We were lucky to catch up with Aaron Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.

Aaron, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Becoming a business owner is the best decision I ever made. I began my journey into the workforce toiling away in other industries and working for managers that ultimately held my success in their hands. My ascension up the corporate ladder was always impacted by subjectivity, corporate plans, and other factors that I had limited control over. This was hard for me to deal with because I realized that my performance alone was not enough. I felt that in order to reach some level of perceived success, I would have to become indoctrinated in some flimsy superficial business culture that often times did not exactly align with my own personal goals and values and be ok just rolling along the ups and downs of some industry I didn’t really care about. Additionally, I witnessed the fate of others who had conformed, ultimately overlooked, or even worse, obtain some level of “success” that resulted in a hollow corporate zombie-like existence. No impact or contribution to the world. No legacy for their families. No imprint on mankind.

In the last role I was in before diving completely into my business, I experienced all of these various aspects. It scared me so much, that I believed not attempting to succeed as a business owner was worse off than trying and failing.

Aaron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After growing up in the the 90’s hip hop scene and seeing some success in the culture with some business endeavors, I started putting together a plan to exploit a need in the music industry in my city. At the time, talent shows such as “American Idol” were huge and the demand for people to take the 1st step to becoming artists was largely unsatisfied. I decided to open “Aero’s Independent Studio” in the local mall and began offering services to take individuals from ground zero to viable, marketable artists with music catalogs. The core of the business was artist development, audio engineering, and project management. Although the process of how these services were accomplished has changed over time, these remain the core services I offer today. The studio in itself has become a “farm system” and allowed me to create “Aeros Entertainment” for publishing, distribution, and label services. Ultimately, aside from creating and having a successful business, I am most proud of being able to get artists paid. For years, artists spent money with me for studio and marketing services and allowed me to live out my dream as a business owner. It’s nice to be able to pay some of it back.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I saved money for years. I wasn’t willing to share control with investors initially. Even now, my business ventures are partnership based where we each control aspects and budgets without stepping on toes. That being said, take what you think you need for a business venture and double it, or have access to it. The conceptual world is much different from the applied.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My business plan was destroyed pretty early on based on factors I had identified, but completely underestimated. My success immediately became based on my ability to pivot my revenue streams quickly and reduce expenses. I am currently in version 3.0 of my business. I began my business venture largely reliant on others to the complete opposite of becoming self reliant and self-sufficient. It’s a lot more work, but I know what to expect and when to expect it. A luxury to have in comparison to the uncertainty and delays caused by outsourcing.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://aeros.studio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerosindiestudio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-jones-18626739/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AerosIndyStudio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerosIndieStudio/videos