Randy & Demi

Old Money, New Moves

By Terry L. Watson

Photos by Charles Beason

Demi and Randy Howell of Huntsville, AL, are rewriting the definition of the term “power couple”. Everything they do is at the highest level. Individually, they are a force to be reckoned with, but together, there isn’t much that can stand in their way.

Demi and Randy celebrated 20 years of marriage earlier this year. Their story illustrates their authentic love for each other. It also details their commitment to building a fulfilling and purposeful legacy for their family. Randy is the dreamer, while Demi is an effective strategist, a combination that has produced two beautiful daughters, several businesses, and an influential platform. They have always kept the needs of their family at the forefront and decided to homeschool their daughters to ensure they received the best opportunity to succeed.

Demi describes herself as a “Serial Strategist”. She is a native of Huntsville and was raised by her parents to live a life of integrity and decency and taught never to settle. Those principles were applied when Randy began to court her. He shares how she never led him on and that he had no clue how much Demi liked him. She kept him honest while determining what her final decision would be. Demi admits that it was a simple decision because Randy covered all of her bases and swept her off of her feet for the most part, which Randy continues to do now 21 years later.

Demi loved to style hair growing up and became very good, mainly because she was a student of her craft. “I was self-taught, so I decided not to enroll in beauty school. And after graduating from high school, I took an apprenticeship and received my professional license,” she says. Soon opportunities began to fall her way.

Randy is the kind of person who hates to lose. Like Demi, he is also a Huntsville native. While in college, he majored in Business Management and Marketing, with a minor in Mathematics. “I am a numbers guy,” he shares. After acquiring a Bachelor in Business Management degree from the University of Pheonix, Randy jumped into the corporate world. He later obtained his MBA in Marketing. Presently, he is working on a DBA in entrepreneurship.

While grateful for the corporate opportunities, Randy knew he should be doing something else. Being the master strategist she is, Demi knew it also and spoke some words that ultimately changed their lives. “My wife told me that our family would never succeed until I use my education and talents for our family,” he says. It was time for the Howell’s to level up, and the rest of the story is history.

Randy left his corporate job and began to support Demi’s dream. In 2004, they purchased a building that would eventually house their salon, Demi, named after their daughter, whose name is also Demi. In 2009, the Demiere Cosmetics line was launched, named after their other daughter, Dandilione. These two business ventures were only a glimpse of what the Howell’s would produce.

Randy began to immediately impact the salon with his business savviness and marketing skills. Demi was already established as a talented and seasoned stylist, and Randy complimented her vision. Their salon soon became one of the best in the country, and in 2010, was recognized as one of the top business practices under American Salon.

Demi also brings energy with her vision and direction of Demiere Cosmetics. The vibrant brand has grown in popularity and notoriety and was an official sponsor for a rooftop party at the BET Hip Hop Awards. It was also featured on several television productions, including BET’s 106 and Park, Love and Marriage Huntsville, and published in Essence Magazine. The Howell’s have leveled up once again.

In between working alongside Demi at the salon and helping with the cosmetics line, Randy got involved with rehabbing homes and property in and around Huntsville. This experience directed him to become a licensed real estate agent, adding another nugget to the Howell’s empire. Then out of nowhere, something began to happen at the salon that would allow Demi and Randy to share their lives with the world.

“I am a natural talker, and Randy is a talker too. He has a unique ability to listen to others’ problems and provide answers and solutions. These genuine qualities are evident whenever Randy speaks. He is a loving person and will help anyone in need,” Demi says.

While at the salon, Randy would often listen and talk to their clients and offer feedback. They also shared how much talking with Randy helped them. That’s when the “master strategist” Demi, realized the life coaching potential in Randy. She told Randy that he should coach others professionally and charge a fee for it. Demi got to work and began researching how he could become certified. Soon Randy was taking courses and eventually received his license.

Of course, nothing happens alone with the Howell’s, and Demi jumped into action. In 2018, the couple launched their talk show, A Seat At The Table, with Randy and Demi. “We are always together and wanted our own talk show. We wanted to give people a voice who may not have a voice,” Randy says. They use this platform to talk about parenting, religion, marriage, and more. Their video productions can be viewed on Youtube and social media.

“I am a Truth Coach. I encourage others to talk about their truths and help them deal with the issues they’ve yet to face,” he says. His style is working mainly because of the confidence he has in himself. “I put my coaching on the levels of Brendon Burchard and Eric Thomas. You have to put yourself where you want to be,” he says.

Randy is also known as Coach Chef, an opportunity that came about as a response of him catering to his wife, who has Celiac Disease. He had already been preparing her delicious, gluten-free meals and decided to use the talk show platform to showcase his talent. It was a huge success.

Randy has continued to level up with coaching. He has developed a program called the Sims Approach, and in 2020, the program was copyrighted. He currently has two female coaches studying under him and is putting the finishing touches on Truth University, an online program based on Truth Coaching. In December, he will launch a book called The Truth of Matter Is..., and host a coaching conference called Truth Fest in the Spring of 2022. Leveling up and making power moves is nothing new to the Howell’s. Others have just begun to learn about them. “We were doing things before they became popular. We’ve been doing this; now, we are just doing it a different way. We used to work for money; now, we are working for purpose. The money is still coming. Now our money is working for us. It’s just old money, but new moves,” Demi says.