OU Student Manages Course Load While Also Running His Own Media Brand

Illustrations by Abigail Summers

Grace Dearing

As a college student, it can be easy to view the world with blinders, focusing only on maintaining an acceptable GPA and nurturing a social life. Ethan Hodson, a senior studying marketing, recognizes the rut that many Ohio University students often fall into and wants to work toward inspiring others to find their passion through his brand RAMBL.

According to RAMBL’s mission statement, “RAMBL is a concept based on the idea that there are no boundaries that one can place on what we do, where we go and what we have to look like. We are encouraging and inspiring others to keep going past the limitations life gives us and embrace the journey every step of the way.”

Casey Calvetta, a senior studying communications who has modeled for RAMBL in the past, is a dedicated customer and has seen the impact the brand is making first-hand.

“I think that it’s good to have someone inspire creativity in others and give them a small platform to be creative,” she says. “Especially going to school in Athens, it’s such a small community and I think it’s important to support local businesses. Ethan gives a lot of people the opportunity to be creative; he’s not just about growing his own brand, but helping other people grow.”

Illustrations by Abigail Summers

Hodson’s brand started as an idea in 2018, but officially launched when he printed his first clothing line in March 2019 for High Fest. Since then, RAMBL has continuously gained momentum and Hodson is expanding beyond clothing.

“I’ve always wanted to start a company, it was just more so what kind of business is it gonna be?” Hodson says. “Eventually, I realized all my passion and inspiration revolves around music, clothing and what Tyler the Creator, ASAP Rocky, Pharrell and Kanye are doing … I started with clothing so that I can pave my way into the music and entertainment industry.”

In addition to a custom clothing line, RAMBL offers branding, creative direction, artist management, website design and development and event planning. Recently, RAMBL hosted a fashion show in OU’s CoLab to showcase other brands and artists on campus.

Despite being a solo entrepreneur, Hodson has built a team of close friends that he leans on throughout RAMBL’s many projects. Whether it’s talking through an idea, partnering with a friend in the music industry or reaching out to someone to model RAMBL’s clothing, Athens has given Hodson an invaluable network.

“Ethan is very creative and very driven and he is a very positive person, which is super evident,” Calvetta says. 

This passion has allowed Hodson to take RAMBL to the next level by branching out into the music industry. The brand currently represents two artists: Nem6 from Guatemala City and Ned.Beats from Cincinnati.

“It’s a whole new audience that is focused on clothing and branding,” says Ned.Beats. “I feel like [RAMBL] brings in more audience that you don’t have, and it offers more. It brings an identity to you. RAMBL is kind of a representation of you.”

In addition to management and merchandise, Ned.Beats says RAMBL offers himself countless opportunities to expand his platform and grow his audience. From show opportunities to photoshoots, and even an all-expense paid studio session, Ned.Beats says he has always felt supported by Hodson and RAMBL.

“He really seemed invested in me and my sound,” Ned.Beats says. “He’s a really giving dude and I think he’s just somebody I can rely on and trust in, in an industry that you can’t really trust a lot of people in.”

Hodson is working on organizing a tour for Ned.Beats, Nem6 and a variety of additional artists. It is artist management and planning like this where Hodson’s marketing education shines through as he brainstorms ideas to ensure ticket sales are where they need to be, playing around with a plan to bundle tickets and merchandise, creating an incentive for people to buy tickets.

Designing a clothing line, hosting major events and managing artists all while balancing a full course load has been a lot to handle, Hodson admits, but he is optimistic about the future. Founding RAMBL has taught Hodson a lot about not only marketing and management skills, but also about how to tend to personal mental health while taking on a variety of responsibilities.

Hodson plans on moving back to his hometown in Philadelphia to work with his friends. The 2 1/2  hour commute to New York City will greatly benefit the brand, he says. His hope is to pursue RAMBL full time after graduation, which he believes will make it much easier to focus on the business once the extra stress of classes are taken out of the picture.

“RAMBL is going to be the rest of my life. Now, it’s just building,” Hodson says. “I want to pave my lane in the entertainment industry and in the multimedia industry to provide these services.”