In the past decade, the rise of e-commerce and online social media platforms has made the internet a cornerstone to business on all levels. This has allowed the rise of the Entrepreneur, or “self-makers”. These are individuals who go against the grain and make their own way, fending for themselves in the market. Entrepreneurs have been changing the landscape of our society for years now. Some of the most notable entrepreneurs have built life-changing products that have moved our society forward.
Individuals like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk are examples of individuals who have achieved the American dream by their own means. People who can be on their own and take on the pressure to become self-made successes don’t come around often, as less than 15 percent of the US population goes to work on their own time. These individuals’ stories are often interesting to tell, as the entrepreneurial lifestyle can be just as difficult as it is rewarding. Going on your own is risky, and especially in business where nothing is ever guaranteed. One individual’s story we wanted to tell you about encapsulates an entrepreneur’s rise from a young age.
Meet Christian Anderson, better known as his stage name Trust’N. The 22-year-old Entrepreneur began his rise to stardom as a 15-year-old, freestyling in the car with his friends. When we asked him to recall those moments, he said, “I remember just like, freestyling in the car with my bros. Just like trying to roast each other, haha. Those were fun times.”
As a musician, Trust’N has had an impressive career thus far, to say the least, charting in the top 15 on iTunes twice in the past year. These milestones are even more astounding when you look at his rise out of Madison, Wisconsin, a place that has never been on the map in hip hop. Trust’N first hit the charts with his 2019 release of “Lapse”. The project peaked at #12 on the hip hop rap charts and has amassed over 2 million streams on Spotify alone. The project is still heavily listened to this day. While already making an impression, Trust’N knew he didn’t want to settle there.
Trust’N’s next shot at the charts came with the release of his summer banger “Lucy”. He released the song with his long time childhood friend, Madison native, and fellow musician Lil Myro. After running a TikTok campaign, the song quickly grew on the apps explore page, making the song peak at #8 on the charts. The Madison artists chalked up their first top 10 appearance almost out of nowhere. What’s even more impressive? The single was released the same weekend as Juice Wrld’s posthumous release “Legends Never Die”, competing with all of Juice’s songs while charting. Something unexpected to say the least. As a self-drawn play, the single’s marketing plan was made and paid for out of pocket by Trust’N’s marketing agency, Lost Boy Entertainment, LLC. However impressive his career as an artist has been thus far, most Trust’N’s accomplishments go beyond the music industry.
While making his come up as an artist, Trust’N faced issues with distribution companies. As an independent artist, revenue from streams and purchases are necessary to survival. In the early stages of his career, Trust’N battled with companies over his earnings, often seeing his money withheld from him. He knew he needed to fund his career, so he decided to sell his marketing services to other independent artists through his own firm Lost Boy Entertainment, LLC. The company was inspired by Trust’N’s favorite childhood film, Disney’s Peter Pan. He’s also sold merchandise from his clothing brand Lost Boy, almost starting a movement. “Lost Boy merch started when I slapped an old cover art on some hats when I was in high school. I sold over 500 hats my senior year of high school right out of my backpack,” said Trust’N. “We almost started a kind of movement, encouraging people to be themselves and pursue their dream no matter what people tell them. That’s what being a Lost Boy means.”
Post launch, Lost Boy Entertainment’s services became a hit instantly among the independent musician community. The firm allows independent artists to get some of the same services labels offer at a fraction of the cost. It handles their clients Public Relations, Music Promotion and Marketing, and acts as a management firm for influencers among other avenues. While many businesses were closing their doors, the company reported doubling its profit during last May, the COVID-19 pandemic height. A head-turning accomplishment for a startup marketing agency. The company is also creating its own clothing line that Trust’N has been previewing across his social media profiles. Being in business for just over six months, the full-service branding agency has helped over 1,000 clients with their marketing needs.
With his career as both an entrepreneur and artist in full throttle, Trust’N stayed in school for three years at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, recently dropping out to pursue his dreams. Trust’N also recently signed with the same manager that helped hip hop artists like ASAP Rocky, ASAP Ferg, and more recently, Lil Tjay rise to stardom. With a lot on his plate, the Lost Boy has endless possibilities to grow. Keeping one foot in the music industry and one foot in the business, Trust’N has the opportunity to put his hometown in conversations it’s never been in before.
Learn more about Trust’N and Lost Boy Entertainment on Trust’N’s Social Media Pages: @iamtrustn
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