design and Adobe skills through random blogs and YouTube videos.

But, Rayson's persistence paid off when he was headhunted to run social at Open Road Films. There, he created industry-leading marketing campaigns for films like Spotlight, Chef, and even hacked Instagram to allow for the first-ever HD uploaded trailer. Realizing the growing opportunities in the field of social media, Rayson decided to take his experiences and contacts and travel the world as a freelancer.

When Rayson returned to LA, he decided to try his hand at something new: throwing a large-scale event. In 2017, Rayson and a friend put together LA's largest Filipino-food event, drawing over 25,000 people and opening doors for more freelance work within the Filipino-American community. He even started a non-profit organization, USAPAN, to amplify Filipino-American small businesses through events.

But, Rayson's journey hasn't been without its obstacles. Being a Filipino-American in an industry that doesn't have many, Rayson has faced microaggressions and discrimination. But, he never let it stop him from pursuing his dreams.

With the pandemic hitting in 2020, Rayson pivoted to smaller, more frequent drive-thru and pick-up events, called the Filled Market, which gained coverage from outlets like NBC and PBS. Alongside the growth of the market, one of the brands Rayson was marketing had a sudden burst of exponential growth and he was offered the opportunity to build a company and a team from the ground up at Harvey Industries International, Inc.

Currently, the Harvey Woodworking Saw brand is the fastest-growing brand in the segment supported by a 5-star rated team of 14 that Rayson personally hand-picked and hired. If you're into woodworking, Harvey's saws are the Lamborghini of woodworking tools.

Rayson's story is one of persistence and determination, proving that with hard work and a willingness to learn, anything is possible. He continues to pave the way for Filipino-Americans in the industry and give back to his community. Keep an eye out for Rayson and his future projects, because he's not done making a name for himself yet.