We were lucky to catch up with DeJon Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

DeJon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

9 months ago I decided to make a major change and move to Denver, CO. Prior to moving I had just secured a television deal with GMT Studios for The Syrup Room. I was also providing media and promoting major festivals, concerts, and events throughout Texas. Exactly two days after attending SXSW I decided to make the move. After making the 12 hour drive to Colorado I knew that rebuilding would be challenge, but I had faith that it would work. I instantly began networking and attending as many events in Colorado as possible. Within a month I was doing interviews and networking with local media and artists. I then started to realize that many artists from my city were making stops here to perform and promote their projects. I made it a habit to always pull up and support those artists when they made stops in Colorado. This led me to meeting many new people such as venue owners, artists, and fans of music. I would always ask what they felt might be needed out here and I would also take note and tell myself this is how I grow. Shortly after I was promoting my own events and building a buzz with my platform, this time in new territory. I never once doubted myself nor stopped working towards my goal of expanding into a new area. Fast forward to today things are on the up all because I wasn’t afraid to take the risk. I love my city but it feels good to be able to expand and grow outside of my element.

DeJon, 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?

I am the creator of The Syrup Room Media, one of the first major underground radio platforms to come out of the City of Houston. We have been in operation since Fall 2016 and continue to strive to this day. We have hosted and helped put together many events that have created major opportunities for entertainers across the nation to gain major exposure. We have worked with many chart topping artists and have even gave artists such as Lil Jairamy & Don Toliver their first ever radio interviews. We originally started off interviewing Houston legends as well as the up & coming. This made us a must stop platform for many major media runs. From there we ended up interviewing artists from all across the nation. One of our most popular moments was catching rap superstar Da Baby before the fame putting on for The Syrup Room while wearing a diaper during SXSW 2017. This moment was asked about during his interview with The Breakfast Club radio show.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Honestly I started this business with little to nothing. After seeing a Instagram post about starting a radio show I paid $150 for a 2 hour weekly slot on a local online radio station. I got a logo made for maybe $50 and went from there. We had very big interviews early on which led to other artists and business owners paying for a chance to be featured on the show. Not fully understanding the business at the time probably led to me missing out on a lot of paid opportunities, as I was doing a lot of work for free. Over time I realized the value of what I had in my hands which helped me created a price list. At the same time I had started running our Instagram as a blog page which led to us being able to charge for online promotions. By keeping track of the income I was able to later secure funding which was necessary to purchase needed equipment to help grow into a bigger platform.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building an audience on social media from scratch is never easy. A lot of times we want our pages to be like other pages we follow so we mimic their strategies. What worked for me was understanding our audience. I knew that we had a strong Texas based audience. I payed close attention to which posts worked, and which posts didn’t. I also payed close attention to the times of day that would generate the most interactions. I also made sure to post consistently, 3-4 posts minimum per day, everyday. When new features such as reels would drop I took advantage. Knowing your audiences is key though, what works for me may not work for you. For me it was simply staying true to where I’m from.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesyruproom_?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk=
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thesyruproomhtx/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesyruproom_?s=21&t=TTK6Qv-Zvct2agFnn7WfHQ
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thesyruproom