Since opening “The Little Pizzeria” on the corner near my home at age 10, I’ve had an entrepreneurial spirit. Though that first venture didn’t pan out, as sustaining growth of a quesadilla-meets-pizza stand is tough, I’ve continued on in other ventures.

Most notable is my current venture with my rock n’ roll band, Red Yeti.

I’m the the keyboardist for the band, but also manage branding, graphic design, social media (see more of that on my social media tab) and merchandising. This has included working with professional designers, creating promotional collateral (as seen above), designing and sourcing merchandise and steering the brand through image, fashion, photo and video content. I’ve worked with photographers, videographers and designers to understand fully the image of the brand and portray it in a way that matches the band members’ personas and the tone and feeling of the music.

Red Yeti’s music has recently been used in commercials for Mountain Dew and Altra Shoes. These licensing deals were negotiated between the band and the companies, and have been beneficial for both parties, as the music fits each of the companies’ brands, and the videos have promoted the music.

[note: this video is being aired internationally, and was aired during the 2014 world series]

Red Yeti is an LLC, owned by the 5 members, and is a profitable business. It brought in eight thousand dollars in revenue during the 2013-2014 fiscal year between music sales, merchandise, ticket sales, private gigs and licensing. We expect great things for the upcoming year, including a second EP, a small west-coast tour and more licensing agreements.

Red Yeti has attracted media attention in Utah. It has appeared in three printed and online news outlets and appeared on two different television programs. The Deseret News posted an article titled, “Returned Mormon missionaries hold to values while pursuing rock ‘n’ roll dreams”, which was shared on Facebook 2.1K times. Though the impression count is unavailable, it is expected to be in the tens or hundreds of thousands.

I’ve learned so much from being a business owner. Everything I learn in my public relations and business classes apply directly to the band: accounting, marketing, research, media relations and so on.

I’m looking into more entrepreneurial ventures, like an app idea for finding bacon (you’ll have to ask), a new type of cookie butter and who knows, maybe I’ll try selling quesadilla-pizzas on my street corner again.