Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Coney.
Aaron, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey probably started in Detroit, MI somewhere around first grade, when my teacher Mrs. Baczynski, went through our class and asked each child aloud what we wanted to be when we got older. Standing up I proudly proclaimed “when I grow up I’m going to be an entrepreneur!” So for my entire life, my parents have always instilled in me the idea of being someone’s employer as opposed to someone’s employee.
I, since, went on to graduate from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, with a major in Advertising and Promotion. There I networked and hustled my ass off and gave up more than half of my Friday nights practicing graphic design and honing my craft. Today, I’ve relocated to LA and like many do-it-yourself millennials out there, I’m a solopreneur! I founded and operate a lifestyle/clothing brand called “Hustle Matters” as well as a small booking management/booking agency, “AC Talent Group.”
And as a Graphic Designer by trade, as time permits, I still contract and consult helping others to create content and develop their brand identity In short, I’m a hustler! Haha
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Haha, I don’t think anyone with ambitious goals has had a smooth road. For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to travel to LA and work with celebrities. However as I got underway on my Hollywood journey, I found myself growing frustrated… going back-and-forth on single/album artwork for rappers, texting with needy and greedy managers, delayed payment, etc. I kept attracting clients and projects with little to no budget and doing artwork that only a handful of my followers knew I created.
So to make a long story short, I decided to ease off the gas on being a strictly graphic designer, and feed my entrepreneurial spirit and dedicate some time and energy into launching both AC Talent Group and Hustle Matters. I’ve come to learn that what gets you to point A won’t necessarily be the thing that gets you to point B — that we have to allow ourselves to evolve. I, now, work in an industry heavily based on relationship building — something I’ve always been good at, where I get to put my graphic design and creative skills to use, utilize my marketing degree, and as a bonus — get travel the world!
Please tell us about Hustle Matters.
Hustle Matters™ is a lifestyle brand whose mission is to empower today’s do-it-yourself generation to pursue their dreams with ambition and fortitude. We specialize in affordable apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and accessories) and motivational content.
AC Talent Group is a small management/booking agency whose mission is to bring talented stars closer to those who admire their work! We do this through a various convention, charity, private signing, and speaking appearances (both domestic and international). Our client list includes a variety of top feature-film, television, video game, and voice over talent.
I think what sets me apart is for 1, I’m an in-house creative, but I’m a hard worker. I may not be the biggest or best at what I do but I’m damn good and I hustle harder for my clients than anyone else will.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Wow, such a loaded question — there are so many! When I was growing up, every couple years my family would take a road-trip down to Florida to visit my Mom’s sister, her husband and my cousin, Grant. Grant was like a second big brother to me and some summer’s he would come spend with us, and some summers we would go visit him. Either way, seeing him every summer was always something I looked forward to.
Although they lived all over Florida so I got to experience many parts, my fondest memories from childhood would probably be our trips to Disney World and Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure. From meeting the Ninja Turtles, the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Live Show, to the JAWS ride and the Marvel superheroes roller coasters — those memories will forever be priceless!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.hustlematters.shop/
- Email: [email protected]
- Other: http://www.aaronconey.com
Image Credit:
Hue Greene & Jon Pagan
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
