Aaron Nicholson is a co-founder of Studio Transcendent. He has been an interactive media practitioner for the last ten years, striving to bring many mediums together to create transformative experiences. Follow them at @studiotranscen.
What is the first thing you did to turn your current business from an idea into a reality?
We created our first virtual reality experience, Rapid Fire: a brief history of flight, completely on spec. It took almost 900 man-hours. But people’s reactions to it and the industry response was well worth it.
What is the scariest part of being a young entrepreneur and how can others overcome this fear?
The scariest part is not always knowing where the next check is going to come from. I’ve overcome this by training my mind to be relaxed even though I might feel stress and to stay in constant action that will lead to sales and deliveries, even when I can’t always see the direct relationship between what I’m doing and the outcome I want.
Were you ever told not to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams? Who told you that, what did they say and why did you ignore them?
Every couple of years, my father suggests that I get a standard job for a while. Once in a while, I indulge in contemplating the idea, but then the work and action that I want to take always leads me to getting clients and customers, not an employer. I suppose a day job is not in my DNA, similar to the way that it isn’t in his.
What is the No. 1 thing you wish you’d known starting out and how did you learn it?
I wish I’d known the basics of how transactions operate. I learned this by studying the Influence Ecology program, which I highly recommend. In America, we aren’t taught how to operate in the economy during any of our education: from kindergarten through graduate school. This is a horrible oversight. In the meanwhile, entrepreneurs need to find a good program or piece the fundamentals together for themselves so that they aren’t just stabbing in the dark.
What do you recommend all new founders do for their business — or their personal lives — that will help them the most?
I’d recommend that they get into a business where they enjoy the general day-to-day activities and that has a large market potential. Having one without the other is a recipe for drudgery or desperation.
How do you end each day and why?
I strive to write “evening pages” each night. This is a stream-of-consciousness journaling activity inspired by Julia Cameron’s morning pages routine from her book “The Artist’s Way.” I think one of the hardest things to do as an entrepreneur is to keep an understanding of where you’ve been, where you’re going, and the context that you are operating in. We’re literally building the future out in front of ourselves, and I think that planned reflection time is vital.
What is your best PR/marketing tip for business just starting up?
Talk to everyone you know about your business. Sometimes it won’t connect with them at all. Some of them will become customers. But more than you think will be able to help you or partner with you in ways you never imagined before you struck up a conversation. There is a lot of potential hidden in the relationships you already have. Once you find a potential, follow up on it rigorously.
What is your ultimate goal? What will you do if/when you get there?
I simply want to get rich by helping people in ways that I enjoy. I don’t think I’ll ever reach the end because there are countless people to help and an insurmountable number of ways to help them. If I can find and execute on plans that do that throughout my life, I think I’ll be very happy.
