Madison Wickham graduated from Texas State University in 2007, more anxious and confused than he’s ever been before. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Wickham had one goal: not to be controlled by a boss. Yet with little money or a clear direction, Wickham had no choice but to become an employee. 

So he took to the field, venturing into everything from real estate to web design, finding himself consistently dissatisfied with demanding bosses and unfulfilling work. Having failed with creative startup ideas in the past, Wickham was wary when one of his college fraternity brothers pitched him an idea. Seeing success in online media sites such as Texts From Last Night (TFLN) and F*ck My Life (FML), Ryan Young saw potential for a similar project under the TFM (Total Frat Move) acronym.  

Used in their college days to describe relatable stories, clothes and actions, anything labeled “total frat move” provided a distinct and marketable audience for a future brand. “No one in the entertainment world had been successful with capturing fraternity life authentically,” Wickham said.  

Stereotype film and TV characters failed to grasp just what being a frat guy encompassed, and that convinced Wickham this was an idea worth exploring. What started as a $150 domain registration fee has since turned into a multimillion-dollar media company, Grandex, which is comprised of many content-based sites including Total Frat Move, Total Sorority Move (TSM) and Post Grad Problems. Yielding success with their content-based media sites, Grandex moved on to establish Rowdy Gentleman, an apparel brand targeting the same market as TFM.  

As for the future of the brand, Wickham said a new retail site and film/television opportunities are on the horizon. “A little success opens up crazy opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible before,” Wickham said.  

Wickham’s rise from a lost college grad to co-founder of a brand name media company is something all college students can learn from. He offered future entrepreneurs advice: 

1) "Even if you feel like you’re in a rut, bouncing around from job to job and unsure of what you really want to do, you are constantly learning new things." 

2) "You are still moving forward. Don’t be scared to take risks. Fresh out of college you don’t have much to lose. You’re unemployed and broke." 

3) "Keep an eye out for opportunities and always be thinking of how you can take something and make it better." 

4) "Be careful not to jump from 0 to 100 when starting a business. TFM was not started with apparel and advertising goals in mind. It grew to propose those large goals." 

5) "You don’t always need to raise money to create something. TFM did not raise a dime until this past year when it connected with the former CFO of Dell, Jim Schneider. Experiment with ideas before you start taking money from people who are going to be very angry if you lose it all."