Starting a business with…Dustin Hogan, The Rock Star Academy

 

Dustin Hogan is the owner of Futurpreneur-supported business The Rock Star Academy. Passionate about personal development, Dustin started his business with the goal to inspire and empower others to focus on their own personal growth and development.

Read about Dustin’s journey as an entrepreneur and how the road to starting a business is far from straight and narrow.

 

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What inspired you to take the leap and start your own business?

I have owned other businesses prior to this one, and I have always had the entrepreneurial bug. The thing that is different about my current business is that it is related to what I am passionate about as opposed to just something to make money. It’s much more fun and rewarding this way.

 

Describe the journey you’ve been on with your business. 

Since I started my business in September 2016, it has had some major shifts and changes.

 

When I first started my business I was 100% focused on running live seminars and workshops. This was a lot of fun and I did find some success, but I soon realized that I needed to make some shifts to my business model to make it more scalable and sustainable.

 

I’ve since shifted gears and offer my programs online, and for now any speaking I do is at other people’s events or even delivering presentations on behalf of other organizations.

 

I will get back to my own seminars and workshops again in the future but will take a different approach when I do.

 

Has there been any part of the process that you’ve found particularly challenging?

 

The biggest challenge I have had so far was the difficulty I had in scaling the original business model that I chose. It worked, but not well enough to keep moving in that direction.

 

I also was potentially going to bring on a partner and that fell through. When it fell through it felt like a major failure but quite soon turned into the best thing that could have happened to me.

 

On top of that, I’ve made decisions and mistakes that have turned into great business lessons for me. The biggest mistake I made was trying to make everything perfect before releasing it. I could have saved myself a lot of time that could have been focused on other business development opportunities. Fortunately the loan I received from Futurpreneur allowed me to launch my business in a very short amount of time.

 

I also learned that I should have started communicating with my email list much sooner than I did. This would have allowed me to start building a relationship that would help grow the business in the long run.

 

But these are all part of the experience that have become great opportunities to learn and grow personally and professionally.

 

What is the most rewarding thing about having your own business?

 

The thing that is most rewarding is the endless possibilities that owning a business provides. Building a business is certainly more challenging than getting a job, but the upside potential is incredible. This is not only personally rewarding but very inspiring as well!

 

What are your key tips for new and aspiring entrepreneurs starting a business? 

– Be tight with your money in the early stages.

 

– Validate your product and get pre-orders before you spend months building something you don’t know if people even want.

 

– Having a mentor in your corner also helps give you an extra level of confidence and a feeling of being supported. This is crucial in the moments when you are questioning what you’re doing or when things go wrong. Knowing there is someone else who cares about your success is a good feeling.

 

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Fun Facts with Dustin

 

What celebrity or personality inspires you the most and why?

Nobody in particular, but I am inspired by entrepreneurs who continue trying business ideas until they find one that works. Giving up is the only failure.

 

What would your superpower be? 

The ability to fly.

 

Favourite place you have visited?

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This is where my grandparents live, and I always love visiting them.

The most awe-inspiring place I travelled to is Egypt. I had the chance to meditate inside the Great Pyramids. This was an experience I will never forget!

 

Favourite movie?

Jurassic Park

 

Words to live by?

You never know the struggle someone is going through so be kind always.

 

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Learn more from Dustin in his guest post ‘The Power of Personal Growth’ that outlines three strategies for the greatest personal growth ROI. Read the article here.