We were lucky to catch up with Aaron Dodge recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Aaron, thanks for joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I think every entrepreneur who previously had a regular job, thinks about what it would be like to return. In fact, I applied to thirty jobs this summer. This had a very challenging year mentally. My business really took a toll on me. I thought about quitting. I thought about getting a regular job. And then a tough conversation with my wife snapped me out of it. I have a lot of value to bring the market but I wasn’t treating my business LIKE A BUSINESS. Since the end of October, my business has been on the up and I’m ready to make 2024 my best year yet.
Aaron, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
When I was a freshman in college, Facebook was invited. So I’ve been on social media since 2004. I’ve used multiple app regularly since 2004. So of course, I had to find a way to turn that knowledge into a business. After 10 years in sports, I got really into video and storytelling on social media. I joined a video production house in Charlotte, North Carolina and we started helping brands with their social media and video content. We made the videos but it was my job to decide what platforms the content worked the best on. Unfortunately, the business was crushed in 2020 by the pandemic and with TikTok on a steady rise, I decided to go into business for myself. Three years later and I’ve worked with multiple brands helping them understand their social media strategy and how to speak the right message on each of the different platforms. In 2024, I want to help more solopreneurs grow their business with coaching and a community that is there to support each other. When I was in my depressive state this summer, I wish I had a community that could have pulled me from the depths and helped me get out of my own way. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, but too many fail not because their product or service is bad, but because they didn’t have the support system for them to succeed.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Easy answer: Authenticity. I love who I am and being a fun guy on my social media. People work with me because of my personality and positivity throughout the process. I built most of my following on social media my dancing on Instagram and tiktok. And I think a lot of people gravitate towards my energy.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
My favorite book of all time that I think everyone, entrepreneur or not, should read. “What you say when you talk to yourself” by Dr, Shad Helmstetter. It takes you through the science behind the words that you are saying to yourself on a day to day basis. Once you understand how to talk to yourself, you can do anything and everything that you’ve dreamed of. You spend the most time with yourself, so understanding how to talk to yourself is the biggest unlock to your potential.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aarondodge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaron_dodge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AaronDodge723
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-dodge/
- Twitter: https://www.threads.net/@aaron_dodge
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aaron_dodge
Image Credits
Photos by Sadie Tucker Photography