THE COFFEE SHOP WHERE A FRIENDSHIP BEGAN

Around 2011, Roman Johnson was exploring a clothing project and looking for someone who understood printing. That search led him to Ruben Escalona at the coffee shop inside Hastings in Abilene.

Ruben could remember the friendship, but not exactly how it began. Roman remembered the clothing idea, the meeting, and the early days of Red Alpha. What started as a conversation about a project became years of collaboration, referrals, and encouragement.

During the interview, Ruben thanked Roman for consistently recommending Red Alpha whenever a new job, business, or opportunity came along. The friendship became one of the stories behind the business itself.

LEARNING BUSINESS BY DOING BUSINESS

After military service, Roman studied graphic design and business administration. He opened his first T-shirt shop in Abilene and eventually operated two T-shirt stores. He also helped launch restaurants and participated in other ventures.

He was candid about what those experiences cost him. Without many examples of how to build a business, he learned by trying, making mistakes, and trying again.

Roman said he does not view those attempts simply as failures. He views them as lessons. That distinction helps explain why he keeps exploring the next opportunity.

CREATIVITY DOES NOT HAVE ONE LANE

Roman traces some of his design interests to building custom MySpace pages. He also remembers making music with a basic microphone and computer in the early 2000s.

His interests now stretch across graphic design, songwriting, recorded music, marketing, apps, and games. He described returning to music after stepping away for years and later experimenting with AI tools as part of his creative process.

Ruben recognized a shared philosophy: creativity is not limited to one medium. Sometimes a new tool opens a door that neither person could have afforded or imagined earlier.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN IDEA AND EXECUTION

The conversation turned to artificial intelligence and the opportunities and disruptions it brings. Roman acknowledged that some small graphic-design jobs have slowed as AI tools became more widely available. Rather than ignore the change, he has tried to learn how to use emerging technology in his own work.

He also challenged a common habit among creative people: having ideas without acting on them. Roman put it this way: “If you don’t execute any idea, it’s anybody’s idea at that point.”

That thought became the heart of the episode. An idea can be exciting, but execution requires commitment, learning, and the willingness to put something imperfect into the world.

BUILDING APPS, GAMES, AND NEW POSSIBILITIES

Roman discussed a football game, a manufactured-home business simulation, and other digital projects he has been experimenting with. Ruben had tried some of them himself—and admitted he lost money in the simulation because he skipped the instructions.

Their joking exchange became a practical discussion about testing an idea, listening to feedback, and improving the experience. Ruben even pitched a Red Alpha game involving a T-shirt cannon and characters transformed by the shirts. Roman was open to exploring how it might work.

The point was not that every concept was already a finished product. It was that building something gives an idea a chance to evolve.

A NEW MISSION IN HOUSING

Roman now works selling manufactured homes and travels between Hamlin and Abilene. He told Ruben that work connected with Abilene’s AI data center development helped him notice housing needs and consider how he could serve families looking for a home.

He described his goal as helping people who may assume homeownership is beyond their reach. His message was to investigate the possibilities before deciding the answer is no.

That approach reflects a theme running throughout his story: opportunities are easier to miss when someone rules themselves out before trying.

OLD-SCHOOL CONNECTIONS IN A DIGITAL WORLD

Roman and Ruben also compared the way people used to discover music, rent movies, and visit stores with today’s instant digital access. Roman talked about his physical DVD collection and efforts to build ways for people to discover and purchase movies.

Ruben described Red Alpha Studios’ newspaper-inspired Front Page, vintage-style programming guide, and Friends of Red Alpha directory. Their projects differ, but both men are interested in using new technology without losing the feeling of human connection.

Even while discussing virtual stores and future tools, they kept returning to the people those tools are meant to reach.

THE SUPPORT THAT DOES NOT SHOW UP ON A BALANCE SHEET

Toward the end of the conversation, Roman said entrepreneurs do not always need financial backing as much as they need someone who believes in them. He has seen how difficult it can be to keep going when the outcome is uncertain.

Ruben reflected on the years they have known each other, the work they have shared, and the fact that both are still creating after setbacks and changes.

This episode was more than a tour of Roman’s ventures. It was a public thank-you between longtime friends—and a reminder that the people who encourage us before the results arrive are part of the story of whatever we eventually build.