We recently connected with Dustyn Dawn and have shared our conversation below.

Dustyn , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

When thinking about if I am happier as a business owner there were two things to consider; how likely am I to be booked if I do not produce the show, and how much experience would I get in the industry without owning the business. It is the unfortunate truth that most of the queens and drag performs in the Baltimore scene are completely and utterly rude. People will refuse to book you over rumors without any basis of truth to them, will talk behind your back while being a part of your cast, and will try and claim you are things you are not.

What I have realized is that owning a business has helped me navigate through the bullies, self doubt, and hate from my own community. I have no doubt that if I was not the one producing shows, I would not be at the level of expertise that I am at today.

I am only 21 years old, and I am running the longest-running drag brunch in Federal Hill, as well as accomplishing things I had never even imagined such as headlining for Baltimore Pride in 3 separate events. There are days when I wish I could just pass all the responsibilities off to someone else and just go back to being a normal queen, but these are few and far between. The business is growing slow, but at a very steady rate, and we have done so many great things for the community.

I honestly don’t think I would be happy unless I had the ability to be a business owner. Absolutely Dragulous LLC has been created and run by myself along with my parents and amazing boyfriend who supports me endlessly. I’ve created some amazing friendships and have found the group of people I trust the most; Emerald Star, Sirene Noir Sidora Jackson, Chanel Belladonna, and Vee Vee Majesty. I am absolutely proud and happy with the platform I have and the company I have created and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got into my industry by watching The Walking Dead and seeing all of the special effects makeup, and realized I loved what people could do with cosmetics! I took this and ran with it, as I saw a lack in the quality of shows in the community, and realized I could create something amazing!

I think what sets me apart is the inclusivity of my shows. I’ve noticed other shows around the area have a certain vibe about them that makes it seem like the audience should be thanking the queens for being allowed to see them. My shows on the other hand are mutual interactions with the goal of making everyone in the audience feel as though they are welcome and that we are just like them underneath all of the padding and makeup. We aim to showcase the performers that the big names in the area refuse to acknowledge, and to have the audience just as excited as we are throughout the whole show!

We have done some amazing things for the community including working with charity organizations such as Baltimore safe haven, and the Baltimore Abortion Fund, as well as queer owned business in the area. The thing I am most proud of is having my company headline for three events in Baltimore Pride when the business has only been licensed for a year.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth advertising has been a wonder for our business! We provide venues with flyers, pay for social media ads, and frequently send out emails. My wonderful mom is running our social media page and doing amazing at it! All of this combined has created a great clientele list for our business!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think as I said previously that word of mouth advertising has really increased our reputation in the market. We are by no means the biggest show in Baltimore, but I have no doubt that we are on our way there!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Absolutely-Dragulous.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/absolutely_dragulous_brunch?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
Studio5Baltimore Johnnyjayphotos Jordan Zuelsdorf