The goal of Hardly Hustle is to provide inspiration, drive and motivation in a 10 minute read or less. What you see is what you get. This is hot off the press without an editing team.
Jake Bjorseth is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
Jake Bjorseth, founder & CEO of Trndsttrs, a Gen Z ad agency helping startup and fortune 500 brands understand and then reach Generation Z (age 12-25) consumers.
What did it take / how did you get started?
As a student, I had a snapchat media brand that started winning ad deals to promote products, local businesses, etc… From there I got connected to clients asking for more: social media, website, “how can we get more young people in here?”... It all came together on a call with the marketing team (corporate) at Noodles & Company. While I planned to detail Snapchat and how to leverage that platform, it quickly turned into insights and discovery around Gen Z. Brand, product, social, content, etc… all regarding Gen Z. From there, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew the true value in what I was doing. 1 month later we launched and haven’t looked back since.
What does the future look like for you and your hustle?
More work. More team members. More campaigns. Greater impact.
What drives / motivates you?
Memento Mori: the acknowledgement that one day I will die. Thus, I must make the most of every second here on earth.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
That no one cares about you, your business, or your dumb value prop.
Focus on your clients/customers - serve them. Ask questions, listen, and shutup about yourself.
It’s not about you, it’s about the clients you serve!
What has been the hardest part of the hustle?
Maintaining growth through COVID while brands cut marketing budgets.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
Book list:
How to win friends and influence people
Think & Grow Rich
Meditations (Marcus Aurelius)
Homo Deus
Good to Great
Resources: (all apps)
Elevate
Headspace
Optimize
The STATS
Side or full-time hustle?
Full-time - my entire life
List the founders
Jake Bjorseth (only)
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
80
# of Employees?
21 full-time
4 part-time
When did you start?
May 2018
How much did it cost to launch?
$600
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
No money raised, no funding, bootstrapped since day 1. Haven’t even taken a loan, credit line, etc… still cash business!
Annual Revenue?
$1.5M
Projected Revenue?
$5.5M
Any call to action?
Always looking for badass Trndsttrs eager to join our company! Similarly, not on the search for investors, but always open to conversations and harsh criticism.