Ex-Texans linebacker sells furniture companies for $150 million, turns attention to hospitality industry

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'I want people in America to know that my hair, my beard and whatever other danger signals I was sending out, someone who looks like me is more than whatever is in your head,' former NFL player Darryl Sharpton Jr. said.

This photo provided by Albany Park shows the Ekaabo seating collection. Albany Park's founder Darryl Sharpton drew on his Nigerian heritage to create his Ekaabo seating collection. The name means 'welcome home', and the velvet upholstery's dynamic blue, orange and burgundy graphics echo West African design.On the heels of the $150 million sale of two furniture businesses he built during the coronavirus pandemic, former NFL player Darryl Sharpton Jr.

In college, a girlfriend had purchased a sofa off of Craigslist.org and asked Sharpton to go with her to pick it up. Once there, he realized the seller of the sofa had an unusual business model. Her home was full of affordable furniture that she sold through online listings. His mind immediately went back to the world of furniture, and he flew to the High Point Furniture Market one season, looking for ideas and inspiration. While in one vendor's booth, he started chatting with a couple of guys who were there for the same reason. Coincidentally, they lived in Houston.

His business model began with three affordable sofa styles and just a handful of fabric options to help buyers avoid decision fatigue. It launched in late 2019, getting its feet on the ground just before the pandemic set in and everyone in America seemed to want new furniture for their home. Sharpton's life now is more relaxed. His phone doesn't ring in the middle of the night with complaint,s and he doesn't have to fly to China for regular problem-solving trips.

 

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