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LA Actor Robert Ri’chard Will Never Forget His Humble Beginnings
“This above all: to thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man…”
There’s something to be said about someone who remains relevant over the years — 24 years to be exact.
From starring in the late-90s Nickelodeon sitcom Cousin Skeeter to co-founding ELITE | PERFORMANCE | MEDIXINE Newport Beach, California Robert Ri’chard is that someone.
Ri’chard, often remembered for his acting career, has always been one to adapt to his environment.
Whether adjusting to life as a teenage actor or adapting to life as an advocate for holistic health practices, there’s something humbling and sincere to be said about Robert Ri’chard’s self-effacing journey throughout his multifaceted career.
But with a CV as seasoned and diverse as Ri’chard’s, the question remains, “How did he get to where he is now?”
Our journey begins at a moderately-sized high school nestled in the Westside neighborhood of Los Angeles — Hamilton High School. Despite being enrolled at Hamilton High, Ri’chard was out of school from January to July of 10th-12th grade filming Cousin Skeeter and various projects.
“At my high school, I was voted “Most Likely to be Absent.” While I was at Hamilton I was doing My Cousin Skeeter for three years; that’s 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade year. My Cousin Skeeter shot from January to July. So from January to July of high school, I wasn’t there, I was on set.”
However, Ri’chard saw a silver lining in his time away from the classroom. His zeal for being on set and acting made the 60+ hours of weekly work feel like a breeze. Rather than feeling burdened by the workload, Ri’chard states that he felt like “the happiest kid in Southern California.”
So what exactly would make Robert Ri’chard feel like “the happiest kid in Southern California”? How was he able to – as the iconic Nike Dunk campaign goes- be true to his school? His answer is quite simple: humility and self-awareness.
“I played baseball in high school; I played baseball and basketball. My coach always said, ‘Act like you’ve been here before.’ No matter the scenario… That and I played a lot of team sports. The acronym for “TEAM” is Together Everyone Achieves More.” That stuck with me a lot. And the Serenity Prayer. Those are probably the three things that stuck with me the most.”
Humility and self-awareness can go a long way and in Robert Ri’chard’s case, they did. But at the same time, don’t get it twisted. Ri’chard is no saint or poster boy for virtuosity
In fact, his younger years say otherwise. Having grown up in the Crenshaw area of South Central L.A, Ri’chard was introduced to Los Angeles’ gang lifestyle. So much so, that he found himself getting caught up with a local gang, which led to him being associated with the gang.
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And if there’s one thing that’s hard to get away from in the hood, it’s a gang affiliation. But let the record reflect that Robert Ri’chard’s life says otherwise. Rather than growing into a menacing product of L.A’s unforgiving gang culture, Ri’chard credits his successful career to his passion for life and his personal origin.
“I carry my family’s last name: the Ri’chard last name. I’m from the Crenshaw area of South Central L.A. So, I’m representing that neighborhood and greater Los Angeles, which is in California, which is in the United States, which is the global community…”
Ri’chard continued,
“Those layers of origin are some things that propel me to be an example.”
While Ri’chard’s appreciation and understanding of his own legacy has been key to his successful career, he doesn’t hesitate to shoutout some of the people and things that have helped him along the way.
“You have to strive to find those people who support you, teach you, and look out for you…That’s the power of books. A book is like someone’s mind being available to you; who also share your like-minded interests. For me, it could be Michelangelo, DaVinci, or even Elon Musk.”
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He’s also quick to mention how much his family has been the driving force that challenges him to climb many of life’s proverbial mountains and to not look back once he does.
You see, Robert Ri’chard is and continues to be an architect of his own life; he’s constantly learning from the past, living in the present, and planning for the future.
So, what do the present and future look like for the man who was once one of Nickelodeon’s beloved stars? Highway Fit.
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Highway Fit is one of Ri’chard’s more recent endeavors.“Created with the average person in mind, this creative fitness education frees you from the hassles of a gym membership, weights and above all, travel time.”
Ri’chard’s goal is to encourage and lead people to a healthier lifestyle through Highway Fit. Formatted as ten-minute YouTube videos, each Highway Fit video varies in difficulty but all share the same ethos; quick and effective exercise for the everyday person.
In addition to Highway Fit, Ri’chard is the face and founding partner of ELITE | PERFORMANCE | MEDIXINE Newport Beach, California.
EPMproductx is formulated with all active ingredients, and by design have no “inactive ingredients” as commonly seen on drug store packaging.
Their slogan is Better Science. Better Medixine. Reborn is a fountain of youth in a bottle for muscle and joint pain, while Allure is beauty rest in a bottle for fine lines, wrinkles, anti-aging and more.
Furthermore, EPM is All-Earth – a category they charge as the leader to transform suffering for all. The myriad of EPM products is applied topically and spirited from Ezekiel 47:12 in the old testament.
EPM’s holistic approach is not just a savvy business ploy for Ri’chard to market and sell a product. It is part of his spiritual journey and indicative of Ri’chard’s maturation over the years.
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“I love people and I’m looking out for people. People sort of come to me and ask me to get information for them simplified. I feel like that’s been my service…”
Ri’chard continued,
“I try to go out into the world and find the smartest and most intelligent people, ask them a ton of questions, and try to simplify as much as I can for the public.”
While ELITE | PERFORMANCE | MEDIXINE is one of Ri’chard’s latest projects along his journey. It certainly will not be his last. Where to next for Robert Ri’chard some may ask.
We will have to wait and see.
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