One thing that people always seem to want to know about is what it’s like, being an entrepreneur. As a society, we seem to have held on to this old fashioned, outdated notion that the life of an entrepreneur is pretty much this set thing. For example, if you’re a mechanic, you go to work every day, and fix cars, right? In fact, most of the jobs we’re accustomed to feature more or less the same activities day in, day out.
Not entrepreneurship, though. Quite simply because entrepreneurship is such a broad term, it’s practically impossible to narrow down what these people do in a brief, two sentence explanation.
Still, in our search for the perfect answer, we reached out to one of the coolest entrepreneurs we know – Justin Allen, co-founder of DA Method Sports Agency (with partners Darryl Wilson and James “AJ” Mason) and DA Method Apparel (with partner Darryl Wilson). Allen has also helmed a multi-million-dollar security service agency with his business partner Darryl Wilson for the past eight years now and is on the brink of launching his very own creative-oriented bar, the Premier Lounge in Washington DC, and barbershop, Premier Cutz.
He is, quite simply, the definition of a creative spirit and a true entrepreneur. Which is why we figured, who better to tell us what it’s like to be an entrepreneur? And according to Allen, that’s one of the most often misunderstood aspects of his profession. It’s also one of his favorite parts about his line of work.
“Every day is a new day to impact someone’s life in a positive way or give an opportunity for someone to express themselves. Every day is different, it is not a typical 9-5 job.”
But how does that work, exactly? Well, by its nature, Allen’s job means he comes into contact with a lot of vastly different people and businesses, day in and day out. He works with creatives, sporty types, athletes, and just plain old businesses, through his security agency.
As an entrepreneur, there’s also a strong pull towards community, because that is the living heart of all entrepreneurial ventures. Since he comes into contact with so many different people, Allen and his businesses have become an important part of his local community. And it’s for this reason that time and again, Allen works hard to give back, strengthen and grow his community. For him, this means getting involved with holiday events, and just offering expertise to those who need it.
“Back to school drives, food drives, donating apparel, free workout programs…”
These are just a few of the ways in which Allen and his businesses have given back to the community over the years, and it’s perhaps the one constant across Allen’s many different ventures.
It’s also what we were able to glean from our conversation with this immensely talented entrepreneur. That across the many different areas of entrepreneurship, it’s this sense of community and contributing to something larger than yourself that remains true. Being an entrepreneur is about envisioning something better, and by definition, that includes the society you inhabit.
